Boulder is a welcoming city for families to visit. Its natural beauty, outdoor activities, family-friendly events, and community spirit make it a destination that offers something for everyone in the family to enjoy.
Whether you bring your kids, the neighbor’s kids, or nieces and nephews to Boulder, the city offers something fun for kids of all ages and every interest. Here’s a sampling of activities you can do with children of different age groups when visiting Boulder.
Family-Friendly Things To Do with Toddlers and Young Children in Boulder
Explore Parks and Playgrounds
There are parks and playgrounds all over the city for toddlers and young children to enjoy. Local favorites include Central Park in Boulder, Sandstone Ranch Park in Longmont and Waneka Lake Park in Lafayette. Each of these parks offers toddler-friendly play structures and stroller-friendly walking trails.
Children’s Museums
The WOW! Children’s Museum in Lafayette and the Longmont Museum provide interactive exhibits and play areas designed specifically for young children.
Attend Toddler Classes
Try a toddler-focused class that encourages music and movement! The Center for Musical Arts has classes for children 0 to 100 to explore the power of music. Mountain Contemporary Dance in Louisville has dance classes for toddlers, kids, and teens.
Visit A Local Farm
Take your toddler to one of the many farms in Boulder County that offers activities for young children, such as feeding animals, picking fruits or vegetables, and exploring farm life. Check out this list of local farms with activities for children.
Go Climbing
ABC Kids Climbing is a 7,200-square-foot facility designed to promote movement for kids. Their ABC Room is specially equipped for kids ages 2 ½ through five. The gym offers climbing opportunities for “older kids,” too! Adults can join in on the fun during the all-ages open gym times.
Family-Friendly Things To Do With Older Children in Boulder
Paint Ceramics
Make a lasting memento of your trip to Boulder with a take-home piece you painted at Color Me Mine. Color Me Mine is a painting studio where you pick a ceramics piece, paint it, and the store fires up your creation, providing you with a fun experience and your unique piece of art to take home.
Jump Around
Get Air Trampoline Park in Longmont, Colorado, is more than just a trampoline park. They have a foam pit, dodgeball, ninja activities, and more! It’s a great indoor activity for when you want to beat the heat.
Go Skiing
You don’t have to wait for a good day of powder! Shredder Indoor Ski School offers indoor ski and snowboard lessons from beginner to advanced. Their unique ski and snowboard programs let riders have the full ski and snowboarding experience without a trip to the mountains.
Visit the Butterfly Pavilion
Located in Westminster, just outside Boulder County, the Butterfly Pavilion features a tropical rainforest exhibit with butterflies, insects, and other small animals. Children love seeing the colorful butterflies up close and learning about pollinators’ unique relationship with our ecosystem.
Go To An Amusement Park
Gateway Park Fun Center offers a range of family-friendly activities and attractions, including miniature golf, go-karts, mazes, and bumper cars. The park has both indoor and outdoor facilities and is open year-round.
Attend A Concert
The Colorado Music Festival has several family-friendly performances each summer, including a Family Concert perfect for your youngest music lovers. To view a list of the season’s most family-friendly concerts, visit coloradomusicfestival.org/festival/family-friendly.
Gaze at the Stars at Fiske Planetarium
Fiske Planetarium at the University of Colorado is a domed theatre where visitors can enjoy incredible displays of stars, planets, galaxies, and other astronomical entities. The planetarium offers laser light shows, educational programs, and astronomy-related special events throughout the year. As one of the most advanced planetariums in the country, Fiske is a must-see for your budding astronomer or space scientist.
Family-Friendly Things To Do with Tweens and Teens in Boulder
Have an Outdoor Adventure
Boulder County is known for its scenic vistas and numerous outdoor activities. Take a hike in Boulder’s Flatirons, go skiing at Eldora, or enjoy a bike ride along Boulder Creek Path. We’ve mentioned it before, but with 300+ miles of trails, there’s no shortage of outdoor adventures in Boulder.
Go Biking at Valmont Bike Park
Valmont Bike Park is one of the premier bike parks in the region. It is a park designed specifically for mountain biking and offers a range of trails and features for riders of all skill levels. Whether you have beginner mountain bikers or experienced riders in your family, everyone can enjoy the trails at this park.
Get Wet
Boulder Creek offers tubing, kayaking, and paddleboarding during the summer months. Rent equipment and enjoy some water-based fun with your teenager.
Visit the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art
If your teen is interested in art, the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art is worth visiting. The museum showcases a range of thought-provoking contemporary artwork and hosts classes and other youth and teen programs.
Go Shopping at Flatiron Crossing
Teens love hanging out at a mall, and the Flatiron Crossing Mall in Broomfield, just outside Boulder County, offers a variety of stores and boutiques where your teenager can enjoy shopping for fashion, electronics or just hanging out with friends.
Attend Festivals and Events
There are festivals and events held throughout the year across Boulder County. Some of those that may interest young people include the Boulder International Film Festival, the Boulder Creek Festival, the Lafayette Peach Festival, and the Colorado Music Festival.
The Colorado Music Festival is an annual celebration of classical music showcasing musicians from around the world. The summer concert series includes several family-friendly concerts, including a family-specific show. To view a list of these concerts, visit coloradomusicfestival.org/festival/family-friendly.
Escape A Room
Escape rooms are immersive, interactive puzzle games where participants are “locked” in a themed room and must work together to solve clues, find hidden objects, and unravel mysteries within a set time limit in order to escape. Your teen may love the adrenaline rush of racing against the clock. Escape rooms are a fun activity for families or friends to do together. Boulder Escape Room and Enigma Escape Rooms are two of our favorite escape rooms in Boulder.
Take in a Game at CU
Boulder is also home to the University of Colorado and the CU Buffaloes. (Go Buffs!) The CU Events Center is where many of the University’sUniversity’s teams play, hosting concerts and other events throughout the year. Visit the CU Events Center Ticketing page to find a game or event during your Boulder trip.
There are so many reasons why families should consider a trip to Boulder. From the healthy and sustainable dining scene to the eco-friendly culture and the wide range of things to do for all age groups, visiting Boulder County is a must for anyone coming to Colorado.
Make magical memories with your family this summer by visiting the Colorado Music Festival!
