I was recently invited to spend a couple days at Kalahari Resorts in Sandusky, Ohio.  We were able to do and see so much while we were there that I will be sharing a three part series Kalahari food, Kalahari dry activities and Kalahari waterpark.  Today I’d like to share all about the ton of dry activities that Kalahari offers.

Our room:

While the size of Kalahari is just staggering, we found it a breeze to check in.  When we arrived, there was a good-sized line but with the number of employees at the front desk, the line moved right along.

As we walked into our room, we were excited to see that we had gotten a large 2-room family suite. This room includes one king bed, a separate room with two queen beds and a queen sofa sleeper, a patio, and a fireplace. It also boasts two televisions, two full baths, a microwave, and a mini fridge.  When you book this room, you can get up to 6 waterpark passes and can even add one or two guests by using the sofa sleeper at $25 per person.  This makes it so much easier for larger families to travel.

One of our favorite features was a door that separated us from the kiddos.  While you are still in the same room, it definitely gives you much more privacy.  In fact, because of that door, my hubby and I could sleep in a tad later than usual the following morning while my boys watched TV in their own room.

Meet the Animals:

Kalahari offers a unique experience for kids of all ages with their indoor and outdoor animal encounters.  The day we were there, the outdoor Safari Adventures Animal Park was closed but inside the lobby area, we were able to meet a few animals up close.

Kids and adults can take a picture (fee) with baby cubs such as this cute 8-week old tiger.  My boys were excited to see a real tiger up close and were even able to pet him.  Isn’t he just adorable?  We were also able to see and touch a tarantula up close…YIKES!  I have serious arachnophobia, so this was huge for me, but since I’m always encouraging my boys to try something new, I figured that I should lead by example.

I can’t wait to visit Kalahari on a warmer day when we can go outside and meet more of the outdoor animals in their Safari Adventures Animal Park.  With the price only being $5 for resort guests and $7 for visitors, I think it’s a deal.

Kalahari Spa:

The most relaxing part of my trip was a visit to the Kalahari Spa.  The spa offers a variety of services such as massages, facials, pedicures, manicures, body treatments, and so much more.

The spa caters to all members of your family, including men and children.  In fact, the have a Junior Spa created just for little ones. Kalahari Spa Junior guests must be at least three years old to participate, with the exception of haircutting.  They even have their own room with pint-sized chairs and adorable decorations to make them feel very comfortable.

As this was a mom/daughter spa day, I was excited to bring along my mom.  While there were many treatments to pick from, we both picked a 30-minute massage and facial.  As soon as we arrived, we were given robes and shown to the ladies’ locker room.  The locker rooms have more than enough space to change and offer lockers with personalized pins.

Once changed, you can enter a warm and inviting waiting room where you can put your feet up and relax or grab a drink.  With the dim lighting and no little ones yelling “Mama!!”, I could have been asleep in minutes.

Once we were called for our treatments, we were each brought into separate rooms for an hour of pampering.  Both of my treatments were fabulous, and it made me think why I don’t do this more often.  As moms we tend to put everyone before ourselves, but after those treatments, it dawned on me that I really need to carve out more time for myself.  The next time I visit Kalahari, a trip to the spa is on the list!

Big Game Room Arcade:

When you are looking for some wild, DRY fun at Kalahari, head down to their Big Game Room Arcade!  This arcade is one of the largest in Ohio so you are sure to find a game for everyone.  I really appreciated that instead of carrying around a cup of cumbersome tokens, the arcade games take a simple swipe from a reusable card.

Kalahari’s arcade features favorites such as Whack A Mole and the Claw games and newer ones such as Skylanders and Gone Fishin’.  There are tons of electronic games, ride on toys, an air hockey table and so much more.  In fact this area even boasts a 9 hole mini golf game and mini bowling alley ($5).  With so much to do, you’ll definitely want to spend quite some time here.

My boys were lucky the night we went and won a ton of tickets.  My middle son Mason was especially excited when he won 1000 tickets for just one game!  After playing hard, it was time to cash in our tickets for some prizes.  With so many choices at the redemption counter, my boys had a hard time choosing what to “buy” but scored on a TON of loot!

Cooking, decorating and MORE

Throughout the day, Kalahari offers different activities such as crafts, coloring contests, cookie decorating, and more.  Best of all, many of these activities are FREE!  While not all activities are offered each day, you can count on at least a few (ask for the daily activity guide).  While we were there, they were offering cookie decorating, and my boys jumped at the chance to create their own “masterpiece”.

Near the arcade, a large table was set up with a ton of sprinkles and different colored frosting.  My boys had a blast making a cookie and since we were on vacation, they even got to eat it before dinner!

Disclosure:  All opinions are my own.  I received a free nights stay, meals and other activities to facilitate this review. Regardless, I only recommend things that I think would be a good fit for my readers.