Springtime in Cincinnati is here (and hopefully to stay!). What I love most about spring in the Queen City is all the beautiful blooms and baby animals to enjoy. And with that theme in mind, enjoy my Cincinnati Spring Bucket List for 2022.

Have a Zoo Day: Blooms & Animal Babies

A day at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden is always fun, but there’s something about springtime that makes it extra special – Zoo Blooms and Zoo Babies! Zoom Blooms runs all of April and features large displays of tulips and other flowers throughout the zoo grounds. Zoo Babies runs throughout May and showcases the animal babies who take up residence in the zoo. And BONUS – moms get in for free on Mother’s Day.

Both Zoo Blooms and Zoo Babies are included with zoo admission.

The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden is located at 3400 Vine St. Cincinnati, OH 45220

Enjoy the Krohn Conservatory Butterfly Show 

One of the most popular events at the Krohn Conservatory is the annual butterfly show. This year’s show features Butterflies Along the Nile. And if you haven’t had a chance to catch the butterflies – don’t worry! The show runs through June 19, 2022.

Krohn Conservatory is located in Eden Park at 1501 Eden Park Dr, Cincinnati, OH 45202

Head to Jungle Jim’s International Market

Take a walk on the wild side and head to Jungle Jim’s International Market this spring. Not only does the market have a plethora of exotic foods from around the world to check out, but there are several cool displays and animatronics to enjoy throughout. Plus, you can’t miss their famous bathroom, setup to look like a port-a-potty from the outside.

There are two locations – the original location in Fairfield and a newer store in Eastgate. Both are great options!

Jungle Jim’s International Market Fairfield is located at 5440 Dixie Hwy, Fairfield, OH 45014

Jungle Jim’s International Market Eastgate is located at 4450 Eastgate South Dr, Cincinnati, OH 45245

Spend time at a cat cafe  

Looking for the purr-fect spot to spend an afternoon? Perhaps with a bunch of cuddly cats and kittens? Well, you’re paw-sitively in luck! There’s not one, but two great cat cafes in the Cincinnati area. Kitty Brew Cafe is located in Mason, while Purrfect Day Cafe is located across the river in Covington, KY.

Cat cafes offer the opportunity to play with cats and kittens up for adoption while also enjoying a coffee beverage. It’s a great way to meet a potentially new furry member of your family if you’re looking to adopt a cat, or to get your cat fix if you’re unable to bring one home. Please note that reservations are strongly recommended, and can be made online.

Kitty Brew Cafe is located at 6011 Tylersville Rd, Suites 6 & &, Mason, OH 45040

Purrfect Day Cafe is located at 25 W 8th St, Covington, KY 41011

Go creeking

The splash pads may not be open yet, but there are still plenty of creeks to splash in and explore around Cincinnati. So if creeking is your jam, make sure to check out my list of the best spots to go creeking around Cincinnati – all places recommended by you!

Take on the Art Climb Steps at CAM 

On the corner of Gilbert Avenue and Eden Park Drive you’ll find Cincinnati Art Museum’s Art Climb Steps. While the steps themselves are cool, you can also enjoy rotating art installations on your way up (or down) the steps. Plus, there’s a great view of downtown Cincinnati once you reach the top.

I think the CAM Art Climb Steps are a great way to spend an hour or two outdoors – especially if your kiddo is in that stage when they looooove to climb steps (we’ve all been there).

The Art Climb Steps are located at the corner of Gilbert Ave &, Eden Park Dr, Cincinnati, OH 45202

Play at West Fork Park

One of my favorite playgrounds around Cincinnati is West Fork Park in Green Township. If you haven’t had a chance to check out this playground, make sure to carve out time this spring.

West Fork Park is great for kids of all ages – from babies up through elementary school age. There is a play area for kids who are still crawling, as well as a large climbing structure for bigger kids. It has cool features like a maze and a zip-line. Plus, this park is completely fenced in and the play surface is solid rubber or artificial turf – so no need to worry about dirt or mulch.

