Ohio Providers! I Need Help!

[Thriftylady]

I am looking for some ideas for inexpensive field trips for this spring and summer. Preferably in the Dayton, Cincy, or Columbus area. Do you have any great ideas that your kids love? I am considering the Columbus Zoo but not sure yet.

[momofboys]

I am looking for some ideas for inexpensive field trips for this spring and summer. Preferably in the Dayton, Cincy, or Columbus area. Do you have any great ideas that your kids love? I am considering the Columbus Zoo but not sure yet.

Cols Zoo us awesome but gets really busy in the summer months. I strongly advise spring /fall visits. In Dublin off Woerner Temple rd there is a cool sprinkler park near the Dublin Pool. We also liked Boonshoft(spelling) Children's Museum in Dayton. Lots of hands-on activities. I liked it better than COSI. If you are really adventurous you can do the Wright-Patt Air Force Museum near Dayton. It's free & cool to see the old planes suspended in the air.

[Thriftylady]

Cols Zoo us awesome but gets really busy in the summer months. I strongly advise spring /fall visits. In Dublin off Woerner Temple rd there is a cool sprinkler park near the Dublin Pool. We also liked Boonshoft(spelling) Children's Museum in Dayton. Lots of hands-on activities. I liked it better than COSI. If you are really adventurous you can do the Wright-Patt Air Force Museum near Dayton. It's free & cool to see the old planes suspended in the air.

Oh FREE is my favorite word!

[momofboys]

I'm pretty sure that sprinkler park is free too. We always called it the "Bunny Park" because there is a large hill with these HUGE bunny monuments made out of recycled materials. It's really cool. Got to love free! Columbus Zoo is VERY expensive although the 2 and under crowd is free as far as I know. Adults if you don't live in Franklin County are @ $17. If you live in Franklin Co it's $14.99 I believe. Great zoo. I am not always a fan of indoor malls but I do like the indoor play area at the Polaris Fashion Mall. Really cute & free. Homestead Park in Hilliard off Cosgray Road has several play areas geared toward different ages & also water spray areas are activated in the summer months.

[wonderfullisa]

I've considered getting a Columbus Zoo Family Plus membership, but the drive and my current enrollment ages persuade me to wait.

[Thriftylady]

I've considered getting a Columbus Zoo Family Plus membership, but the drive and my current enrollment ages persuade me to wait.

See I looked into that, but you have to list the names. So if my enrollment changed, it would burn me.

[momofboys]

We used to have a family zoo membership. Not the plus. I'd just write in that we had 5 kids thus allowing you to take that many to the zoo. You don't have to prove they are your children. My own kids are all in school now so when I did go w/daycare children.it was normally just 2-3 kids but they would get in on my pass.

[Thriftylady]

We used to have a family zoo membership. Not the plus. I'd just write in that we had 5 kids thus allowing you to take that many to the zoo. You don't have to prove they are your children. My own kids are all in school now so when I did go w/daycare children.it was normally just 2-3 kids but they would get in on my pass.

Good grief maybe I read it wrong let me go look again.

[Thriftylady]

We used to have a family zoo membership. Not the plus. I'd just write in that we had 5 kids thus allowing you to take that many to the zoo. You don't have to prove they are your children. My own kids are all in school now so when I did go w/daycare children.it was normally just 2-3 kids but they would get in on my pass.

Okay so I could do this! The question is should I charge parents part of the fee for the membership?

[momofboys]

Good grief maybe I read it wrong let me go look again.

For the Plus you do have to name individuals. However, if they are children I don't think you'd have an ID card for them. Foe a normal family membership I just always inflated the number of children I personally have to allow them to invite a friend. Even.if you have to "name" them it shouldn't matter. Children don't have ids

[momofboys]

Okay so I could do this! The question is should I charge parents part of the fee for the membership?

Yes! I would even if it is minimal to cover gas.

[Thriftylady]

Yes! I would even if it is minimal to cover gas.

Yeah it is an hours drive for us! I am thinking I have four kiddos, so if I charge the parents $15 each that would cover half of the membership. I would go a little more, but both of them are sibling sets, so I am trying to keep it reasonable. I put it on my sheet of spring break options I have come up with. This one is the best deal money wise for the parents so far, because we can use it all summer.

[Unregistered]

For the Plus you do have to name individuals. However, if they are children I don't think you'd have an ID card for them. Foe a normal family membership I just always inflated the number of children I personally have to allow them to invite a friend. Even.if you have to "name" them it shouldn't matter. Children don't have ids

I will caution you that the zoo is becoming more strict on this policy. I'm guessing they were seeing a lot of abuse. If you read the fine print on the flyer they mail you with your membership card, it does state that they have the power to revoke your membership without a refund if you abuse your pass. If you need to bring additional children I would recommend getting the family plus membership. That allows you to bring up to two additional guests on each visit. You can also ask the parents of the children you watch if they have a membership. If they do, their children are already covered and you can check the children in under their parent's pass.

[Thriftylady]

I will caution you that the zoo is becoming more strict on this policy. I'm guessing they were seeing a lot of abuse. If you read the fine print on the flyer they mail you with your membership card, it does state that they have the power to revoke your membership without a refund if you abuse your pass. If you need to bring additional children I would recommend getting the family plus membership. That allows you to bring up to two additional guests on each visit. You can also ask the parents of the children you watch if they have a membership. If they do, their children are already covered and you can check the children in under their parent's pass.

Most people don't have one here since we live an hour away. The two extra passes wouldn't cover all my kids. What to do what to do.

[momofboys]

I will caution you that the zoo is becoming more strict on this policy. I'm guessing they were seeing a lot of abuse. If you read the fine print on the flyer they mail you with your membership card, it does state that they have the power to revoke your membership without a refund if you abuse your pass. If you need to bring additional children I would recommend getting the family plus membership. That allows you to bring up to two additional guests on each visit. You can also ask the parents of the children you watch if they have a membership. If they do, their children are already covered and you can check the children in under their parent's pass.

We had a pass for many years & didn't renew it this year (our own kids are 14,12 & 8 & just kind of outgrowing it). You do have to show a driver's license as the parent/s on the membership. Any adult needs to show ID. When my husband & I went we both had to show ID. I question the ability to be able to get a child in on another parent's pass because anyone could say they were bringing Susie Smith's child, whose to say whose child she is unless the child has their own membership card. They are EXTREMELY strict. However, when I was using my own family pass I would normally only have 2-3 kids with me total (my own kids were in school) so it was never questioned that they were my kids. It might be different if you were trying to bring in 5-6 kids.