Christmas is such a wonderful time of the year. There is always such a magical feeling in the air and all I want to do is spend time with family! My kids are at an age where Christmas is so much fun! The whole month of December is just a massive build up for them and you can just see the magic in their eyes on Christmas day. Going to see Santa, watching Christmas movies, decorating cookes, and decorating the house has really become so much more fun since having kids. After working retail for years, I was left with a pretty bitter feeling toward the holiday’s. My kiddos have really brought back the spirit of Christmas for me!
At the same time, Christmas time is very crazy and very hectic. There are so many things to do and so many things to coordinate and sometimes it gets overwhelming. I have to get all the gifts together, coordinate between two families, figure out what I need to cook, pencil in all the activities, and it’s the start of the busy season at work!
On top of all that, we don’t make it to the mountains much during this time. Going to the mountains is such a stress reliever for me and one of my absolute favorite activities to do with the family. So when it gets pushed to the back burner a little bit, I can get a little antsy. That’s why I have a great list of fun family activities you can do during Christmas to get out of the house and really get into the spirit!
1. Parade of Lights
The Parade of Lights is a fun parade that takes place downtown Denver every December. The parade typically occurs the first weekend in December so if you are looking to go, you better get on it! The parade features a lot of Colorado owned businesses. There are floats, marching bands, balloons, and a ton of lights! Also, there are small shops and food stands set up. You can grab some hot coco and then go see Santa!
The parade can get very crowded and very cold. The first year we went it was so incredibly cold that there actually weren’t a lot of people there. We brought whiskey to stay warm! The second year we tried to go there were so many people we just ended up going home. It’s a good idea to get there about an hour early to make sure you can find a spot where your kiddos can see!
2. Zoo Lights
I absolutely love Zoo Lights! The zoo is already so much fun with kids and the lights just add so much more to it! There are activities the kids can do through the lights and animals to be found in the lights, light animals that is! You won’t see as many animals because it’s so dark but it’s an awesome way for the kids to get out and run around in the lights! The best part about zoo lights is that is lasts into January. If you can’t make it during the month of December, you still have time. I don’t think we will have time this year to make it so we will more than likely take the kids after the first of the year. I am hoping it will be slightly less crowded too!
3. Botanical Gardens
This is something I have never done before but I really want to try to squeeze it in this year. The Botanical Gardens in Denver have a display of lights they call the Blossom of Light!I have never been to the Botanical gardens but I hear it is awesome and a couple people have told me to check out the lights. Looking at their website, this must be a pretty popular attraction because a lot of the weekend dates are already sold out. This event does go past Christmas so it might be less crowded and better to check it out then.
4. The North Pole
Did you know the North Pole is right here in Colorado? That’s right! Santa has his very own workshop nestled in Colorado Springs! This fun little amusment park was so much fun! We took Lotus two years ago before Jeffery was born. They have kid rides, food, crafts, s’mores, Santa, and some gift shops! Lotus had such a blast and I can’t even wait to take Jeffery!
All the rides are kid’s rides, so if you are going without kids, you’ll more than likely be disappointed. Also, this park is weather permitting. So if it snows a ton, they can’t run the rides. When we went it was incredibly cold, but this made it so there wasn’t really a crowd.
All of these place are so much fun and I can’t wait to check them out this holiday season! I know my kids are going to absolutely love all these places!