Your guide to activities and fun things to do with your preschoolers, toddlers and kids in cleveland, OH

99 Things to Do in Cleveland

by Naomi

March 10, 2009

Have you ever wished there was a comprehensive list of all things FUN to do with your kids in Cleveland ... to the tune of a list containing 99 items?

This list will cover the east side, west side, the lakeshore and everywhere in between.

Ready? 

In no particular order, here are the top 99 things to do with your littles in the Cleveland area:

1.  See the dinosaurs at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History

2.  Find the lamp with the leg at the Christmas Story House

3.  Feed the ducks, watch the waterfalls and get ice cream at the Chagrin Falls Popcorn Shop

4.  Bowl at The Corner Alley ... one game should do it!

5.  Visit the animals at the Cleveland Zoo

6.   Find the griffins at The Arcade

7.  Visit the animals at the Rainforest

8.  Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

9.  Walk the USS Cod

10.  Tour a MOCA gallery

11.  Smell the roses at the Botanical Garden

12.  Choose fresh produce at the West Side Market

13.  Visit the Garfield Monument at the Lakeview Cemetery

14.  Take in an IMAX or visit the Polymer Room at the Great Lakes Science Center

15.  See the Rockefeller Hotel where President Lincoln stayed on his way to his inauguration!

16.  Tour (and taste!) the Malley's Chocolate Factory

17.  Ride Lolley

18.  Eat at the Emerald Necklace Marina

19.  Splash at the Eagle Lake Splash Pad

20.  Take a stroll at Tower City

21.  Breath the fresh air of the Rockefeller Park Greenhouse

22. Chug-a-chug on the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad

23. Pack a picnic for Punderson

24.  Let them get their energy out at American Bouncers

25.  Explore and create at Playmatters

26.  Cleveland Childrens Museum

27.  Play, romp and picnic at Preston's Hope

28.  Burke Lake Front Air Show

29.  Shaker Lakes Nature Center

30.  Firefly Mini Golf

31. Stroll Fairport Harbor Beach

32.  Can't go wrong with Memphis Kiddie Park

33. Visit the NASA Glenn Research Center

34. Vroom to the Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum

35. Get in touch with nature at Shaker Lakes Nature Center

36.  Stroll through the Cleveland Museum of Art

37.  See the FREE STAMP

38.  Take a City Prowl inspired stroll through Cleveland

39.   Visit the Sidaway Bridge

40.  Tour the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland

41.   Spend an afternoon at the Cleveland Public Library

42.   Picnic at the Cleveland Mall

43.  The Mather Museum

44.  Take pictures of the Peter B. Lewis Building

45.  See the Soldiers and Sailors Monument

46.  See ALL sides of the Robert Wyland Whale Wall

47.   View the beauty of The Old Stone Church

48.  Learn about, and see if you can find The Crib

49.  Make some maple syrup at Hale Farms

50.  Toboggan at the Chalet

51.  Attend a fish fry

52.  Pick out a recipe and let your kids shop at a local farmers market

53.  Story Hour at Barnes and Noble

54.  Eat up on the barstools at Yours Truly

55.  View the skyline (play on the playground AND see Cleveland's oldest monument) at Edgewater Park

56.  See the stars at the Planetarium

57.  Take an art class at the Cleveland Art Museum

58.  See a clam bake

59.  Free Play at Playground World (call for times)

60.  Sign up for a program at Geauga Parks

61.  Ride the Scenic Weekend Train in Hocking Valley

62.  Go skiing at Alpine Valley

63.  Join an archery club, even for the littlest!

64.  Golf at Thunder Hill (kid sized golf course!)

65.  Find a Play Date on Ice

66.   Swim in a zero entry pool at Wildwater Kingdom

67.  Register for a nature presentation with the Cuyahoga Valley Park System

68.  Hike Penitentiary Glen

69.  Attend the Yankee Peddler Festival

70.  Scout some lions at the African Safari Wildlife Park

71. Pour a spot of tea at La Tea Dolly

72. The Cleveland Orchestra kids' programs

73. Cleveland Museum of Art "Parade the Circle"

74.  Watching 4th of July fireworks at Public Square with the Cleveland Orchestra

75.  Public Square Winterfest (google Cleveland Winterfest for a current schedule)

76.  Take in a concert at Blossom and bring your own picnic fixins

77.  Kids Days at Progressive Field (kids run the bases after the games!)

78.  Lake County Captains baseball game (also with ability to run the bases)

79.  See an Akron Aeros baseball game

80.  Explore the wonder of Stan Hywet Manor

81.  Participate in one of the many Hale Farm festivals

82.  Take the ferry to Kelly's Island and/or Put-in-Bay 

83.  Eat at Shooters in the Flats and watch the bridge go up for the big boats

84.  Climb on the rock wall and tour the butterfly garden at the Akron Zoo

85.  Blossom in Chagrin Falls over Memorial Day weekend

86.  Little Italy/Feast of the Assumption

87.  Twinsdays Festival in Twinsburg

88. James A. Garfield Museum in Mentor

89.  Holden Arboretum

90.  Visit the site of the old Euclid Beach Park

91.  Enjoy the Maple Festival in Chardon

92.  Swim at the Geneva State Park lodge

93.  Ice skate on Wade Oval in University Circle

94.  Playhouse Square Pals Series

95.  Flower Clown at Tommy's on Coventry

96.  Canoe on Hinckley Lake

97.  Apple picking or Fun Fest at Patterson's Fruit Farm in Chesterland

98.  Apple & pumpkin picking at Mapleside Farms in Brunswick

99.  Cultural fun at Beck Center in Lakewood, Solon Ctr for the Arts or Fairmount Center

100. Lake Erie Nature Center in Westlake

101. Mr. Hatbox storytimes at westside Borders storytime

102.  Heights Parents Center activities

103.  Storytime and playing at Joseph-Beth at Legacy

104.  Middlefield spray park, and watching for Amish buggies too

105.  Kids runs at local road races (ahem, like the Cleveland marathon)

106.  Kids Day at Hunter/Jumper Classic at Chagrin Polo Field in summer"

Ok, ok ... we went a bit over the 99.  There are great things to do with your children in the Cleveland area!

Help me out and share with me YOUR top places to take your kidlets in the Cleveland area.  Can we get this list to 200?

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by Naomi

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