Tag Archives: Free

Boulder Family Events: May 10 to 13, 2013

Posted on by
2

Screen Shot 2013-05-09 at 9.40.19 PM

What is your family up to this weekend? Share your plans or other fun things going on around town here [comment here] or on our Facebook Page. 

Friday, May 10

What is happening today? Some ideas: Family movie night, take a hike on the Annie U. White Trail, Bike at the Valmont Bike Park, Walk along the Bobo Link Trail

Saturday, May 11

  • Kids’ Bike Day at Community Cycles. Free event which includes bike tunes for kids bikes, a bike rodeo, bike safety, and lots of other fun stuff. Every kid who participates gets a prize! No need to register just make your way over. 11:00 to 3:00.
  • FREE Day at the Longmont Museum
  • Boulder Farmer’s Market. Meet your farmers, do some artwork, get some lunch. There is always so much going on at the market! 8:00am to 2:00pm.
  • FREE Day at BMoCA. Join them all day to delight in their exhibits or stop by during the Farmer’s Market for a fun kids craft.
  • Dinosaur Day at Chautauqua Millions of years ago, they stalked the earth! Drop by the Chautauqua Ranger Cottage to see and touch fossils that tell the stories of Boulder’s prehistoric creatures.  Help assemble a life-sized replica of a duck-billed Edmontosaurus skeleton! Feel a real dinosaur track, and a tooth from the awesome T. rex, and visit with naturalists who will show you pictures of what Colorado used to look like in the days of the thunder lizards. (Hint: prepare to be amazed).  Dinosaur costumes and clothing, and lots of questions, are encouraged. Free event. 10:00 to 2:00
  • Boulder Home and Garden Show at 29th Street Mall. Lots of great ideas and products, food trucks, and an Alpaca Petting Zoo. 10:00 to 4:00
  • Best of Mary Sue and Cari Be ready to clap, stomp, sing and enjoy “The Best of Mary Sue & Cari” From buzzing like insects to dancing like fairies, these talented musicians will captivate you with their original kid-centered rhythmic music, relevant to kids and parents alike. Lauded by Downtown Boulder as, “The best kids music in Boulder!” this is a concert you won’t want to miss. Free event. 11:00am at the George Reynolds Branch Library AND 3:00pm at the Meadows Branch Library.

Sunday, May 12 

  • Midsummer’s Night Dream performed by the Boulder Ballet. At the Boulder Theater. 2 shows: 11:00am and 2:00pm. 
  • FREE Day at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science
  • Walking Through the Language of the Landscape Shapely mountains, textured meadows, communities of plants – these are the voices of the landscape, patiently waiting for an observer to discern their stories. Join naturalist Lynne Sullivan as we learn to read the language of the landscape for the subtle and significant stories of our beloved wildlands. Meet at the Chautauqua Ranger Cottage with water and snacks for this 3 mile moderate hike. Attn: appropriate for teens and up. Free event. 9:00 to Noon.
  • Bach 4 Kids Concert at the Main Boulder Library. The Annual Bach 4 Kids Concert opens with a performance of a movement of Bach’s “Double Violin Concerto” by Boulder Suzuki Strings under the direction of Amy Gesmer-Packman. The Boulder Bach Trio–Benjamin Tomkins-violin, Ysmael Reyes-flute, and Karen Terbeek-cello–follows with a hands-on demonstration of how Bach ornaments his music by “decorating” it with added notes and trills. Kids will create and “decorate” their own melodies, using the aria from Bach’s “Goldberg Variato”.

Monday, May 13

  • Rain, Mud, and Bees! Celebrate moisture, mud and May as naturalist Ellen Orleans reads lively picture books at the Chautauqua Ranger Cottage. Your children (or grandchildren!) can join in the fun with pitter-pattering, foot stomping, buzzing, and the color of the week. At 10:30, we’ll take off for a kid-friendly “Signs of Spring” hike. Wear clothes to match the weather and bring a snack if you like. The story portion of this program is wheelchair-accessible. Free event. Geared toward 3 to 6-year-olds. 10:00 to 11:00.

