Children's Activities for a Staycation

This summer has been all about the staycation. Since we’ve been so up in the air regarding court dates, passing and traveling, we’ve decided to pocket the pennies and look around here for some good local fun.

I have “discovered” a few oldies but goodies.

1. Buell Children’s Museum: The drive is an easy hour from our house. No traffic and located right off I 25. This is an crafty child’s dream. MAC computers with programs to take your picture and then touch them up with some pretty funny embellishment, mounds of boxes to build, thousands of pieces of crafts to make into creations. The museum is clean and unlike Denver’s children museum, not overrun with kids. We even had access to the art museums joined (Got to do Andy Warhol’s balloon exhibit) and the cafe served pretty good chicken nuggets and fries.

2. The Wildlife Experience: This is another easy drive as it’s in the Park Meadows area of Denver. HUGE facility with two IMAX movie options (we saw the coral reefs and it was breathtaking…another plus was that they allow you to brings snacks and drinks into the theater). There are rooms and exhibits for all ages as well as many things to see. We got there around 9 and didn’t leave until late afternoon. I found out afterward that the Denver Parent’s magazine has a $3 coupon off for each ticket.

3. Butterfly Pavilion: This is in the Westminster area. A bit of a drive but I’d do it just for the outdoor “rain forest” filled with amazing butterflies. They have a few indoor exhibits that are fun, especially for my bug and spider loving boy! This is an inexpensive but very interactive place to take your kids!

4.  Colorado Spring’s Money Museum:  I cashed in all the library’s free coupons this summer and headed downtown.  The visit took about an hour but it was fun learning about all our money and famous historical characters, good and bad.

If you haven’t tried any of the attractions above, go for it.  You won’t break the bank and you might even learn a thing or two. I did!