Classes and Camps
Classes and Camps
Animals, Farms, and Nature
Is your child an animal lover? Check out a wide range of classes and camps that are focused around animals, farms, and nature. Everything from horseback riding lessons to unstructured play time at a local farm or nature center that help bring nature into your child's life.Legend
Editor's Choice
Dinosaur Ridge Trail is a 1.5-mile paved section of West Alameda Parkway, which is open to pedestrians, bicyclists, and hikers, and closed to through traffic. The site is world-famous for dinosaur tracks, bones, and unique geologic features. There are more than 15 fossil and geologic sites on the trail, and can be accessed by foot, bike, or guided bus tour. Hiking the trail will take between one and two hours as it is just over two miles round-trip.
Special Dinosaur Days include a bones dig, track painting, gold panning, fossil sifting, monthly on 1st or 2nd Saturday. Dinosaur detectives for grades 3-5 encourages dinosaur exploration.
Special Dinosaur Days include a bones dig, track painting, gold panning, fossil sifting, monthly on 1st or 2nd Saturday. Dinosaur detectives for grades 3-5 encourages dinosaur exploration.
Ages:
6-12
Classes:
Yes
Camps:
Yes
Location:
Morrison
Berry Patch Farms is a working farm with u-pick berries. They provide the containers for the berries and you go out and pick what you want. They also offer classes in soil experiments, planting seeds, making a bat house and more. You can take a tour of the farm, visit the straw maze, do a hay ride, and go for pumpkin picking in the fall.
Ages:
6-10
Classes:
Yes
Camps:
No
Location:
Brighton
Cure Organic Farm is a commercial family farm growing organic produce. The farm makes a great home to honey bee hives, hens, ducks and pigs. Weekly volunteer days are also offered each Thursday, April-October from 9am-12pm.
Ages:
6-9
Classes:
Yes
Camps:
Yes
Location:
Boulder
Kids learn how to make goat cheese at The Goat Cheese Lady Farm. Each class includes milking and spending time with the goats, meeting the chickens and bunnies, making and eating a mild, herbed, soft, creamy goat's milk cheese and guzzling up white milk shakes.
Ages:
All Ages
Classes:
Yes
Camps:
No
Location:
Penrose
Summer classes for kids to experience the farming history of the region. The farmstand is available in summer to purchase nutrient dense, fresh farmed foods. Classes also available in Spanish.
Ages:
3-11
Classes:
Yes
Camps:
Yes
Location:
Longmont
For more farms in the area, that includes U-Pick, CSA, and Farm stands, click here.
Academy Stables offers private horse riding lessons and summer camps for riders of any level. Located on 20 acres of property with mountain views, their facilities are perfect for boarding and riding. The staff has years of riding and training experience. They offer private lessons and summer camps at beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels.
Ages:
6+
Classes:
Yes
Camps:
Yes
Location:
Lafayette
Cornerstone Farms is home to a 30-acre, full-service equestrian center, riding academy and horseshow venue. Cornerstone students have won multiple awards, competing in championships and horse shows. Despite these accolades, the majority of students don't compete. Their first commitment is for their students to love riding and to have fun in a safe environment with the horses. The goal is to build strong character and ethics into the athletes because they believe that hard work trumps talent when talent doesn't work hard.
Ages:
7-16
Classes:
Yes
Camps:
No
Location:
Longmont
Expand your child's knowledge with hands on experience with horses. Daily chores and activities involved in horse care and responsibility. Explore different riding skills with western, English and bareback riding. This is an opportunity for your child to have fun, gain self confidence while riding and caring for the horses.
Ages:
6-14
Classes:
Yes
Camps:
Yes
Location:
Longmont
Kids & Critters Camp helps develop safe animal-handling skills, encourages careers with animals and teaches kids how they can help animals in the community. Learning proper dog walking, animal body language, cat handling, interactive animal-themed games and activities.
Shelter Training and Internships are also available for those seeking a career with the animals.
Shelter Training and Internships are also available for those seeking a career with the animals.
Ages:
8-12
Classes:
Yes
Camps:
Yes
Location:
Longmont
The Denver Museum of Nature and Science offers hands-on science for kids and adults with interests in geology, insects, space, history, dinosaurs and health. The museum features a planetarium and an Imax theater with special presentations. Camps and workshops available.
Ages:
All Ages
Classes:
Yes
Camps:
Yes
Location:
Denver
At Bird Conservancy of the Rockies, you will become better informed about biodiversity conservation, experience local culture, and observe birds in their natural habitat. They offer monthly homeschool programs September-May and you can register online.
Ages:
2-17
Classes:
Yes
Camps:
Yes
Location:
Brighton
Each day unfolds in a rhythmic way, alternating group activities with opportunities for free play. Children will explore the 38-acre campus during their daily walk to interact with the farmer and gather food for morning snacks, stories, songs and circle games, outdoor play with sand and water, crafts such as felting and finger painting.
Ages:
3-12
Classes:
No
Camps:
Yes
Location:
Niwot
Camps at Catamount Institute emphasize adventure and fun, and as an added bonus, they are learning about science and nature at the same time. Summer and winter camp options introduce campers to hiking, rock climbing, camping, water ecology, wilderness survival, team building, leadership and green careers.
Ages:
6-16
Classes:
No
Camps:
Yes
Location:
Colorado Springs
Colorado Mountain Ranch is the home of Boulder's original summer day camp for children and teenagers. The Ranch is also great for ropes course days, horseback riding, mountainboarding and other fun.
