Our 10 best ideas for early winter 2022

Yep, it’s still winter in Cincinnati. So I’ve pulled together of my 10 best Cincinnati winter bucket list ideas to get you through to spring.

Spend the day at the National Museum of the US Air Force

One place we frequent during winter time is the National Museum of the US Air Force in Dayton. The museum has over 360 aerospace vehicles on display, with exhibits ranging from the early years to space. The exhibits are housed in old hangers – making it a bit of an understatement to say it’s a HUGE space! One of my favorite exhibits is the Air Force One plane where LBJ was sworn in as president.

The museum is open daily from 9:00am to 5:00pm. And the best part? Admission and parking are free!

National Museum of the US Air Force is located in Dayton at 1100 Spaatz St, Dayton, OH 45431

Check out the Play Library

It’s not like a regular library, it’s a cool library. The Play Library in OTR works just like a regular library, but with games, toys, outdoor equipment and event rentals (like cornhole). You can currently visit the Play Library by appointment only. Please check their website on how to schedule.

The Play Library is located at 1306 Main St, Cincinnati, OH 45202

Go sledding

The most exciting activity you can do on a snowy day is to head for the hills and spend the day sledding. Now that my son is old enough to really enjoy sledding, I can’t wait to take him sledding at the big sledding hill – aka “Chill Hill” at Voice of America MetroPark in West Chester. I remember when this hill was built and first opened – and there’s something special about doing something from your own childhood with your kids.

Chill Hill at VOA is open from 8:00am to dusk, weather and snow permitting.

Voice of America MetroPark is located in West Chester at 7850 VOA Park Drive, West Chester OH 45069

Enjoy a hot chocolate flight at The Cheesecakery

Love warming up with a mug of hot cocoa on a chilly day? Take it to the next level with a hot chocolate flight at The Cheesecakery. They offer the chance to sample their spectacular seasonal hot chocolates in a flight of 4. And did I mention they also offer flights of cheesecakes and lattes?

The Cheesecakery is located in Madisonville at 4901 Whetsel Ave, Cincinnati, Ohio 45227

Have fun at Jumperoo at Urban Air Adventure Park

The activity that got us through winter last year was heading to Urban Air Adventure Park for the Jumperoo session. Held every Tuesday and Thursday from 10:30am to 12:30pm during the school year, this session is reserved for children ages 2 to 5.

I really like how Jumperoo is designated just for little kids. This made Urban Air the perfect space for my little guy to run off all that extra energy during the cold winter months. If you want to know more about Urban Air and Jumperoo, check out my full review below!

Urban Air Cincinnati is located in Oakley at 3321 Alamo Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45209

Go on a downtown adventure

I love spending a day exploring our city – there is so much to see and do around Cincinnati. One of our favorite downtown adventures has been spending the morning playing at Washington Park Children’s Playground in OTR. Then hopping on the Cincinnati Bell Connector streetcar to take a spin around our city. And ending at Findlay Market to grab lunch – and some goodies for home.

Honestly, this is a great outing idea for any time of year, as long as it isn’t frigid or raining outside. And we found it pretty easy to navigate with our then three-year old.

Catch a Cincinnati Cyclones hockey game

Ah, another piece from my childhood (of course) – a Cincinnati Cyclones hockey game. I love the excitement that a hockey game has to offer, and can’t wait to share these moments with my own kids.

And if you haven’t had a chance to check out a game this season, don’t worry! Games are on the schedule through mid-April 2022.

The Cincinnati Cyclones play at Heritage Bank Center located at 100 Broadway St, Cincinnati, OH 45202

Grab a beer & go bowling at Hoppin’ Vines

This one is a fun one to do without the kids too! Hoppin’ Vines offers a huge selection of craft beers (and more), pizza, and duckpin bowling. I think this is a really fun way to take a dinner out with the family up a notch!

As for the duckpin bowling, Hoppin’ Vines describes it as bowling meets skee-ball. Something I think my 4-year old (and my not-so-athletic self) can handle!

Hoppin’ Vines is located at 8150 Montgomery Road, Kenwood, OH 45236

Play at We Rock The Spectrum Kids Gym

We were recently invited to check out We Rock The Spectrum Kids Gym and had an absolute blast! Located in Deer Park, WRTS is a kids gym designed for kids of all abilities to enjoy. The gym equipment is designed for children with sensory processing disorders, but the gym is open to all children.

In addition to the gym, there is also an infant & toddler area with a lot of play pretend toys, such as a grocery store and doctor office. The arts & crafts space features a chalk wall and is stocked with play-doh, paint, crayons, and more. There is also a large party room and a calming room in the gym area. 

The best time to go to WRTS is during open play. There is an open play session every week day and most weekends – depending on birthday parties. WRTS posts their schedule on their Facebook & Instagram pages.

We Rock The Spectrum Kids Gym is located at 4060 E Galbraith Rd Unit 17, Cincinnati, OH 45236

Learn How to Curl

Looking for some Olympic-sized fun? Then take in a class at the Cincinnati Curling Club in West Chester. Their ‘Learn to Curl’ classes teach wannabe (Olympic hopeful) curlers the basic skills to get started in the sport. Check out their schedule to sign up for a class.

This activity is best reserved for older kiddos. The recommended age for the ‘Learn to Curl’ class is 10 years old, but you can contact the club about available options for younger kids.

