Entertaining kids in Colorado during the winter should be easy, right? Maybe when there’s quality snow for sledding or you trek everyone up to a ski mountain, but what about those days during the week when it’s too cold to go out and the kids are cooped up inside? You don’t have to hide under a blanket with a hot toddy while they tear everything inside the house apart — there is hope.
Across the metro area, there are plenty of options for entertaining the wee ones during the cold winter months — and trust me when I say it’s more for you than them. OK, so maybe it’s a win-win scenario. From trampolines to cheap movies and indoor ski lessons, here are some of the best options to keep your sanity while inside this winter.
Jump City
Location: 9979 Wadsworth Parkway, Westminster
Hours: Sundays through Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays, 10 a.m.-midnight
Price: $7.58 for first hour and $5.25 for second hour for ages 8 and up; $4.23 for first hour and $2.50 for second hour for ages 8 and under
Website:
Phone: 720-328-4383
I can’t think of too many things better than having the kids exercise for two hours, get crazy tired and then nap. Nothing comes close (not even you, Tim Tebow). Jump City is one of the largest indoor trampoline parks in the metro area. When you walk in, you won’t get the waiver filled out fast enough before the kids throw off their shoes to start jumping on the rainbow-colored trampolines. Jump City also has an arcade (not the best, but the little ones don’t care), a fun laser tag area, bounce houses and two dodgeball rooms, one for the smaller kids and one for the bigger kids (we’re looking at you, Dad). If you need to throw a winter birthday party, their packages are worth looking into. (We’ve been to a few parties at Jump City and the kids always love it.)
Shredder Urban Ski & Snowboard Park
Location: 6655 Arapahoe Road, Suite J, Boulder
Hours: Drop-in/Open Gym is on Tuesdays at 9 a.m. and Sundays at 8 a.m.; check website for class schedules
Price: Open Gym is $15 for an hour including the use of gear. Class prices ranges from $22-$25/per class (varying based on the length of a class).
Website:
This place is awesome. Shredder is an indoor park with hills for kiddos to learn how to ski and snowboard before hitting the runs at the resorts. They provide gear during class or Open Gym, but also encourage the kids to bring their own gear so they get used to it. Is it actual snow inside? No, but we were tricked at first. They use Xtreme, a combination of water and wax that helps skiers and snowboarders “slip” down the surface or to “grip” for turning and stopping. Artificial snow surfaces are used around the world to help people freshen up on their skills any month of the year.
Class options: Yeti School for ages 1 to 2½, a 45-minute parent/child class; Little Shredder for ages 2½ to 5, a 45-minute class for beginners; and Ski/Board School for ages 3 to 10 at varying levels. Shred on.
Catch a flick at Elvis Cinemas
Location(s): Arvada, Littleton and Tiffany Plaza
Hours: Check website for show times and full movie list
Price: Tickets are $3 before 6 p.m.; $4 after 6 p.m. (What a value!) And concessions are just as reasonably priced.
Website:
Phone: 303-426-4122
When a trip to the bigger theaters cost an arm and a leg for tickets, popcorn and concessions, it’s hard to be enthused about taking the kids to the movies. Elvis Cinemas save the day — and your checking account. Known for the old-time movie experience, Elvis doesn’t need the frills of stadium seats and swanky recliner chairs. Instead, it’s like going to a movie when we were kids — and the prices have pretty much remained the same. Sure, you’ll be watching second-run flicks, but when they say “the best movie value in town,” they aren’t kidding. There are even arcade games in the lobby if you’re waiting for a show time or have a kid who can barely sit through the previews. We’ve all been there.
Children’s Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus
Location: 2121 Children’s Museum Dr., Denver
Hours: Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Price: $11/children ages 2-59 and seniors; membership opportunities as well. A family membership (two named adults and their children in the same household) for $140/annually.
Website:
Phone: 303-433-7444
This one may be obvious, but the Children’s Museum will always be a quality visit for those rip-your-hair-out days when the kids are stuck inside. In 2012, Forbes Magazine named Denver’s Children’s Museum one of the top 12 best children’s museums in the country, and with good reason, since kids can explore, imagine, create, investigate and learn. The exhibits may target the age range from newborns to 8 years old, but everyone has a good time regardless.