Ages:
7-16
Classes:
No
Camps:
Yes
Location:
Boulder
The CSU Environmental Learning Center endevors to connect people with nature by facilitating educational, inclusive and safe experiences in the natural environment and to advance the field of environmental education through sound research and practice.
Programs are designed for different grade level groups and cover habitats and adaptations, navigation, macroinvertebrates, water testing, exploring with the 5 senses, and birds.
Programs are designed for different grade level groups and cover habitats and adaptations, navigation, macroinvertebrates, water testing, exploring with the 5 senses, and birds.
Ages:
5-17
Classes:
Yes
Camps:
Yes
Location:
Fort Collins
The Denver Botanic Gardens feature Homeschool Days with with hands-on activities, and take-home projects that families can do together. Students rotate through stations to complete the various activities. Their garden is open year-round and showcases various plants from carnivorous to evergreen to tropical.
Ages:
5-10
Classes:
Yes
Camps:
Yes
Location:
Denver
Experiential Learning Associates was developed into a wilderness camp and urban environmental/outdoor classroom program. They teach science, community and challenge-just the right blend for an engaging learning adventure.
Ages:
11-15
Classes:
No
Camps:
Yes
Location:
Boulder
The Girls' Wilderness Adventures program is designed to help girls build courage, confidence, and leadership skills that will propel them to reach their highest potential. Have a blast backpacking, rock climbing, and learning outdoor and leadership skills with other girls. Women's Wilderness also offers a variety of courses that provide people of all backgrounds and identities to learn wilderness skills, increase their self-esteem and enjoy nature's adventure.
Ages:
8-18
Classes:
No
Camps:
Yes
Location:
Colorado
Growing Gardens is a place for children to learn about gardening and nature in their own Children's Peace Garden. They offer full and half day summer camps, field trips, and an After School Garden Club in the Spring and Summer. Explore art, plants, animals, honey bees, spiders, insects, and fresh healthy garden snacks.
Ages:
3-10
Classes:
No
Camps:
Yes
Location:
Boulder
The Hudson Gardens offers the opportunity to explore the gardens through self-guided programs, discover animal habitats, go on a frog or nature hunt and learn about the 5 senses, leaves, and trees.
Ages:
5-11
Classes:
Yes
Camps:
No
Location:
Littleton
Sandstone Ranch offers classes during the summer months for children to explore nature and geology found at the site. The unique area helps to portray life as it was more than a century ago.
Ages:
2-12
Classes:
Yes
Camps:
No
Location:
Longmont
Thorne Nature Experience connects children to nature through unstructured explorations, hands-on, place-based environmental education experiences. They offer camps, an after-school program, and field trips.
Ages:
3-15
Classes:
Yes
Camps:
Yes
Location:
Boulder & Littleton
The Wild Ones Forest School offers rain or shine outdoor summer camps in Evergreen, Colorado for children ages 6-13.
Ages:
6-13
Classes:
No
Camps:
Yes
Location:
Evergreen
The Butterfly Pavilion is home to over 5,000 animals, mostly invertebrates. Not only do they have thousands of live butterflies in their tropical rainforest terrarium, but they also have insects, aquatic life, and a pet tarantula named Rosie.
They are host many special events, including $5 days and a Homeschool Day. Each Homeschool Day incorporates exciting themed activities great for all ages. These include various invertebrate investigations, talks with real scientists, fun crafts, and more!
They are host many special events, including $5 days and a Homeschool Day. Each Homeschool Day incorporates exciting themed activities great for all ages. These include various invertebrate investigations, talks with real scientists, fun crafts, and more!
Ages:
3-12
Classes:
Yes
Camps:
Yes
Location:
Westminster
For kids of all ages, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo offers a unique, hands-on opportunities to play, explore and learn about the natural world and the animal kingdom.
At camp, children as young at 18 months get to explore the zoo, make crafts, and experience hands-on animal encounters. The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo also offers sleepovers to see what the animals are up to at night! Teens will enjoy working along side a zoo keeper in the Junior Zoo Keeper program or interacting with the public sharing their favorite animal stories or animal face painting.
At camp, children as young at 18 months get to explore the zoo, make crafts, and experience hands-on animal encounters. The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo also offers sleepovers to see what the animals are up to at night! Teens will enjoy working along side a zoo keeper in the Junior Zoo Keeper program or interacting with the public sharing their favorite animal stories or animal face painting.
Classes and Camps Ages:
Ages:
18m-17
Classes:
Yes
Camps:
Yes
Location:
Colorado Springs
Get to know the Denver Zoo through classes, camps, and workshops. The programs help bring science to life. Participants will be immersed in a variety of science topics and get up close and personal with some of the education animal ambassadors.
In addition, the Denver Zoo offers sleepovers to kids over 5 years old, to learn about what the animals are up to at night! Teens can explore zoo-related careers during Career Discovery Day, from keepers to trainers, veterinarians and exhibit designs. They can also volunteer to work with the animals, engage with kids and find out what a zookeeper's day is like.
In addition, the Denver Zoo offers sleepovers to kids over 5 years old, to learn about what the animals are up to at night! Teens can explore zoo-related careers during Career Discovery Day, from keepers to trainers, veterinarians and exhibit designs. They can also volunteer to work with the animals, engage with kids and find out what a zookeeper's day is like.
Ages:
2-18
Classes:
Yes
Camps:
Yes
Location:
Denver
