Let’s get right to it! It’s been a LONG semester, with quite a chaotic start to 2019. There was more than one bomb cyclone, a school shutdown, and a legendary Denver Public School teacher strike; nonetheless, if there’s one thing that will recharge the children is a journey to Colorado’s mountains, historic towns, hot springs, kid adventure courses and more this summer. Part one includes the top 10 Colorado summer adventures for families and part two will include the most updated information on our top ten favorites. Cheers to summer mamas and well done for surviving a wild and wacky year! Take a deep breath and enjoy our incredible bounty of vacation ideas and journeys. A Grazing Life, Colorado Springs agrazinglife.com I’ll admit, my daughter and I like hanging out with sheep and cow...
Bill Hanzlik started his summer camp in 1986 because girls basketball camps were not offered at that time. Bill, having three daughters and being a former NBA player and coach, wanted to provide an opportunity for girls to work on their basketball skills in the summer. That vision grew into a boys camp within a few years and snowballed into a two-week summer basketball camp for players in 2nd – 9th grades. This camp is Denver’s longest running youth basketball camp and features some of the best and brightest coaches in the sport. There are former high school coaches, current college coaches and current and former college players. It’s a dream come true for the players in attendance. Plus, Bill makes sure he’s there every day and brings tons of prizes with him. Players can win Denver Nugget...
Awesome events this week include the In the Trenches: A Parenting Musical, Colorado Railroad Museum Turns 60, Taste of Louisville and more. See our event calendar for more information. WOW! Free Day at WOW! Children’s Museum May 30, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm Admission to WOW! Children’s Museum is FREE on May 30 thanks to community partner and sponsor Children’s Hospital Colorado! JOJO SIWA at Paramount Theatre May 30, 6:30 – 8:00 pm Nickelodeon’s™ JoJo Siwa D.R.E.A.M The Tour. Into the Wild Running Festival at The Wild Animal Sanctuary June 1, 7:00 am – 12:00 pm This is a fun 5K or 10K walk/run for individuals, families or groups of friends that want to spend a Saturday morning across the Sanctuary’s 789 acres of open grassland – as the course weaves between...
Your child will have a magical summer learning how to walk the tightrope, soar on the trapeze or silks, practice their new acrobatic skills on the trampoline, climb the Chinese pole, throw a pie in a clown’s face, and even juggle the clown noses! All the while getting to know their new best friends. MOTH Contemporary Circus Center is located in the RiNo Arts District in downtown Denver. MOTH is a collaborative environment where children of all ages can develop circus skills in a safe and supportive environment. MOTH or Movement Of The Heart, is a home that helps foster creativity and welcomes everyone through our doors. MOTH CCC adheres to a strict set of safety procedures to ensure campers stay healthy and follow proper progressions to avoid...
Welcome to Summer! Don’t miss our Denver Summer 2019 Activity Guide with 150+ indoor and outdoor activities. Alamo Drafthouse Cinema Kids Camp. Once again Kids Camp at Alamo Drafthouse is where to go this summer. Choose your own ticket price of $1, $3, or $5. Enjoy a GREAT movie and 100% of the sales goes to a non profit! Larimer Chalk Festival. Do you remember getting out your sidewalk chalk and having a fun time on the driveway? This is that 1000X over. The 17th Annual Denver Chalk Art Festival on Larimer Square is June 1 and 2 and it’s…FREE. When my kids were little we would swing by Dollar Tree and get some of our own chalk – since we were so inspired to create our own. Orvis Free Fly Fishing Classes. Have you always wanted to lea...
It seems we all know someone who has struggled with infertility, and maybe that someone is you. I’m one of those 1 in 8 who struggled to get pregnant. I wanted to take a minute and share a bit of our story and hope that it may help contribute to the dialogue that once was considered taboo. My husband and I were on the “older” side when we got married. I was in my later 30’s and my husband was early-mid 40’s. We were eager to start a family. About a year into our marriage we decided to pursue testing to help us figure out what may be hindering our ability to get pregnant. We approached it as a team and learned we had some male factor issues in addition to polyps in my uterus that were recommended be surgically removed. We were told IVF was really the bes...
