Aspen Winter Activities for the kids!

We have the best ideas on activities for kids —on snow and off—that provide an alternative to skiing. Here’s how kids can stay happy and active, whether it’s magic shows or tubing down the mountain. Aspen Snowmass is the ultimate winter playground. Let Aspen Nannies babysitters show your kids the best vacation possible. 

TUBING

Lift-served tubing atop Snowmass’s Elk Camp Gondola provides the thrill of sliding fast on snow while giving legs a break. One-hour sessions ($34) daily from 11 a.m.–2 p.m. aspensnowmass.com

ULLR NIGHTS

Ullr Nights at Snowmass (Tuesdays, Feb. 21 and Fridays through March 21) offers tubing (reserve in advance), snow biking, ice skating, s’mores roasting, and more; the mid-mountain restaurant is open, too, with live music. aspensnowmass.com

V.I.K.

Snowmass’s V.I.K. (Very Important Kids) program provides daily, free magic shows, storytelling, and more. New this season, All Access Snowmass (Tuesdays, 4 p.m.) gives a behind-the-scenes peek at essentials like snowcats, snowmaking, and ski patrol dogs. viksnowmass.com

COOKING SCHOOL OF ASPEN

Hands-on kids’ classes at the Cooking School of Aspen include pasta and sauces, sushi rolling, crêpes, and bread baking. cookingschoolofaspen.com

A.C.E.S.

Visit the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies nature preserve in town to learn about local flora and fauna, meet the resident raptors, and hike around Hallam Lake. aspennature.org

ICE AGE DISCOVERY CENTER

A mammoth skeleton unearthed in a Snowmass reservoir in 2010 led to one of North America’s biggest fossil finds. Hear the history from a paleontologist at the Ice Age Discovery Center on the Snowmass Village Mall (Thursdays, 5 p.m.). cookingschoolofaspen.com

ASPEN RECREATION CENTER

The Aspen Recreation Center (a.k.a. “The Arc”) offers an indoor pool with waterslide and lazy river; climbing tower; indoor and outdoor skating rinks; and sledding hill while the Snowmass Recreation Center has outdoor heated pools, a climbing wall, and gym. aspenrecreation.com

RED BRICK CENTER FOR THE ARTS

Drop by the Red Brick Center for the Arts’ After School Art Club (Wednesdays, 2:15–4 p.m., $20) and create a mini-masterpiece in a variety of media. aspenart.org