2019 Summer Fun Ideas From Your Denver Integrative Pediatrician!

Your children have probably been on summer break for a while now, and about this time you may be wondering what to do with them for the rest of their summer break. As your Denver pediatrician and medical home, we are here to help with all aspects of your child’s health care. Digging even deeper than we did in our Spring Activities blog, we have found some kid-friendly activities happening this summer that we think you and your family may enjoy. Read on!

Theatre and Concerts

• Lunar Landing 50th Anniversary Celebration, July 20, 7:30 p.m., Boettcher Concert Hall, Denver–In celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 Lunar Landing, hear the Colorado Symphony perform selections from E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and Star Wars, accompanied by visuals and archival footage from the moon landing. Sure to be a fun and informative evening!
• Beauty and the Beast, Boulder Dinner Theatre, Arapahoe Ave., Boulder, through September 21– A classic tale that probably needs no introduction. Your kids may have seen the movie, but here is an opportunity to experience the up close and personal experience of live theater!
• Colorado Shakespeare Festival, University of Colorado Boulder campus, dates through August–Classic theatre under the stars! This year’s festival includes performances of As You Like It, Romeo and Juliet, Twelfth Night, King Charles III, and King John.

Festivals

• Cherry Creek Arts Festival, Cherry Creek North, July 5 and 6, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and July 7, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.–An annual, award-winning celebration of visual, culinary and performing arts. No guided tours here–this outdoor art show offers an interactive art experience for Denver kids and their families! Admission is free.
• Colorado Dragon Boat Festival, Sloan’s Lake Park, 1700 North Sheridan Boulevard, Denver, July 27 and 28, Races: 8 a.m.-6 p.m.; Marketplace: Sat. 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Stages: Sat. 12-7 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.– Colorado’s annual celebration of Asian and Asian American heritage. Enjoy shows, an Asian marketplace, a Taste of Asia Food Court, Dragonland (where kids and their parents can take part in hands-on learning projects), a traditional lion dance and various interactive events, all designed to engage your child. Admission is free.
• Denver Colorado Water Lantern Festival, July 20, 5 p.m.-10 p.m.–Your child’s health is more than just physical–adopt a holistic approach to pediatric care! After a fun day at the park, with good food, music and games, children and adults can write messages on lanterns–goodbyes to departed loved ones, wishes to the universe, or any stressors or other matters that have perhaps been weighing your child down and need to be released. Just after dark, there will be a breathtaking display of the water lanterns! Tickets are $15-$55.

Fairs

• Denver County Fair, National Western Complex, 4655 Humboldt Street, Denver, July 19-21–Register your kids in a corn hole tournament, have a close encounter with free flying butterflies, indulge in an ice cream social, and watch an alpaca costume parade and obstacle course. These are just some of the fun activities your kiddos can enjoy over the course of these three days in July!
• Brick Fest Live ™ LEGO™ Fan Experience, Denver Mart, 451 E. 58th Ave., Denver, August 10, 10 a.m.-August 11, 5 p.m.– Who doesn’t have a child that loves LEGOs™! This event is advertised as having over a million LEGO™ bricks ready for play! Hands-on attractions and activities include a Neon City and Glow Gallery, a Brick Fest Speedway (build and race!), a Video Game Arena, and LEGO™ mosaics. And, of course, there is plenty of shopping available for new, vintage, rare and custom LEGO™ sets and merchandise. Tickets are $17.50-$39.99.

