Educational kids trips

[Margaritaville]

We are grandparents of a 6 year old boy and 8 year old girl. Can you suggest educational places we can take them that's:
1) reasonable distances from central Ohio
2) age appropriate
3) educational.

Last year we took them to Sauder Village in NW Ohio, where they learned about pioneer living. This year we went to Holiday World in Indiana and they loved the amusement park and camping but I am looking for some educational destinations.
Thanks for your ideas and experiences.

[michigansandzil]

Last year we took our kids, 9, 7, and 3 at the time, to Mammoth Cave in Kentucky. We did 3 separate tours and the ranger's that run the tour did a really good job of explaining the history of the caves. Very good/fun/educational and we'd like to go back someday.

Sometimes we just happen to accidentally run into an educational opportunity. Last fall we took the kids to a local Halloween camp that's only 1 hour away and on our way leaving the park we saw an air/space museum located across from the exit. It was a spontaneous stop but very educational.

Last year we stayed at our favorite Yogi Bear on Lake Michigan and took a day trip down to Muskegon to the USS SILVERSIDES. It's a WWII submarine that's docked but they still give guided tours. My boys still talk about this and have their souvenir posters stuck on their walls.

Depending on how far you want to drive, Mackinaw Island (between MI upper and lower peninsulas) is wonderful. You have to take a ferry out to it and motorized vehicles are prohibited. 2 years ago we took a horse drawn tour that stopped at the old fort. We even visited the blacksmith where the workers wear period appropriate clothing and show how they lived back then.

[Opie431]

Did you know that Helen Kellar went to Cedar Point? Whoever would have connected Cedar Point with history.

[noe-place]

My wife and I started taking our grandson (now 12) on educational trips when he was only 4 and have continued every year. Since your grandkids are school-age here's a list of places we've taken our grandson during his elementary years:

Disney World, The Smithsonian, Boston, Arlington, Colonial Williamsburg, Philadelphia, Jamestown Va, Pike's Peak, Yellowstone four times because he loves it so, Mammoth Cave Ky, Grand Canyon, Niagra Falls, Strasburg Pa. train museums, zoos in Cincy, Louisville, Washington DC and others, and we've taken him with us on our last two cruises to the Bahamas and Mexico. He's been many other places but I don't want to hog the thread. Hope you get great ideas and have as much fun as we're STILL having with our boy.

[sdianel_-acct_c]

1. Henry Ford Museum and Ford Truck factory tour Dearborn MI.
2. National Museum of the Air Force, Dayton Ohio.
3. http://www.nps.gov/index.htm National Park Service site lists places by state.
Also, don't know what "reasonable distance" means to you, but Washington DC is 8 hours and Niagara Falls is 6 hours.

[tonyandkaren]

Buy this pass - http://www.wildwnc.org/become-a-member/become-a-member
It's good for 12 months of free admission to many science museums and free or 1/2 price admission to many zoos. Most science museum have displays geared towards children, many are basically just for children.

Also check my Ohio map - https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=210711839070103512786.0004b064480d945d1b491&msa=0&ll=40.822124,... The kids would enjoy a lot of the attractions.

Have a good time on your trips!

[Camper_Mama_Bea]

any National Park site. they all have Junior Ranger programs which are great tools for the kids to learn about the site, at the end they get a junior ranger badge. you can also get them the National Park Passport so each site they visit they can get the passport stamped. We started both our kids (6yr & 2yr) with passports last year and the 6 yr does the ranger programs, he got 2 badges last year, and will be getting at least one this year. we plan out trips to include as many national park sites as we can.

any location can be educational, depending on how you approach it. an amusement park can be lessons in engineering on how the rides are built. a park can be lessons in nature...types of trees, types of rocks, types of animals, protecting nature.

if they are into nature look into the toy line "Backyard Safari" they are toys but also gear for exploring the outdoors. the stuff is inexpensive, basic pieces can be found at Walmart, Target, Toys R Us. More unique pieces can be found online. This could be something you get them as a gift then have the bring it on a trip so that you can use it to explore.

[loulou57]

We live in Ontario, but kids are the same no matter where they live. We have five grandchildren under the age of 10.

If you have a science centre close take them to it. Ours love it. We started taking them there at three. Usually a science centre has activities for all ages.

Also, a museum of arts can offer a variety of things for the kids to experience.

[memgrove]

I think they will like this!

[raindove]

Harper's Ferry, W VA
Gettysburg, PA

Many years ago, my parents took us kids to Ft Legionaire - there was a fort set up like it was back in the day. I don't know if that's still there or not. That was out in western PA.

You might want to get them each a scrap book and let them keep a record of your adventures together. We took my GS on a long trip last summer. Left him make a scrap book -- he bought some postcards, picked up brochures for places we visited, and after we got home, I added photos of us to the appropriate pages. I had him write a few lines about a couple of things we did. It will be nice for them to look back on. He was 8 at the time, and really seemed to enjoy it.