The Cincinnati Curling Club is located at 5150 Duff Drive, West Chester, OH 45246

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No matter what type of fun you’re looking to have this winter, there’s something for everyone on my 10 Best Cincinnati Winter Bucket List. From sledding to a cool museum, and indoor play places to sporting activities, you’re bound to find something fun to do this winter in Cincinnati.

Looking to spend some koala-ty time doing activities with your kids? Here are 5 easy Valentine’s Day themed activities and crafts to do with your little ones this month. Valentine’s Day puns not included (for the most part).

[ONE] Valentine’s Day Sensory Bin

An easy, festive activity that can be used all month long is a Valentine’s Day Sensory Bin. For our V-Day sensory bin, I dyed rice red and pink, and added in assorted (durable) heart decorations. We keep our sensory bin in a container with a lid, making it super easy to pull out and enjoy any time.

[TWO] Toilet Paper Tube Heart Painting

This is the perfect activity for a kid who loves to paint. Here’s what to do: Take an empty toilet paper roll tube. Bend one side down into a point and the opposite side inwards to form a heart. It may help to tape around the circumference of the tube to keep the heart shape. 

Pour a palette of Valentine’s Day colors onto a paper plate, give the kiddos a canvas (construction paper), and let them stamp hearts using one end of the TP roll. Soon you’ll have a beautiful masterpiece!

[THREE] Heart Mosaic Craft

I loved this craft for when Ben was a toddler. It was a super easy way to make pretty valentines for our families. And it was a lot less messy than using paint.

Here’s what to do: Cut out hearts from white or light-colored construction paper. Then cut out small pieces of red, pink, and purple tissue paper. Pour some glue or mod podge onto a paper plate. Finally, use a sponge brush to paint the hearts and put the tissue paper onto the heart. You can also use a glue stick depending on your child’s age.

Let the hearts dry overnight before sending them out as valentines – or use as decorations to hang up around the house.

[FOUR] Love Monsters

One craft we’ve had fun making this year is TP Roll Monsters. So much so that we made TP Roll Monsters on Halloween, and then made Monster Turkeys out of paper plates and TP roll tubes on Thanksgiving. Carrying the tradition through, it only makes sense to make Love Monsters out of our stock of empty toilet paper tubes. However, you can easily modify this craft to make “love bugs” instead of monsters, if that’s more your jam.

Here’s what you’ll need: a few empty toilet paper rolls, a variety of age-appropriate art supplies (such as markers, crayons, etc), an assortment of stick-on or glue on decorations (stickers, adhesive gems, small heart shapes, etc.), and googly eyes. Trust me on the googly eyes – it makes the end result so much more fun (and funny).

Then let your kiddos go to town! There’s no right way for a love monster to look, so this is a perfect craft for creative kids!

[FIVE] Make Valentines

This make seem like an obvious choice, but I’ve found that family and neighbors love receiving a Valentine in the mail from my little one – no matter how old he is.

When Ben was a baby, I traced his hand and glued it on top of a heart and then onto card stock. Other years we made a heart mosaic or just colored a heart that I later glued onto a card. The younger they are, the simpler the craft should be.

Now that he is a bit older and actually enjoys spending time making valentines, I will pick up a DIY valentines kit from the store with everything we need. That way I can enjoy making one too – instead of being focused on set-up and clean up.

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I hope you liked these easy Valentine’s Day activities a whole guac! Happy Valentine’s Day, friends!

If you enjoyed this post, don’t miss our other fun at-home activities! And make sure to follow One Little Small on Pinterest for even more great ideas.

The easiest way to customize a sensory bin

For our Valentine’s Day sensory bin, I decided to try something new for the fill – dyeing rice. I had avoided making anything so complicated for our seasonal sensory bins, but I really wanted a red and pink fill for this festive sensory bin.

Overall, it took less than an hour to dye the rice and was easier than I anticipated. And everything you need to make this sensory bin fill can be picked up during your regular grocery store trip.

Here’s what you’ll need

• Uncooked white rice 
• Vinegar
• Food coloring 
• Gallon size zip bag (1 bag per color)
• Measuring cups 
• Large pan or container for drying rice 
• Plastic fork

Steps

1. Pour desired amount of rice into bag
2. Add vinegar into the bag – 1 tbsp of vinegar per 1 cup of rice 
3. Add several drops of food coloring into the bag. The more food coloring, the more saturated the hue the rice will be.
4. Zip bag closed and shake rice around until fully coated with food coloring. It took me a few minutes of shaking and mashing the rice around to evenly coat. Add additional drops of food coloring as needed for desired color. 
5. Pour rice onto pan or container to dry. Use plastic fork to loosen any clumps.
6. Repeat for each color.
7. Optional: Occasionally stir rice around on pan to ensure even drying 

Tips

• Keep a Dustbuster handy for rice spills.
• If dyeing a large amount of rice, it may be easier to split into smaller groups. For example, I dyed 4 cups of rice in each color. I found it easier to dye 2 groups with 2 cups of rice than one group of 4 cups of rice.
• You can use any kind of uncooked white rice, but I noticed that the instant rice had the tendency to clump.
• It took a few minutes to fully coat the rice in food coloring once I added all the ingredients. And I did have to add quite a bit of red dye for the right hue. 

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Dyeing rice for a sensory bin is a great way to add some festive color to play time. It took less than an hour and used supplies we could easily pick up at the grocery store. It was definitely worth the time that it took to make!

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If you enjoyed this post, make sure to check out our other sensory bin activities. And make sure to follow One Little Small Blog on Pinterest for even more great ideas!