We know a lot of families are dealing with a string of school cancellations, which can be difficult to juggle. Plus, coupled with this cold snap, the kids can start going stir crazy cooped-up inside the house!
The Cleveland MetroParks' Nature Centers are a free place to go and get out some energy and enjoy a range of educational opportunities.
"It's hard because he just wants to run all the time," said Courteney Cush.
We met her and her 2-year-old son at the Rocky River Nature Center on Tuesday.
"I love that it's free," she said. "Because stuff gets expensive when you're paying admission every day."
She said her son loves looking at the turtles.
"That's his favorite, and the snakes."
Lys Ursem, naturalist at the Rocky River Nature Center, introduced us to one of their resident snakes.
"This is our garter snake," said Ursem, holding the animal.
Every nature center has ambassador animals, depending on their location.
"For example, at North Chagrin, we have the birds there, we have the Turkey Vulture," said Ursem.
She said at Rocky River, they focus on the animals that live in or by the Rocky River. You can see many of them there, both past and present, and learn about how they're surviving the current cold snap, like tree frogs.
"These guys can actually freeze their bodies," said Ursem. "So, they can slow down their metabolic process, and they release some stuff into their bloodstream that allows them to freeze themselves solid. You can even find pictures of them covered in ice crystals. They’re like in a cryogenic state."
From a play place to a library, games and bird watching, there's something for kids of all ages to keep their minds and bodies busy at the nature center.
"Their parents have to work, grandparents are retired, so we got to get the kids out of the house, and there’s a lot of energy here, and we gotta work it off," said John Denega.
He brought his two grandsons, ages 3 and 5, to the nature center.
They loved running around, playing with puzzles, looking at the animals and climbing around Hideaway Hollow, which is the center's discovery tree.
"Then about 1 o'clock we meet up, and they go back, and by that time I’m beat," said Denega about a full day with the kids and when it's time for them to go home. "Then, I go home and sit down and relax."
Cleveland Metroparks has five nature centers that are all child-friendly, free, and open seven days a week, year-round.
The Cleveland Zoo is also offering its Winter Wonder Weekends, Friday-Sunday through March 8. A spokesperson said that is when people are taken around on a heated shuttle to indoor locations with special programming, and the carousel is free.
Another free, fun, and educational place to go during this cold snap — all branches of the Cuyahoga County Public Library are open.