Boulder Family Events: May 3 to 5, 2013

Posted on by
Reply

Photo - Red-winged Blackbird

Photo credit: City of Boulder Open Space & Mountain Parks

The snow may still be on the ground, but warmth is in the air. Please do share your plans or other fun things going on around town here [comment here] or on our Facebook Page. 

Friday, May 3

Saturday, May 4

  • A Midsummer Night’s Dream Storytime.  A special storytime reading of selections from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, presented by ballerinas from the Boulder Ballet Company! Free. Boulder Bookstore at 11:00am.
  • Boulder Jazz & Artfest. Head to Pearl Street for live jazz and shopping from unique artisans. Fun for the whole family!
  • Boulder Farmer’s Market. Meet your farmers, do some artwork, get some lunch. There is always so much going on at the market! 8:00am to 2:00pm.
  • FREE Day at BMoCA. Join them all day to delight in their exhibits or stop by during the Farmer’s Market for a fun kids craft.
  • FREE Day at the Denver Art Museum. Great opportunity to explore the DAM.
  • FREE Day at the Colorado Railroad Museum. Check out all the cool train cars and much more!
  • Family Day: Digging in the Dirt at the CU Museum of Natural History. Much of what we do at the museum starts with digging in the dirt. We’ll explore artifacts and fossils dug up by archaeologists and paleontologists. But it’s not just scientists who dig in the dirt – lots of animals dig for food or to make their homes. And we won’t forget the plants, whose roots bring food and water from the dirt. Don’t be afraid to get a little dirty as we explore the world under our feet! Free entry. 10:00am to 4:00pm.

Sunday, May 5

  • Wild Earth Day. Join the Wild Bear Mountain Center to enjoy Boulder County’s largest Earth Day celebration. Hands on events for kids. Central Park in Downtown Boulder. 11:00am to 4:00pm. 
  • Boulder Jazz & Artfest. Head to Pearl Street for live jazz and shopping from unique artisans. Fun for the whole family!
  • Marsh Songs. Listen for bird songs in a local marsh with naturalist Dave Sutherland and hear selections from the orchestral work. Early birds should meet at Sawhill Ponds, on 75th Street about 0.6 miles north of Valmont Road, for this easy hike. This program is free and open to the public. Beginning bird watchers strongly encouraged! 8:00 to 10:30am.
  • Nature for Kids & Parents: Birdsong. Find out why birds sing and where each bird gets his song.  Learn a song, dance, and game while observing the many local birds.  Go on a bird hunt to listen to the song the birds are singing, so you can tell exactly what is on his mind. Meet at the Lehigh Street entrance to Shanahan Ridge (map search 1903 Lehigh, where Lehigh and Lafayette Streets intersect) for an easy hike.  Parking is available along the street. Ages 6 and up. 1:00 to 3:00pm.

Spring Heritage Days at Walker Ranch: Well Worth the Trip for the Whole Family!

Posted on by
Reply

Screen Shot 2013-04-28 at 8.41.42 AM

I was not going to do a special post on Spring Heritage Days, but it such a fun event that I decided I needed to go ahead and do it. This is such a treasured Boulder event I wanted to ensure everyone got the message: Go! It’s a great family event! And it’s happening today!

A few times a year volunteers dress up and teach us about what it was like to be a homesteading, pioneering family. Today is that day! Here is what’s happening just up above Flagstaff from 10 to 3 today.

Spring is the beginning of so many new things–garden planting, repairing buildings, bringing baby animals into the world– and that was true for ranch families in the Victorian days also. Join the volunteers at Walker Ranch homestead for a peek into pioneer living in springtime. Smell what’s cooking in the log house, chat with the blacksmith, and do hands-on old-fashioned activities. 

