Winterfest Festival January 25-27, 2013. Put on a pair of ice skates, snowshoes, play a game of broomball, make a gingerbread house and learn winter outdoor skills at the all-inclusive YMCA of the Rockies Estes Park. Touted as one of Colorado’s most affordable family vacations, the weekend package includes lodging, meals and activities starting Friday evening through Sunday morning. http://www.ymcarockies.org

Rocky Mountain Nature Association. Jan. 26: “Winter Ecology: A Snowshoeing Trek for Kids and Families,” a four-hour snowshoe hike to explore Rocky Mountain National Park. The trek is also offered Feb. 9 and 23 and March 9 and 23. Call or visit the website for details and reservations and additional programs scheduled such as field seminars on winter ecology. 970-586-3262, rmna.org

Morrison Nature Center. Jan. 26: “Coyote Watch Training,” a regional coyote research project, 9:30 a.m.-noon, call 303-859-8911 or e-mail mbonnell@auroragov.org to participate.; “Full Moon Hike,” to look for wildlife as the sun sets, 5 p.m. All ages welcome. Free, reservations recommended. Star K Ranch, 16002 E. Smith Road, Aurora, 303-739-2428, auroragov.org/nature

Ice Rink at One Boulder Plaza.  Sunday, Jan. 27: “Curling Clinics.” Participants learn form, rules, technique, sweeping and more. Introduction is followed by a game. Wear sturdy hiking shoes or boots, a warm jacket, hat and gloves. Helmets are not required but encouraged. $25. Reservations required. A minimum of eight participants is required for each clinic. 1801 13th St., Boulder, 303-209-3722, e-mail info@bouldericerink.com, bouldericerink.com

National Western Stock Show. Yee-haw! From January 12-27, 2013, this 16-day show at the National Western Complex serves as an entertainment arena, hosting one of the world’s richest regular season professional rodeos, largest horse show and Colorado’s largest tradeshow.  Little ones will love checking out the more than 15,000 head of horses, cattle, sheep, swine, goats, llamas, alpacas, bison, yak, poultry and rabbits. Other family-friendly favorites include the Super Dogs, Mutton Bustin’, Mexican Rodeo,  petting farm, the Activity Pavilion with Stick Horse Rodeo, pony trails and more. Ticket prices vary for each event so be sure to go here for more pricing information and hours.

Kids Bowl at The Wildlife Experience. On Saturday, Feb. 2 (the day before the Super Bowl), your kids will score a goal at this fun and exciting event featuring sports-themed interactive games and, new for 2013, outdoor adventure sports activities inside the museum including snowboarding, indoor snowshoeing, a BB Gun range, a spin casting challenge, a museum wide scavenger hunt and more. Kids can participate in the fun and games as well as crafts and a few new exciting surprises. Price included with the cost of admission and it goes from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; the film will be at 7 p.m. http://thewildlifeexperience.org/kids-bowl/

Nothing is more important for skiers and riders than safety and this is National Safety Awareness Week Jan. 19-27. Many Colorado resorts are showcasing fun safety-themed events including Copper Mountain’s Avalanche Dogs meet-and-greet, three daily guest raffles with prizes totally $9,000 and a torchlight parade and fireworks, Loveland’s National Forest Service’s Junior Snow Ranger Program that focuses on ecology, biology, sustainability, safety, and education and Crested Butte’s  Kids’ Helmet Decorating Extravaganza at the Trailhead Children’s Museum. Check individual resorts for more information.

Snowdown, Durango (January 30 – February 3). Celebrate snow at Durango’s annual quirky winter festival, where this year’s theme is “Get Your Geek On” iSnowdown 2.0.13. Guests will enjoy more than 60 unique and zany events: evening torchlight parade, ski softball tournament, Snowdown Balloon Rally, wine tasting, beard growing contest, Snowdown Follies, Bed Race, a magnificent fireworks show and more.

GPS Adventures at the Wildlife Museum. Starting on Feb. 9, the Wildlife Experience opens its newest exhibit, which sets you on a course for hidden treasure… all you need is a GPS unit and a sense of adventure. This life-sized maze exhibition introduces visitors to cutting-edge Global Positioning Systems (GPS) through Geocaching – a family friendly treasure hunting game.  More than four million people around the world are on the hunt for over a million hidden treasures.  In addition to hidden booty, these geocachers are finding the real treasure: reconnecting with family, community and nature in a meaningful way.

Colorado Garden & Home Show. Sure, we’re in the throes of winter but nothing says “hello spring!” like the Colorado Garden & Home Show. An impressive 400,000 square feet of the Colorado Convention Center will transform into a virtual marketplace of garden and home improvement ideas Feb. 9 – 17, 2013. More than 600 companies from 25 states and Canada will introduce new technologies and trends in landscaping, gardening, energy-efficient heating and cooling products, window treatments, siding, flooring, lighting, indoor and outdoor fireplaces, patio furniture, gutters, sound systems, storage systems, greenhouses, decks, spas and more. Kids 12 and under are free.

Disney’s Phineas and Ferb Live: The Best LIVE Tour Ever! “Mom! Phineas and Ferb are going on a LIVE tour!!!” School‘s out for summer and anything is possible as Phineas and Ferb create their biggest invention yet — Disney’s Phineas and Ferb: The Best LIVE Tour Ever! On February 1 and 2, Phineas, Ferb, and the whole tri-state area gang embark on a bold escape jumping out from behind your TV and onto the stage in a live action adventure – right in at the BellCo Theater in the Colorado Convention Center. Tickets are between $27-67. http://denverconvention.com/events

WinterFest Weekend, Pagosa Springs (February 7 – 10). Join in three snow-filled days of fun as Pagosa Springs celebrates winter. Some events include Nordic races for kids and adults, Anything Goes Downhill Sled Race, Snow Sculpting Contest, Snowshoe Stop and more.

Mammoths and Mastodons: Titans of the Ice Age. On Feb. 15, return to the Ice Age at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. Marvel at life-size models of awe-inspiring Ice Age animals, fossil tusks and skulls, interactive videos, and hands-on activities. Examine the differences between mammoths—beasts weighing up to eight tons, bearing tusks up to 16 feet long—and mastodons, their shorter, stockier cousins. The 13,000-square-foot exhibition also looks at the role human predation, climate change, and other factors may have played in the eventual extinction of these giants. Tickets will go on sale Feb. 1. www.dmns.org/mammoths

 Baby & Kidz Expo. This event on Feb. 23 at the National Western Complex is a kid extravaganza with bouncy castles, family stage entertainment including science experiments, a magic show, diaper derby, toddler derby, karate and more. A number of vendors will be on-hand including schools (preschool, charter, home school, after school), camps, birthday information, family vacations, deals, theatre, music and dance, a petting zoo and pony rides. Adults are $10, seniors $5 and kids 12 and under are free. http://www.theexpopros.com/denver.html

The Ski Joring & Crystal Carnival, Leadville (March 1 – 3). Ski joring is a competition where a horse and rider pull a skier at a fast pace through a course that features gates, jumps and rings. The skier is timed through the course, and penalties are assessed by missing gates or jumps, and by missing or dropping any of the rings. Additional activities include a children’s parade, Nordic and winter mountain bike races and more.