Cincinnati Ohio travel advice. What to do with kids including Kings Island theme park

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Cincinnati, Ohio is a fun city to visit, but if you’re traveling with kids, you have to wonder what is here your kids would enjoy.  Actually there are numerous activities your children would love. I’m sharing a list of 45 places and activities in Cincinnati for kids.  A lot will depend on your child’s taste, but there are bound to be several things they’ll enjoy.

1. Kings Island

Kings Island is the largest theme park and waterpark in the Midwest with roller coasters, family friendly rides and Planet Snoopy.

2. Hot Air Balloon

Take a hot air balloon ride and get scenic views of southwestern Ohio, the Little Miami River and Caesar Creek State Park.

3. Sky Zone Cincinnati

Sky Zone Cincinnati has over 10,000 square feet of trampolines plus a dodgeball court and foam pit. Hop, bounce and somersault all you want.

4. Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Gardens

Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Gardens has more than 500 animal species, including red pandas, lions and giraffes. You’ll see more than 3,000 plant species in the Botanical Garden.

5. Cincinnati Riverwalk

Cincinnati Riverwalk stretches 4 miles into Kentucky and gives you stunning views of the skyline. There are creative water displays, statues, benches and swings.

6. The Heist Escape

The Heist Escape is an immersive game in which your team has to recover a stolen painting. You’ll have one hour to complete the mission and escape.

7. OMNI Funplex

OMNI Funplex features laser tag game and virtual reality games. They also have bowling, a trampoline park and axe throwing.

8. Washington Park

Washington Park has a gazebo which has bands playing from time to time. Kids will love the dancing fountains on hot days as well as the creative play area.

9. Best Bites & Sites Tour

Best Bites & Sites Tour by Streetcar is a guided tour from the banks of the Ohio to downtown and Findlay Market. You’ll get food tastings at some of the best restaurants and an all day streetcar pass to continue exploring on your own.

10. Coney Island

Coney Island is an amusement park and waterpark built in 1885. It features thrill rides, kids’ rides and family attractions.

11. Glow Golf

Glow Golf has luminescent golf balls, lit up putters, neon obstructions and you’ll play through tricky glow thermal landscapes.

12. Winton Woods Park

Winton Woods Park has a large lake for boating and fishing, several large picnic shelters, play areas for kids and hiking trails. Perky’s Farms is a live animal wildlife informational area and is a great attraction for the kids.

13. Zombie Scavenger

Zombie Scavenger is an interactive game using your smartphone. You’ll be given a list of items to find and, if you do, you’ll survive the zombie apocalypse.

14. Arcade Legacy

At Arcade Legacy, you can enjoy classic arcade games, pinball games, console stations and more. Expect to see Mario, Ms Pac Man, Street Fighter, Super Smash Brothers, Playstation 4 and more.

15. Cincinnati Reds

Watch the Cincinnati Reds play baseball at the Great American Ballpark.

16. Smale Riverfront Park

Smale Riverfront Park has places for picnics, playground for kids, a carousel, swings and river views.

17. B Adventurous

B Adventurous has a huge play area for kids including 9 giant inflatables, a dance floor and a toddler area.

18. Wacky Walk Adventure Game

Wacky Walk Adventure Game is played with a smartphone. A remote guide will send you from checkpoint to checkpoint in Cincinnati. You’ll have to answer their questions and complete wacky tasks.

19. Movies

There are a lot of great movie theaters in Cincinnati showing new releases and independent films.  You can book tickets here.

20. Eden Park

Eden Park is a beautiful park in downtown Cincinnati with great views of the Ohio River from the bluff. There’s a playground for the kids and you can stroll around the lakes.

21. SkyStar

SkyStar will let you soar nearly 15 stories over Cincinnati’s Riverfront Park. The SkyStar Observation Wheel has 36 private, climate controlled gondolas. Get fantastic views of the Ohio River, Riverfront Park and the Cincinnati skyline.

22. Krohn Conservatory

Krohn Conservatory has a unique butterfly exhibit and extensive greenery.

23. The Cincinnati Fire Museum

The Cincinnati Fire Museum is a historical firehouse turned into a museum with an array of 19th-century firefighting artifacts and exhibits on fire safety.

24. Stan Kimbrough Basketball

Stan Kimbrough Basketball has professional trainers teaching basketball skills and techniques to players of all levels. They offer classes and private instruction.

