Places to Visit, Explore, and Learn with Your Children

I have been homeschooling my children for the past 30 years. We have homeschooled from preschool through high school. However, before I graduated one child, I did not extol the benefits publically. Now that I have a few years under my belt, I can proudly say that there are many benefits to home-educating your children. One of the top benefits is taking all the field trips. I love the homeschool field trips, especially the ones near me in Cleveland, Ohio, and throughout Northeast Ohio.

Some other benefits include teaching curriculum at an appropriate pace for your child, giving them your full attention (even the best teacher can’t do that with a room of thirty pupils), getting together with like-minded homeschool families, getting a second chance at the learning experience yourself, and setting your schedule. And did I mention scheduling as many “school trips” as you can!

Better yet, if you’re a home educator with access to many excellent local resources and institutions, you can teach your child with real-life experience, too. In this post, we’ll focus on Cleveland area home educators because this beautiful city in Ohio has many fantastic cultural venues and science museums just waiting for you to discover. With that in mind, let’s get started:

The Cleveland Museum of Natural History

The Cleveland Museum of Natural History is a treasure trove of educational opportunities for homeschooling families through and through. It offers an amazingly rich array of exhibits and interactive displays, with an impressive dynamic learning environment that engages students in a combination of science, paleontology, and anthropology, to name but a few topics. 

Genuinely, if you hope to inspire your child with awe and wonder, there’s nothing better than helping them dig into the past through such well-kept presentations. Homeschoolers can participate in specially designed programs too, including homeschool days and workshops, where they can explore topics ranging from dinosaurs and geology to astronomy and biodiversity – to name but a few. These hands-on experiences foster a deep appreciation for the natural world, which is healthy for any child to grow into a curious adult. Oddly, you’ll also enjoy yourself too (don’t worry, this is definitely permitted!)

The USS Cod Submarine Memorial

I love to teach my children about the armed forces and how they help protect the nation. However, depending on the age of your child, you might want to omit some of the less appropriate details of history for now. Thankfully, the self-guided tour of the USS Cod can show you the internal workings of an incredible piece of engineering, a submarine that was responsible for sinking over 30,00 tons of Japanese shipping freight during the Second World War. Here, you can see the crew quarters, the amazing engineering quarters, the command deck, and all the refined internal parts dedicated to ensuring this fantastic piece of kit was a stealthy, impressive, and attentive asset for higher Navy command.

The Cleveland Botanical Gardens

My favorite field trip experience is the Cleveland Botanical Gardens. Within the University Circle lies the Cleveland Botanical Gardens, which are filled to the brim with natural ecosystems, wildlife, and beautiful botany and garden landscaping through and through. Any student learning about horticulture and gardening activities will undoubtedly find much to be impressed by here, be that seeing the butterflies, the exhibitions regularly run for children of all ages, and the themed gardens in tow if you’re looking to get away from the study books for a day and see nature in all its glory, its hard to think of a better place than here.

Make sure to visit the Madagascar Glasshouse and the Hershey’s Children’s Garden which is a great area to run, jump and explore. 

Greater Cleveland Aquarium

Another favorite place to explore is the Greater Cleveland Aquarium. This excellent science center features over 1300 aquatic animals and has interactive exhibits. Do you want to touch a stingray and walk through the 175-foot sea tube while sharks, eels, and stingrays swim around you? The aquarium educators are knowledgeable and friendly and enhance the entire experience. 

Cleveland Metroparks Zoo

There are several top zoos in Ohio. Furthermore, many of these top zoos such as The Columbus Zoo and the Cincinnati Zoo, have one of a kind exhibits. But the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo is also a top zoo. If you have never been to this zoo, you are missing out. The Rainforest Exhibit is out of this world. Furthermore, 

Cleveland History Center

The Cleveland History Center is the headquarters of the Western Reserve Historical Society. Not only does this museum explore women and politics, but the Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum is over 50,000 square feet. This area is dedicated to exploring the history of transportation. Additionally, it has over 170 antique automobiles, plus aircraft, motorcycles, bicycles, and boats. They offer monthly homeschool programs at a very low cost. Make sure to check them out.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Cleveland is home to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Your child’s education is not complete without teaching music. While you will want to visit the symphony, consider also taking your children to this museum. Explore exhibits featuring films, videos, interactive kiosks, and plenty of music.

Watch for upcoming things to do in Akron, Ohio, Canton, Ohio, and Youngstown, Ohio. Exciting adventures await throughout Ohio, including the Butler Institute of American Art Museum (the first art museum in the country dedicated to American Art), the Akron Fossils & Science Center., Beaver Creek Wildlife Education Center, the Akron Zoo, and Canal Fulton Boat rides.

More homeschool field trips in Cleveland, Ohio include factory tours of manufacturing facilities, including chocolates, ice cream, and more.

With this advice, you will surely enjoy some fantastic resources as a Cleveland homeschooler. Moreover, this advice can apply to anyone with similar ventures nearby. Keep in mind that many museums, cultural experiences, and venues offer homeschool educational programs too! As always check with each experience to find out their hours and the grade level that homeschool classes are geared toward.