My family and I are just home from a fabulous long weekend at Keystone resort and ski area. This Vail Resorts property — about a 90-minute drive into the Colorado mountains from Denver — is chock full of all sorts of great activities for families, on and off the slopes. Keystone is a resort that welcomes outdoor enthusiasts of all ages, but this winter, children have a festival to call their very own: Keystone Kidtopia.
It's the "World's Largest Snow Fort" at Keystone Kidtopia.
In between our jam-packed (but oh-so-fun) itinerary at the resort — which included tubing, ice skating, skiing, a sleigh ride and fondue dinner — we did get a chance to check out some of the special Kidtopia events and activities.
We were thrilled that the giant snow fort on top of the ski area’s Dercum Mountain (11,640 feet!) was completed before its anticipated February 18 opening. My kids (ages 7 and 9) climbed up steps, scooted through tunnels, perched on a tower and flew down an icy slide on this really cool snow structure with 12-foot walls. Lit up at night, it’s a magical sight!
The Kidtopia headquarters tent in the Buffalo Courtyard in River Run Village (steps from the River Run gondola and our Expedition Station condominium accommodations) was another huge hit with my children. Staffed with friendly helpers, the tent was filled with craft activities; the kids made nifty necklaces (aka tubes filled with different colored sand), designed their own cardboard puzzles and strung bracelets out of beads that brighten in the sunlight.
Naturally, the kids had to pick up as much free stuff as they could at Kidtopia headquarters: festival-themed coloring books, stickers, pins, Mardi Gras beads and bandanas. For a tired mom who needed to occupy her children while her husband finished up a snowboard lesson, this Kidtopia tent was a godsend the other day.
Trying to perch on the Kidtopia ice throne on Dercum Mountain without sliding off.
We missed hot cocoa by the fire, glow-bug skate night, glow-stick kids’ ski parade, balloon animals, “meet the avalanche dog,” ice carving demo and pictures with Ripperoo, Keystone’s canine mascot. But you don’t have to: Keystone Kidtopia returns this weekend, February 18 to 21, for its signature event, which also includes live entertainment from Radio Disney, a parade through River Run Village and much, much more.
The fun continues during spring break, with Kidtopia programming March 15 to 21 and April 1 to 6. On any of these dates, and throughout the entire ski season, children 12 and younger ski for free with the purchase of an adult three-day lift ticket and four nights’ lodging, starting from $229/night. Check out the deals here.
Thanks Vail Resorts for hosting my family for an incredibly fun-filled weekend.
So many places to go with the kids, so little time but I think we’ll have to try this one.
Thank you for the great tips!
[...] Keystone ski area opened last weekend with plenty of snow and top-to-bottom skiing. By Christmastime, ski conditions should be stellar. And surprisingly, even though Christmas week is one of the busiest times for Colorado ski resorts, the Keystone Lodge & Spa has a holiday promotion where guests can book three nights and get the fourth free. This package applies not only to the dates surrounding Christmas and New Year’s, but also Thanksgiving, Martin Luther King Day, Presidents’ Day and Easter Sunday. [...]