By Wendy and Mike Pramik
Posted On: Sep 15, 2020
We’re six months deep into the coronavirus crisis, and summer is nearing an end. There are still things you can do as the nights get crisp and the masks begin to sag.
Here are a few family-friendly activities to try with the kids:
Bury a 2020 Time-Capsule
Add items that have made 2020 unprecedented and unforgettable. Masks, sanitizer, front page of the newspaper, personal note on how this year has made you feel; whether that be schooling from home or participating in a drive-by birthday celebration. Add some buckeye nuts as a nod to the official state tree.
Play Hooky at an Ohio Waterway
Socially distance and get away from it all by going fishing. Kids under 16 are always permitted to fish without a license in Ohio’s waters, including Lake Erie and the Ohio River.
Go "Creeking" for Crawdads
Slip on a pair of rubber boots and step into a cool, gurgling stream in search of water critters and fossils. In central Ohio, we like Highbanks Metro Park in Lewis Center, which offers a 15-acre area where kids are encouraged to play in the dirt, climb trees and build forts out of logs. Bring a net to catch and release crawdads and minnows in a tributary of the Olentangy River.
See What Goes Bump in the Night
Hold a campout in your backyard and investigate insects that flutter in the dark. Take inspiration from Christopher and Kris Kline, who operate Butterfly Ridge in Rockbridge. They hold "Moth Night," when folks can investigate months and winged critters up close. They hang up white sheets and illuminate them with lamps. Critters are attracted to the light. Try to spy huge moths like the luna moth and Polyphemus moth.
Pack a Sustainable Picnic
Pack a waste-free picnic lunch with items such as a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with fresh ground peanut butter from Krema Nut in Grandview Heights and jams from the J.M. Smucker Co. in Orrville. Pick an apple from a local orchard, wrap the bundle in a handkerchief and tie it to a stick. Have your lunch at a local park, and leave the stick behind.
Make Public Art
Find inspiration in the work of Ohio artists, such as folk artist Elijah Pierce and impressionist Alice Schille, and make public chalk art of your own in your driveway. For extra credit, organize an art walk on a nice weekend to lift and inspire others to get out and appreciate talents in your neck of the woods.
For more family fun in Ohio, check out #OhioFindItHere at Ohio.org.
