The bad news: Spring break is almost over. The good news: There’s more fun to be had in the coming weeks and year-round, for kids and their families. A lot of it is even-gasp!-free.
Take the Denver Art Museum. To celebrate spring break, the museum is free through Sunday for students in kindergarten through 12th grade. It’s free daily for children age 5 and younger, and free for all Colorado residents the first Saturday of each month. (It’s free for students from June 1 to Sept. 3.)
That eliminates the “money trouble” excuse. Once there, the museum has kids activities galore.
“We always have something for kids to do, on every floor of the new building and most floors of the north building,” says DAM’s Alison Carlman.
Small stations called “Hotspots” pop up on weekends, with activities and touchable items that relate to nearby artworks. There’s also the north building’s Just for Fun Family Center, with games, dress-up items and crafts. It’s open daily.
Family backpacks, available to borrow for free at the museum on weekends, contain kid-friendly games and activities to keep young artists engaged as they make their way through the galleries.
“What’s great about those is people are invited to literally sit on the gallery floor with their kids and create something right there in the museum,” Carlman says. “We’ve just created some new ones that correspond to the new building, and those will be unveiled this summer.”
Don’t forget the museum’s roster of family-friendly special events, too: The next is April 14-15, when the museum participates in Doors Open Denver. The roof of the north building will be open all day for a rare chance to enjoy the spectacular view. And it’s free for kids.
After a visit to the art musuem, there are many more ways to beat the back-to-school blues. The 8th International Edible Book Show and Tea, in Boulder on Sunday, will send youngsters out on a sugar high.
A benefit for the Book Arts League, the show displays edible “books” made by pros and amateurs alike. After a bit of viewing by the public, it’s open season on the tasty tomes.
“A lot of kids make entries,” says Louise Padden, the Book Arts League’s chair of the event. “When we tell them they get to eat the books their eyes get wide as saucers. We have artists, we have professional chefs, but it’s one of the few events that are for everyone.”
The tea runs from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday at The Republic of Boulder, 1095 Canyon Blvd. Admission is $7 for adults and $5 for children, students and Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art members. Bringing an edible book knocks the admission price down to $3 for the chef.
For more information and a downloadable application, visit eatyourwordsboulder.com.
If chowing down on Dostoevsky isn’t your thing, there’s still lots to do. A sampling:
The Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities Children’s Theater (6901 Wadsworth Blvd., Arvada): “Lazer Vaudeville,” a mix of glowing lasers, neon and old-school vaudeville, zaps onto the Arvada Center’s mainstage on Sunday at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Tickets run from $10 to $14. they’re available at arvada center.org or by calling 720-898-7200.
Youngsters also will love “The Dinosaur Play,” the center’s current children’s theater production. There are two performances weekdays until May 4. Tickets, priced at $8 to $9, are available online or by phone.
Colorado History Museum (1300 Broadway): Let’s Make History, the museum’s weekly family activity, is on a gold rush Saturday with “Mining Is Dynamite!” Kids can pan for gold, build their own ore cart and explore the mining exhibit. Let’s Make History runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays, with a new theme each week. It’s free with admission – $7 for adults, $6 for seniors and students, and Saturday’s free for children 12 and younger.
Denver Botanic Gardens (1005 York St.): Junior entomologists can give their magnifying glasses a rest when they visit the Denver Botanic Gardens’ “Big Bugs” sculptures. The gigantic spider, dragonfly, ants and more – built from eco-friendly materials – just went on display. The “Insect Institute” for kids begins April 10 at 4:30 p.m. with “Sculpt-a-Bug.” Classes run through May, with Discovery Backpacks for families on the weekends.
Classes are $12 for Botanic Gardens members and $15 for non-members; the backpacks cost $1 per child. To register for classes, visit botanicgardens.org or call 720-865-3580.
Denver Zoo (2300 Steele St.): The new DZ Naturalists program for kids 9-11 shows “the art side” and “the science side” of worldwide conservation issues. Kids can explore the science side of the latest topic, “Africa on the Edge: Loskop Dam Leopards and Baboons,” at 1 p.m. April 21, when they’ll learn about the research techniques naturalists use. The class is $25 for zoo members or $30 for non-members.
Little ones can join the fun with the Zoo Tales book club. The next book on the list is “Duck and Goose.” Discussions begin April 9. Visit denverzoo.org for more information.
Denver Museum of Nature and Science (2001 Colorado Blvd.): The museum presents a variety of programs for children. On Saturday, preschoolers can indulge their dinosaur dreams with “Dandy Dinosaurs,” a morning of hands-on activities and role-playing. Class begins at 10 a.m. in Room 301, and costs $20 for museum members and $25 for non-members. The April 14 class schedule includes “At the Seashore” and “Masters of Meteorology” for younger grade-schoolers and “Introduction to Survival” for fourth- through sixth-graders.
To make reservations, visit dmns.org, or call 303-322-7009 or 800-925-2250.
Colorado Symphony Orchestra (Boettcher Concert Hall, 1000 14th St.): Going to the symphony can be tough for kids, but the CSO has the kinks worked out with its yearly series of family concerts. The next one features pianist Christopher O’Riley at 2:30 p.m. April 15. Known primarily for his instrumental takes on the rock band Radiohead, O’Riley offers a variety of music in this Sunday concert, titled “One Hand, Two Hands, Four Hands, Eight Hands.” A question-and-answer session follows. Come around 1 p.m. to enjoy storytelling, crafts and entertainment before the concert. Tickets: $10 for students, $20 for adults. Available at ticketmaster.com or by calling 303-623-7876.
The Children’s Museum of Denver (2121 Children’s Museum Drive): This is ground zero for kid-friendly fun in Denver. There’s always something happening, so check the website, cmdenver.org, for a schedule. The first Tuesday night of each month is free for everyone from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., with playtime and stories.
The Colorado Springs Philharmonic Orchestra’s Family Series: The CSPO presents its Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra at 2:30 p.m. Sunday in the Pikes Peak Center. This concert, conducted by Philharmonic associate conductor Thomas Wilson, is a great introduction to a symphony orchestra. Benjamin Britten’s Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra begins and ends with an overview of the whole orchestra, interspersed with demonstrations of the capabilities of each instrument. The program also features Mozart’s Les Petits Reins, a lighthearted piece showcasing young dancers from the Ballet Society of Colorado Springs. Tickets start at $9 and are available at Tickets West outlets or by calling 866-464-2626.
