Looking for some family-friendly fun this weekend? Here are some places your kids are sure to enjoy!
Children’s Museum
This fun facility is geared to newborns through eight-year-olds, but they welcome kids of all ages! This is a great place for family-friendly fun, where your kids can really burn off that excess energy. Kids are encouraged to create, explore, and learn in a fun way. Visit the big backyard exhibit, where they’ll get to see their backyard from the view of a woodland creature, or box canyon, where they’ll play on boulders, kayaks, and a waterfall! If they’re more interested in animals, check out Ready, Vet, Go, where they’ll learn about treating and curing animals. Maybe you’ve got a budding foodie - they’ll love the Teaching Kitchen or Market areas! There’s truly something for every child at this museum!
Denver Zoo or Cheyenne Mountain Zoo
The zoo is always a good call for some family-friendly fun! Both the Denver Zoo and the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo have plenty of incredible animals to look for. They also both have interactive experiences that your kid is sure to love. Denver Zoo also has a list of itineraries on their website geared towards trips with kids! Just look in the Pre-Planned Itineraries section. Whether they want to feed the giraffes, play in a park that makes them feel like a bug, or walk among the birds, both these zoos are awesome choices for a day out! Make sure you pack plenty of sunscreen and water - both zoos are completely outdoors except for a few exhibits, and it can get hot out there!
Butterfly Pavilion
Does your little one prefer smaller creatures to the big ones found in the zoo? Then take them to the Butterfly Pavilion! The Pavilion is an invertebrate zoo with four interactive exhibits, including an amazing tropical rain forest conservatory that’s home to over 1,600 free-flying butterflies (and a few birds, some fish, and a tortoise). This place is beautiful and good for family-friendly fun and fun for all ages! Make sure you stop by and visit Rosie the tarantula - she’s very friendly!
Nature & Science Museum
There’s an exhibit for everyone at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science! The museum is full of family-friendly fun, with interactive exhibits that kids (and adults) will love, as well as weekend workshops for the kiddos where they’ll get to do cool things like dissections and learn in a fun way. The Space Odyssey and Gems & Minerals exhibits are always crowd-pleasers, and I’m not just saying that because they’re my personal favorite exhibits. The museum really is a great place to encourage learning in a fun, friendly, and safe environment. Check out their website - they also have free days!
Santa’s Workshop
This location is awesome for some holiday-themed family-friendly fun, even in the middle of summer! It’s open all week from May to halfway through August, then switches to Thursday through Monday from mid-August through December 24th. There are plenty of rides that’ll thrill kids of all ages, as well as a house where they can visit Santa Claus himself! There are also magic shows and glass blowing demonstrations, so be sure to bring your family here whenever you’re needing a dose of holiday spirit.
Elitch Gardens
Elitches is a Denver staple for family-friendly fun. It’s open from May to October and features 53 rides, live entertainment, free concerts, and interactive shows the whole family will enjoy. Obviously, this is a theme park, so many rides will have height and weight restrictions. Don’t let that deter you though - there are plenty of rides aimed at younger kids and families that are sure to make the day enjoyable! Make sure to pack your sunscreen - it can get hot out there in the summer.
Tiny town
Just outside Denver in the foothills, there sits a kid-sized replica town that’s perfect for family-friendly fun! Spend the day exploring the old-west themed town, which your kiddos are sure to enjoy. Take a ride on the miniature train and enjoy the views of areas you can only view from the tracks. Bring a picnic lunch - they have a beautiful area to sit and eat. Relax while your kids enjoy the playground and fresh mountain air. This trip is sure to provide a fun, restful day for the whole family.
Mesa Verde
Ok, Mesa Verde is not necessarily a good day trip. It’s a solid 7-hour drive to get there, so you’re better off spending the night down there. There is camping and lodging available just outside the park. That said, it’s one of the coolest places to go as a kid and is perfect for some family-friendly fun and for a short weekend away. This can be particularly fun and educational if you can schedule it around when your kid is learning about the Native Americans. Like most national parks, they have a Junior Ranger program that your child can participate in and earn a Ranger badge. This has the potential to be a genuinely special family trip, and it’s one I highly recommend.
If these sorts of natural wonders appeal to you, I’d also recommend our article on the natural wonders of Colorado - it’ll give you some more great ideas for places to go! Click here to check it out!
