Inexpensive and Fun Family Activities in Loveland, Colorado

The “Sweetheart City” and the “Gateway to the Rockies,” Loveland is the perfect launching pad for any adventures you have planned in Northern Colorado. Less than hour from the state capital of Denver as well as the beautiful town of Estes Park, it is easy to see a variety of what Colorado has to offer from this home base. However, surrounded by beautiful open spaces and with an appreciation for art, there are plenty of family activities in Loveland itself that are perfect to share with your children.

Go to a Lake: Free

Thoughts of Colorado usually include vast mountains, beautiful bodies of water and lots of outdoor activities. And for good reason. There are at least ten lakes local to the town of Loveland. Lake Loveland, named for the town, Boyd Lake and Horseshoe Lake are three of the largest in the area. Lake activities such as fishing and swimming are available in most places. 

Just taking your kids to play along the shore is an activity in itself. One of my most vivid memories of this trip was taking a walk to the lake with the family. The unadulterated joy on Big Bro’s face as he played along the edge of the water with my sister-in-law’s dog warmed my heart in a new way. And the dog enjoyed it too.

Make sure to bring insect repellent, especially during the warmer months. The mosquitos along the water are plentiful, to say the least. We used Greenerways Organic Bug Spray for Kids. The kids and I escaped unscathed but the mosquitos must have really liked Derek because he definitely received a few bites. Overall, it seemed to work well and I recommend it.

Also, be sure to keep an eye on your little ones regardless of what you choose to do along the lake. The Red Cross has water safety recommendations here.

Visit the Benson Statuary Garden: Free

Created in 1985, the Benson Sculpture Garden is a 10 acre park with 178 sculptures available on permanent display. Open year-round, there is a walking path that is wheelchair accessible and public restrooms with flushable toilets. It is definitely both dog and child friendly.

If you are planning to be in town during the month of August, check to see if your dates coincide with Loveland’s “Sculpture in the Park” event. It is an opportunity to view an abundance of artwork as well as to interact with both national and international artists. The sculptures on display during the event are also for sale.

We definitely did not make it through all of the sculptures, but the garden is nicely divided up in loops. I enjoyed the leisurely walk and thought provoking art. Big Bro enjoyed running through the open spaces. The sculptures are very accessible. It was a great way for the kids to interact directly with an artistic display. Visiting the Benson Sculpture Garden ended up being one of the highlights of our trip to Loveland.

Lock Your Love: The Cost of a Lock

In researching love locks, it quickly becomes apparent that there are many origin stories for these symbols of eternal love. But whether they really did start as an ancient Chinese custom or the creation of an Italian novel, it is clear that Loveland is a perfect place to lock your love.

In keeping with their appreciation of art, the town had two love lock sculptures created: one near the Loveland Visitors Center and one on the south shore of Lake Loveland. Just bring any customized lock smaller than 6x6x3” and attach it to the wire grid on the back of the sculpture. Make sure you cannot see the lock from the front of the sculpture and that it is not attached to the sculpture itself (otherwise the lock will be removed and disposed of). Locks are available for sale in the visitor center, if you need one.

You can customize your lock anyway you please whether it be engraving, painting or whatever. It was awesome and inspiring to see all of the locks already attached to the sculpture. Many people added dates and locations in addition to names/initials. We made a game of trying to find the oldest date.

Visit a Family-Friendly Brewery: The Cost of a Drink

Colorado is well known for it’s beers and breweries. Loveland and its surrounding area is no different. From IPAs to stouts, there is something for every beer-lover. And with the Colorado expectation of enjoying the outdoors, there is usually a nice area for the kids to play. My husband’s family are devout beer enthusiasts, so we checked out several of the local breweries. If you are interested in specific family-friendly breweries in this area, see our post here.

Drive to the Denver Zoo: $24 for an adult, $18 for under 16 years

Visiting a zoo is one of my favorite things. Whenever we visit a new place, I always try to add a zoo to our itinerary. I hadn’t heard too much about the Denver Zoo (although the Denver Aquarium came highly recommended). However, after visiting, I have to say you won’t regret making the trip.

This zoo is a good size with a great variety of animals available to see. But it’s the exhibits themselves that really sell the place. They somehow capture the animal’s environment while still making it easy to view and experience the animals themselves. 

The Denver Zoo is located within the Denver City Park, which includes multiple playgrounds as well as the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. We didn’t make it over to the museum during this trip, but I fully plan on going back and spending additional time. There are a couple of lakes and plenty of space to have a picnic. This place is well worth a drive.

Where to Get Your Coffee

Dazbog Coffee is what my SIL recommended when I asked where we should stop one morning on our way out. It is a hit with the locals and it was easy to see why. Created by a pair of brothers who immigrated from Russia in the ’70s, Dazbog Coffee is decorated with an Eastern European flare and references the same in their coffee names. There are locations in Colorado and Wyoming, however, they are based out of Denver, Colorado, where they have their own roastery. There was a whole chalkboard full of specialty drinks available to order, reminiscent of Dutch Bros IMO, so there is always something new to try. The coffee was great, not bitter at all. I can’t wait to go back and get a mug to enjoy in-store.

What I Would Do Differently Next Time

It is easy to forget how high up Colorado is located, as far as altitude, but they don’t call Denver the Mile High City for nothing. And with altitude comes dehydration. Our second day into our Colorado trip, our always-regular boy, Big Bro, was Constipated with a capital C. He felt so bad he even threw up once. We scrapped our plan of an outdoor breakfast and high-tailed it home with our bagels and blackberry lemonade. I quickly told my husband, if Big Bro didn’t start drinking, or if he threw up again, we were finding an urgent care ASAP. 

Lucky for us, he drank his lemonade (or Nom Nom, as he called it at that age…. Ugh they are so cute) and an orange juice. His potty issues resolved by the next day and we kept up a stock of Nom Nom in the fridge. I had to give up on limiting his sugar intake for this trip, but, as you all know, sometimes you just have to weigh the pros and cons. If I had to do it again, I wouldn’t have waited so long to stock up on Big Bro’s favorite drink. For the adults, I recommend Liquid IV. It comes in a bunch of flavors and really helped with those altitude woes.

There are truly so many different things to do in Loveland, CO. We elected to take it slow this trip and not push the agenda. But, the things we spent our time on brought us closer together. I look at pictures with the kids, and Big Bro loves to tell me all about going to the lake or the zoo. You don’t always have to spend a lot of money to experience what a new place has to offer. And you definitely don’t have to spend a lot of money to build memories.