25. Newport Aquarium

Newport Aquarium is a watery haven dedicated to creating educational and exciting experiences. Be surrounded by sharks, stingrays, penguins and fish plus Gator Alley, Freshwater Falls, Shark Bridge and more.

26. Carew Tower

Go to the top of Carew Tower for 360-degree view of Cincinnati and into Kentucky without glass or a high wall in the way. Take your camera for some stunning photos.

27. iFLY

If your kid wants to try skydiving, a great way to feed their adrenaline in a safe, controlled environment is by taking your kid to iFLY.  They have an indoor flight tunnel that moves air in a vertical column at speeds high enough so guests can feel like they are flying.

28. Scallywag Tag

Scallywag Tag offers laser tag.

29. Ault Park

Ault Park has picnic tables, great views of the Little Miami River, walking trails and beautiful flowers.

30. Southern Lanes Sports Center

Southern Lanes Sports Center is a bowling alley in Alexandria, Kentucky.  You can save up to 40% on a bowling package here.

31. Escape Room

The Escape Game Cincinnati will have you and your team locked in a room. You’ll have one hour to find clues, solve the puzzle, and escape.

32. EnterTRAINment Junction

As a kid I was fascinated by trains, as a lot of children are.  At EnterTRAINment Junction, there is a 25,000-square-foot indoor model train with 90 G-scale trains and 2 miles of track.  The train winds through handcrafted, gorgeous landscapes, like an 11-foot waterfall, thousands of trees, and scenes that show the railroad’s early, middle, and modern periods.  Click here to book this attraction at 33% off.

33. Cincinnati Walking Sightseeing Tour with Pizza & Ice-cream

What kid doesn’t like pizza and/or ice cream?  That is the beauty of the Cincinnati Walking Sightseeing Tour with Pizza and Ice-cream.  So you enjoy sightseeing in Cincinnati while your kid enjoys the food that is part of the tour.

34. General Custers Golf & Gulp

General Custer Golf & Gulp has 2 18 hole mini golf courses with a wooden pirate ship, quirky sea creatures and water obstacles. They also have a bungee trampoline jumper and great ice cream, sundaes and shakes.

35. FC Cincinnati

See FC Cincinnati play at Nippert Stadium. FC Cincinnati is in the Eastern Conference of Major League Soccer.

36. Scavenger Hunt

A fun way to take a tour of Cincinnati with kids is a scavenger hunt.  You learn a lot but they are engaged as they solve clues.  You can do it with Unique Scavenger Hunt Experience in Cincinnati by Operation City Quest.

37. Glenwood Gardens

Glenwood Gardens has a discovery center with programs for nature lovers and curious minds. Kids have fun in the fairy garden, watching trains and sitting in the tree house.

38. Pinball Garage

Pinball Garage is an arcade in Hamilton, Ohio.  You can get game credits, food, and drink at a discounted price here.

39. Cincinnati Reds Hall Of Fame & Museum

Cincinnati Reds Hall Of Fame & Museum is a “must see” for Reds fans and baseball fans. They have thousands of artifacts, interactive exhibits, photos and more.

40. Greater Cincinnati Police Museum

Greater Cincinnati Police Museum has extensive exhibits on crime, criminals, forensics, communications, guns, uniforms, badges and much more. The guides are retired law enforcement officers.

41. Cincinnati Observatory

Cincinnati Observatory is one of the oldest operating observatories in the U.S. and has the oldest telescope in the U.S. Get a night sky viewing and see Mars, Jupiter, Venus and more. There is a mini-museum which is great for kids.

42. V+V Visionarium’s Butterfly Social

V+V Visionarium’s Butterfly Social for adults and children includes lunch, crafts including Butterfly Kites with local artists, seed bombs, paint your own butterfly wings and kite-flying after party at Ault Park.

43. Rockin’ Jump Cincinnati

Enjoy jumping around on a trampoline or playing a game of dodgeball at Rockin’ Jump Cincinnati.

44. The Original Findlay Market Tour

Enjoy a 90-minute tour of Ohio’s oldest public market.

45. Lunken Playfield

Lunken Playfield has walking and biking trails. Located next to Lunken Airport, you can watch planes take off and land. Vintage World War II aircraft are often on display at the airport. There are tennis courts, a driving range, a playground and picnic options.