FREE Things to do with Idaho Kids

Tamarack Resort just announced that they are giving free year-round lift passes to local kids grades K-12, who are enrolled in Valley County and New Meadows schools, as well as homeschooled students living in those districts. This is all in an effort to increase access to outdoor recreation for kids. The pass is called SKY (Students - Kids - Youth) and it is set to kick off this Memorial Day. To make sure that no kids are left out even if they don't have the proper gear, Tamarack has local partners to help get students whatever they need to participate. Check out more about it all at this Tamarack Pass link.

In honor of Tamarack providing free lift passes for students I wanted to highlight some other areas that offer fun free activities and adventures for kiddos. If the snow life is what you are seeking then another bonus is Bogus Basin having a free day this Friday March 5th. Check out the deets here.

Other fun outdoor and warmer places to visit since it's getting so beautiful here again in the Treasure Valley. It goes without saying unless you are new here and don't know about it. You've gotta explore The Greenbelt. You can pick a section at a time to walk or get more ground covered by biking but the whole thing is over 20 miles long and goes right along side downtown. There are some fantastic parks, waterways, playgrounds and animals to visit along the way.

One such thing to stop and visit along the way is Morrison-Knudsen Nature Center. It is free and located right along the greenbelt. Park the bikes and follow the Stream Walk through the Nature Center to check out underwater viewing windows with fish and get in a human size birds nest. Be sure to check out the 'Dinosaur fish' as my son likes to call them (sturgeon).

Another area along the greenbelt to check out is Julia Davis Park. Home to Zoo Boise, the Boise Art Museum, the Gene Harris Band Shell, and the Anne Frank Memorial. Even if you don't go into the zoo you can usually see the giraffes from the greenbelt.

Get our free mobile app

Freak Alley Gallery, maybe not for toddlers but a little older and more curious kids will love this. If you have a child who is at all into art, you should walk them through. Located in downtown Boise around shops and restaurants an unsuspecting ally turns brilliantly creative. It changes and gets updated by local artists every few years.

The Boise Train Depot was one of my first places I checked out before officially moving here. The views of Boise, the capitol building and surrounding mountains is fantastic. My dad loved trains, growing up we always had trains and model towns up so the history, old station and old trains there were super cool for me and my son to nerd out on.

Public Libraries are slowly but surely opening back up and while they may not be chalk full of the usual youth activities and toddler reading times they are gearing up to get back to that again. In the meantime check out each link to see what the library in your area is doing.