With 300 days of sunshine and only 14 inches of rain each year, the only limitation to kids having fun in Santa Fe is time to do it all! Inside or out, quiet or active, fast-paced or slow, there's something for everyone. Let's go!
Newborn to age three:
At this age, mom and dad may actually welcome a break, either to do something alone together or spend time with older, more active siblings. The Santa Fe Community College can provide referrals to child care centers and family childcare providers when you call them at 505/428-1703. Try their Toy Lending Center at 505/428-1612 if you need something to entertain your little one. Magical Happenings Baby-sitting and Children's Tour Service (505/982-1570) or Santa Fe Kid Connection (505/983-6831) can have sitters stay with your kids in your hotel room if you go out for the night. Either service can also come to your hotel and pick up your little one, have some kid-friendly fun around town and then return the child later in the day.
Ages three to six:
The children's librarians at the Santa Fe Public Library (505/984-6783) provide weekly story times for preschool children. The Santa Fe Children's Museum (505/989-8359) will keep kids coming back every day for new adventures in art and science. Another place with interactive things to do is the Museum of International Folk Art (505/827-6350). Kids of all ages love riding the train. Call the Santa Fe Southern Railway at 505/989-8600 to reserve space on a vintage train and enjoy the high desert scenery. Kids this age are great in strollers on the Plaza or on Canyon Road, as parents browse the shops, museums and galleries and stop awhile on the benches and the outdoor cafes.
Ages seven to fourteen:
Climbing the walls, mom & dad? Take the kids to Santa Fe Climbing Center (505/986-8944) and let them do the climbing. Or try Rockin' Rollers (505/473-7755) for public roller-skating or rollerblading.
Getting hungry? Quiggy's Playland (505/424-6200) is great for pizza and arcade fun. If the kids brought their skateboard or rollerblades, take them to the skateboard park at 302 West DeVargas.
If you feel adventurous, take a ride to El Rancho de Las Golondrinas (505/471-2661), a Spanish Colonial ranch that is now a living history museum. Southwest Children's Theater Productions (505/984-3055) and the Santa Fe Performing Arts School (505/982-7992) regularly stage children's plays. It's all light entertainment based on classics, with both companies using young actors. Wind down at The Planetarium at Santa Fe Community College (505/428-1777) with a start party in the parking lot and an introduction to our beautiful southwestern skies in the planetarium theater.
Fifteen and over:
If kids this age are hesitant to come on a family vacation, assure them they will have a blast. Great Southwest Adventures (505/455-2700) will guide them to cliff dwellings, Ghost Ranch, and Bandelier National Monument. Or call New Wave Rafting 505/984-1444 for a whitewater ride down the Rio Grande or Rio Chama. Need more excitement? Take a ride in a hot air balloon. Rainbow Ryders (505/823-1111) is just one of many businesses in Albuquerque offering this unique thrill. While you're in Albuquerque, don't miss the tram ride up the Sandia Mountain. Enjoy dinner and the sunset from the restaurant at the top. Before you leave town, check out Warehouse 21 (505/989-4423), the Santa Fe Teen Arts and Entertainment Center for under 21 and all ages. One thing is for sure. Nobody comes to Santa Fe just once.
For all Ages
For more ideas of what do do with children in Santa Fe, pick up a copy of New Mexico Kids. The quarterly publication contains a seasonal calendar of children's activities neatly broken down by category of interest such as arts and crafts, classes and workshops, music, stage, festivals and sports.
New Mexico Kids is distributed free at many locations throughout Santa Fe. Check your hotel lobby, Santa Fe visitor centers, libraries, bookstores . The magazine can also be found on the Plaza, conveniently lactated near the Haagen Dazs ice cream store on E. San Francisco.
Have fun with the kids in Santa Fe and come back soon!
