Spring is here, and summer is right around the corner! With wide open, sunny days ahead, Mansfield, Ohio is only an hour up the road from Columbus and a perfect way to spend a day with your little (or big) ones exploring all this town has to offer for kids. Mansfield is a Central Ohio hidden gem full of affordable and fun activities to do with children from infant to kid at heart.
Many of these stops are in walking distance of each other in downtown Mansfield, so bring your stroller or wagon. Check out one or all of these locations on a day or weekend trip to Mansfield for an easy, staycation with your little ones.
First Stop: Little Buckeye Children’s Museum
First stop (especially if it’s a rainy day), check out the Little Buckeye Children’s Museum, 44 W. Fourth St. Featuring “self-directed play through creative, open-ended learning environments that engage kids and adults, spark imagination and promote discovery,” this museum in the heart of downtown Mansfield is the perfect place to spend the morning (or the entire day!). With two stories (but no elevator) of exhibits, your kiddos will love playing in real-life spaces like the grocery store, doctor’s office and dentist alongside a room full of child-size building blocks to create your kiddo’s own little world. The model and toy trains, dinosaur-bone digging, two-story tree house and water play station are favorites of my kiddos. There’s also a play area specifically for little ones with mirrors, sensory toys and pull-up bars.
Admission is $12 for adults and children 3 and up. Have SNAP benefits? Bring your card! Admission is $3 for up to four in your group. Veteran and military discounts also available.
Next Stop: Richland Carrousel Park
Walk across the street from the Little Buckeye Children’s Museum to Richland Carrousel Park, 75 N. Main St.! A gorgeous carrousel featuring animals and horses will be a fun and easy stop with public restrooms and snacks (the caramel corn was the surprise win for our family). The carrousel is perfect for all seasons as the windows come down to enclose it from Ohio winters or rain.
On Saturdays, cheap and kid-friendly lunches are available – corn dog or hot dog, chips, and a drink for $4.50 – and a token for the carrousel included!
Tickets are $1 for one or $5 for 6.
Lunch Time!
Restaurants galore are downtown for quick and tasty lunch options. Our favorite has been the Coney Island Inn, 20 S. Park St., for classic diner fare in walking distance of the children’s museum and carrousel. Booths make wrangling kids easier, and the quick service feeds hungry bellies fast because no one wants a hangry toddler.
Coffee + Cookie Snack Break
Before driving to your next stop, treat yo’ self to a delicious baked goodie and coffee from Blackbird Bakery, a woman-owned bakery focused on using real ingredients with passion and craftsmanship located in Relax, It’s Just Coffee, 105 N. Main St. Grab an extra cookie to bring as a snack break to your next stop.
Play in Nature
Spend your afternoon in the sunshine exploring the Ohio Bird Sanctuary, 3774 Orweiler Rd., and meeting its feathered residents. A “haven for native birds, nature preserve and living museum” all rolled into one on a 90-acre nature preserve, you and your kiddos will be in awe of the great horned owls, peregrine falcons, and more who live at the sanctuary while walking the wooded trails.
Tickets are $5 for those age 16 and above and $3 per child (under 2 free). Military discounts are available.
The Kingwood Center Gardens, 50 N. Trimble Rd., is a gorgeous estate turned public garden space with flower displays, a mansion and wooded trails to explore. Little ones will love The Peacock Playhouse: Sensory Center in the mansion-turned-visitor center and the Storybook Trail. Read books with your children, play garden games, and birdwatch through the large windows. In a space specifically designed for children’s imaginative play, relax and enjoy the exquisite gardens and wildlife, including resident peacocks.
Tickets are $8 with children under 12 free. If you receive SNAP benefits, admission is $1 (don’t forget your card). Members of other NARM institutions (think art museums, history museums, etc.) receive discounted admission too.
Dinner Time!
All aboard the Buckeye Express Diner at your final stop in Bellville at 810 State Route 97 W off I-71 South. You might be tempted by the Der Dutchman Restaurant at this exit, but your kids will love eating in a real train car (along with the fresh cut fries). An outdoor patio with picnic tables makes it easy to relax while your kiddos climb on, over and all around the wooden train play area.
Then drive right back down I-71 with tuckered out kiddos in the back and your favorite podcast playing (while you eat that extra cookie from Blackbird that you hid from your kids!).
Happy Travels!
Find more to do in Mansfield at destinationmansfield.com.
