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Toddlers and school kids will find a lot of activities directed at them, especially if they visit Denver, Colorado with this well-traveled grandfather.

Golfers find Denver to be a duffer’s paradise. In the rarified air of the mile-high city, balls go 10% further than at sea level. At the 19th hole, beer-drinkers might hoist a few as well -- more than 100 different beers are brewed each day and the world’s largest brewery (Coors) is here.

Since greater Denver, Colorado is an area of more than a half million people, visitors find everything from mountains to elegant shopping malls, art museums to ballet and the Buffalo Bill Museum and Grave. FYI, there are more sunshiny days here (300) than in Miami, and the sky really is bluer in Colorado because there’s less water vapor in the air at the 5,000-foot altitude.

Those are many of the reasons I like Denver but this story is not about any of those things. It is about the family-style and often inexpensive things to do in the immediate area from the collected experience of a father of two grown children and the grandfather of another. In a city whose residents love the great outdoors, and often move here just to pursue their recreational passions, active families will find an endless array of things to keep toddlers and young children happy, from dawn to dusk.

Denver Welcomes the Outdoor Family

Start your visit at the Denver Visitor Information Center (303/892-1112). They offer hundreds of free brochures and maps and there’s personal assistance in making plans. I’ve always found people here to be friendly and helpful.

Take your brochures to a park. You have a wide choice since there are more than 200 of them comprising 850 acres within city limits.

Locals consistently vote Washington Park their favorite, affectionately calling it “Wash Park.” It has two lakes, two formal flower gardens, paddle boat and bike rentals and lots of concerts and other activities. It also has mountain views. Most parks have free concerts in the summer and year-round (winter does not deter the area’s long list of often free events).

Simple City Pleasures for Preschoolers

For children 8-years-old and younger, the Children’s Museum (303/433-7444) is often described as one of the top 50 US attractions. It even has exhibits that attract newborns.

What family can avoid an aquarium? Denver's world-class Downtown Aquarium (303/561-4450) has more than 15,000 fish, mammals and plants and includes an exhibit of Sumatran tigers who love to swim. Don’t neglect the restaurant, either, because you can dine next to sharks and tropical fish where fish is on the menu. Families can stay here overnight via sleeping bags on special occasions (children 5 years and up, at a somewhat steep $49.95 cost with chaperones required).

A perennial favorite, the Denver Zoo (303/376-4800) has 4,000 animals spread out over 80 acres. Komodo dragons are among the more unusual species found here.