West Fork Park is located in Green Township and can be found at 4764 W Fork Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45247

Have a great sandbox day at Dig ‘N Play

As soon as the weather gets nice outside, my son is clamoring to play in the sandbox. But on days when I’m just not having it (or the weather isn’t cooperating), we head up to Dig ‘N Play. Located in West Chester, Dig ‘N Play offers a large play structure, inflatables, a lego table, a baby play area, and – you guessed it – a giant sand table. I love that despite the giant sand table, this spot is super clean and everything is regularly sanitized.

For more on Dig ‘N Play, head to their website. And make sure to check out my full list of Cincinnati Indoor Play Places below.

Dig ‘N Play is located at 9405 Cincinnati Columbus Rd #8, West Chester, OH 45069

Go nuts for donuts

Donuts are always a good idea, and with so many amazing local donut shops around Cincinnati, how can you not?! One thing on my personal bucket list is the Butler County Donut Trail. The trail consists of 13 local donut shops, and a passport to stamp at each location to earn yourself a sweet t-shirt.

Down in Hamilton County, there are two new donut shops that opened up just this year. Blossim Donuts in Montgomery is delicious, and I can’t wait to check out Starlight Doughnut Lab in Norwood (find them on Instagram at @starlightdoughnutlab).

Head out to a farm – with baby goats!

Love getting up close and personal with baby goats, bunnies, lambs, chicks and other farm animals? A visit to a petting farm may be right up your alley! Good Green Earth Farm in Bethel offers farm visits, a mobile petting farm, goat yoga, and more. They are a local mom & pop farm, caring for all the animals themselves.

Good Green Earth Farm is located at 2803 Kinnett Rd, Bethel, OH 45106

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With activities to help you get outside (or survive another rainy day), there’s something for everyone on this Cincinnati spring bucket list. And if you need a few more ideas, don’t worry! I’ve got a bucket list for every season. Have fun, friends!

A beautiful playground in the gem of OTR

What’s got a water feature, a sandbox, a castle, is fully fenced in, and pays homage to the Queen City’s history? It’s Washington Park Children’s Playground! This playground in Over-the-Rhine is beautifully designed with many features to explore and enjoy for everyone.

And it’s just a stone’s throw from the large sprayground open through October.

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Overall, the Children’s Playground at Washington Park uses a mix of natural and artificial elements to create a space that is both beautiful and fun. This fully fenced in spot hosts a variety of attractions, from water to sand to swings to slides, to capture the interest of every child. It’s the perfect playground to include while exploring Over-the-Rhine with your kids.

Washington Park is located in OTR at 1230 Elm St, Cincinnati, OH 45202

And the sandbox has a built-in digger, too.

Swaim Park is a lovely, well-manicured park with a nice playground located next to downtown Montgomery, Ohio. This playground is a great spot to take toddlers and primary school aged kids to run and play. Plus it’s got a sandbox with a really cool sit-on digger.

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Overall, Swaim Park has some pretty scenery, is a pleasant spot to take a walk, and has a nice playground with a variety of things to play on. It’s not the latest or greatest, but all around nice. Plus it’s got that cool sit-on digger in the sandbox.

Swaim Park is located at 7650 Cooper Rd, Montgomery, OH 45242

A great spot to play and enjoy nature

Blue Ash Nature Park is a great choice if you’re looking for some pretty scenery, easy walking trails, and a variety of playgrounds. Located behind the Blue Ash Recreation Center, this park has 5 playgrounds, 6 picnic shelters, 2 restrooms, an amphitheater, and both paved and gravel walking paths. It’s a great spot to take the kids to play or go on a walk with the dog – or both!

