Ongoing Activities
Families have a number of opportunities to take part in these activities, as they are repeated throughout the month.
Editor’s Note: While all attempts have been made to make these lists as accurate as possible, times and program availability may be subject to change. Please check information in advance to avoid disappointment.
OUTDOOR ICE SKATING:
Louisville Winterskate: Nov. 20 through Feb. 15. Call for hours. Old-fashioned outdoor ice-skating rink with traditional holiday music and free Friday-night carriage rides. $5 adult, $4 ages 4-12, $3 seniors, free age 3 and under, $3 skate rental. The Steinbaugh Pavilion, 824 Front St., Louisville. 303-449-3137. www.bceproductions.com.
Flatiron Crossing Winterskate: Nov. 14 through Feb. 15. Call for hours. Ice skate outside the mall with holiday music. $5 adult, $4 ages 4-12, $3 seniors, free age 3 and under, $3 skate rental. FlatIron Crossing Mall, 1 W. FlatIron Crossing Drive, Broomfield. 303-449-3137 www.bceproductions.com.
NATURE ACTIVITIES:
“Tropical Odyssey” Exhibit: Through March 2010. Experience a journey in conservation while following the life of a butterfly, including 12 interactive activities and a zip line. Regular admission applies. Butterfly Pavilion. 303-469-5441. www.butterflies.org.
Kid's Farmfest: Sat. through November, 10am-3pm. Experience a true rural lifestyle during casual self-guided farm tours. Find a miniature mule, baby rabbits, sheep and goats, chicks, a giant treehouse, zip line, pony rides and more. No reservations required. $6 per person, free under 12 months. Lunch is available for an additional fee. Sunflower Farm, 11150 Prospect Rd., Longmont. 303-774-8001. www.sunflowerfarminfo.com.
Toddler Time Nature Programs: First and third Thu. and first Sat. of each month (Oct. 1, 3, 15), 10:15 and 11:15am. This month’s topic is bats. Ages 2-5 with adult; no older siblings. Free. Reservations required. Lookout Mountain Nature Center. 720-497-7609 (special event hotline). http://lmnc.jeffco.us.
Pet a Dinosaur: Daily. Call for hours. Hands-on dinosaur activities, including touchable T-rex and Triceratops skulls and new baby dinosaur tracks from the Morrison area. $5 adults, $4 children. Age 1 and under free. Morrison Natural History Museum, 1/3 mile south of the town of Morrison on Hwy. 8. 303-697-1873. www.mnhm.org.
Star K Kids: Thu., 9am and 1pm. No sessions on Nov. 26. Discover Aurora’s wild side with puppets, stories, activities and outdoor exploration. Age 5 and under. Registration required. Free. Morrison Nature Center at Star K Ranch, 16002 E. Smith Rd., Aurora. 303-739-2428. www.auroragov.org/nature.
Creepy Crawly Storytime: Wed., 11am. Buggy stories and craft activities. Age 3 and up. No reservations required. Regular admission applies. Butterfly Pavilion. 303-469-5441. www.butterflies.org.
“Wild Dreams Overnight”: Nov. 13. Spend a night at the aquarium exploring the exhibits, learning about the animals, making a craft and more. Families with kids ages 5-11. $49.95. Includes admission to the aquarium, T-shirt, snack and hot breakfast. Downtown Aquarium. 303-561-4450. www.downtownaquarium.com.
Marine Biologist/Zoologist for a Day: Nov. 27-28. Spend a day behind the scenes learning to be aquarists or animal trainers. Grades 1-12; grades vary by day. $49.95. Reservations required. Downtown Aquarium. 303-561-4450. www.downtownaquarium.com.
CLUBS, CRAFTS AND CLASSES
Jewish Children’s Activities: First Sat. of each month (Nov. 7), 9am. Little ones can dance, sing, hear a story, do a craft and play at a monthly Shabbat experience, Me'at Shabbat. Free. No reservations required. Temple Micah, 2600 Leyden St., Denver. 303-388-4239. www.micahdenver.org.
Paper Plate Pilgrims: Through Nov. at select Arapahoe County libraries. Listen to a Thanksgiving story and create pilgrims from paper plates. Free. Ages 3-11. Reservations required. 303-542-7279. www.arapahoelibraries.org.
Old Colorado Day: Through Nov. at select Arapohoe County libraries. Meet a real working blacksmith, try crocheting, knitting, quilting, churning butter and other pioneer activities. Free. All ages. Reservations required. 303-542-7279. www.arapahoelibraries.org.
Family Gaming: Wed. through Nov., 4-5pm. Enjoy playing popular board games with the family. Free. Martin Luther King Jr. Library, 9898 E. Colfax Ave., Aurora. 303-739-1940. www.auroralibrary.org.
Twisted Teens: Fri. through Nov., 3:30-5pm. Play games, dance, do crafts, share music and hang out. Free. Grades 6-12. Reservations required. Hoffman Heights Library, 1298 Peoria St., Aurora. 303-326-8620. www.auroralibrary.org.
Family Place Children’s Workshop: Five-week series starting Nov. 2, 6pm. Each week, different childhood experts will be available to talk to parents and lead learning and exploration activities for children. Activities led by Family Place Libraries™, a network of children’s librarians. Ages 0-4 with parent/caregiver. Free. Anythink Bennett Library, 495 7th St., Bennett. 303-644-3303. www.anythinklibraries.org.