On-Going Activities
Blacksmithing Demonstration Blacksmith Shop
Calf-Roping East of Log House
Children’s Games Field Across from Log House
Laundry West of Granary
Log Hewing and Wood Cutting South of Wagon Barn
Log House Meal Preparation Log House
Butter Churning North of Granary
Field Plowing Field southeast of White House
Live Music Barn Dance Singalong Machine Barn

Special Activities 
Guided Tours 11am; 12pm; 1pm; 2pm In front of Granary
One Room School Session 12noon; 2pm Wheat Barn
Wool Washing 10am-12pm Wheat Barn

Details:

  • 4/28/2013
  • 10:00am to 3:00pm
  • Walker Ranch:  7701 Flagstaff Rd, about 7 miles west of Boulder
  • Free!
  • More details here.

Boulder Family Events: April 26 to 28, 2013

Posted on by
Reply

Screen Shot 2013-04-25 at 10.39.28 PM

I think spring has sprung here in Boulder, Colorado. Hopefully! There are so many great things going on this weekend! I hope your family has a joyous weekend. Please do share your plans or other fun things going on around town here [comment here] or on our Facebook Page. 

Friday, April 26

  • Live Alpacas at the UMC at CU. An educational experience for audiences of all ages! Meet, greet, photograph and learn about the huacaya (pronounced wah-KI-ah) alpaca. The alpacas are a sustainable animal with even their manure going back to the garden and pasture as an outstanding fertilizer. Meet some of the cutest creatures, live near the fountain on the CU Campus. Free. 2:00 to 5:00pm. 

Saturday, April 27

  • Tulip Fairy & Elf Parade on Pearl Street Mall. Bring your sweet ones down to join in this hugely popular event. Kids love it. Parents love it. There are many different activities and productions during the event. It’s just fun! Free. 3:00 to 6:00pm. 
  • Wake the Bears Concert with Jeff Kagan and Paige Doughty featuring hilarious nature songs for children. There will also be an official from the Colorado Division of Wildlife to remind us what to do if we see a bear, lion or coyote in the wild. He will have a mustache. Free. 4:00 to 4:45pm on Pearl Street Mall.
  • La Cenerentola [aka: Cinderella] is the current Boulder Opera kids production. This is a short, 1 hr, production that has been highly anticipated. It should be a great show!
  • Prairie Saga Puppet Show at the CU Museum of Natural History. Bring your family to  explore animals that live in the ground. The Prairie Saga Puppet Show will take you through a day in the life of a prairie dog colony. We will have real specimens and a hands-on activity to round out your museum experience. Free. 1:00pm.
  • Shakespeare Storytime with the Boulder Ballet. Bring your children to enjoy Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” with one of Boulder Ballet’s dancers! They’ll get to meet the delightful Puck, played by Melissa Heslep, hear her read the classic story, enjoy her beautiful costume and toe shoes, and even dance with her and the other kids! Free. 11:00am at Barnes & Noble.
  • Boulder Farmer’s Market. Meet your farmers, do some artwork, get some lunch. There is always so much going on at the market! 8:00am to 2:00pm.
  • FREE Day at BMoCA. Join them all day to delight in their exhibits or stop by during the Farmer’s Market for a fun kids craft.

Sunday, April 28

  • Spring Heritage Days at Walker Ranch. Bring your family up to really learn what it was like to be a homesteading family. This historical enactment is a great event for families. There are hands on opportunities and fun demonstrations. I think this is one of the best events of the year in Boulder!
  • La Cenerentola [aka: Cinderella] is the current Boulder Opera kids production. This is a short, 1 hr, production that has been highly anticipated. It should be a great show!
  • FREE Day at the Denver Art Museum. The Art Museum has something for everyone! Even kids enjoy this museum and there are always rotating hands on exhibits.

Get Ready, Get Set: Screen Free Week Is Coming…

Posted on by
2

SFW-logo-with-2013-date-and-website

Screen Free Week is coming up, April 29 through May 5, 2013. This is the nationally organized week dedicated to getting us all to turn off electronics and commit to play, read, create, and get physically active!

But wait, how could we get along in this world without our multiple gadgets and screens? How many times do you find yourself just checking that last email as you are trying to rush your kids out the door? Let’s take this week and power down! Let’s roll model how to be present and unplug!