Blue Ash Nature Park Highlights

• This park has variety – two larger and one smaller playground for bigger kids, one playground for toddlers, swings, and a sandbox
• 2 on-site restrooms – one near the front of the park and one towards the back near the creek
• The park is mostly shaded, including the playgrounds
• The trails can be easily navigated, including the gravel paths through the woods
• The large amphitheater hosts events in the summer, but is also a great spot for kids to put on their own week day afternoon performance

Overview

The main parking lot for Blue Ash Nature Park is located to the back of the Blue Ash Recreation Center parking lot. There is also a secondary entrance and parking lot located on the other side of the city building. When you enter the park by the rec center, you will see the largest playground to your right and a picnic shelter to your left. Next to the picnic shelter are the swings. Keep walking down the paved path and you will see the restrooms and concession stand building before you reach the amphitheater.

The next section back under the tree line is the toddler playground and sandbox to your left and a second playground to your right. Keep on the path to pass picnic shelters, a built-in corn hole set, and the other restrooms. In the woods, before you reach the other parking lot, you will see the last of the playgrounds.

Playgrounds

There are three playgrounds designed for older kids. The playgrounds can be navigated by older toddlers, but these play structures have large open spaces higher up, making it not ideal for smaller ones who aren’t as steady on their feet. As a high-strung mom, these playgrounds would make me super nervous when my son was younger and a bit woobly on his toes.

The first and largest playground is right off of the rec center entrance. It consists of two main levels, with several slides and ladders to access each level. A younger kid could have fun on the lower level of this structure, but I would recommend the higher level for older kids. There are also a few smaller structures around this playground.

The second playground is located towards the back of Blue Ash Park and across from the sandbox. This playground has a transportation theme, with pretend vehicles to drive on the ground level. It’s a similar layout to the first playground, but smaller. There are several big openings up top towards the curly slide.

The last playground is located in the woods and is the smallest of the three. This playground consists of a climbing wall, a ladder and a slide. This playground is fun because it feels a bit secluded, but there aren’t very many features.

Toddler Playground and Sandbox

The toddler playground at Blue Ash Nature Park is dinosaur themed. It has a ride-on dinosaur, a smaller climbing structure, and my son’s all time favorite – a big, green dinosaur slide. The flooring is mulch, so this is not the play space for crawlers, but an 18 month old would have fun.

Next to the toddler playground is a covered sandbox. The sandbox is big enough for 5-6 kids comfortably. This is a sandbox at a park in a wooded area, so there are lots of twigs and leaves and sometimes bugs in the sand.

Swings

Located towards the rec center entrance at Blue Ash Nature Park are the swings. There are only four – two regular and two bucket, but there are so many playgrounds at this park that the lack of swings doesn’t seem to pose a huge problem. There is also a tire swing further back in the park.

Trails

There is a long paved path that stretches back to the amphitheater. From there, the paths form two looped trails – essentially creating a funky-looking figure eight. The paths through the woods are gravel, but these are some of the easily trails to navigate in the area. The trails are short and are relatively flat. There is also currently a story walk (pages from a children’s book displayed along a pathway), which is always a fun activity with kids.

There’s a cute little bridge over a creek that makes the perfect spot for taking photos. The creek isn’t easily accessed from the trails, but it’s not the spot for creeking. There is an area where you can stand near the creek and admire the little waterfall.

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The not so greats

Blue Ash Nature Park is, as the name suggests, a nature park. It has trees, leaves, twigs, mulch, bugs and other nature-y stuff. If this isn’t your jam, than this probably isn’t your spot.

Playground wise, I’m not a huge fan that most of the playgrounds have big openings way up high, and that there are only a handful of swings. All of the playgrounds have mulch, and there really isn’t much for crawlers.

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Overall, Blue Ash Nature Park is a great spot with a variety of shaded playgrounds to choose from. It’s best for toddler-aged kids and up. This is also a great park to find easy beginner trails to explore with your kids.

Blue Ash Nature Park is located at 4337 Cooper Rd, Blue Ash, OH 45242