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65 Ways to Play this Winter in Columbus

December 31, 2023 / No Comments

A few years ago we decided to change our mindset and really start to embrace winter. One of the main ways we do this is by creating a list with the anticipation of looking forward to the things that we generally only do during the winter months. This is an updated version of the list we pull from each year for inspiration. Check it out and let us know if you are up for the challenge of shifting your mindset towards winter this year.

Opt Outside

Participate in the Columbus Metro Parks 50th Annual Winter Hike Series. In January and February enjoy hot drinks and treats. Each month features different parks where you can take a walk and get your hike card stamped. Bundle up, choose your route, grab a friend and go for a hike this winter in your Metro Parks. Check out the website for all of the dates and times.

Search for Bison at Battelle Darby Creek. The bison are in the winter field which makes them closer to the parking lot and nature center. The bison are located in the Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park near Galloway and completely free to the public.  Finding your way there can be a bit tricky, so be sure plug 1415 Darby Creek Dr into the GPS.

Take part in the Winter Letterbox Adventures with Preservation Parks. Sign up and print off a Letterbox Booklet and follow the clues to guide you on a winter exploration of 5 different parks. Once you have discovered all five signs, you will be given a code to unlock the prize bin outside the Deer Haven Park Visitor Center or on the Gallant Farm farmhouse front porch. Prizes are limited and available until March 24 or while supplies last.

Try out Ice Skating at the Riverside Crossing Park Ice Rink. The City of Dublin has installed a temporary ice rink at the Riverside Crossing Park this winter that can be enjoyed in temperatures up to 60 degrees. The rink is open Friday through Sunday and admission is $12 a person.

Hunt for Dublin Riverboxes. These are artist-created vessels that are inspired by the hobbies of letterboxing and geocaching which combine map-reading or GPS skills and artistic pursuit with delightful ‘treasure hunts’ in beautiful, scenic places. Print off and bring along a Riverboxes Passport Booklet, stamp it at each Riverbox, and turn it in to the Dublin Arts Council for a prize.

Check out the Dawes Arboretum via the eight miles of hiking trails or the four-mile Auto Tour. The Parkwoods Trail is a fun and easy loop that is stroller friendly, or climb to the top of the overlook tower to get an awesome view of the space. Be sure to keep an eye on the Calendar of Events page for fun family friendly activities.

Visit the animals at Slate Run Living Historical Farm. Slate Runs is part of the Metro Park system and provides the opportunity to experience first-hand what farm life would be like on an Ohio farm in the 1880s. An old farmhouse, barn, and gardens, are open for visitors to explore. Staff, dressed in traditional attire from the 1880s, are there to work the farm, answer questions, and help get visitors involved in farm life.

Visit “The Troll That Hatched an Egg” exhibit at The Aullwood Audubon in Dayton, Ohio. The Aullwood Audubon is now home to Bo, Bodil and Bibbi, and their troll-sized bird nest. These giant trolls by internationally renowned artist Thomas Dambo have come to life at Aullwood Audubon and are ready for your visit. “The Troll That Hatched an Egg” is one of only nine Dambo-created exhibitions in the United States and Puerto Rico.

Indoor Nature Centers

Visit a metro park or state park nature center. Each nature center offers hands-on, close-up experiences with the natural world. Days and hours of operation are different at each nature center, so be sure to click the link and check out the details before visiting.

Local Libraries 

Explore the children’s space at a local library. 

Indoor Playgrounds

  • Better Together Playnasium– a safe, sensory-friendly play space focusing on inclusion and acceptance of ALL children while playing, learning, and growing together. There are two play spaces that include several different play opportunities to help children develop both gross and fine motor skills while having fun.
  • Get Air – Two locations in Columbus featuring trampolines, bouncy basketball hoops, padded obstacle courses, foam pits and more.
  • Graeter’s Lil’ Pints Indoor Playroom – best for children 9 and under, this play space features multiple ice-cream-themed slides, a banana-split-inspired teeter-totter, an ice-cream-truck photo opp, and more.
  • Momi Land – Now with 3 locations, this indoor playground is probably one of the cleanest we have been to and features a ball pit, climbing wall, trampolines, and miniature carousel perfect for the 10 and under crowd.
  • Ninja City Adventure Park – the perfect place to explore various Ninja Courses and jump on trampolines.
  • Recreations Outlet – provides a clean, safe place for children to blow off some steam using the top-of-the-line wooden swing sets, professional-grade basketball hoops, and the safest trampolines on the market.
  • Rockin’ Jump the Ultimate Trampoline Park – offers fun for all ages including open jump, dodgeball, Basketball, Rock Wall, X-Beam, Widget Ladder, Stunt Bag and Ninja Course.
  • Urban Air Adventure Park
  • We Rock the Spectrum– provides children with a fun and motivational environment to help them in the areas of strength, movement, sensory processing, communication, positive behavior modification, social interactions, and self-care skills. Our unique equipment assists all children in their neurological growth and development.