I was excited to hear that the City of Lafayette’s Bob Berger Recreation Center is offering kids K-12 a free week pass to the Rec Center if they register and commit to go screen free. More information and to register for the FREE REC CENTER WEEK PASS here.

screenfreeweek

Want more information on how to go screen free? Ideas for homes, schools, and communities can be found at screenfree.org. http://screenfree.org or visit them on Facebook.

Boulder Family Events: April 19 to April 25, 2013

Posted on by
Reply

 IMG_0659

Friday, April 19

  • Kids 4 Kids Charity Event. Kids 4 Kids is a committee of middle school students dedicated to supporting organizations who help kids. This is the 2nd year the group has organized a music event featuring middle and high school musicians. The group’s purpose is to empower kids! This event raises money for the Children’s Hospital Colorado. eTown Hall, Boulder. Doors open at 5:30pm.
  • Friday Children’s Storytime at the Main Library. 10:15 to 11:00am. Free. Ongoing activity.

Saturday, April 20

Sunday, April 21

  • Marsh Songs Earth Day Celebration. Visit a local marsh with naturalist Dave Sutherland to listen for our local birds, and get a sneak preview of the orchestral work. Meet at Sawhill Ponds, on 75th Street about 0.6 miles north of Valmont Road, for this easy hike. Beginning bird watchers strongly encouraged! Bring binoculars if you have them. Please do not bring dogs. Free. 8am to 10:30am.
  • Magicians of the Mountain Parks – a magic show for the whole family. In celebration of Earth Day, come meet some of the astonishing magicians who live in our wild backyard – the rabbit, the skunk, the weasel and more. Magician Paul Norton and Naturalist Lynne Sullivan will reveal the amazing survival strategies of our wild neighbors. Meet at the Bluebell Shelter for this stationary nature magic show. In the case of very cold or snowy weather, it will be held in the Ranger Cottage at Chautauqua. Call 720 564-2058 the day of the program for the location. Click on this link for a map to the Shelter; there is a 0.8 mile walk from the Ranger Cottage at Chautauqua to the shelter along a dirt road, so give yourself and your family plenty of time to get there and enjoy the stroll along the way. 11am to 11:45am [arrive by 10:30 to walk to the shelter]
  • Comic Book Release Party Concert! A live performance by Paige and Jeff and the usual frivolity. Be the first on your block to get the NEW Coyote Bob & Ranger Paula Comic Book- Return to the Flatirons. In this issue, Coyote Bob moves away from his Boulder home. Plus- games, and tips on having nature fun. Meet at Settlers’ Park trailhead in Boulder. Free. 3:00 to 5:00pm.
  • Giddyup Kitty Bluegrass Band. This is a four-piece, high-energy, all-female bluegrass band. The Denver Post says they are “the finest bluegrass you’ll find anywhere.” Weaving fine melodies with rich harmony, these award winning musicians create a show that leaves an audience joyful, and asking for more! Classy, sweet, and smooth, you’ll be a believer, once you catch Giddyup Kitty fever! Free. All ages. 3:00pm at the Meadows Branch Library.
  • Go Club for Kids & Teens at the Main Boulder Library. 2:00 to 5:30pm. Ages 5 and up. Free. “Learn to play the ancient and mysterious game of Go.”

Monday, April 22

Tuesday, April 23

Wednesday, April 24

Thursday, April 25

Please let me know of any upcoming events that should be listed here. I am happy to include your free, low cost or unusual event in Boulder Family listing of weekly events. You can reach Boulder Families here or visit us on Facebook.

#families #free #Boulder #events #boulderfamilies #getoutside #April

Boulder Public Library Renovations: Have a Say!

Posted on by
Reply

BPL Reading ImageThe Main Boulder Public Library is slated for some renovations. This is really exciting because it has been over 20 years since they last renovated the space. Have your voice heard! If you want to have a say in how this renovation looks this is the right time to get involved!

