Guide to Winter Fun

 


You can grumble about the weather, or you can embrace it! 
Winter can be magical, especially if you share it with children. Forget the holiday onslaught of December -- real northeast Ohioans learn to love "winter, snow and ice," just like Madeline. Here are some suggestions for winter fun!

 

A Selection of Sledding Spots

Kauffmann Park -- Behind the Drug Mart Plaza, where Arthur Avenue comes to a stop north of Detroit Avenue, is a good beginner hill. Lakewood as a whole slopes from south to north, with the biggest dip coming between Detroit and the railroad tracks. It's just that this is the only place in town where that dip is contained in a park, and not out in traffic.

Linden Park -- Our neighbor city to the west, Rocky River, has created a lovely sledding hill in the city park across from the eastern entrance to Westgate Mall, near Kohl's. You can reach the park from Linden Avenue, off Center Ridge; it's directly across from Lutheran West High School. The hill is steep enough to thrill the bigger kids, and gentle enough (on the sides), to allow a toddler to go down by him/herself.

Edgewater Park -- The slope from Upper Edgewater down to the beach at Lower Edgewater is a hair-raiser. Not recommended for small children -- hang-gliders launch themselves into the air from this slope! Could be an exciting ride for the older crowd, though.

Brooklyn City Hall -- The grounds of the municipal building (not the Recreation Complex) offer a park-like setting with gentle hills for cross-country skiing as well as sledding. Located at 7619 Memphis Avenue, south of the Tiedeman intersection.

Metroparks -- Possibilities abound for sledding in all the Metroparks reservations. Check out their other fun winter activities, too! 
The closest sites to Lakewood include:

Mill Stream Run Reservation -- In the Cleveland Metroparks, these toboggan chutes are for anyone over 42" tall. They operate as long as it's cold enough for the chutes to be frozen, whether there's snow or not. Admission is $8 adults, $6 children 11 and younger.

 

Ice Skating -- Outdoors and In

Cleveland Metroparks -- You can skate at the Rocky River Lagoon, right at the west end of Lakewood, "down in the valley." There are plenty of other skating sites in the Metroparks system, too.

Cleveland's Halloran Park -- Located at 3550 W. 117th Street, at Linnet Avenue, this park offers outdoor, but roofed, ice skating.

Lakewood Park -- Most Lakewoodites of a certain generation learned to skate at Lakewood Park where the ball field adjacent to the Oldest Stone House was flooded in the winter for ice skating. Unfortunately, while construction is still going on, there is no ice skating at Lakewood Park.

Winterhurst Ice Rink -- Located at 14740 Lakewood Heights Blvd, at Warren Road, this premier indoor ice skating rink operates year-round -- and has been a Lakewood landmark for 73 years!

Hamilton Ice Arena -- Located at 21018 Hilliard Blvd in Rocky River, this skating rink is open from September through March. (440-356-5656)

Brooklyn Recreation Center -- Located at 7600 Memphis Avenue, this rink is open year-round. (216-351-5334).

Other communities with ice rinks include North Olmsted, Parma, Cleveland Heights, Shaker Heights and probably more -- but why drive that far to skate?

 

Fun in Your Own Backyard

Kids seem to instinctively know how to make their own fun in the backyard, no matter what season it is. But every now and then, they -- or you! -- might need some ideas to get the old imagination flowing. Here are some websites with just that:

Snow Activities for Kids -- Building snowmen, animals and forts; making pretend tracks; and snowflake catching

Outdoor Winter Activities -- Set up for teachers, but the ideas are fun for any kids -- winter lookout walks; snowball weigh-in; and team activities (many can be done with a parent and child), including snow pile, spoon balls, dog sled race, fill it up, and heart energizer!

Snow -- A website dedicated to snow -- with topics including building snow castles, snow art/sculptures, snowball fights, and even the basics of snow and links to other snow-related websites!

Building an Igloo -- If you ever find yourself wanting to know how, Ben Meadows Company shows you!

 

Fun Indoors ... Somewhere

Of course, outside fun can only last so long -- before little noses turn beet red and toes and fingers turn into icicles! So here are options for inside fun during the long months of frost.

Invite Friends Over -- Yes, your house will be a mess afterwards, but somehow it takes some new blood to rekindle interest in all the same, tired old toys that little ones seem to get bored with. (And, frankly, you would too, playing with the same stuff day after day!) Mix up some hot chocolate, break out some cookies, put on some lively music, and let the wild rumpus begin!

Go Visiting -- Bring the fun and mess to someone else's house for a change of pace! Even if it's someone your child plays with often, the simple change of scenery does a world of good for little ones. Perhaps it's the excitement of 'discovering' new toys and hiding spots -- or having someone else to poke, tease or argue with -- but whether the people are big or little, children (and grown-ups!) can always use a change of face!

