April 4, 2024

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Today’s Forecast

🛝 Let’s play

Plenty of interactive features keep kids entertained at Millstone Creek Park. | Photo by @our_1000_hrs

It all started with a question in our inbox... “Would love to have a story on the best outside playgrounds in the greater Columbus area. Any playgrounds with kid zip lines? Or splash pads?” — Reader Susan P.

You ask, we deliver. Here are 17 local playgrounds to explore.

Columbus

Schiller Park | What parents say
You’ll find a playground among the many features of this park, including floral gardens and fishing ponds.

Dublin

Amberleigh Community Park | What parents say
Kids will adore the play houses set up in a pretend village here, in addition to swings and a slide.

Powell

Village Green Park | What parents say
Cool off with a larger-than-life interactive splash pad, or head to the playground featuring a bridge, slide, and climbing activities.

Upper Arlington

Miller Park | What parents say
Puzzles, interactive games, and classic playground favorites are adjacent to a small wooded creek with a bridge-lined trail.

Grove City

Fryer Park | What parents say
What kid wouldn’t want a park with a splash pad in the summer? Climbing structures and a space-themed playground make this park perfect for elementary school-aged children.

Hilliard

Homestead Park | What parents say
If kids tire of the playground, this park also has a fishing pond + bridge, train station replica, and a paved trail loop connecting to Heritage Rail Trail.

Take the kids to Alum Creek Park North for playtime in a toy train. | Photo by @our_1000_hrs

Westerville

Huber Village Park | What parents say
This castle-like playground is sure to get the kiddos excited, with sports fields and a nature area nearby.

Alum Creek Park North | What parents say
Kids ages 5 and under will love this playground’s toy train, while older children will love the webbed climbing structure.

Gahanna

Woodside Green Park | What parents say
This unique log playground features tree houses, nets and climbing structures, and an obstacle course.

8 more playgrounds

Asked

What stories would you like to see from us in April?

A. Sporting leagues to join
B. Farmers markets
C. Kid-friendly activities
D. New and coming-soon restaurants
E. Night-life
F. Outdoor activities
G. Other

Let us know

Events

Thursday, April 4

Author Meet and Greet - Zibby Owens | Thursday, April 4 | 12-2 p.m. | North Market, 59 Spruce St., Downtown | Free | Meet the author of “Blank,” which discusses marriage, motherhood, and finding your purpose.
Columbus Clippers vs. Omaha Storm Chasers | Thursday, April 4 | 4:15 p.m. | Huntington Park, 330 Huntington Park Ln., Arena District | $8-$24 | The Clippers will play two seven-inning games to make up for Tuesday’s rain-out.

Friday, April 5

Friday Nites Vintage, Makers Market | Friday, April 5 | 5-10 p.m. | Taft’s Brewpourium Columbus, 440 W. Broad St., Franklinton | Cost of purchase | Shop from 40+ vendors selling oddities, local art, jewelry, and vintage clothing.

Saturday, April 6

Photo 101 - Camera Basics, Buttons, and Beyond | Saturday, April 6 | 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m. | Midwest Photo, 2887 Silver Dr., Columbus | $20 | Beginners can learn all the key features of their digital camera.
Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Philadelphia Flyers | Saturday, April 6 | 7 p.m. | Nationwide Arena, 200 W. Nationwide Blvd., Arena District | $60-$315 | See the Jackets while you can — this is the second to last home game of the season.

Sunday, April 7

Ronda Rousey | Sunday, April 7 | 6:30-7:30 p.m. | CCAD - Joseph V. Canzani Auditorium, 60 Cleveland Ave., Columbus | $35-$49 | The Olympic medalist and former WWE professional fighter will discuss her book “OUR FIGHT.”

100+ more events

Click here to have your event featured.

News Notes

Weather

The skies were looking eerie earlier this week, but more adverse weather is potentially on the way. Today brings a chance of not only rain, but also snow. Follow along with hour-by-hour updates. (10TV)

Opening

Mecha Noodle Bar has a new opening date of Friday, April 12 at 965 N. High St. in the former White Castle Short North space. The Asian-inspired dishes include pho, ramen, and dumplings. The same promo still stands: The first 100 bowls of soup on opening day will be free. (The Columbus Dispatch)

Coming Soon

Hank’s Low Country Seafood & Raw Bar, a Charleston-based seafood restaurant, is opening its first Columbus location on Tuesday, April 23 at 6 W. Gay St. The dinner-only spot will open at 5 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday and will be closed on Mondays. Make a reservation.

Sports

Meechie Johnson is returning to his home state and playing his final year of college basketball eligibility for the Buckeyes. Johnson played for OSU for his freshman and sophomore seasons before transferring to South Carolina. Welcome home.

Eat

The Chick-fil-A planned for the former Tee Jaye’s in Clintonville opens today at 4910 N. High St. Stop by not only for fried chicken, but to see how the national chain repurposed the local sign out front. (614now)

Listen

What stands out about OSU’s new running back coach, Carlos Lockylyn? Get the latest news, analysis, and insider information for the Ohio State Buckeyes with Locked On’s daily, team-focused podcasts.

Weather

Spring is here and the Midwest has already experienced some powerful storms. Get ready for future inclement weather by preparing in advance: Make a plan to stay safe during possible extended outages and enroll in outage alerts from Duke Energy. Pro tip: If you lose power, text OUT to 57801.*

Weather

🌈 Somewhere over the rainbow

We want to see your viewpoint of the double rainbow. | Photo by @asinghal31

Maybe April showers aren’t so bad.

After a highly anticipated storm ended up being less intense than expected (we’re not complaining), a large double rainbow painted the Columbus sky as the sun started shining post-downpour.

Luckily, some of our readers and followers were able to capture the beautiful moment.

We’re working on putting together a Columbus rainbow gallery on Instagram for your viewing pleasure, but we need your help. If you have any scenic sky shots of the rainbow from after the storm, submit them at the link below for a chance to be featured. Be sure to include your name so we can credit you as the skilled photographer.

Bonus: Make sure you’re following CBUStoday on Instagram so you can witness the colorful sky shots for yourself.

Submit your pictures

The Buy

A bicycle phone holder that fits on bikes, e-bikes, and exercise bikes. The phone holder mounts right onto handlebars, letting you use navigation apps and keep your phone secure during rides.

Answered

How often are you willing to try or learn something new?

Could Columbusites use more zen in their lives? | Photo by @zenyoga614

Any day, any time. | 77%

I like my life the way it is, thank you. | 23%

Geopsychology of Columbus

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The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Hanna

From the editor

We’re here to help answer your questions about Columbus, and we love creating stories that you are curious about. Be sure to take our quiz and share your ideas for April.

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