Activities in Albuquerque to Beat Boredom This Winter

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The colder months in Albuquerque always start off well enough. There are holidays to plan for, family activities, and maybe even a little extra time off work. The excitement and fun factors are in high gear! Then January hits, and for many moms, you feel stuck in a rut. Seemingly endless days and weeks cooped up at home can make you and your kids begin to feel a little kooky. Am I right?

Don’t let winter drag you down! I’ve compiled a little list of fun Albuquerque winter activities for those days when you’re feeling desperate.

Activities in Albuquerque to Beat Boredom This WinterIndoor Activities (Free)

Albuquerque Public Libraries

The libraries offer storytimes and other activities for kids of all ages. Check their website for upcoming special events and storytime times and locations.

McDonald’s/Chick-fil-a Play Place

Okay, so this one might not technically be FREE because you and your kids might be tempted to snack. In any case, an indoor play place is a great option when the weather outside is frightful. My best advice would be to visit during “off” times (aka NOT during lunchtime) and you might just have the place all to yourself.

Lovelace New Parent Support

Last year, I penned an entire post dedicated to this amazing free offering from Lovelace Women’s Hospital. If you have a newborn or a young infant, this is a wonderful meet-up. There are lactation specialists available to help with nursing questions/issues, a selection of healthy snacks, and it’s a way to connect with other new moms. Best of all, it is free to attend! I met several wonderful women that will be lifelong friends through this group.

The Mall

Both Albuquerque malls have indoor play areas where your kids can burn off some steam. We occasionally visit the storytime at Coronado’s Barnes and Noble. Then we’ll visit the animals at the mall’s city shelter location, and then head to the play area across from JC Penney. If you really wanted to make a day of it, you could plan to have lunch in the food court!

Anderson Abruzzo International Balloon Museum

This beautiful museum (complete with a kids area) is free on Sundays from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm and the first Friday of the month. Also kids under 5 are always free, making it an affordable outing with small kiddos.

Indoor Activities (That Cost Money)

Albuquerque Aquarium/Bugarium

If the weather isn’t great, we use our zoo pass to visit the Aquarium and then make a beeline (pun intended) straight to the indoor Bugarium.

Trampoline Park

These are SO much fun and my kids love them. Most trampoline parks host toddler hours, so you can let your kids bounce safely without getting knocked around by the big kids. Check their websites for details.

Museums

You can’t go wrong with a trip to Explora or the Natural History Museum!

Chuck-E-Cheese

I’ve never actually taken my kids here just for fun, but you totally could! They open every weekday at 11:00 a.m. Why not!?

SAGA (Sandia Acrobatic Gymnastics Academy)

SAGA does toddler open gym time a couple of times a week for a minimal fee. It’s a supervised, unstructured playtime and they have access to everything in the gym. Check out their monthly calendar here.

Outpost Ice Arena

I still haven’t done this with my kids! Outpost has little stabilizers for young kiddos (how smart!) so they aren’t falling all over the place out on the ice.

Target

Pop your littles in a cart, get them a bag of popcorn, treat yourself to a Starbucks, and shop to your little heart’s delight. This one is a no-brainer!

Bowling

Bowling is always fun in the colder months. A few of our favorite locations are Silva Lanes or Main Event, both of which have bumpers for the kiddos.

Urban Air Adventure Park

Definitely not a low-cost option, but super fun for a special occasion or a day when you just NEED an outing. Kiddos burn a lot of energy on the indoor play structures, trampolines, ball pits, obstacle courses, and more.

They do offer memberships (which are a much cheaper price per visit) if you think you’ll use this option a lot!

Indoor Climbing

Though I’ve never tried it myself, I’ve heard of families taking their kiddos rock climbing with success. Bonus: it’s another physical activity that can be done inside year round!

Jungle Jam

Another great way to burn off some energy indoors–on the west side of town!

Swimming

Sandia High School has a nice indoor pool that’s open to the public, complete with a diving board that the kiddos will love.

Dave & Buster’s

I know, I know, it’s just more screen time. And it can be expensive. But on a rare occasion, it’s a fun treat to break up a cold winter’s day.

Electric Playhouse

Electric Playhouse is so unique and fun. You get a surprising amount of physical activity during the various games as well!

Outdoor Activities

Walk/Playground

Let’s face it, we Albuquerque residents are actually pretty blessed in the winter weather department. If the sun is shining and you’re craving some fresh air, bundle everyone up and get outside. I guarantee it’ll boost everyone’s spirits. Check out our Guide to Local Parks.

The Zoo

All the animals are so sleepy during the hot summer months! Why not see if you can catch them having some fun in cooler weather?

Capulin Snow Play Site

Assuming we actually get some snow in the Sandias, take your kiddos on a sledding adventure! This big, open hill is perfect for sledding or tubing but is only open when there is ample snow for safe play. Get more info, including driving directions here.

Family Bike Ride

If you are anything like me, then biking with small children on busy roads terrifies you. A few nice traffic-free options: Los Poblano Fields Open Space, Alameda Open Space, or even a nearby school with a track.

I hope these ideas come in handy the next time you’re feeling a little stir-crazy at home on a long winter day! What other fun suggestions do you have to add to this list?

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