Create Crafts -- Even if you've got a little toddler, crafts can be lots of fun ... and take up some time, while breaking up the monotony of playing with the same toys day after day. For the littlest hands, you'll of course need to help out, but you can cut out shapes (even just simple hearts, squares, circles, triangles...) and have your child glue them on paper. Or, cut random small pieces of colored tissue paper, collect them in a small tupper container, and let your little one(s) glue them, tape them or even staple them onto paper -- or wax paper!
Get some stamps and a stamp pad -- plus some washable markers or crayons, and maybe even some fun stickers -- and let your child/ren make hand-made cards for friends and relatives for each holiday ... or made-up holidays! Sure, he or she will probably want to stamp his/her hands but, hey, kids are washable, too! There's also watercolors or finger painting. I put my son in an old t-shirt of mine, clipped behind his neck with a clothespin.
For lots and lots more ideas, come to the library's Weekend Wonders story times (see below), where you'll see all kinds of fun and easy-for-little-hands crafts, or check out the craft books in the children's nonfiction section of the library (call number j745). There really is a wealth of fun to be made, and mostly from simple household items (like toilet paper rolls and egg cartons).

Stop by the Family Room -- This wonderful center, run by the Lakewood Division of Early Childhood Services, is a welcome haven especially during the winter months! And the best part is you can chat and drink coffee with other moms, dads and grandparents while your child/ren run around playing with a multitude of toys, games and other children -- all in a place that's as warm and comfortable as your own living room. The main drop-in programs are on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:30-11:00 a.m. You can show up any time during the program. Free snacks and juice are offered around 10:30 a.m. For more details on other programs, see the Getting Off to a Good Start page. The Family Room is at 17400 Northwood Avenue, behind St. James Church, off Granger Avenue.

Explore through Stories -- There's a whole world to learn about! And Lakewood Public Library has a wide range of story times you and your little one(s) can enjoy -- and all are free. The Weekend Wonders story times run year-round, with no pre-registration needed! Lasting about half an hour, they feature stories, songs, activities and a craft to make and take home -- all related to each weekend's theme. Stop by on Fridays at 10:30 a.m., 2:00 p.m., or 7:00 p.m.; Saturdays at 10:30 a.m., 2:00 p.m., or 4:00 p.m.; or Sundays at 2:00 p.m. Pre-registered storytimes run for six or eight weeks each season -- including Just Baby n' Me (9- to 24-months), Toddler Treats (2 to 3-1/2 years), Storylore (3-1/2 on up), Shake Rattle & Roll (2 to 6 years), and Pajama Party / Camp Storytime (for the whole family).

Join LECPTA for Parties -- The Lakewood Early Childhood PTA often sponsors indoor parties for preschoolers, held in a Lakewood school auditorium -- offering plenty of running around space! It only costs $10 for a year's membership, which gets you on the mailing list for The Scoop, the monthly newsletter. Within LECPTA are five divisions, loosely based on the school locations, and each offers a range of activities each month -- craft programs, tours, family outings, children's parties, and adult socials.

Go Swimming -- Why not?! Especially if the pool's indoors! The Lakewood Department of Recreation offers general public swim sessions at the indoor Lakewood High School Pool -- on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7:00-8:30 p.m.; Fridays from 7:30-9:30 p.m.; and Sundays from 2:00-4:00 p.m. Children 6 and under are free, but must be accompanied by a paid adult in swimming attire (fees run $2 to $3.50). Or, it can be good to know a friend with an indoor pool at his/her apartment/condo building.

Go Bowling -- Mahall's Twenty Lanes, at 13200 Madison Avenue, offers bowling during the day for $2 a game, per person. Bumper bowling is 25 cents extra. Shoe rentals are $1.75 for kids, $2 for adults. They open at 10:00 a.m.

Catch a Movie -- The Detroit Theater right here in Lakewood usually runs family movies in the afternoons. And the best part is it's only $3.50 for all ages, all shows. Check out what's playing on LakewoodBuzz.com.

Get Cultured -- Play and learn at the same time, enjoy music, art and movement! Check out our Inexpensive Fun page for cultural institutions you can take the kids to for free, or at least a nominal fee, with programs designed just for little ones -- particularly the Children's Museum, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Beck Center, and the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Make a Play Date at McDonald's -- The kids can run around, you can catch up with friends, and all of you can snack for cheap! The closest McDonald's is on Center Ridge Road in Rocky River (in the Giant Eagle shopping plaza, near Kinko's, Half-Price Books and Boston Market). This indoor playground has a maze of bubble-shaped tubes the kids can climb up and crawl around inside, then choose between three slides to come down. There are plastic windows here and there so you can keep an eye on them. There's also an area for the littlest ones, with just a few steps up and space they can stand up in to play tic-tac-toe or turn a steering wheel. Nearby locations with indoor playgrounds include:

Go Shopping at Giant Eagle -- Certain Giant Eagle stores have an Eagles Nest area -- with games, toys, crafts, coloring fun, video games and movies for children ages 3 to 9 years old. Usually two store employees work in this area to help the children with whatever they want to do. Whoever drops the child/ren off signs the child/ren in and shows a driver's license; that same person must show his/her driver's license to pick up the child/ren. That person is also given a walkie talkie, in case the child needs to go to the bathroom, or just wants mommy. Nearby locations with an Eagles Nest include:

 

 

Lakewood Parents Page