Rainy Day Activities in Boulder

1. Gateway Park Fun Center

Win great prizes at the arcade at Gateway Park Fun Center. The arcade is open year-round and you can even grab lunch at the snack bar while you're there.

2. NCAR Visitor Center

Learn where and how rain begins at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). Ever touched a cloud? Created a tornado? Your kids can do both at NCAR’s visitor center.

3. Pearl Street Mall

Duck in and out of shops on Pearl Street Mall. Play with toys and gadgets at Into the Wind, marvel at cool and clever local art and gadgets at Art Mart, and read children’s books at the historic Boulder Book Store.

4. ABC Kids Climbing Gym

Exert some energy at ABC Kids Climbing Gym and pretend you’re in a Dr. Seuss story as you scramble over the colorful rock walls.

5. University of Colorado

Check out the dinosaur fossils at CU Museum of Natural History, and head downstairs where a kids' area is stocked with animal puppets, themed exploration boxes, a felt play wall, coloring pages, and a variety of bugs on display. There's also free tea and coffee for mom and dad. Across campus is the Fiske Planetarium, which often has daytime family-friendly star shows.

6. The Connection Bowling, Billiards and Games

Round up the crew and head to The Connection on CU's campus for some indoor fun for all ages. Opt for bowling, shooting some pool, playing ping pong, renting board games from the front desk or simply relaxing and lounging while the rest of the fam burns some energy.

 

 

 

 

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7. Boulder Public Library

Find a favorite book and cozy up among the stacks at the children's library inside the Boulder Public Library. There's also a variety of snacks at the library's Seeds Cafe (located on a bridge over Boulder Creek), themed book bundles, fish tanks and fun reading nooks.

 

 

 

 

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8. Museum of Boulder

In addition to camps and classes, the Museum of Boulder has ongoing exhibits for kids to enjoy and interact with, including the "Playzeum" and the Google-sponsored makers' space, "Google Garage." Children can build and program robots using magnets, create cardboard vehicles, play musical notes based on color, try mountain biking in virtual reality and more.

9. Indoor Pickleball

Boulder is home to several indoor pickleball facilities. Boulder Pickleball welcomes families — they just ask that one adult be present on the court when kids are playing (four can play on a court at a time, so three kids and one adult per court). Register for free as a member ahead of time on their website. Several Boulder recreation centers also offer drop-in indoor pickleball courts for reservation, included with a daily entrance fee.

10. See a Movie

Multiple screens show a variety of films at Century Boulder Theater all day and night, and there's almost always a kids flick in rotation. This theater's great location at Twenty Ninth Street shopping center means you can hit some shops before or after the movie, too, and grab a bite to eat at kid-friendly eateries.