Explore Vail With Kids at These 5 Family Favorites

photo credit: Kids Adventure Zones, Vail.com

Of course Vail is known as a great family ski vacation spot, so we can’t leave that out, but there’s more to this area than skiing. Here are 5 fun things to do in Vail with kids.

Skiing and Snowboarding: Obviously. But most kids can’t just go down any old hill. Especially in the Colorado Rockies. Vail offers several kid-safe ski hills with cool names like Thunder Cat Cave and Upper Magic Forest. If your child is just learning, send them to children’s ski school with only 4 kids per instructor for maximum attention.

Tubing: This winter activity is like sledding on steroids. Multi-person tubes mean you and your child can go together, making it fun even for preschoolers and toddlers.

Star Gazing: Imagine the incredible amount of stars you can see from the mountains. This winter or summer activity is sure to thrill your budding astronomer, or maybe inspire yout child to learn more about the stars and planets. This is especially awe-inspiring if you live in the city and don’t normally have access to seeing stars this clearly. The Nature Discovery Center in Vail can help you learn more about constellations year round.

Horseback Riding: In summer, Vail Stables offers guided horseback (and pony) rides for all ages, as well as day camps for kids 3-14. They also have a nature center with petting zoo and guided nature activities for all ages. It’s a fun place even if your kids aren’t horse lovers (yet).

River Rafting: This exciting summer activity is fun for the whole family. However, not all river rafting tours are alike, and not all tours are kid-friendly. AVA’s Colorado Rafting not only offers kid-safe river rafting tours, but they have zip-lining, fishing, train rides, hot air balloon rides, hiking, and so much more.