Activities and Resources

Family Crew is providing a list of known resources for family friendly activities around Columbus as a service to our community. We are not affiliated or partnered with these sites.

Please always check the links provided before scheduling an activity as information may have changed since the last time we checked!

If you know of a resource and would like to share it with the Family Crew community please contact us with the details.

- Kristian, Adrienne, and Jody

The Culture Pass is available from the Columbus Metropolitan Library. These passes which provide free admission are available for some awesome activities around the metro area (Columbus Zoo, Franklin Park Conservatory, the Clippers, and a number of performing arts events)

Only a library card is needed to obtain these passes. See https://www.columbuslibrary.org/culture-pass/ for more details and which library branches offer these passes!

Qualifying households can get a discounted or free admission to local museums in Central Ohio.

See the websites below for information on the program at each location.

COSI

https://cosi.org/m4a

Columbus Museum of Art

https://www.columbusmuseum.org/visiting/free-and-discounted-tickets/m4a/

Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens

https://www.fpconservatory.org/M4A/

National Veterans Memorial and Museum

https://nationalvmm.org/m4a/

Ohio History Center and Ohio Village

https://www.ohiohistory.org/visit/special-attractions/museums-for-all-columbus/

Wexner Center for the Arts

https://www.wexarts.org/m4a

Current 4th grader students are eligible to receive a free history pass as part of the America 250 celebrations.

The America 250-Ohio Commission and history-related museums and sites introduced the 4th Grade History Pass for the 2025-2026 school year.

This is a special program that allows Ohio 4th grade students with the chance to attend participating history museums and historic sites free of charge, with a paid adult. The pass includes free general admission for one (1) 4th grade student with one (1) paid adult general admission. Special exhibitions, planetarium shows or other upcharge experiences are not included with the pass.

More information can be found at https://america250-ohio.org/fourth-grade-pass/

The current pass is valid through August 31, 2026 FOR 4TH Graders of the 2025-2026 SCHOOL YEAR

2026-2027 SCHOOL YEAR 4th Graders will be eligible starting September 1 to get their pass which expires August 31, 2027.

Gain free access to hundreds of National Parks, Lands, Waters and other qualifying sites for your fourth grader and their family!

According to the National Parks Service the "Every Kid Outdoors Program is an interagency collaboration between the Department of the Interior, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and U.S. Forest Service that provides fourth graders with free access to explore, learn, and recreate in spectacular settings, including national parks, wildlife refuges, marine sanctuaries, and forests."

See the Every Kid Outdoors website for step by step instructions to get your 4th grader their pass: https://everykidoutdoors.gov/index.htm

There are a number of eligible sites here in Ohio and several within a 1 hour drive from Columbus!

Cap4Kids has a listing of current events and activities for families and events for Parents and Guardians around Columbus and a number of other resources available to families.

See https://cap4kids.org/columbus/family-activities-and-resources/ for their current list

This website and its companion Facebook page feature a weekly updated list of current events around Central Ohio. Additionally, there are a number of reviews of family friendly restaurants and coffee shops, playgrounds, play cafes, and much more that are located in Columbus and the surrounding area (Worthington, Dublin, Westerville, etc). Many of the reviews are for low cost or no cost activities.

The author's children are elementary aged so many of the activities listed are focused on the elementary and pre-K age ranges.

The What Should We Do Today Columbus website: https://whatshouldwedotodaycolumbus.com/ or the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/whatshouldwedotodaycolumbus

Central Ohio has a robust parks system with some fantastic offerings at the various community centers and nature centers.

Ohio State Parks

https://www.stateparks.com/central_ohio_parks.html

Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks (Metro Parks)

https://www.metroparks.net/

Columbus Parks and Recreation Department

https://columbusrecparks.com/

Westerville Parks and Recreation

https://parks.westerville.org/

Worthington Parks and Recreation

https://www.worthington.org/208/Parks-Recreation

Gahanna Parks and Recreation

https://www.gahanna.gov/165/Parks-Recreation

Dublin Parks and Recreation

https://dublinohiousa.gov/recreation-services/

Hilliard Rec & Parks

https://hilliardohio.gov/recreation-parks/

Grove City Parks and Recreation

https://www.grovecityohio.gov/379/Parks-Recreation

Whitehall Parks and Amenities

https://www.whitehall-oh.us/183/Parks-and-Amenities

Register for 2 free bowling sessions per day for each child! There is an option to add on adults for an additional fee. There is a list of specific bowling alleys that participate around Central Ohio - see their website for more details!

https://www.kidsbowlfree.com/

Skate Zone 71 offers group skating lessons every Saturday morning from 10am-11am. No appointment necessary, all ages welcome. $15/1hr lesson and for $5 more your skater can stay over for the first open skate. Skate rental is included with lesson price.

From personal experience these lessons are fantastic and can get you/your student skating within a few weeks! See https://www.unitedskates.com/skate-zone-71/lessons/ for more details

Per the Ohio History Center "Stop by to see the Ohio History Center & Ohio Village during the State Fair! Both sites will be open daily from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. This year, the Ohio History Center main lobby also will be a full Ohio State Fair entry point, including State Fair ticket sales and security screening."

If you have an Ohio History Connection membership and are thinking of going to the Ohio State Fair remember to take your membership card. You get 2 free tickets with your membership! You must purchase tickets at the gate to use this discount. Other tickets can be purchased for full price or using other discounts at that time.

More details at https://www.ohiohistory.org/events/ohio-history-at-the-ohio-state-fair/

More details coming soon for Summer 2025 reading program should be released soon! Don't forget to also check in with them for the winter reading challenge!

See their website for more details & to register: https://columbuslibrary.beanstack.org/reader365

For kids in 1st through 6th grade. More details should be released soon. typically the program encourages young readers to read 8 books by August 31st and fill out the form with the book title, author, and favorite part of the story. Then return to a Barnes and Noble location to get a free book!

Stop into your local store and get a copy of the journal or visit their website for more details & the link to download the reading journal: https://www.barnesandnobleinc.com/our-stores-communities/summer-reading-program/

2024-2025 Co-Coordinators

We may be contacted at familycrew@gemsschool.org

We can also be reached via text at ‪(380) 799-6690‬

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