Playdate with Denver & Colorado’s Front Range: 200 Creative Adventures for Kids and Tots!

The long days of summer are here and many of us are left wondering how to fill the endless hours with fun activities for our brood.

Local mom and writer Kyrie Collins has provided some fresh answers in her must-have book Playdate with Denver & Colorado’s Front Range: 200 Creative Adventures for Kids and Tots. Don’t miss our Q&A that gives the inside scoop on activities your kids will love.

What are some of your favorite lesser-known places to explore?

Discovering some of the hidden gems around Denver was the best part about researching this book! Here are some of my favorites:

That’s quite the list! What special “extras” are included in the book? I.e. prices, kid-friendly considerations.

The book offers all the basic information about each location (address, phone number, web address, price, hours) but I also included extra information so that families can make the most of their visit and go prepared . . . whether there are diaper-changing tables in the men’s and women’s restrooms, whether it’s stroller-friendly, whether you can bring in your own food (and save $20+), and where to find discounts.

At the bottom of each entry is a list of other destinations within 5 miles in case you arrive to a parking lot full of school buses or show up at an outdoor place just as it starts raining. The description of each place is quite detailed. I tried to provide enough information for families to know ahead of time whether a certain destination would be right for them. I also included 5 blank stars at the top of each entry so everyone can rate the places for themselves. Several appendices offer more information, including a Kids Eat Free section and Family-Friendly Festivals and Events throughout the state.

Who is your target audience?

I would say the majority of the destinations in the book are great for kids up to age 10 and even beyond in many cases, but the programs offered at the various places focus on the 5 and younger set. For example, Denver Art Museum offers Create Playdates the second Wednesday of each month for 3-to-5-year olds. Each month has a different theme like Roar, Bang, or Stomp. Watching my child connect with art at such a young age was incredible. Keep in mind that most places that offer programs for preschoolers also offer programs for kids of all ages. The idea was to provide fun, age-appropriate opportunities to explore different places throughout Denver starting at a very young age and then continue the discovery process as our children grow.

How old are your kids and did you have any memorable experiences as they were accompanying you during your “research?”

My sons are now 7 1/2 and 5, although they were 2 1/2 and 5 when we first began this project. My boys and I visited each destination in the book so we could give a personal description based on our experience, and they really got into helping mommy write the book. One of the jobs that was exclusively theirs was checking the mens’ bathrooms for diaper-changing tables. It reached the point that they wanted to check the bathrooms wherever we went, including the bank, King Soopers, and friends’ houses!

Perhaps our most memorable experience happened when we went to The Bay Aquatic Park in Broomfield. My younger son, who was 3 at the time, was still a bit timid in the water and didn’t like getting his face wet but I managed to convince him to ride down the water slide on my lap. The splashdown area was only about 3 1/2 feet deep and, for some reason, I thought we would slide down together and I could just stand up when we reached the bottom so his face wouldn’t get wet. I was very surprised when we both went all the way underwater. So was my 3-year-old! He was mad at me for the rest of the day!

Playdate with Denver & Colorado’s Front Range: 200 Creative Adventures for Kids and Tots is $22 and can be purchased directly through the publisher www.PlaydatePublishing.com (receive a 15% discount by using the code PDDMHM). The book can also be purchased at Tattered Cover, The Bookies, Boulder Bookstore, REI, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, The Wildlife Experience, Children’s Museum of Denver, and a number of gift shops throughout the Denver Metro Area.

Author: Amber Johnson

Amber is the founder and editor of Mile High Mamas, travel writer and former columnist for The Denver Post. She is a passionate community builder and loves the outdoors. She has two awesome teens and is happily married to a man obsessed with growing The Great Pumpkin.