Indoor Recreation

Check out The Chiller and give Indoor Ice Skating a try at one of the 5 locations offering public skating times.

Take the kids bowling. Ten Pin Alley and Star Lanes Polaris have come highly recommended.

Sign up for swim lessons at Goldfish Swim School and get ahead of the game by mastering the art of water safety before the summer.

Explore the Arts

Enjoy a Free Sunday at the Columbus Museum of Art with the whole family. Explore the Walter Wing, play in the Wonder Room, or build a puzzle together in a gallery. There’s a great experience around every corner.

Attend a PBJ & Jazz Concert at the Lincoln Theatre. PBJ & Jazz concerts are “1-hour long interactive concerts designed to introduce jazz and American music to young children and their families.” Admission is $5 per person for concerts happening on January 13, February 17, and March 16, at 10 am and again at 1130 am.

Check out Otherworld, a 32,000 square foot immersive art installation in Columbus. Explore over 40 scenes filled with large-scale art and mixed reality playgrounds. It’s an all new kind of art experience where visitors are encouraged to freely explore and interact with a surreal world of science fiction and fantasy.

The Membership Advantage

Explore The Center of Science and Industry (COSI). Spend the day exploring the over 300 exhibits in a range of themes. Discover Ocean, Space, Gadgets, Life, Energy Explorers, Little Kidspace, Progress, Lily Pad and an outdoor Big Science Park.

Join the Ohio History Connection for free admission to the Ohio History Center and discounted tickets to special events. Wild Ohio Weekend and the Night at the Museum are both happening this winter and are worth keeping an eye on.

Escape to a balmy oasis at the Franklin Park Conservatory. Take your coat off and explore three biomes (Himalayan Mountain/Rainforest/Desert), the Pacific Island Water Garden, the Showhouse, and the Palmhouse, to see the more than 400 species of plants on display. We enjoy taking the time to wander and often find something new each time we visit.

Visit the Columbus Zoo. A few of the benefits of a zoo membership is the free parking and a guilt free trip in the winter when it lasts only an hour.

Something Different

  • Central Ohio Fire Museum – pays tribute to our firefighter’s past, present, and future. Through a collection of hand-drawn, horse-drawn, and motorized fire apparatus, visitors can retrace the steps of firefighters and learn about their day-to-day lives in the engine house. All guests are also offered a chance to participate in age-appropriate fire safety education.
  • LEGOLAND Discovery Center Columbus – features 36,000 square feet dedicated to interactive games, play areas, building challenges, rides and a 4D movie theater.
  • Little Diggers – Columbus’ largest indoor sandbox. Dig, build, and explore with the magic of sand play.
  • Ohio State University Airport – Discover more about Ohio State’s aviation history on our centerpiece timeline wall, take in the buzz of activity from our comfy observation deck, explore unique aviation artwork in our gallery, be inspired by our vintage Piper Cub J-3, snap a photo with Barnstormer Brutus Buckeye and enjoy free coffee and tea in our vibrant, new terminal.
  • Orton Geological Museum – The School of Earth Sciences’ Orton Geological Museum is a public museum with rocks, fossils and minerals, located in Orton Hall. It is also a research facility, housing more than 54,000 numbered specimens, visited by scholars from around the world.
  • Pins Mechanical – With 3 locations in Columbus, Pins Mechanical is kid friendly until 8 pm and is based on the idea of creating a social gathering place that connects people through non-traditional/playful experiences.
  • 16-Bit Bar+Arcade – A retro bar + arcade offering booze, fun, and nostalgia. Kids are welcome play arcade games, pinball and video games before 9 pm.

Take a Drive to a Children’s Museum

Full Disclosure – This is not an exhaustive list of everything to do in Columbus this winter. This list is a combination of our favorite tried and true activities and activities we want to try. Have fun!

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