Summer is my favorite time of year; I love the longer lazier days, the cool drinks and flip flops. Even though it gets pretty hot in the 505, there are a lot of fun things to do with little ones in and around Albuquerque, you just have to know where to look and get a little creative. Luckily for you, I’ve spent a few summers here, I know the lay of the land and I’ve created a summer bucket list for my family that I am sharing with you today. I’ve even included links and little dollar symbols to let you know how much money each activity will cost you.
2016 SUMMER BUCKET LIST
LIBRARY SUMMER READING PROGRAM – FREE!
This one is easy and free and great for kids of all ages, even adults. All you have to do is sign up for the program at the library closest to you, record the books you read and turn your log in weekly for a prize.
THE ALAMEDA SPRAY PARK We’ve referred to the spray park as my daughter’s happy place and although she’s probably getting a little too big for it now, we’re going to squeeze one last summer of joy out of that activity, because it’s fun! There’s no deep end and it’s something even the baby can enjoy as he starts to become more mobile. It doesn’t open until 11 so we usually pack a lunch.
SWIMMING AT THE GYM – $$$
Access to a pool over the summer is a must around here so unless you have one or have a friend who has one, your options are the public pools or becoming a member at a country or fitness club that has one. We plan on continuing our membership at the Jewish Community Center over the summer mainly for the pool and the childcare. The childcare at the JCC is phenomenal! And since I have 3 kids (none of which can swim on their own yet) and only two arms (see previous post here), I’ll be taking advantage of the childcare and letting the kind ladies play with the baby so I can play in the water with the big kids.
Every Tuesday and Wednesday morning at 10 am at the Cottonwood and Regal Winrock Theatres they show G and PG movies and the tickets are only a $1 each. This is another activity that I will have to find something to do with the baby, but I know the big kids would love to see Descipable Me 2 on the big screen.
MOVIES UNDER THE STARS – FREE!
Speaking of movies, I just learned that the city of Rio Rancho provides family-friendly movies on a large inflatable screen at the Cabezon Park for free on Friday nights. The movies begin at dusk, so I’m thinking we’ll leave the kids at home for this one and make it a date night!
UPTOWN TARGET – $-$$$$
This might sound silly to any of you who go there on a regular basis but for us, going to the Target in Uptown is quite the treat. We get coffee and popcorn or pizza for lunch and play “I Spy” in the cafe that overlooks a busy intersection before we do our shopping.
THE CORRALES POOL – $$
This is our favorite pool in Albuquerque. They have a slide, an inclined entrance and a beautiful view of the mountains. There hours can be a little funky though (right during nap time) so call ahead of time or check their website and make plans accordingly.
PICNICS IN THE SANDIAS – $
Picnics on the other side of the mountain have become a family favorite. It’s definitely a drive but the fresh air and breath-taking views once you get there are well worth it. There are plenty of picnic areas right off the main rode (bring cash for parking) but if you don’t feel like packing a lunch, you can head all the way to the top where they have a gift shop, snack bar and a lookout deck with a view of the city.
If the items listed above aren’t enough to keep you and your kiddos busy this summer, you can check out these other fun activities too:
STORY TIME AT THE BALLOON MUSEUM
So what is on your summer bucket list?
[…] wishing our lunch would just pack itself. It’s summer time, we are checking things off our bucket list and usually bringing our lunch with us. I love picnic lunches because it means the mess that comes […]
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