Family Activities
Boulder is a wonderful place for families, and offers activities for families and children of all ages and interests.
Restaurants and retail alike, the Downtown Boulder Mall has many offerings for families. The wonderful restaurants in Downtown Boulder welcome families, and many even have children’s menus. Your children may also enjoy getting lunch from one of the hot dog vendors along the Mall. Another great family stop is the amazing Into the Wind toy store, located between 14th and 15th streets. As you walk along the mall, keep an eye out for Downtown Boulder’s talented balloon animal sculptors! Or take in a tour of Boulder with Banjo Billy's Bus Tours from an old school bus tricked out to look like a traveling hillbilly shack.
You and your children can be awed and entertained by one of the many street performers on the Downtown Boulder Mall. You can watch a man fit his entire body into a box, watch jugglers juggle fire torches, get balloon animals made… the entertainment never ends! To keep cool while watching the street performers, you may want to stop at one of downtown Boulder’s dessert shops to pick up some ice cream!
There are several children’s play areas along the Mall. The pop-jet fountain, a summer favorite, has water spouts popping up right from the ground! This popular children’s play area near 14th street is a great place to cool down and have lots of fun doing it! On the east end of the Downtown Boulder Mall are big animal statues your children can climb on. Additionally, there are big rocks to climb on in another very popular children’s area located between 13th Street and Broadway. Also passing through the downtown area is Boulder Creek and the Boulder Creek Path.
Downtown Boulder has events year round that are great for families. The Memorial Day weekend Boulder Creek Festival is a Boulder favorite. Your family can enjoy music, food, artwork of all kinds, and even rides for kids! The festival is concluded with a rubber ducky race down the Boulder Creek! Downtown Boulder kicks off the fall season with the fun-filled Fall Festival, which also provides wonderful music, food, and rides for children!
Downtown Boulder has many family Holiday events as well. On Halloween, families can enjoy the Munchkin Masquerade downtown, and children can have fun showing off their Halloween costumes! Switch on the Holidays kicks off the holiday season at the end of November as families gather downtown for some caroling. Santa Claus then leads the count down to the illumination of the mall’s holiday lights, the lighting of the county courthouse, and the star on Flagstaff Mountain. For the next several weeks, Santa Claus will be on the Downtown Boulder Mall. Your children can sit on Santa’s lap, get a free picture with Santa, and whisper their gift wishes to him at St. Nick's on the Bricks. Another great family and community event is the Lights of December Parade. The parade winds through downtown Boulder with high school marching bands, girl scouts, numerous organizations, and floats providing the entertainment!
The City of Boulder also has plenty to offer families. Boulder has a very strong parks and recreation program. The numerous parks and playgrounds in Boulder are great for family activities. The beautiful Chautauqua is a Boulder favorite. To see a Boulder parks map, click here. There are also several recreation centers and outdoor swimming pools ideal for family fun! If your family enjoys being around the water, you may also want to visit the Boulder Reservoir. Families with older children may want to take a trip to the Gateway Park Fun Center where they can enjoy miniature golf, a human maze, go karts, batting cages, and more!
