Best Ways To Entertain Kids On The Cheap This Winter Break

For Denver area parents the holidays are a special time full of cookies, Santa, twinkling lights, and quality time with the kids. A whole lot of quality time in fact, since most school-age children are home for at least two weeks during the season.

While we may think getting presents and doing special holiday things would entertain them, any seasoned mom or dad or caretaker knows there comes a time when you just need to get out of the house.

Don’t worry, you don’t have to spend a fortune on fancy play parks in order to have fun. There are plenty of cheap, FREE and exciting things to do.

Do, See and Make Free Art

Art abounds in and near Denver, and there are so many ways for kids to do, see and make some.

The Denver Art Museum is FREE for those under the age of 18, and $18 for adults who live in Colorado.

Not only can the kids and their friends wander around and take in thousands of pieces of art, but they can make some too.

There’s no limit to how long you spend in the art studio, and usually there are two projects offered, as well as a chance to speak to the artist in resident.

At the Clyfford Still Museum, located right next to the Denver Art Museum, kids 17 and under are also FREE. Local adults cost $10, though if aged 65-plus it’s just $8.

While this museum isn’t huge, there’s plenty to see and garner inspiration from. Have the kids bring a sketchbook and design their own masterpiece.

Then, find the maker studio where beads, wire, paper, glue, markers and other supplies abound for guests of all ages to use and create something to take home.

If the weather is nice go out and take a FREE art walk. Currently there is a special one geared toward kids in Golden called the Itty Bitty Art Project.

Another option, head to the Arvada Center where the year-round sculpture garden looms, perfect for kids to run around in. Inside, find 10,000-square-feet of space featuring artists from Colorado and the western region, FREE for all ages and open to the public. 

Make sure to check out the events calendar at your local library. Many libraries have art classes, all for FREE, you don’t even need a library card.

The Denver Public Library makes it easy on its website to search online for arts and crafts sessions for kids. Check your local library for details, and keep in mind some classes require pre-registration.

With so many FREE library class, it’s hard to pick. Some highlights include the Family Piñata Workshop at the Eugene Field Branch Library (810 S. University Blvd., Denver) on December 1 at 10:30 a.m. On December 5 there the Family Gingerbread House Holiday Party at Woodbury Branch Library (3265 Federal Blvd., Denver) at 4:30 p.m., as well as a Kids Club: Tie Dye Blankets at Valdez-Perry Branch Library (4690 Vine St., Denver) at 4:30 p.m.

For ages 13 to 17 there’s Journaling and Hot Chocolate Tasting at the Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library (2401 Welton St., Denver) on December 9 at 12 p.m. And after Christma, attend the Minecraft® Mining & Building, with Snapology for ages 5 to 12, located at the Ross-Barnum Branch Library (3570 W. First Ave., Denver) on December 26 at 2 p.m.

There’s also a weekly ideaLAB at many locations, which offers kids a chance to create tangible and digital art. Check your local library for times, though most offer this program Thursdays from 1 to 5:30 p.m.

Get the Wiggles Out

When the weather is bad it’s so hard to get kids out and moving, but they, and the parents, need to. Local parks are of course FREE and fun, but sometimes that’s not an option.

Check out our list of indoor play spaces to take advantage of HERE. This includes the Adventure Playground at Apex Clubhouse (13150 W. 72nd Ave., Arvada), which is free for kids 1 to 10 to play on. 

There’s an indoor play space at the Butterfly Pavilion (6252 W. 104th Ave., Westminster), which is included with a day pass ($9.95 to $14.95, with 2 and under FREE).

Save money by getting a membership, and right now the venue is offering the yearly membership for 25-percent off all new and renewed memberships. Normally it’s $100 for a family membership. 

When there’s enough snow, winter break is the perfect time to go sledding.

Popular spots include Ruby Hill Park (1200 W. Florida Ave., Denver), Barnum Park (360 W. Hooker St., Denver), Ken Caryl Sledding Hill (at South Kipling Parkway and West Ken Caryl Avenue, Littleton), Robinson Park (200 Fairfax St., Denver) and the park at 51st Street and Zuni Street in Denver. 

You don’t even have to own a sled in order to partake. Here are 17 easy, do-it-yourself sleds to check out. 

Don’t forget about ice skating. All over the metro area there are outdoor ice rinks to hit up. Many have a fee, but at Sky Line Park in downtown Denver, it’s FREE to skate if you have your own gear.

Another great place for kids to go crazy is a trampoline park. These spots aren’t cheap, but often you can find a Groupon deal to SkyZone, DEFY, and Get Air Longmont. Another way to save money?

Get a membership. While not on the cheap side, if you plan on going multiple times a month it cuts the cost a lot.

