If you’re coming to Santa Fe – bring the kids, there are many unique adventures to keep the whole family entertained year-round. With spring break coming up in March, here are some suggestions for fun things to do with kids and families.
MAP OF SANTA FE & SURROUNDING AREAS
First, contact me for your free map, if you’re within the U.S. Email Maria@santafeselection.com and request your Mini Guide Map, include your full mailing address and I will send you the best, easy-reference Mini Guide. It offers three maps showing all you need to acquaint yourself with the area: Native pueblos, points of interest, historic downtown, Northern New Mexico and the major streets through Santa Fe, and my curated recommendations on unique shops, top restaurants, galleries, museums, and more. Remember to check my online travel guide for even more of my curated suggestions on where to stay, eat, things to do, shop, galleries, museums etc., at SantaFeSelection.com
LODGING
Many Santa Fe hotels offer a “kids stay free” or various freebies for kids of a certain age. During spring break from March 1 to April 21, more offers crop up. There are some age range restrictions, and some date restrictions that apply to each location, so it is best to check each location’s link listed in our Lodging Category to find what works best for you. If you have questions about where would best suit your party’s needs and budget, just email me at Maria@santafeselection.com or call (505)470-2991. Our special Santa Fe Selection discounts apply year-round, subject to availability, and you can click to the hotel website to get the special discount and book directly without any third party fees!
And now to the fun things to do with the kids.
THE GREAT OUTDOORS
Ski Santa Fe has classes and runs for kids and beginners, plus blue and black runs for the skilled skiers and boarders.
With four distinct seasons, Santa Fe offers excellent outdoor recreation, from skiing, snowshoeing, hiking, and horseback riding, to whitewater rafting, paddle-boarding, kayaking, and fly fishing. And there’s an extra special treat in taking to the skies with Southwest Safaris AirVentures, and learn a lot about the geology and history and amazing beauty of the Great Southwest from Santa Fe to the Grand Canyon and everything in between. Staying on terra firma, you can explore old dinosaur haunts and learn about the amazing fossils and creatures of long ago with the expert guides of Great Southwest Adventures – you name it – we’ve got it. Click the links for the top recommended outfitters and adventure professionals who will help you create memories of a lifetime for you and your family. Mention Santa Fe Selection when you call or book.
ART, PLAY, EAT
What kid doesn’t like playing in the mud! I recommend contacting Angela Smith Kirkman for some family fun in Paseo Pottery studio. You can create a family memento of your visit. Pricing is very reasonable, and they will fire, glaze and mail it to you. She will let you know her pricing for your particular group. Be ready to play in the mud and make a fun mess in the process.
From tiles to vases, and more, it’s a fun time with clay.
Most kids worldwide have heard of Meow Wolf’s House of Eternal Return, and coming to Santa Fe means a definite stop there. Explore this amazing interactive combination of jungle gym, fort, museum, and interactive art exhibit. It will transport you into fantastical realms the whole family can enjoy and be inspired by.
Meow Wolf is fun for all ages.
Santa Fe School of Cooking is a great way to come together as a family and play, create and eat. With many options of cooking classes, your family can get busy with a professional chef, create authentic New Mexican specialties and enjoy a delicious meal. Click the link for schedule and rates. Depending on the activity, some discounts apply for children of a certain age range.
KID FUN AT UNIQUE MUSEUMS
The Santa Fe Children’s Museum is always fun. A variety of interactive projects are available to fascinate and inspire. There are over thirty-five interactive indoor and outdoor exhibits including giant bubbles, dress-up and puppet theater, a 1.5 acre garden, animals, toddler play area, model trains and more. On Thursday evenings from 4:00 to 6:30 pm, the Museum hosts Family Night, with free admission for children 17 and under. Otherwise, children are $5 and adults are $7.50. Kids up to age 1 are free.
Getting inside a kaleidoscope at The Santa Fe Children’s Museum
SITE Santa Fe, in the Santa Fe Railyard district, is a unique contemporary, installation art experience. With 25,000 square feet of space, the amazing contemporary works in a variety of mediums are sure to trigger the imagination. They have a cafe, and you can visit the Sky Terrace with its expansive views of Santa Fe skies.
Jacob Hashimoto, “The Dark Isn’t The Thing to Worry About,” 2017-2018, dimensions variable, acrylic, UV ink prints, bamboo, wood, resin and cotton string. Photo by Eric Swanson.
Just across the road from SITE is the Railyard with its Farmer’s Market (Saturday and Tuesday mornings), and Saturday’s Santa Fe Artists’ Market. The Railyard is the place to be on Saturday mornings especially from March through December. Access to the markets is free, of course.
Las Golondrinas Living History Museum open from June 1st to October 7th-ish, and is free to kids 12 and under, ages 13 – 17 are discounted. Active duty military and their immediate family also receive free admission. In April, May and mid-late October, there is no admission fee; the museum does offer guided tours during these off-peak months.
Step back in time and explore this rambling 200-acre ranch. A 1700s complex with a defensive tower, an 1800s home, blacksmith shop, schoolhouse, chapel, water-powered mills, a typical mountain village and more, depict life in Spanish colonial and territorial New Mexico.
In the courtyard at Las Golondrinas where bread is baking and ristras are hanging during the Harvest Festival in early October.
Las Golondrinas also offers a calendar of special weekend fairs and festivals from June to early October.
Bubble blowing, during the Annual Renaissance Fair.
The Viva Mexico Fiesta in July, Fiesta de Los Niños in late August, early September, the Renaissance Fair in mid-September, and the Harvest Festival in early October, are of particular interest to families from near and far looking to have a fun day out together. Children 12 and under are free, teens receive a discount. (Click link for this year’s events calendar).
All the New Mexico State museums offer free admission for kids age 16 and under throughout the year. One of these is The Museum of International Folk Art, where kids can spend a fun couple of hours exploring four wings filled with displays of artful toys and folk art from over 100 countries around the world. They often have a calendar of events that include art projects for kids and families during the course of the year. Click the above link for access to their website and calendar.
Amazing miniature world of Spanish culture in the Girard Wing at Museum of International Folk Art.
The New Mexico History Museum, Museum of American Indian Art & Culture, The New Mexico Museum of Art, also the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, and The Museum of Spanish Colonial Art are free to age 16 and under.
Anderson Abruzzo Balloon Museum in Albuquerque
The Anderson-Abruzzo International Balloon Museum showcases a vast collection of hot air balloons, art work, aerial artifacts, and more. Located in Albuquerque, about 55 minutes’ drive from Santa Fe, you can enjoy a fun exploration of exhibits and learn everything about balloons from 1783 to the present that have thrilled human imagination for more than a century. Adults -$6.00 ($1 discount with valid NM ID), Seniors 65+ -$4.00. Children age 6-17-$3. Children 3 and under are free.
And don’t worry about food. Plenty of hotels and restaurants, including La Choza, The Shed, Del Charro, The Cowgirl and many more offer special discounted kid’s menus, year-round.
That’s just for starters. There are more options, but this should help you get the idea that Santa Fe has plenty of fun things to do with kids, so you can enjoy a great vacation with the whole family and create lifelong memories. Here’s a link to more Kid Stuff in Santa Fe.
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