If you're traveling to Boulder with your family, you'll have no problem finding ways to entertain the whole gang.
The Pearl Street Mall has endless diversions for kids, including fascinating street performers and strategically placed play areas for children. Judging by the squeals of delight you'll hear as you get near the pop-jet fountain at Pearl and 14th Street, this may get the kids' vote for best Boulder kids' attraction. Plenty of downtown businesses cater to kids, too. Into the Wind kite and toy shop is positively overflowing with clever trinkets and gadgets to enthrall little ones, while Boulder Book Store will delight parents and kids alike with fantastic books and toys. Color Me Mine offers a chance for kids to get creative as they paint their own pottery.
A tour of Celestial Seasonings, one of North America's largest tea factories, is a fun outing for kids over 5. It's just 30 minutes and you'll get to walk on the factory floor, see how the tea is packaged, take a whiff of the fragrant mint room and get unlimited tea tastings. The gift shop is also brimming with cool items.
Make an afternoon of visiting the University of Colorado campus: At the CU Heritage Center, check out the astonishing Hit the Bricks! LEGO display — a replica of CU created one LEGO at a time. The CU Museum of Natural History's interactive children's exhibits include a massive triceratops fossil and a play area downstairs. And don't miss the family programming at CU's Fiske Planetarium, one of the world's most advanced projection systems. Find more ideas for indoor family fun here.
Many of the paths around Chautauqua Trailhead are kid-friendly, and the Ranger's Cottage here offers free nature discovery packs. Here are 5 hikes suitable for families.
For a fun biking outing, the free Valmont Bike Park (named on this bucket list) has three pump tracks, one of which is for toddlers, and miles of trails for riders of various levels.
Photo: Dave Wright/Flickr Creative Commons
Splash on the banks of Boulder Creek at Eben G. Fine Park. On hot days, you'll meet lots of fellow families and can watch tubers float by.
The Museum of Boulder always has something going on for families, with exhibits on themes ranging from dinos to wolves, special events and a maker studio called the Google Garage.
Head out to the Boulder Reservoir for beach time and water recreation galore, or please your little fishies at one of a handful of great swimming pools in Boulder.
In winter, you'll want to do as the locals do and plan some outside time. If it's snowy, hit Boulder's sledding hills, head to Eldora for family-friendly skiing and snowboarding terrain or go for a winter hike (there's no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing!).
If it's just good old-fashioned playtime you want, consider Gateway Park Fun Center in North Boulder. Kids of all ages will be swept up in the mini-golf course, go-karts, batting cages, human maze, an indoor arcade and more.
When it's time to eat, here are 5 Boulder Restaurants for Picky Kids, according to 5280 Magazine.
