It's 4:30 on a Thursday and somebody in your house has started launching off the arm of the couch into a pile of pillows. The playground down the street held their attention for about six minutes, and the backyard stopped working sometime back in August.
What helps on afternoons like this is a short drive to somewhere new, where the kids can move their whole bodies until they're tired, and then a quiet ride home. We call it the one-hour cool down. If you've been looking for things to do with kids near Denver when they have energy to burn, the four stops below are sorted by drive time, starting 15 minutes from downtown and ending just under an hour north in Loveland. A GetOut Colorado membership gets you into all four.
Why a Short Drive Plus Big Movement Works for Restless Kids
Kids who are wound up need a new place and a way to use their whole body. Climbing, bouncing, skating and digging work the big muscle groups that leave a kid tired enough to sit through dinner.
The drive helps too. Kids get excited on the way over and spend all of it at the venue, so the ride home turns into the calm part of the evening.
Fall gives you more reasons to plan this kind of outing. Kids are still adjusting to school schedules and the afternoons keep getting shorter. Anyone fresh off a summer of camp feels it hardest, and our post-camp reset guide to Colorado weekend activities covers that stretch. Front Range weather can flip from sun to sleet in one afternoon, which is why every stop on this list is indoors, and our roundup of indoor adventures for kids in Colorado has more metro options for stormy days.
Quick Reference: Drive Times, Ages and GetOut Visits
- Roller City, Lakewood: About 15 to 20 minutes from downtown Denver and good for ages 3 and up. GetOut covers one free entry per quarter, and skate rental costs extra.
- The Sand Place, Aurora: A 30 to 35 minute drive southeast, built for babies through age 7. Your GetOut membership includes one 30-minute play session a year.
- Warrior Playground, Longmont: Plan on 40 to 45 minutes heading north. Kids 5 and older get the most out of it, and GetOut covers one open play visit a year.
- Jumpin', Loveland: The longest drive at 50 to 60 minutes, made for kids 1 to 10. Members get one general entry per quarter.
1. Roller City, Lakewood (15–20 Minutes)
6803 W. Alameda Ave., Lakewood
Roller City sits closest to downtown of the four, and it has a good backstory. The original Roller City West ran for decades until it closed in 1996. The building spent about 20 years as a thrift store after that, until a longtime regular bought it and reopened the rink.
The skating floor ranks among the biggest in Colorado, inside a 35,000-square-foot building with a DJ and rink games. Kids who need a break from skating can wander over to the arcade or the snack counter.
Why it works for restless kids: Skating keeps kids moving from the first lap to the last. Beginners burn a lot of energy just staying on their feet, and parents can lace up and skate right alongside them.
Good to know: Public skating runs Thursday through Sunday. Thursday evening is cheap skate night at $6, and Saturday from 10 to noon is set aside for tiny tots and beginners. The rink closes Monday and Tuesday for private parties and runs adult night on Wednesday. Rentals cost $5 and come in sizes from toddler 8 up to adult 15, with plastic strap-on skates for the smallest kids.
With GetOut: One free entry once a quarter. Skate rental costs extra.
Parent tip: First-time skaters do best at the Saturday morning beginner session, when the floor is calmer and the games teach the basics.
2. The Sand Place, Aurora (30–35 Minutes)
16677 E. Smoky Hill Rd., Aurora
The Sand Place is an indoor sandbox with a construction theme, filled with 40 tons of sand and more than 100 toy trucks and tools. Kids can climb onto ride-on diggers and work the controls themselves, which is the part they talk about in the car afterward.
The owners use silica-free play sand and sift and sanitize it every night. Parents of kids with allergies or sensory issues like that detail. The building stays climate-controlled all year, so snow and wind won't wreck your plans.
Why it works for restless kids: Toddlers and preschoolers use their whole bodies when they dig and push a loaded dump truck across the sand. The room is quieter than most play centers on purpose, and plenty of parents say their kids come home calm.
Good to know: The Sand Place is built for ages 0 to 12, and kids up to about 7 get the most out of it. Older kids will find the space small. It opens Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and on weekends from 9 to 4, and it's closed Mondays. Plan it as a morning stop for younger siblings who aren't in school all day.
With GetOut: One 30-minute play session once a year.
Parent tip: Bring socks and a spare set of clothes so you can change the kids before the drive home.
3. Warrior Playground, Longmont (40–45 Minutes)
700 9th Ave., Longmont
Warrior Playground opened in 2016 as Longmont's first ninja gym, and the same family still runs it. The obstacles copy ones from American Ninja Warrior, including the warped wall and the salmon ladder, and a few of the coaches have competed on the show.
Bring the kid who climbs bookshelves and hangs from door frames. Open gym lets them do the same thing on equipment built for it, with a coach on the floor keeping an eye on safety.
Why it works for restless kids: Every obstacle asks for grip strength and balance at the same time. Kids keep going back for one more try on a hard one, and by the end of the session they're worn out without noticing they exercised.
Good to know: Open gym starts at age 3. Parents of kids under 8 stay on the floor with them, within arm's reach for 3- and 4-year-olds, and anyone 8 or older can be dropped off. Monday through Wednesday open gym is for members, so use your GetOut visit Thursday through Sunday. Weekday sessions begin at 3:30 p.m., right after school pickup, and weekend open gym runs from 11 to 4.
With GetOut: One free open play visit once a year.
Parent tip: Main Street is one block away, so a Saturday session can roll into lunch downtown.
