A no brainer destination for students and teachers, Cleveland offers educational attractions so fun, kids won’t even realize they’re learning. Explore the Great Lakes Science Center, the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo and Rainforest, or the free Cleveland Museum of Art. Bring the school band to perform at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Break out of the classroom without sweating the details, because Destination Cleveland has your back with free group tour planning services.
Fill your Friday with music and fun.
Image © Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
Matinee concerts featuring the works of Debussy, Schubert, Prokofiev and more will captivate high school students amid the grandeur of historic Severance Hall in University Circle with classroom resources, online teacher guides and Spotify playlists also available.
With offerings spanning K-12, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s free "Rockin' the Schools" programs put a fun spin on music education with classes such as “The Birth of Hip-Hop Culture” and “Shake, Rattle and Roll: The Building Blocks of Music.”
Get the backstage lowdown on KeyBank's Broadway Series with free "Broadway Buzz" talks scheduled one hour before curtain time for select shows. Other field trip options include matinees with accompanying workshops and programs illuminating the performance arts.
Saturdays are for STEM (and Art)
Image © Great Lakes Science Center
Explore our universe with an immersive planetarium program that will have students contemplating the stars and beyond. From bobcats to bald eagles, make furry friends in the outdoor wildlife walk. An array of gallery and classroom programs challenge students to ponder geography, the human body and diverse cultural histories.
Trained guides spark critical thinking and offer hands-on activities during hourlong gallery explorations such as "Design Your Own Exhibition" or "American Art and History." The innovative ArtLens gallery brings fun into the mix with a host of digital interactives. (And did we mention the free admission?)
Get up close and personal with zoo residents such as wallabies, koalas or tortoises with the “Inside Tracks” program. Observe behind-the-scenes holding areas and animal training sessions. Learn to think like a vet with the “Veterinarian Bag” program, in which students diagnose an under-the-weather grizzly bear and work together to plan a proper course of treatment.
Blast into space inside the Skylab 3 Apollo Command Module with the "Mission to STEM" app at the NASA Glenn Visitor Center. Engage in interactive fun like light sculpting and augmented-reality sandboxes. Groups of 50+ can enjoy dinner and a movie in the six-story Cleveland Clinic Dome Theater via the "After Dark" package.
Sunday Funday
Cedar Point isn’t just for thrill-seekers. The science-minded will geek out over Physics, Science and Math on Education Days, where the laws of physics come to life via amusement park fun. For instrumental and choral groups, all of Cedar Point becomes a stage during the Festival of Music. Warning: fun overload just might be in store at Scene75, where you can lose yourself in a 130-game arcade and 10 attractions from blacklight mini-golf to bumper cars. At 25,000 square feet, Play:CLE weighs in as the nation’s largest indoor adventure park—attracting everyone from ninja warriors to social “climbers.” Or, have a ball with both bowling and bocce at Pinstripes, then feast on Italian-American eats by the fire pit.
No Need to Brown Bag It
Eats are served with a side of enrichment in Cleveland. Chow before a concert at House of Blues or Music Box Supper Club, bowl between bites at The Corner Alley and get a German immersion at Hofbräuhaus.
Need more ideas? Click here for more kid-friendly eateries in CLE.