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Digital nomad? Full-time RV family? Denver is the ideal locale if you have children. Here are 9 tips for exploring Denver with your kids.
The Denver Metro area is a great place to visit and can be the ideal home base if you are a digital nomad. If you have kids, you’ll discover so many things for families in this area that you will never run out of activities to do with your children. A thriving homeschool community along the Front Range, with groups and clubs in all styles and flavors, could be a great resource for you while in the Mile High City. Here are some tips for exploring Denver with your kids.
There are great options for teaching kids on the road. Photo via iStock by Getty Images
Take a Lot of Field Trips
When you set up an extended stay near Denver, you have a huge number of field trip options available to you. You could base a year’s curriculum on field trips from museums to zoos to outdoor activities if you wanted! Along with the science and history-based options, Denver also has a lot of cultural field trip benefits, such as art museums and theaters. Denver field trip options cover many subjects, and you can branch out into even more options if you consider factory tours and entertainment venues.
Utilize the Parks
The Denver area has a lot of great public park options. Whether you need a few hours to get out of the house or want to spend the whole day doing school outside in the great Colorado sunshine, find a few great park options that you can use regularly. If you are like most nomadic and homeschool families, you love using the parks during school hours when you can have them primarily to yourselves, but it’s also fun when there are other children to play with.
Find a Group for You
The Front Range is a nomadic and homeschool family’s mecca if you are looking for groups and activities to join. There are so many groups, from co-ops to loosely organized playgroups, that there’s something for everyone. Some co-ops work almost like small schools where the parents teach classes to different groups, and your children can get classroom experience while you get help teaching more difficult topics like science and math. Other groups are focused on socialization and hobbies, such as book and chess clubs. If you follow a specific homeschool style, consider looking for a group that supports that. Whatever group you are looking for, you are sure to find something in the Denver area that fits the bill.
Kids can find groups to join to help you while homeschooling on the road. Photo by SerrNovik via iStock by Getty Images
Join Extracurricular Activities
Colorado law allows homeschooled children to participate in extracurricular activities at their local schools, such as sports, band, and other activities. Some school districts may require students to attend a class at school to participate. If you don’t want to use the public school system’s sports, many homeschool and private school teams welcome homeschool families.
Don’t Over-Schedule
With all these activities, events, and places to go, you can easily fill up your days with activities. And that’s great, but remember not to overschedule and add too much stress to your and your children’s lives. For many homeschoolers and full-time digital nomads, one of the biggest benefits is the lack of daily rush and grind and the freedom to be flexible with your time. While all these activities are good and wholesome, remember to protect your freedom and your kids’ downtime.
Enjoy Your Library System
The Front Range has an enormous network of libraries. Not only can you use your local library system, but you can also use neighboring systems, which is great in Denver, where so many counties and cities meet. Besides the obvious benefit of checking out books, local libraries are also great places to get away and do lessons outside your hotel or RV, find community activities like chess clubs, and take computer and genealogy classes. Public libraries also offer many online subscription services and benefits like books, audiobooks, online classes, and research sites. If you are in the area for an extended time, check with your local library about getting a library card. This is usually something you can work out, especially with smaller libraries.
Libraries are a great spot when you teach kids on the road. Photo by Santi Vedrí on Unsplash
Get Into Nature
As a homeschool family in Colorado, you have the advantage of sunny beautiful weather most of the year. Take advantage of that by getting outside often! Your base in Denver puts you within an hour or two of the mountains, and since you aren’t restricted to weekend access, you can enjoy public land with fewer crowds during most of the year. If you find it hard to make time for outside activities during the week, consider scheduling it like any other activity. Take a quick look at the weather for the week, choose the most promising day, and commit to spending an afternoon or the whole day in the great outdoors. If you’re making Colorado your extended base, you likely enjoy hiking and other outdoor sports, and there’s no reason that these activities can’t be included in your regular homeschool curriculum!
Denver has some great parks you can utilize. Photo by deberarr via iStock by Getty Images
Get Free State Park Access
If you have a Colorado library card, you also have free state park access. Just ask your local library to check out a pass. It works just like checking out a library book! In some places, the passes might be in high demand and have waiting lists, but as a homeschool family, you have the advantage of flexibility—you can use the passes on weekdays when other people can’t. If you visit state parks often, it might be worth purchasing a yearly pass for your family instead, so you can visit whenever you want.
Check Out Public-School-at-Home Options
If you are new to homeschooling, want some hand-holding, or don’t want to handle all the schooling responsibilities, consider public-school-at-home options. These come in various styles and methods in Colorado, from charter school options that allow you to choose your curriculum and use public funding to online public schools with regular session times and a designated local teacher handling the teaching.
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Exploring Denver with Your Kids
The Front Range has many nomadic and homeschooled families and a thriving homeschool community. No matter your style, reasons for homeschooling, and personality, this area is a great place for the homeschool lifestyle. Check out Wander for more things to do throughout Colorado and the Western US.
There is much you can do to encourage your kids while teaching them on the road. Denver is filled with creative options. Photo by AnnaStills via iStock by Getty Images