Colorado law will soon require students who receive sexual education to learn about consent in school. But the road to passing that bill was bumpy. The final legislation was heavily amended and passed in the last two days of the legislative session. The bill is still awaiting the governor’s signature. So, the burning questions: So, what is changing? What changed with regards to LGBTQ students? Will kindergarten students be learning about sexual education? What about charter schools? Can parents opt out? In response to parent questions, Chalkbeat prepared an explainer of how sexual education works in Colorado’s public schools, and what exactly was changed through this year’s bill.
Memorial Day weekend welcomes the start of the summer vacation season, and Colorado is the perfect escape with unparalleled hiking, camping, whitewater and biking, events and festivals, and a rich cultural heritage. What’s more, several destinations and lodging properties across the state are rolling out deals to make summer travel both fun and affordable. For more summer vacation inspiration, visit COLORADO.com. The Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa 2 for 1 Summer Getaway, Avon – Book a one-bedroom condo and you will automatically be upgraded to a spacious two-bedroom condo. Rates start at $259 per night. Located in the heart of the Vail Valley, the award-winning Westin Riverfront features a stunning outdoor pool with three infinity hot tubs and three renowned restaurants....
Mother’s Day is over and summer is almost here. I joke about being “solar powered” meaning I am a happier person when the sun is shining. In celebrating Mother’s Day AND in anticipation of summer – here are a few of my top grabs this month to treat myself. Fresh Hesperides Grapefruit Lotion. I went to a networking event for work last week (I work in hospitality/hotels). Let me go back for a bit. When I was younger and we arrived at a hotel that had the little travel bottle of shampoo, conditioner and lotion we really thought we were at a fancy hotel. My sister and I would fight over who would get it (why we couldn’t share or even go ask the front desk for more, I’m not sure). So, I still equate these with luxury. But every once in a while the produ...
Summer break is here for Colorado kids! Thankfully, before the first “I’m bored!” is uttered, a hotly anticipated family film experience hits theaters today. Disney’s latest live-action offering, Aladdin, is a color-splashed musical retelling of the classic animated film from 1992. It’s hard to believe nearly 30 years have passed since we met Aladdin, Princess Jasmine, Abu, Jafar, and especially Genie. How does 2019’s Guy Ritchie-directed version compare? Aladdin opens with a sweeping shot of boats on a sea. One is large and grandly decked out. The other is small and humble. Two children aboard the smaller boat wish it was more like the large ship. Their father decides now is the perfect time to tell a story. Just like the original, this mysterious narrator launches into “Arabian Nights” s...
The Children’s Museum of Denver Marsico Campus continues to find new ways to entertain and educate. The latest expansion is a massive multi-level play sculpture located in their backyard, Joy Park. It is called Adventure Forest and it should be immediately added to your summer bucket list — especially if you have older children over the age of five. If you spend any time on I-25 in the central metro area, you have probably witnessed the three-year long, $2.3 million project take shape. From a distance, it looks like spheres or nests huddled together. Ropes and bridges are slung around the structure. Cool, right? However, there is no way to feel the scope of the Adventure Forest zone without seeing it first-hand. It actually took our breath away as we approached it, ready for play. Ad...
Editor’s Note: VICTORY! Almost exactly 10 years ago when my daughter was in kindergarten, I wrote a column in the newspaper about the frustrating disparities and lack of access for full-day kindergarten due to the cost. It was, by far, the most polarizing article I have ever written and the hate mail was swift and strong. One man was so irate he bypassed contacting me, tracked down my husband and sent HIM a scathing letter about his “misinformed wife.” It took ten years but I feel finally vindicated about this victory for Colorado families today. And if you don’t want your child in full-day kindergarten, no problem. The choice is yours! Gov. Jared Polis joined lawmakers, the Colorado Children’s Campaign, advocates, teachers, paren...