Platte Valley & Western Model Railroad Club: Last Fri. of each month, 7-9pm. Monthly open house features train operations. Free. In the basement of the Historic Denver Union Station, 17th and Wynkoop, Denver. 303-325-5143. www.pvwrr.org.
MUSEUM MEANDERINGS
Environmental Photography Exhibition: Nov. 5-30. Mon. through Sat., 8am-7pm. See a display of environmental photography by various artists, in conjunction with the Colorado Environmental Film Festival (Nov. 5-7). Opening reception Nov. 6, 6pm. Free. American Mountaineering Center, 710 10th St., Ste. 100, Golden. www.ceff.net.
Flood Paintings: Tue.-Sun., 10am-6pm.; Fri. until 10pm. See Barnaby Furnas’ giant paintings, some exceeding 30 feet in length, full of drips, splashes and pours to depict abstract floods. MCA Denver, 1485 Delgany St., Denver. 303-298-7554. www.mcadenver.org.
Colorado’s Black History: Tues.-Sat., 10am-2pm. Learn from ongoing exhibits about Colorado’s first black female doctor, an all-black pioneer town, buffalo soldiers, black cowboys and more. Offers scavenger hunts, guided tours, storytime and crafts for children’s groups. Black American West Museum, 3091 California St., Denver. 303-482-2242. www.blackamericanwestmuseum.com.
Western Artist Retrospective: Through Jan. 10, 2010. Featuring more than 60 works in oil and bronze by the renowned western artist Charles M. Russell (1864-1926), the first major retrospective of his painting and sculptural work. Denver Art Museum. 100 W. 14th Ave. Pkwy., Denver. 720-913-0049. www.denverartmuseum.org.
Lutz Bamboo Collection: See more than 200 objects made of bamboo from China, Japan and Korea, including woven baskets, carved figures and others designs. Denver Art Museum. 100 W. 14th Ave. Pkwy., Denver. 720-913-0049. www.denverartmuseum.org.
Create Playdates: Second Wed. of the month (Nov. 11)through May, 11am-1pm. Drop in to meet other families for artmaking, storytime and scavenger hunts in the galleries. Ages 3-5. No reservations required. This month’s theme is “Blob.” Denver Art Museum. 100 W. 14th Ave. Pkwy., Denver. 720-913-0049. www.denverartmuseum.org.
Abraham Lincoln Traveling Learning Station: Through Nov. 11. Featuring reproductions of artifacts from the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, Ill. The exhibit, “Abraham Lincoln: Self-Made in America,” covers Lincoln’s childhood through his assassination and other important events in his life. Free. Four Mile Historic Park, 715 S. Forest St., Denver. www.fourmilehistoricpark.org. www. presidentlincoln.org.
Drop-In Science Explorations: 10am-12pm and 2-4pm. Explore a different science topic with your kids each month (Nov. 17-18) at informal science sessions. This month’s topic is chemistry. Regular admission applies. WOW! Children’s Museum. 303-604-2424. www.wowmuseum.com.
Genghis Khan: Through Feb. 7. Learn the amazing true story of Mongol conqueror Genghis Khan through interactive components appropriate for children. Includes a nomadic dwelling display, authentic 13th-century artifacts, traditional nomadic children’s games, weaponry demonstrations, cultural singers and musicians, a Mongolian hat craft and computer touch screen information. Denver Museum of Nature and Science. 303-322-7009. www.dmns.org.
Discovery Room: Featuring an 1800s schoolroom where children can dress in period clothing, design quilts, explore historic games and more. Ages 4-10. Boulder History Museum. 303-449-3464. www.boulderhistorymuseum.org.
Hands-on History: Try on historical clothing, play with historical musical instruments and toys in kids’ area, and more. Free. Aurora History Museum. 303-739-6666. www.auroramuseum.org.
Climb a Firetruck: Mon.-Sat., 10am-4pm. Dress in firefighter gear, slide down a fire pole and learn about fire safety and prevention. “Firehouse Tales for Tots” storytime on the first Wed. of the month, 11am. Ages 2-6. Regular admission applies. Denver Firefighters Museum. 303-892-1436. www.denverfirefightersmuseum.org.
History Program: Sat. 11am-3pm. Family activities that explore Colorado’s past. No reservations required. Regular admission applies; free under 12 on Sat. Colorado History Museum. 303-866-3682. www.coloradohistory.org.
Denver ARTS Week: Nov. 6-14. Featuring special art-related programming in place of general daily programming all week long. Star in silent movies about the Old West, mold creations with clay, paint with bubbles, shaving cream and marbles and much more. Regular admission applies. Children’s Museum of Denver. 303-433-7444. www.mychildsmuseum.org.
Children’s Museum Daily Programming: The Children’s Museum offers a variety of ongoing programs each week, including StoryTime, Facilitated ARTS a la Carte, ToddlerTime, Clubhouse Capers, Make Believe Matinee, Super Science Sunday, PlayWorks and Backyard Explorers. Regular admission applies. See Web site for times and schedule. Children’s Museum of Denver. 303-433-7444. www.mychildsmuseum.org.
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