The reason I bring it up on Boulder Families is that we are SO lucky to live in a community where our public library system offers incredible programming for families and the entire community. They are an insanely valuable resource for kids and I want to make sure they understand how important they are to Boulder Families.

What can you do?

  • Atttend a meeting: April 18th is the next meeting. They are offering childcare. See their Facebook Page for more details.
  • Fill out a feedback form on their website.
  • Take part in their events and let them know how important they are to your family! Boulder Public Library events

If you value the Boulder Public Library and want to have your voice heard make sure to get involved! I am looking forward to the renovation–it could offer space expansion, additional resources, fun new programming opportunities, etc…

A big shout out to the staff at the Boulder Public Library for being such an integral resources in our community for Boulder Families!

Boulder Family Events: April 12 to April 18, 2013

Posted on by
Reply

Dino Lady Closeup_mini.medium

The Dinosaur Lady will be at the Boulder Public Library!

Friday, April 12

Saturday, April 13

  • Awesome Arctic Family Day at the CU Museum of Natural History. The Arctic is a cold and wondrous place! Learn about the peoples and animals that call this snow and ice world home. Explore how YOU are connected to the animals, cultures, and environment of the Arctic. Try on the blubber mitt; look up close at furred and feathered creatures. Build a totem pole, make finger masks to enliven the long, dark winter and make snow goggles to protect from the bright arctic sun. Free event. All ages. 10:00am to 4:00pm.
  • FREE Day at the Longmont Museum.
  • The Dinosaur Lady Presentation. Connie Burton Burkhart, aka The Dinosaur Lady, has created a unique blend of entertainment and education as she shares information and stories about dinosaurs, fossils, rocks, and digging in a dinosaur quarry. Weaving together facts and stories using fossils, puppets and props, the Dinosaur Lady has captured the interest of various museums, the Geologic Society of America, as well as many school and outdoor adventure groups throughout the southwestern United States. 2 Times: 11:00am George Reynolds Branch. 3:00pm Meadows Branch. Free. All ages.
  • Saturday Storytime at the Main Boulder Library. 10:15am.
  • BMoCA [Boulder Museum of Contemporary Arts] FREE Day. This is a surprisingly kid friendly space! We loved the one where you threw cups against the wall. See what’s happening at this local Boulder museum.
  • Be Well Mama event at BMoCA. Join health and wellness practitioners to learn about local Boulder resources for new and expectant mamas. Free. 1:00 to 4:00pm.

Sunday, April 14

Monday, April 15

Tuesday, April 16

Wednesday, April 17

Thursday, April 18

Please let me know of any upcoming events that should be listed here. I am happy to include your free, low cost or unusual event in Boulder Family listing of weekly events. You can reach Boulder Families here or visit us on Facebook.

#families #free #Boulder #events #boulderfamilies #getoutside #April

Boulder Family Events: April 5 to April 11, 2013

Posted on by
Reply
Life size LEGO car!

Life size LEGO car!

Enjoy these blog posts? Join Boulder Families on Facebook

FacebookIcon

Friday, April 5

Saturday, April 6

Sunday, April 7

Monday, April 8

Tuesday, April 9

Wednesday, April 10

Thursday, April 11

Please let me know of any upcoming events that should be listed here. I am happy to include your free, low cost or unusual event in Boulder Family listing of weekly events. You can reach Boulder Families here or visit us on Facebook.
#families #free #Boulder #events #boulderfamilies #getoutside #April

And the winner of the Boba G3 is…

Posted on by
Reply

Boba G3Congratulations Dillon Kenyon, you are the winner of a Boba G3! Dillon, choose a fabric style by heading to the Boba Family website. Then email me your fabric choice and contact information @ Boulder4Families@gmail.com. Get me the details and I will ask the great folks at Boba to send one out to you ASAP!

And don’t forget to sign up for Boba’s upcoming Healthy Babywearing Class. It’s FREE and will give you a lot of support if you already love to wear your babies or if you just want to learn more about it!

Happy Babywearing To All!

Cheers, Amanda