Our go-to favorite? The Big Backyard, because putting kids in squirrel costumes and watching them seemingly shrink to the size of a woodland creature is worth every cent.
Downtown Aquarium
Location: 700 Water St., Denver
Hours: Sundays through Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Fridays & Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.; and select holiday hours.
Price: $19.50/adults; $18.50/seniors (65+); $13.50/children ages 3-11. Check out membership deals on the website to save you loads of money and unlimited visits annually.
Website:
Phone: 303-561-4450
Sharks. Mermaids. Adorable otters. Tigers. Crazy archerfish that spray bugs off leaves to eat. A massive reenacted flash flood. Taking the kids to the Downtown Aquarium isn’t just a learning experience filled with sea and water life, it’s also loaded with indoor fun the kids will remember for years to come. Check the website for Mystic Mermaid show times, which gives Ariel and Sebastian a run for their money. After you’ve walked through each exhibit, the journey ends with games and activities from face painting to palm tree climbing, concessions and more. One of our kid’s favorite things? Feeding the stingrays.
After awhile, the kids have more than likely worked up an appetite of their own. At the Aquarium Restaurant, the family can sit and watch sea life as they eat. Bonus: The kids’ menu is filled with a search-and-find for the fish around them. Keeping kids busy while we eat? We want to kiss you, Aquarium staffers (but that may get awkward).
Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Location: 2001 Colorado Blvd., Denver
Hours: Open daily from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Price: $14.95/adult; $9.95/kids ages 3-18; $11.95/seniors (65+). Check website for membership packages.
Website:
Phone: 303-370-6000
If you’ve got a kiddo who loves learning new things, the Denver Museum of Nature & Science is always a quality activity choice. They can be astronauts in the Space Odyssey exhibit, travel back in time in the Egyptian Mummy exhibit, pretend to go outdoors in the Wildlife exhibits, or have hands-on fun in the Discovery Zone exhibit. That exhibit opened just a few years ago, and has quickly become a go-to for parents with little ones between 3 and 5 years old. They can excavate fossils, observe water in action, experiment with building methods and materials and lots more. And before you head out, check out what’s playing at the IMAX Theatre.
Lollipop Park Indoor Children’s Amusement Park
Location: 6901 S. Peoria St., Centennial
Hours: Thursdays from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Fridays-Sundays from 10 a.m.- 8 p.m. (closed Mondays-Wednesdays)
Price: $12.95/child on Thursdays and Fridays; $14.95/child on Saturdays & Sundays
Website:
Phone: 303-761-8700
If you’ve got younger kids who are bouncing off the walls right about now, load them in the car and head over to Lollipop Park. The indoor amusement park has enough rides and games to entertain them until they pass out while drinking from their sippy cups. Teacups, bounce houses, swings, arcade games, a Ferris wheel, a train, carousel and more will keep them plenty busy while it’s cold outside. The only downside? They’re not open daily, and the park isn’t for kids older than 10 and over 100 pounds, so it does make it difficult for bigger siblings. But if you’ve got wee ones running around, it’s on.
Butterfly Pavilion
Location: 6252 W. 104th Ave., Westminster
Hours: Open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (last entrance is at 4:15 p.m.)
Price: $11/adults; $9/Westminster resident adults and seniors (65+); $7/children ages 2-12
Website:
Phone: 303-469-5441
You know those days when your car thermometer says it’s 9 degrees outside and you pretty much curse to yourself just running out to the mailbox? Stay calm. We love to go to the Butterfly Pavilion on super cold days and pretend like we’re in a nice, humid rainforest on vacation in the Wings of the Tropics exhibit. When you enter, you’ll be blown away by the 1,600 butterflies from rainforests around the world. All you’re missing is a mojito in one hand and a pool boy standing nearby. (Hey, kids aren’t the only ones with imaginations.) Also, you’ll love watching your brave kids hold “Rosie” the resident tarantula in the Crawl-A-See-Em exhibit. It’s OK if you muster up the courage, mom. Kids’ peer pressure gets to the best of us. Rosie just feels like a soft, fuzzy tickle monster … that will want to eat you in your sleep.
