Play in a Creek or River: Fish, Wade, Paddle or Skip a Stone.
One of Colorado’s most precious natural resources is water. There are plenty of places around the state where you can get out and get your feet wet! Walk along a creek or lake. Turn over a rock and see what’s underneath –a bug or maybe a fossil or icky mud? Find a small flat rock and skip it across the lake. How many How many times can you make the rock skip?
Plan It!
You can campout in your own backyard or travel to your nearest national forest, national park, or state park to camp. While camping, you can hike, bike, fish, eat smore’s, or look at stars. Sometimes when camping, it is fun to have a campfire. Make sure before you make a campfire that there is a responsible adult with you who knows how to properly make a fire and put a fire out. Remind them to check local fire restrictions and never leave a campfire unattended. Following these steps will make your camping experience a lot of fun and safe for you and others who may want to use the parks and forests! More great activities to try are canoeing, kayaking, rafting, paddle boarding or fishing! These may need a little more planning.
- Try Canoeing: http://www.colorado.com/activities/canoeing
- Kayaking in the City: http://www.confluencekayaks.com/
- Want to Try Rafting? http://www.rafting-colorado.net/
- Learn where to fish and what kinds of permits you need: http://wildlife.state.co.us/Fishing/Pages/Fishing.aspx
What To Bring
If you are renting canoes, kayaks or taking a rafting trip you will usually be provided with lifejackets and training on how to do these activities. Make sure you have the proper safety equipment and know how to use the equipment before you take it out on the water. Having a responsible and knowledgeable adult with you is a must! Fishing requires special licenses and equipment as well. Everyone has a right to play outside. Here are some ways for everyone to enjoy the outdoors:
- Know Before you go – check weather conditions and our what to bring list from Colorado Bill of Rights #2 Follow a Trail.
- Trash your Trash – keep the trails clean and dispose of waste in a garbage or recycling bin
- Leave what you find – try not to disturb the natural surroundings
- Respect wildlife. Be kind and respect other visitors.
Colorado Resources
Fun Ideas
- Bird Watching from the Water: Spying on waterfowl can be very interesting, especially when done from a canoe or boat. Visit these links to know what birds to look for on your next water adventure!
http://www.denveraudubon.org/
http://www.rmbo.org/v3/Home.aspx
- Pan for Gold – Colorado has a rich mining history and this is one way to experience it. If you don’t have a gold panning pan, you can use a metal pie pan.