4. Jumpin', Loveland (50–60 Minutes)
6055 Sky Pond Dr., Suite P100, Loveland (The Promenade Shops at Centerra)
Jumpin' is the longest drive in this guide and covers the widest age range. The main floor has big bounce houses and inflatable obstacle courses, and a separate toddler area holds smaller inflatables along with toys and playhouses.
Reviewers keep mentioning that kids can stay as long as they want and that grown-ups get in free. You can bring your own snacks, too.
Why it works for restless kids: Bouncing wears kids out fast. An hour on the inflatable slides and obstacle courses slows down even a wound-up six-year-old, and the toddler zone keeps a little sibling safe while the older kids race.
Good to know: Jumpin' is made for kids ages 1 to 10, and everyone needs socks, available for $2 a pair if you forget them. Walk-ins are welcome seven days a week. Hours change with the season, so look them up before you drive north. One reviewer who loved the place from a kid's point of view also warned parents about the noise and suggested earplugs.
With GetOut: One general entry once a quarter.
Parent tip: Siblings without a GetOut membership pay less on Thursdays, which is Jumpin's discount day, and weekday prices drop again after 4 p.m.
How to Plan Your One-Hour Cool Down
Start with your kids' ages. Toddlers and preschoolers have the most fun at The Sand Place or in the toddler area at Jumpin', and kids who climb everything belong at Warrior Playground. Roller City works for a mixed group.
Then look at the clock. Warrior Playground on a Thursday or Friday lines up well with school pickup, and Roller City runs evening sessions on those same two days. Save The Sand Place for a morning or a weekend.
If you want to make a day of it, try one of these routes:
- North loop: Spend late morning at Warrior Playground and grab lunch on Longmont's Main Street. If the kids still have energy after that, Jumpin' is about 25 minutes up the road.
- Metro loop: Take the little ones to The Sand Place on Saturday morning, then bring the whole family to Roller City after lunch.
Before you leave, put these in the car:
- Water bottles, since the dry air here pulls moisture out of active kids fast.
- Socks for everyone, required at Jumpin'.
- A change of clothes for sand or sweat.
- Snacks and a fleece for the drive home, when fall evenings cool off quickly.
Getting More Out of Your GetOut Colorado Membership
A GetOut Colorado membership costs $54.95 a year, with a comp value of $90, and it gets you into 81+ venues around the state. Once you buy it, pick a venue in the GetOut app and show your phone at the front desk. The walkthrough on how to use your GetOut membership shows the app step by step.
Each venue decides how often members can visit. Roller City and Jumpin' reset every quarter, which makes them easy to fit into a seasonal routine. The yearly visits at Warrior Playground and The Sand Place are worth saving for a week when everyone needs something special. Most families cover the cost of the membership in two or three visits. You get 120 days risk-free, and families who want Elitch Gardens can upgrade to Membership + Premium Venues for $79.95 a year.
If Fall Break Takes You Out of Colorado
Plenty of Front Range families spend fall break on the road, and hours in a car leave kids every bit as restless as a long school day. GetOut runs memberships in more than 30 regions, each covering venues in its own area, so the cool-down habit can travel with you.
Heading east on I-76 toward grandparents in Omaha or Lincoln takes about seven hours, and GetOut Nebraska gives the kids somewhere to run once you arrive. Families who take I-70 all the way across Kansas reach Kansas City after roughly nine hours of driving, and GetOut Kansas City has its own lineup for that first morning in town. Parents there keep a list of high-energy indoor spots in Kansas City for the same restless-kid problem.
Some families trade the cold for a warm week instead. Phoenix stays in the 80s through much of October, and GetOut Arizona covers the Valley. If Thanksgiving means a flight to Dallas, look through GetOut Texas DFW before you pack.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I take my hyper kids near Denver to burn off energy?
Roller City in Lakewood is 15 to 20 minutes from downtown and has public skating Thursday through Sunday. For something harder, Warrior Playground in Longmont has ninja obstacles and Jumpin' in Loveland has bounce houses with inflatable obstacle courses. A GetOut Colorado membership covers all of them.
What are indoor places for active kids near Denver when the weather turns bad?
Every stop in this guide is indoors, so Roller City, The Sand Place, Warrior Playground and Jumpin' all work on snowy or smoky days.
What can I do with a toddler near Denver on a weekday morning?
The Sand Place in Aurora opens at 9 a.m. Tuesday through Friday and was built with babies and preschoolers in mind. Jumpin' in Loveland also has its own toddler area with smaller inflatables.
Is there a ninja gym near Denver or Boulder for kids?
Warrior Playground in Longmont is a full ninja and obstacle course gym with copies of American Ninja Warrior obstacles. Kids 3 and up can come to open gym, and non-members can visit Thursday through Sunday.
What are good after-school activities near Denver that don't need a class sign-up?
Open gym at Warrior Playground and walk-in play at Jumpin' both work without a class. Roller City runs public skating on Thursday and Friday evenings.
Is a GetOut membership worth it for Denver families?
The membership costs $54.95 a year and covers 81+ Colorado venues, and most families earn that back in two or three visits. If your kids need an outlet every week, it takes the price question out of last-minute plans.
Plan This Weekend's Cool Down
Choose the drive that fits your afternoon and check the venue's hours before you head out. On a clear weekend when the kids want to be outside, pair a stop with one of these spots to catch Colorado's fall colors. Get your GetOut Colorado membership and put it to use this weekend.