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A kid’s perfect day in Columbus

From breakfast to dinner — we’ve rounded up a day full of kid-friendly activities for the whole family to enjoy.

Cosi

The COSI Planetarium is the largest in Ohio. | Photo by @cosiscience

Table of Contents

Sorry, but — NO ADULTS ALLOWED — this one is for the kids. Grown-up, please hand this over to your little one. Got it, kiddo? Let’s plan a family day together. Here’s a fun schedule for you to try.

Morning

Be a chef and cook breakfast for the adults at home. The night before, ask your family to choose from one of these recipes. Don’t be afraid to ask for help if any of the instructions seem confusing.

While you eat, talk about your plan for the day. Ask your family to help you prepare a backpack with things you’ll need. We suggest bringing:

🍫 Plenty of snacks like granola bars

💧 A water bottle

🧢 A hat

If you have time before heading to lunch, play at a playground like Amberleigh Community Park, or browse parent reviews on other local playgrounds.

Afternoon

For lunch, head to Dirty Frank’s Hot Dog Palace for hot dogs, mac and cheese, and French fries. After you’ve filled your belly, spend the afternoon exploring COSI. Bonus: The “Barbie” exhibit opens Wednesday, Oct. 4.

Evening

Wrap up the day with a family dinner. Head to one of our local farmers markets to pick out foods you can make together. Over dinner, talk about everything you did today. Ask questions like:

🧠 What was something new you learned?

🤡 What was something funny that happened?

👀 What would we do differently if we did that again?

👍 What do you definitely want to do again? (And again and again…)

Grown-ups — send us more family-friendly recommendations and we may just feature them in an upcoming newsletter.

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