2016 Summer Bucket List - Kid Fun Things to See and Do in Columbus

With all the fun things to do in and around Columbus during the summer, I've been creating a bucket list of things I wanted to do with my kids this summer. I'm sharing it with all of you to provide ideas for your own summer bucket list, and also in hopes that you will have some fun ideas to add to this list as well. It also includes fun summer things you can do in your own backyard! Share with your friends too, and let's build this list together!  Find more free and low cost local kid and family events happening every single day of the week in our Summer Fun CALENDAR. 

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Family Summer Bucket List:

1. Visit the natural play areas of the Metro Parks. Build a fort from tree limbs and found items, creek, explore, look for cool bugs or leaves, and more! Read about them here (then scroll down to Natural Play Areas). Read our article here {this is our article after our visit}.
2. Do a Metro Parks/Preservation Parks letterbox and or geocache/GPS activity. Preservation Parks has a Letterbox Adventure event now (May 28 - July 30), sign up at any Delaware County Library to receive your booklet. Read our article on letterboxing here {our letterbox adventure}. Get info on the letterbox program and the great prizes here. Get info on participating in the Columbus Metro Parks GeoTrail HERE.
   
3. Attend a PBJ & Jazz concert at Topiary Park (and maybe story time before and the craft after): July 9th, August 13th.
4. Walk the Dawes Arboretum story trail - A story is taken apart page by page and placed along the nature trail.  As you walk along the trail, taking in the beautiful sights, you also read the story. When you get back, kids can write their own story in the Discovery room. Then, afterwards, explore the rest of the Dawes Arboretum's beautiful gardens and ponds.
5. Ride the paddle boats at Gahanna’s Creekside. Click here for more info (scroll down on page). 
6. Participate in the children's farm chores (or another event) at Slate Run Historical Farm, a 1880s working farm. Click here (filter by Slate Run Farm) for list of events and to register - they fill up quickly.
7. Go blueberry or raspberry picking (sources for these to come - it's one of our favorite activities).
8. Attend one of The Work's Music in the Courtyard events - July 8th and August 12th.
9. Watch a movie under the stars. Check our CALENDAR for listings, which will include many Columbus area communities, Easton Town Center, community pools and the Columbus Commons, all of which have outdoor movies this summer.
10. Explore the Olentangy Indian Caverns.
11. Go to a Columbus Commons Commons for Kids Friday which have a different activity every week (events are listed in our newsletter/calendar), see our article on the Columbus Commons here.
12. Visit a local organic farm and learn about sustainable living. You can talk to the farmers at your market and see if you can bring your kids - most welcome and enjoy visitors.  We have visited Flying J Farms before, Farmer Dick is wonderful!  Birds Haven Farms would also be a great farm, super nice people, not organic but they use no chemicals. Fox Hollow Farm is a meat producing farm with natural practices, super nice people, and they welcome visitors (this one is a little bit north of Cbus).
13. Create a giant waterbed in the backyard.
14. Make a kiddie wash in the backyard like this or this.
15. Have a sponge ball water fight. 
16. Make a fort or a teepee in your backyard.
17. Participate in a local park clean up – or create our own, inviting neighbors and friends.
18. Attend an event at Stratford Ecological Center. They have many great children's events.
19. Create and go on a nature hunt in our neighborhood or a local park. Or use a pre-made nature hunt from NWF.org (or here for toddlers and preschoolers), or get ideas for creating your own here.
20. Join a couple Summer Reading Programs. Children (and even adults) can read books (or be read to) and earn prizes. 
21. Attend one of the creeking type events at the Metro Parks or Preservation Parks (ones that encourage or provide nets, buckets and all) - these will be listed in our newsletters/calendar.
22. Lie in the grass and look at the dark night sky – pointing out constellations.
23. Make a bird feeder and watch for five different birds (and read about them) using the FREE bird guide with pictures from the Columbus Metro Parks or Preservation Parks (pick up one at any nature center).  Or go to a nature center at one of the parks and watch for the birds, trying to find five different kinds (Blendon Woods, Deer Haven and Scioto Audubon are GREAT places to see birds close - they all have observation areas).
24. Explore the Hoover Mudflats Boardwalk - 1500 foot pier over Hoover Reservoir. Read our article here.
25. Learn about one different culture a month – getting books from library to read, making traditional food dishes, listening to music, and learning a few words (like: hello, good bye, thank you and I love you).
26. Go to the different free splash fountains/pads and also have a picnic on a blanket in the grass. See Columbus' FREE splash fountains/pads, along with details and tips on each.
27. Visit the Newark Earthworks (and museum) - either the Great Circle and/or Octagon. Built by the Hopewell culture (100 B.C. to 500 A.D.) of prehistoric Native American people.  This is not far from The Works science museum (which gets 1/2 off admission with COSI membership), so maybe wrap a day around a trip to Newark by visiting both places.
28. Go to the Columbus Symphony's Popcorn Pops at the Columbus Commons and there is free movie afterwards. July 22
29. Walk the Story Trail at Gahanna's Friendship Park - written and illustrated by different Gahanna school students. OR Walk the Story Trail at Pataskala's Municipal Park - reading pages from a story written and illustrated by Pataskala Elementary School Students.
30. Create Kiddie Pool Kickball in your backyard
31. Explore Hayden Run Falls {note: it seems you can no longer get down and explore, however it's still fun to see a great waterfall tucked in the middle of a city, and walk along the boardwalk}.
32. Visit Hoover Damn (Sunbury Rd.) - Walk up and down the stairs, check out the water, and talk about what it does. There is also a Disc Golf Course at the location off Sunbury Rd. that older children might enjoy.
33. Take a day or overnight trip to a close city and visit their museums or zoos.  Here are some day and overnight family trip ideas.
34. Plant an herb or salad garden in a big pot(s) on the patio or in the yard. Have kids pick what they would like to plant, and have them help take care of it. I found out my kids will eat kale like candy this way {who knew}! See our Gardening with Children Pinterest board.