School is almost out and the long days of summer are almost here! If you are wondering how you are going to keep your kids occupied and your sanity, I recommend weekly playdates. Playdates with your momma friends can be so vital for our sanity! Who else can relate and not be disgusted when you casually bring up your child’s weird bowel movements? Or laugh about the inappropriate thing our kids said and we had to try to be mad instead of cracking up?! Mommy friends are a must, and whether you have your solid tribe or you are new here to Denver and looking for places to meet new mommies, trying to keep a social life is necessary while also keeping your kids entertained. Though playdates at home or your local park are fun, sometimes you just need to get out and go somewhere new that both the kiddos and parents can actually enjoy. I’ve put together a list of my favorite playdate spots in and around Denver! If I have missed any places you think are kid and momma date friendly, let me know!
The Clubhouse at the Apex Recreation Center
Location: 13150 W. 72nd Ave., Arvada
Price: Free!!
Hours: Mondays through Thursdays from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Fridays, 5 a.m.-9 p.m.; Saturdays, 6:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m.; Sundays, 9 a.m.-8 p.m.
Website: Apexprd.org
Phone: 303-424-2739
The Apex center is a great place to go when the weather isn’t great and is for kids ages 1-10. There are tubes, ladders, and slides for the kids to burn that energy. My son loves the giant treehouse and hollow logs. It can get quite loud in here, especially on the weekends. But if you are use to yelling over children to catch up with your bestie, than you will be just fine.
Little Monkey Bizness
Location: Four Colorado locations in Westminster, Parker, Colorado Springs and Denver
Price: $10/children ages 3-8; $7/walkers 2 and under; $5/crawlers
Hours: Mondays through Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Fridays, 9 a.m.-8 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays, 9 a.m.-noon
Website: Monkeybizness.com/
Phone: 303-252-9999 for the Orchard Town Center location
Those days that are unbearably hot are good for Little Monkey Bizness. You can order a pizza or a coffee and sit while your kids run wild. There are locations in Parker and Centennial and food options may vary. Children under 8 years old can play in the inflatable jumps, slides and obstacle courses. They also have a special area set aside for toddlers – designed for kids 2 years and younger. Mommy tip: The Orchard location is a great way to get some shopping done while bribing your child to behave. At Christmas time I tell my son we can go jump around at Little Monkey Bizness if he is well-behaved the whole shopping trip. Don’t judge me, it works! Don’t forget to bring socks for the kids!
Java Mamma
Location: 8350 Colorado Blvd, Unit 180 Firestone, CO 80504
Price: Kids play FREE with purchase of two food or beverage items
City Park Playground
Location: 2001 Colorado Blvd, Denver, CO 80205
Website: https://www.denver.org/listing/city-park/6822/
City Park is a really great park for when your kids need to burn some energy but you still want to be able to catch up with your gal pals. The toddler area is enclosed so you don’t have to worry about little escape artists. This park can get quite busy on the weekends but is quiet during the week. The old wood playground brings back memories of a simpler time and the kids really love climbing the large towers. My son makes a friend every single time we go to this park. Just don’t forget to grab your coffee before you get there, there are no shops close by to walk to !
Second Star to The Right Bookstore
Location: 4353 Tennyson St. Denver, CO 80212
Price: Story times are FREE! Special events and classes may charge a small fee. Check their calendar for current events.
Hours: Monday – Thursday 10am – 6pm, Friday 10am – 7pm, Saturday 9:30am – 6pm, Sunday 10am – 5pm
Phone: 303-455-1527
I have gushed about my love for this children’s bookstore in previous posts. I can say I have never had anything but a great time here. The staff is incredible and their love for books and children really shines. They offer free daily story times 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m., as well as multiple special themed story times and classes. You can have your kiddos birthday party here or attend one of their amazing parties. (Liam STILL talks about the Bug Party we attended two years ago!) You can sit in comfy wing backed chairs while the kids play with the train table and other small toys or sit outside in their garden while the kids run around. They also have a Rumpus Room that is a dedicated space for kids to play and offer free coffee for the parents!
Little Man Ice Cream
Location: 2620 16th st Denver, CO 80211
Price: $1.35 and up. A childs size cup or cone is only $2.75
Hours: 11AM-10PM Sunday-thursday | 11am-11PM Friday-Saturday
Website: https://www.littlemanicecream.com
Phone: 303-455-3811
The iconic Little Man Ice Cream is such a perfect place to spend an afternoon. You can grab some deliciously fresh ice cream and sit on one of their many tables, slide down the metal slide (be careful, this thing gets HOT in the summer!) or walk right across the street to eat your ice cream at the Hirshorn park. They often have special events at Little Man such as live music and there is plenty of space for the kids to run. 
Zook’s Coffee and Ice Cream
Location: 3156 W. 38th Ave., Denver, CO 80211
Price: Drink prices vary
Hours: Tuesday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. | Saturday & Sunday, 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. | Closed Mondays
Website: https://www.zookscoffeeshop.com
Phone: 303-517-2010
On rainy days, Zook’s is a great place to meet up for a cup of coffee (or a cocktail) and play one of their many kid-friendly board games. If the weather is nice, I recommend grabbing your drink and heading straight to their beautiful garden patio where you can find plenty of tables and chairs, a beautiful water fountain, and plenty of space for the kids to explore.
César Chávez Park
Location: 4147 Utica St, Denver, CO 80212
This playground is in the perfect location! Across the street on Tennyson is The Pasty Republic where you can grab a delicious hand-held pasty (a pastry casing filled with meat and vegetables) and have a little picnic right at the park. My favorite is The Shephard, and they also have ice cream and a to-die for Cobbler. Or if you are feeling a coffee is all you need, walk right down the street to Allegro Coffee and grab your favorite coffee drink to-go. They also have a very tempting pastries case filled with fresh treats. At the park, grab a table under a tree or bring a blanket to lounge while the kids play at the playground and you and your mom friends catch up.
What is your favorite spot for a playdate in or near Denver? I would love to know!
Have a beautiful day!
You seem to know all the best spots to go for fun in your area! What a great list!
Thank you!
That ice cream looks so good! Lots of great places to spend a few hours with the kiddos. I love that the Clubhouse at Apex is free. That looks like it would be a lot of fun for the little ones.
The clubhouse looks like a really cool place to go. And it’s free? Even better!
Yea! It’s so fun!
Kids are so lucky these days, they get so many cool options to choose from when they want to go play outside. When I was a kid in the late 80s and early 90s, I got to choose from a basketball court or a rinky dink playground in my apartment complex. I’m really jealous now!
Right?! So true! We just rode our bikes around the neighborhood and climbed trees lol
There are so many great options! The java mamma seems like my cup of tea. Moms could totally catch up with each other while they enjoy something to eat and their little ones play – I love that idea!
Yea ! It’s really great I wish there were more locations!
Just the thing I was looking for! Newly moved to Denver and lack of friends definitely is a pull back but your post did the magic. Ryan and Cherry will love the Club House and the Little Man’s ice cream looks so adorable.
Welcome to Denver! I’m so glad I could help. There are so many great things for kiddos to do here. 😀