The Clubhouse at the Apex Recreation Center
Location: 13150 W. 72nd Ave., Arvada
Hours: Mondays through Thursdays from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Fridays, 5 a.m.-9 p.m.; Saturdays, 6:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m.; Sundays, 9 a.m.-8 p.m.
Price: Free!! Isn’t that glorious?
Website:
Phone: 303-424-2739
Close your eyes for a minute: Picture a giant indoor play area with tunnels, three slides and loads of plastic creatures the kids jump off of — all filled with kids of all ages playing with each other and totally ignoring you while you sit on a green plastic chair just watching them. Now open your eyes. This place exists! And bonus, it’s free! The Clubhouse at the Apex Rec Center in Arvada is a local parenting gem that is somewhat of a secret. But now that you’re reading this, I guess the secret’s out, huh?
You can also pay for the daycare there if you need some parenting time to yourself to run on the treadmill … or to take a nap in a conference room. Whichever you prefer.
Little Monkey Bizness
Location: Four Colorado locations in Westminster, Parker, Colorado Springs and Denver
Hours: Mondays through Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Fridays, 9 a.m.-8 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays, 9 a.m.-noon
Open play pricing: $10/children ages 3-8; $7/walkers 2 and under; $5/crawlers
Website:
If they’re your monkeys and they’re your circus, then, by golly, they’ll love playing at Little Monkey Bizness. There are four locations across Colorado, so no matter where you’re at, they’ve got ya covered. The play areas are filled with inflatable obstacle courses, slides, bounce houses, trikes, jungle gyms, play structures and more. Pro-parenting tip: Call before you go, especially during the weekend. A lot of the times they close the place for birthday parties, so unless you have an invite, you would be out of luck.
Denver Cat Company
Location: 3929 Tennyson St., Denver
Hours: Mondays through Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sundays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Price: Entry fee is $5/person. Bonus: There are membership packages available if you want to live a purr-tastic life
Website:
Phone: 303-433-3422
Unless you and your kids are crazy allergic to cats, this is an off-beat idea that is fun to experience with the family. Denver Cat Company features around eight to nine adoptable cats chilling around the café ready to be pet and cuddled. The café also offers free WiFi, painting classes and … wait for it … cat yoga! The café also doubles as a bookstore filled with classic literature, non-fiction, history, you name it. Just be careful. Most of the cats are foster kitties looking for fur-ever homes. You may leave with a latte and nine new family members to boot.
Mid Air Adventures
Location: 9499 Washington St., #100, Thornton
Hours: Mondays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; closed Tuesdays; Wednesdays and Thursdays, 1 p.m.-6 p.m.; Fridays, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. (may change, call ahead); Saturdays and Sundays, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Price: $17/adults, children for 1½ hours of fun; $5/toddlers
Website:
Phone: 303-255-ZIPS
SWOOOOOSH. If you and your kids are adventure seekers and love adrenaline rushes, Mid Air Adventures is definitely your cold weather go-to. The 12,000-square-foot facility has zip lines, giant swings, a huge climbing wall, rope bridges, slides and a toddler area. All guests get fitted for harnesses and a quick safety lesson from instructors before zipping through the air.
It’s a good idea to call ahead before you go to make sure they have openings. It’s a popular choice for winter birthday parties.
Monster Mini Golf
Location: 8227 S. Holly St., Centennial
Hours: Mondays through Thursdays from 2 to 9 p.m.; Fridays, 2-10 p.m.; Saturdays, noon-10 p.m.; Sundays, noon-8 p.m.
Price: $9.99/big monsters; $8.99 little monsters
Website:
Phone: 303-993-6892
Glow in the dark monster mini golf? Say no more. It’s time to whip out your mad putt-putt skills and try your hand at Monster Mini Golf’s 18 holes. You’ll love the not-so-scary monster décor spread throughout the course, and they have an on-site DJ bringing you exciting tunes while you play. After you’re done golfing, you can totally beat the kids at video games in the arcade. Oh, yeah, no mercy.
