6 Ways to Prevent Cabin Fever in Dayton, OH

Dayton, Ohio’s winters typically hover around freezing, creating the perfect environment for ice, snow, and other elements that often keep people inside. If your family is starting to suffer from cabin fever, we have several solutions for you. Load up your family vehicle and take your family out to burn off some of that energy with these local activities.

Take a Journey Through EnterTRAINment Junction

EnterTRAINment Junction is perfect for comfortable indoor entertainment. This museum hosts the world’s largest train display featuring more than two miles of track in a 25,000-square-foot display. You’ll find 90 different trains traversing a fascinating miniature landscape that takes you through time from steam engines of the 1860s, to the transition to diesel in the 1940s and 1950s, and finally into the interurban train lines of the present day. The museum even features a massive Coney Island display complete with the Shooting Star roller coaster and a Ferris Wheel that stands nearly four feet tall over the miniature amusement park.

While the miniature trains certainly take center stage, they’re not the only highlight at EnterTRAINment Junction. You’ll also find a large indoor play space where kids can run, climb, and burn off all that built up energy. In the Expo Center, you’ll find an ever-changing selection of exhibits that offer seasonal fun and something new to explore on each visit. Among the displays is the world’s most complete collection of marbles, sure to delight the young and young-at-heart alike.

EnterTRAINment Junction also houses the A-Maze-N Funhouse, which includes a mirror maze, curtain maze, spinning vortex tunnel, illusion corridor, endless hallway, tilt room, and more.

Explore the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery

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The Boonshoft Museum of Discovery offers hands-on learning activities that engage young minds. You can play with water in the Splash! exhibit, try experiments in the Do Lab, and visit live animals in the Discovery Zoo. Get adventurous and climb into the MeadWestvaco Treehouse, experience the desert soil and animals of the Sonoran Desert, build with oversized bricks, and more.

In Explorer’s Crossing, kids will find an abundance of opportunities to try different roles. They can make play food in the Pizza Kitchen, care for stuffed animals in the Discovery Zoo Vet Hospital, and look out for the planet at the Montgomery County Solid Waste District’s Recycling Center.

The Boonshoft Museum also features a planetarium that hosts full-dome films and traditional planetarium shows. You can immerse yourself in fascinating videos on everything from flying dinosaurs to the wonders of the color spectrum.

Visit the Magic Castle

The Magic Castle offers year-round fun to help you ward off cabin fever. Inside, you’ll find a massive indoor soft play space for children age 11 and under. With three levels to explore, you’ll have an ample maze of tunnels and slides to traverse. A child-size climbing wall caters exclusively to kids age 11 and under as well, giving them a safe and easy introduction to the sport. Older children can enjoy the arcade, which has a wide variety of games and hundreds of prizes that you can redeem your tickets for.

As temperatures begin to warm, the Magic Castle also offers batting cages and miniature golf. There’s even a snack bar on-site to keep the fun going. You can order pizza, burgers, hot dogs, chicken nuggets, pretzels, nachos, fries, and more.

Go Wild at the Cincinnati Zoo

Through March 11, the Cincinnati Zoo offers discounted admission to help you get out and battle the winter blues. On select dates through the end of February, the zoo also hosts penguin parades provided that temperatures are under 50 degrees. You’ll encounter a variety of diverse habitats as you explore the zoo including Wolf Woods, Jungle Trails, and Africa. A wide range of beloved creatures are in residence throughout exhibits like the Dobsa Giraffe Ridge, Elephant Reserve, Gibbon Islands, Gorilla World, Lemur Lookout, Roo Valley, and Rhino Reserve.

The zoo’s reptile house provides a home for everything from the massive American alligator to small, colorful poison dart frogs. Boa constrictors, rattlesnakes, pythons, lizards, turtles, and tortoises take up residence here as well. The World of the Insect features all manner of creepy crawlies, while the Wings of the World hosts engaging bird encounters. You’re sure to have a wild time.

Glide on the MetroParks Ice Rink

The MetroParks Ice Rink is the largest outdoor ice rink in the region, spanning 70 feet by 150 feet. You can enjoy open skating, sign up for skate lessons, or partake in curling and broomball. Conveniently located within the RiverScape MetroPark, the rink offers picturesque views of the Great Miami River as well as the sprawling Dayton skyline.

If you get too chilly, you can step inside the Kettering Health comfort tent which is always kept at a cozy 70 degrees. You can also get hot chocolate and other concessions while the rink is open to help you warm up.

Enjoy the Wintery Landscape at Local Parks

Though you may feel tempted to stay indoors as the temperatures drop, there are some outdoor activities in the area that you can only enjoy in the wintertime. Dayton has several hills that offer the perfect landscape for sledding when there’s snow on the ground.

The Community Golf Course is a particular favorite. Here, you’ll find a slope dubbed “Suicide Hill” for its slick nature. If you’re looking for something milder, Indian Riffle Park in Kettering provides slower slopes. Vandalia’s Taylorsville MetroPark has expansive slopes for long-distance sledding, while the hill in Englewood MetroPark lets you pick up some speed.

If you’re an angler, you should check out the local ice fishing when temperatures permit. Possum Creek Metropark yields winter trout. Eastwood Lake can offer some ice fishing as well. Caution is always advised with this activity. Anglers should never walk on ice that’s less than four inches thick.

Did we miss any great local activities for the winter months? Contact our team at Performance Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram Centerville and let us know! We want to have all the best recommendations for our customers.

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