Denver Metro Museums, Parks & More

• The Denver Museum of Nature & Science is always a favorite with kids. From amazing dinosaur bones (native to Colorado) to the awesome Our Senses: Creating Your Reality exhibit, this is a surefire hit with kiddos and their parents alike!
• The Denver Zoo is another classic that’s fun for the whole family. The zoo keeps expanding and adding more and more adorable animals; it really is a great time! But as providers of your child’s health care, we recommend you don’t try to pet the lions.
• The Children’s Museum is a museum literally designed for kids (hence the name). With an equal focus on fun and education, it’s always a good choice for parents and their kids.
• The Denver Art Museum is super cool – especially if your child loves art. There are a lot of other neat places to go within a few blocks of the museum, too!
• The Denver Museum of Miniatures, Dolls & Toys is literally a collection of, well, miniatures, dolls & toys. What kid wouldn’t love that?
• The Denver Firefighters Museum is great for any child who loves firefighters and enjoys interactive exhibits!
• The History Colorado Center is a fun and interactive museum that makes learning about Colorado’s fascinating history fun! It’s also right by the Denver Art Museum (above).
• The Downtown Aquarium is a great complement to the Denver Zoo for any children interested in aquatic life! But no pediatrician worth their salt is going to recommend you try to swim with the sharks.
• The Butterfly Pavilion in Westminster is very cool and would make a fun day trip if you don’t already live in that neck of the woods. There’s something about spending time with butterflies that is great for mind, body and spirit – for both child and family alike.
• The Rocky Mountain Arsenal Wildlife Refuge in Commerce City is one of the largest urban wildlife refuges in the United States, and offers a lot of cool exposure to nature only minutes away from Denver proper.
• Lollipop Park is a fun amusement park located inside the Family Sports Center in Centennial.
• Water World is a Denver classic that’s sure to please kids. Did you know that, at 67 acres, it’s actually one of the largest water parks in the USA?
• Jungle Quest in Littleton is a super fun indoor amusement park with ziplines, rock climbing walls, massive safari swings and much more. For kids ages 5 and up.
• The Botanic Gardens are consistently ranked as some of the best botanic gardens in the nation. They’re beautiful, centrally-located in Denver, and offer a holistic pediatrician-approved form of natural healing and relaxation!
• The Apex Center in Arvada is a huge indoor recreational center with an indoor water park (plenty of slides and such!), a full gym, an ice rink, and plenty of other activities. Remember to be mindful of any medical conditions!
• Casa Bonita is a legendary Denver entertainment spot that has achieved national fame on TV and much more. Say hi to the cliff divers for us!

Great Hikes Around the Denver Metro Area

• Clear Creek Trail in Downtown Golden is a fun, easy trail that’s very pretty yet still runs through Golden. Make a day trip out of it and check out Table Mountain Inn or Woody’s or some of the other great spots in the great little town of Golden! 1.8 miles roundtrip. Drive time from Denver: 30 minutes. Difficulty: Easy.
• The Lookout Mountain Hiking Trails are accessible, easy and extremely beautiful. The Nature Center is an added bonus to these already fabulous trails. 0.6 & 0.8 Mile Loops. Drive Time from Denver: 30 Minutes Difficulty: Easy.
• Evergreen Lake Trail is another classic that’s a bit more into the mountains, but still very close to Denver. The hike around the lake is very pretty, and you can make a great day trip out of it and explore the awesome mountain town of Evergreen, too! 1.3 mile loop. Drive time from Denver: 40 minutes. Difficulty: Easy.
• Eldorado Canyon State Park in Boulder has a few trail options ranging in difficulty (from easy to hard), but consistent in their phenomenal beauty and charm. These trails are a lot of fun. Distance varies. Drive Time From Denver: 50 minutes. Difficulty: Varies.
• Flatirons Vista Trail near Boulder is a very pretty but fairly easy trail that’s right off of 93. There are only a couple of hills and the views of the Flatirons are beautiful. If you and your kids are a little ways in and loving it, you can always take the longer route. 1.9 or 3.3 miles loop. Drive time from Denver: 40 minutes. Difficulty: Easy to Moderate.
• Roxborough State Park in Littleton has several fantastic trails that are fun but still doable for little legs. We highly recommend checking out this beautiful area in Southwest Metro Denver. Drive time from Denver: 40 minutes. Difficulty: Easy to Moderate.

This is just a sampling of what’s going on this summer in and around downtown Denver. As your holistic pediatrician, we hope it inspires you and your family to get out there and explore the town and its surrounds!