Kid-Approved Programming
As the powder day winds down, a fun-filled itinerary is just getting started. Ski-school activities (for ages 2.5–17) and a childcare center boating Colorado-themed playrooms (for ages 1–4) are hallmarks of the The Treehouse Kids' Adventure Center at Snowmass. Look to Children's Group Lessons in Telluride for a pint-size version of ski school (with lunch!) for kids age 3 to 14.
Winter Playgrounds
Little ones love to burn off steam outside, so what better venue to do just that than one meant especially for them? The Woodward Barn — located at Copper Mountain — is an action-sports playground featuring indoor Olympic-grade trampolines, a skate park, a pump-track zone, skate bowls and so much more.
If you have a future Olympic figure skater in the family, let them practice spins and jumps on the ice rink located in the center of Beaver Creek Village. Regular events provide endless entertainment for kids and kids at heart; or cozy up to one of the surrounding fire pits and warm up with a mug of hot chocolate. Take to the frozen 5-acre lake that anchors Keystone’s Lakeside Village for a pick-up hockey game or ice skating.
There’s more than one way to zoom down a snowy mountain, including a grin-inducing ride on an inflated rubber tube. Purgatory’s Snow Coaster Tubing Hill has three lanes that are lit at night, meaning you can slip and slide into the evening. Once you make it down the banked curves and jumps of Copper Mountain’s tubing hill, a magic-carpet lift will whisk you back up to do it again! Plus, double tubes are available to rent — perfect for a parent/child pair. Steamboat Springs' Yee Haw Tubing Hill at Saddleback Ranch also has a sweet magic carpet, so you kids can catch their breath after laughing from the town's trademarked Champagne Powder® tickling their noses. Another hot spot for tubular amusement is Coca-Cola® Tubing at Winter Park. After the kids get their fill, thaw out at the Hill House warming hut to snack on fresh-baked cookies.
Educational Endeavors
Being up in the mountains is a perfect opportunity for your child to learn more about their surroundings. Kids Snow Camp at Telluride teaches littles age to connect with the environment through a full day of programs — geocaching, winter wilderness survival, and trekking and tracking. Your kiddo may return striving to become the next Bear Grylls, or at the very least have a deeper appreciation for the great outdoors.
In Vail, hop on the Eagle Bahn gondola to access the Nature Discovery Center, with its assortment of exhibits on natural history and local wildlife inside a yurt. On Wednesdays you might catch fire-prevention mascot Smokey Bear skiing around (as bears do); or sign up for a free snowshoe tour (age 10 and up) that touches on winter ecology and how animals adapt in cold climes.
Quality Time With the Fam
Bring everyone back together with activities that cater to families. Ullr Nights is a Snowmass winter wonderland party in honor of the Norse god of snow. On Fridays, take the gondola up the mountain to Elk Camp for live music, a bonfire, snow slide, vast buffet of culinary creations and other merriment. And Purgatory Resort offers plenty of bonding opportunities with a solid lineup of winter events ranging from snowman-building contests to sleigh rides.
Want More?
Read up on more off-the-slopes fun across the state, get the scoop on ski and snowboard lessons, and discover fun summertime activities for families at Colorado ski resorts.