Colorado Springs is easy with little kids: a mountainside zoo with giraffes, free red-rock walks at Garden of the Gods, and free storytimes across the Pikes Peak Library District.
Not this week’s events, just the reliable stuff. Where to eat with a toddler, where to burn off energy when it rains, where to splash, what’s worth the admission, and where to spend a night without going far.
Places where a dropped fork is no big deal and nobody minds a little noise.
A long-running downtown café with pizza, salads and sandwiches, next door to its own Little Richard’s Toy Store.
A bright breakfast and brunch spot downtown with a kids’ menu of pancakes, waffles and scrambles.
For rainy mornings, cold afternoons and anyone who needs to run in circles for an hour.
The downtown Pikes Peak Library District branch, with Toddler Time and Storytime.
A big north-side library with a children’s room and baby, toddler and preschool storytimes.
Drop-in open play for 9 months to 8 years, with a cheaper crawler rate and $12 Tuesdays.
A big padded maze with slides and ball pits, plus a toddler zone with mini slides, soft blocks and a small ball pit. Open every day, with free parking out front.
A sensory-friendly gym built for kids of all abilities; a parent stays with the child.
Pools, fountains, zoos and theme parks: the big all-day outings.
A mountainside zoo known for its giraffe herd, with a new Giraffe Center where you can feed them from above.
Red-rock formations in a city park that’s free forever, with a free Visitor and Nature Center.
A city park with a playground, walking and biking paths and the Pikes Peak Greenway Trail at the north end, and fishing ponds and picnic shelters at the south end.
A living-history ranch where kids can make a cornhusk doll at the 1860s Homestead Cabin. The grounds are free and open dawn to dusk year-round; ask for the free youth activity packet.
A county nature center in the foothills: scrub oak, ponderosa pine, meadows and a mountain creek, where you can search for mule deer.
Ponds, marshes and cottonwoods about 15 minutes south of downtown, with a 0.7-mile loop trail around the nature center pond.
Museums, animals and farm days that hold a little one’s attention.
A hands-on space museum with planets, rockets and a Mars rover area, a short drive from Garden of the Gods.
The city’s history museum, inside the 1903 El Paso County Courthouse. Admission is always free, no tickets needed.
Mining history with gold panning included in admission, free guided tours at 10am and 1pm, and outdoor exhibits on a historic campus.
These don’t change week to week. Last checked . Hours and prices change, so check the place’s own site before you go. Know a spot we missed? Tell us at hello@littlesweekly.com.
Where a family can go in COS without paying for admission. For free days, free events and this week’s free outings, see every free thing to do in COS.
Downtown, 20 N. Cascade Ave.Penrose LibraryThe downtown Pikes Peak Library District branch, with Toddler Time and Storytime.FreeIndoorNorth, 1175 Chapel Hills Dr.Library 21cA big north-side library with a children’s room and baby, toddler and preschool storytimes.FreeIndoor
West sideGarden of the Gods ParkRed-rock formations in a city park that’s free forever, with a free Visitor and Nature Center.FreeColorado SpringsMonument Valley ParkA city park with a playground, walking and biking paths and the Pikes Peak Greenway Trail at the north end, and fishing ponds and picnic shelters at the south end.Free3105 Gateway Rd.Rock Ledge Ranch Historic SiteA living-history ranch where kids can make a cornhusk doll at the 1860s Homestead Cabin.Free245 Bear Creek Rd.Bear Creek Nature CenterA county nature center in the foothills: scrub oak, ponderosa pine, meadows and a mountain creek, where you can search for mule deer.FreeFountain Creek Regional Park, off Cattail Marsh Rd.Fountain Creek Nature CenterPonds, marshes and cottonwoods about 15 minutes south of downtown, with a 0.7-mile loop trail around the nature center pond.Free
Downtown, 215 S. Tejon St.Colorado Springs Pioneers MuseumThe city’s history museum, inside the 1903 El Paso County Courthouse.FreeFree or cheap for babies and toddlers, and easy with a stroller.
Recurring and free. Times change by branch, so check the calendar.
Weekday morningsFree Baby Time, Toddler Time and Storytime at libraries across El Paso County.
Schedule ↗Baby storytimes, places where babies get in free, and where to change and feed. For rainy days, see indoor play places; for zero-cost ideas, see free things to do.
Mondays at 10am and 11:15am · East LibraryBirth to 12 months. Songs, rhymes, and stories for babies ages 0-12 months, and their parents or caregivers.
Storytime calendar ↗Mondays at 9:30am and 10:30am · Library 21cBirth to 12 months. Songs, rhymes, and stories for babies ages 0-12 months, and their parents or caregivers.
Storytime calendar ↗Thursdays at 9:30am · Penrose LibraryBirth to 12 months. Songs, rhymes, and stories for babies ages 0-12 months, and their parents or caregivers.
Storytime calendar ↗
Under 1 free with a paying sibling
Admission page ↗3 and under free
Admission page ↗3 and under free with a paid adult
Admission page ↗Santa visits and Christmas lights only run part of the year, so they have their own pages with this season’s dates and prices.
The guide is the evergreen list. Here’s what’s happening in Colorado Springs right now.
Yes. Giraffe feeding is a highlight, and children 2 and under pay only a small fee at events like Boo at the Zoo.
Yes. Penrose Library, Library 21c, Garden of the Gods Park, Monument Valley Park, Rock Ledge Ranch Historic Site and Bear Creek Nature Center and 2 more are free or have a free entry. See the free list.
Go indoors: Penrose Library, Library 21c, Little Monkey Bizness and Kids Empire Colorado Springs. They’re all under one roof, and most work for a short visit around nap time.
Penrose Library: Toddler Time. Library 21c: Baby Time. Space Foundation Discovery Center is also easy with a baby or toddler. Free for the littlest: Kids Empire Colorado Springs (Under 1 free with a paying sibling), Space Foundation Discovery Center (3 and under free) and Western Museum of Mining & Industry (3 and under free with a paid adult). See best for under 3s.
Pikes Peak Library District: Weekday mornings. Library storytimes don’t need a ticket, but times change by branch, so check the calendar first. See library storytimes, and this week’s dated sessions are on the COS weekly list.
Every one of the 16 places is somewhere we’d take a baby, toddler or preschooler, with a note on who it suits and when to skip it. Prices, hours and menus come from each place’s own site, and 8 of them have checked admission or menu prices. The guide was last checked Oct 18, 2026. How we choose and check.
One short email every Friday morning: the five things worth leaving the house for in COS, plus what to skip.
