There are plenty of activities to keep kids busy while they’re on break — parks, pools, lawn work thatap too big a pain for mom or dad — but it’s always a good idea to have some fun destinations in mind to reward them for polishing off “War and Peace” — or pulling all the weeds in the backyard.
Here are four summer field trip destinations to try in Arapahoe and Douglas counties.
Address: 1225 W. Belleview Ave., Englewood
Hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily, weather permitting
Cost: $7 to $12 on weekdays, $8 to $13 on weekends
Contact: 303-762-2683 or
A 35-foot tower with three water slides, a lazy river and a huge leisure pool with enough fountains, hoses and other water-dispensing devices to cool off the Death Valley. Need we say more? This city-owned oasis has been helping visitors beat the heat for more than a decade.
Address: 6955 S. York St., No. 404, Centennial Hours: 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday Cost: Introductory group lessons start at $30. A private, one-on-one lesson is $90. Call ahead to reserve a spot. Contact: 303-872-8494 or snobahn.com
Who said ski season has to end? At the time of its opening in 2016, Snobahn was only the second business with a treadmill-style ski simulator in the U.S. It’s a great place for novice or never-been skiers and snowboarders to hone their skills on the adjustable ramps before hitting the slopes for real.
Address: 1375 W. Plum Creek Parkway, Castle Rock
Hours: Tours begin at 8 a.m. daily. The last tour begins around 5 p.m.
Cost: Tours start at $89
Contact: 720-733-9477 or
What better way to spend three hours than speeding through the air, suspended from a 1.5-mile network of wires? After visiting Castle Rock Zip Line Tours inside the town’s Philip S. Miller Park, you may be hard pressed to find an adequate answer. You can also check out the park’s Epic Adventure Tower and Epic Sky Trek obstacle platform. (Additional fees apply.)
CU South Denver
Address: 10035 S. Peoria St., Lone Tree
Hours: 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. Movie times vary.
Cost: General admission ranges from $8 to $12 based on age. Kids 2 and younger get in free.
Contact: 303-315-9444 or
Let’s get educational. This 151,000-square-foot University of Colorado building features a museum, art gallery and state-of-the-art 3D movie theater. With large, permanent features like the earth biome-spanning Globeology exhibit, and other rotating exhibits, you might find yourself coming back for more.