Amusement & Waterparks
Kid-friendly "things to do" goes hand in hand with amusement parks and waterparks and we have some great ones in the Cincinnati area (with Kings Island and Great Wolf Lodge close to my home base of Warren County). From Mason to the banks of the Ohio River, we've got it all.
Amusement Parks
Coney Island
6201 Kellogg Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio 45230
Seasonal amusement park. You've got to love Coney Island for its charm and picturesque setting along the Ohio River. This is a great old-style amusement park that is perfect for all ages. It's a more intimate park but it still has plenty of thrills. They have 20 classic kiddie rides. They also have great picnic areas and shelters and some fun playgrounds that your kids will enjoy. If you want some fun in the sun, you can head to Sunlite Pool. You can either pay for a rides/pool admission or do a separate admission for each. Season passes are available.
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Kings Island
Kings Island Dr, Mason, OH 45040
Seasonal park. What summer is complete without a visit to Kings Island? Since we get the season pass each year, we take advantage of all the great rides, shows and attractions that the park has to offer without feeling like we have to rush to see it all. Another great thing about having a season's pass is that we can also get into Soak City, the waterpark on site, and KI has early admission times for season pass holders. Other things at KI:
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Dinosaurs Alive! See larger than life dinosaurs as you stroll through the prehistoric path. Admission extra (free for season pass gold)
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Halloween Haunt Opens late Sept. through end of October. This is for teens and adults, not intended for young children.
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Howl-o-Fest is a fun Halloween event for kids. Kids can dress in costume and enjoy trick-or-treat candy stops, pumpkin patch, dance party, maze, games and more. You can also trick-or-treat with the Dinosaurs (additional fee applies).
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Winterfest - NEW - returning to Kings Island in Winter 2017.
Waterparks
Great Wolf Lodge
2501 Great Wolf Drive, Mason, OH 45040
This is an awesome indoor water park that is open all year long! You have to be a guest of the hotel (aka book a room) to use the water park but if you want to do a mini-vacation right in your own backyard then try it out. They have plenty of fun water rides, slides and play areas for little ones as well as for the older kids and you can't help having fun even as an adult.
Soak City - Kings Island
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This waterpark is loads of fun. One of our favorites is the lazy river. If you have a season's pass you can take advantage of their early admission times so that you can get a great spot to hang out for the day. There are kid friendly water rides and play areas to choose from but if you're worried about the water (what Mom isn't) then take advantage of the life jackets they have available. They also have two waves pools - one allows the use of clear tubes (provided by KI).
Splash Cincinnati
11320 Chester Rd., #1001, Cincinnati, Ohio 45246
Head to Sharonville to enjoy 55,000 sq ft of indoor water fun. The Ramada Plaze Cincinnati is connected to the water park if you want to stay and play. You can also just visit the water park for a day. Visit their website to see if there are any current deals. Splash Cincinnati photo credit to Michael Bambino & Co.
