It is that time of year! Let down your hair, or in my case, put your hair in a perpetual messy bun and don’t worry too much about it. Picnics, playgrounds, trips, friends, ice cream, watermelon, late dinners, bright evenings, I LOVE SUMMER.
It is the best time for families to let loose and dig into some real family fun. It doesn’t need to be fancy, planned or even expensive. For the past few years, I have finally started writing down everything we want to do for good ole summer fun. It is our Summer bucket list. The kids look forward to making it each year and are always making mental notes of activities they would like to add to the list.
This year I picked a few places that cost a little more than a few bucks, some super cheap and some are my favorite – FREE!
All of the locations are located in the Denver Metro Area or the nearby foothills of the beautiful Rocky Mountains.
List of places and links:
Wildlife Animal Sanctuary – I have not ever been here but have wanted to go for several years now! They have every kind of wild animal you can think of and it is not a zoo type setting. It is a very unique place. A few animals they have are lions, bears, leopards, camels, fox, coyotes, alpacas, bobcats, and emus.
Mini Golf near our house – we scored a Groupon for unlimited rounds, plus on Wednesday nights they have all you can eat hot dogs, a boys dream!
Lakeside Amusement Park – Another Groupon score is to a local and historic amusement park, Lakeside. We love going there, it’s $40 for 4 unlimited ride passes. So many great things about Lakeside, one HUGE benefit? You can bring your own food in! That equals huge savings!
Soda Lakes – This is a beach at a local lake. It is a city run park so it only costs $5 per car. You don’t feel like you are in the city, it is the outskirts right before the mountains. There is a beach with a playground, flush toilets, snack bar and boat rentals. There is also SO MUCH more to do here. Bike trails for miles, fishing lakes, bird watching and more.
Jumpstreet is a great place to cool off in the summer. Always a hit with my kiddos.
White Fence Farm – An amazing family restaurant! You have to see it to believe it. They also have the very best fried chicken in DENVER! It is situated on a farm right in the suburbs of Denver. There is a petting zoo, a playground with a super cool treehouse, a creek, a tire swing, a duck pond, an arcade, a 2 story slide, a dance floor, an antiques store… Seriously can you believe this list!? We love this place. Not only do you eat good but you can buy all kinds of neat stuff!
Heritage Square / Miners Adventure Land – Another Groupon score. This place has amusement park rides, paddle boats, climbing walls, a human maze (my fave), water walkers, bungee tramps, and a carousel. Also, the world famous Alpine Slide, I have such great memories as a kid of that crazy ride! There is also a main street you can shop, grab coffee or ice cream. Sadly, a lot of this place is going to be demolished next year. All the great family places always disappear 🙁
Tiny Town – A must-see and go-to for all. This place is charming and cute. Kids LOVE it and you even buy tickets for the mini-train around the ground. They have a picnic area and playground. Bring your own food or buy it from the snack bar. We usually pack a lunch and then grab an ice cream from there.
Mile High Flea Market – Great place to roam around, eat yummy street food and grab some great buys! The kids always find something they ‘need’, I like to buy produce there and my husband makes sure we don’t bring home too much stuff. They also have amusement park rides and a huge slide.
Hiwan Homestead Museum – such a wonderful place to spend an afternoon in the mountains. Read all about the history here. There is one main house and several other buildings. All historic and restored by Jefferson County. The other buildings include a print shop, blacksmith shed, playhouse (kid’s love it), a bedroom, a store front and other treasures along the path. The main house is gorgeous with multiple staircases and even a chapel! You can take a guided tour, they are free. You can picnic there and take a hike around. After, we always go into town (Evergreen) and eat at Beau Joes.
I need to add a few more, the Denver Zoo, the Drive-In, Idaho Springs day trip, and Puzzah.
Can’t wait to start checking these off! It is time to enjoy time together and do super fun things!
What’s on your Summer Bucket List?
The actual dwellings are laid out really well to keep you flowing right along. They also have signs along the way to give you the history you are looking for.