For example, a basic monthly membership to Urban Air (multiple locations) runs around $13 per kid, where as a day pass costs $23.99.

Another new one to the scene is Bounce Empire (1380 S. Public Rd., Lafayette). When it first opened the prices were all over the place, but recently the inflatable paradise changed its structure so all-day passes run $29 to $34, with socks included. Even better, if an adult goes with a kid 7 or under, it’s just $19 for the chaperone pass; or $10 for adults who don’t want to bounce and just want to lounge in the massage chairs overlooking the park. 

Best part about many of these spots-they have WiFi and tables so parents can get some downtime while the kids jump the wiggles away.

Book Some Quiet Time

With the bustle of holidays sometimes it’s nice to just get some downtime. Visit your local library for kids’ story time, crafts, and to pick up some books perfect for curling up with as the snow falls.

You don’t even need a library card in order to come and hang out, though if you want to take some books home it’s free to register.

Book stores also offer solace and a little entertainment. Second Star From the Right (1455 South Pearl St., Denver) hosts monthly events including story times.

For December there’s a  meet-and-greet and story time with Santa James on Dec. 16 at 10:30 a.m, and right after the shop hosts drag queen story time, both $5 and tickets can be purchased online. The next day at 2 p.m. is a Polar Express Holiday Party complete with cocoa and cookies, also $5 per ticket. 

Make sure to get on the email list for BookGive Service Station (4890 Lowell Blvd., Denver). Here they give away FREE books to those who want them, and accept donations of the books you no longer need. 

There’s also the movie theater on Tuesdays. While not exactly quiet, it’s nice to have a break and just hunker down in the dark to see a film. Most theaters have discount tickets on Tuesdays, including Alamo Draft House at $7 each; Harkins Theatres does 7 p.m. classic films for $5; and AMC Stubs members get tickets for $6.50. Find the complete list of theaters and deals HERE. 

Add In Education

Sure, school is out but that doesn’t mean little brains don’t need some challenges. Now is the time to check out all of the area’s amazing museums.

Kids can visit the Denver Art Museum, Clyfford Still Museum, Museum of Contemporary Art Denver and History Colorado for FREE.

There are also a handful of FREE days at various museums, see the list HERE. 

Many of the local libraries also have FREE family day passes to check out with your library card.

Denver Public Library alone offers passes to the Butterfly Pavilion, Denver Botanic Gardens, Denver Firefighters Museum, Denver Museum of Nature and Science, History Colorado, Four Mile Historic Park, Denver Museum of Miniatures, Dolls and Toys, Forney Transportation Museum, Molly Brown House Museum, Wings Over the Rockies and Dinosaur Ridge. Book a pass online, up to two weeks in advance.

Westminster Public Library has passes to many of the same spots, as well as passes to state parks. You can also book a day pass for the family to the Westminster Recreation Center locations, which includes swimming, a gym, and golf, though winter isn’t the season for the latter.

Another way to save money and see the museums is by getting a membership, which, as it happens, also makes a great holiday gift.

Catch Santa

All over the city Santa is popping up, and the school break is a great time to catch him.

If you head downtown to McGregor Square you’ll find Santa roaming Milepost Zero (1601 19th St., Denver) every Saturday from 5 to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. until December 23. It’s FREE to say hi and you can snap your own pictures. Plus, the whole square is decked out for the holidays with lights, picture-perfect spots and an ice rink in the center. 

While this is certainly a fun way to see him, there are FREE visits with Santa too. Head to Santa’s Wonderland at Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s (Thornton & Lone Tree), which runs now through Dec. 24. Just make sure to book a reservation first. 

Find a complete list of where Santa is popping up and how much it costs HERE.

Make Dining an Adventure

Go out to eat and make it into an event. Have your kids “review” their food. Draw pictures of that burger and create a food-focused gallery show at home. Challenge little ones to try something new.

While these tasks might seem expensive, a lot of places actually have FREE meals for kids, cutting the cost down by a lot. HERE is our list.

Another tactic to idle away an afternoon or evening involves a grocery store and a cookbook. Or recipes on the internet if that’s easier.

Let them pick something they love or want to try, then go to the store to shop for ingredients and work together to make it. This could be a full meal, snack or even holiday cookies.

Do-it-yourself pizza is another meal that’s not only kid-friendly, but fun to make. Many small pizza shops sell their dough, so you can take it home and embellish. Or, challenge them to a pizza-eating contest with Atomic Cowboy‘s 26-inch pie that starts at just $23.95.

Or if all else fails, most Spouts grocery store locations sell pizza dough too, plus all the toppings.

Day By Day List Of Kids Winter Break Fun