Schools are out for the summer! Are you armed with free things to do with kids in New Mexico? Most of you know I’m a New Mexico lifestyle blogger, born and raised in New Mexico. I know most of you don’t live in good old New Mexico, but you never know; you might just visit and need something fun and free to do with the kids, right? So I’m going to include plenty of great free things to do with kids in New Mexico and elsewhere.
Free Things To Do With Kids In New Mexico and Beyond
Here are a few fun and free things to do with kids in New Mexico and beyond.
- Picnic: Whether you live in New Mexico or anywhere else in the world, you can totally plan a picnic with the kids. Grab an ice chest loaded with ice, sandwich stuff, and plenty of great snacks, like one of our new favorites from CVS.
- Surprise nature walk: load the kids up and don’t tell them where you are going. If you live in New Mexico, there are plenty of great places to go on a surprise nature walk with the kids, and if you live elsewhere in the US, I’m sure you can find a nice place to surprise the kids with a walk through nature.
- Old Town Plaza: If you’re looking for free things to do with kids in Albuquerque, NM, you can try the Old Town Plaza, which includes food, jewelry, artwork, and more from the Native American, Spanish, and Anglo heritages.
- Indian Dances: Looking for more awesome things to do in Albuquerque, New Mexico? Try visiting the Indian dances located at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center. You’ll find them in the Cultural Center’s courtyard on the weekends during the summer months.
- Artesia Historical Museum and Art Center: If you live in southern New Mexico, the Artesia Historical Museum and Art Center is worth checking out.
- Sunset: Watch the sunset. New Mexico is known for it’s amazing sunsets, but sunsets are beautiful everywhere I’ve ever been lucky enough to see them, and they’re something so many of us miss out on. Grab the kids, some healthy snacks, and watch the sunset.
- Three Rivers Petroglyph Site: If you live or will be traveling by Carrizozo, New Mexico, be sure to stop by Three Rivers Petroglyph Site and see the trails that lead to several thousand petroglyphs that date back to 900 A.D.
- Carson National Forest: If you live close to or will be visiting Cimmaron, New Mexico, be sure to enjoy the National Forest; it’s amazing.
- Free Family Films: There are lots of theater chains that offer free or crazy-discounted movie days. I think the most we have paid is $1; it’s normally older movies, but the kids don’t mind. It’s still a blast.
- Water time: It’s warm in New Mexico and many other places, so why not put some sunscreen on and play in the water? If you don’t have a pool, grab the sprinkler!
- Carlsbad Caverns: This is one of the most amazing places to visit in New Mexico, and children 15 and under get in free, and they also have free days. You can learn more by calling or visiting their website. There are tons of adventures to be had at Carlsbad Caverns.
- Carlsbad Caverns Bat Flight: Watch almost 400,000 Brazilian free-tailed bats come out of the cave during the summer nights to eat bugs. It’s one of the most amazing things I’ve seen. You can also watch the bats return from 4 to 6 am at 25 mph or more. It’s a sight worth seeing and it’s located where I live, Carlsbad, NM.
- Spring River Park and Zoo: This is by far one of my favorite places to gather with the family. Everything is free, besides the $0.25 it costs to ride the carousel or mini train, but the zoo filled with native and exotic animals is free, and the park is free for everyone and extremely beautiful. It’s the perfect way to spend the day with the family.
- Fiesta Day: In early June, take part in the rodeo, bands, bicycle race, and parade in Aztec, New Mexico.
- New Mexico Wing, Confederate Air Force : This is a hanger filled with discarded vintage aircraft and parts open for the public to view. You can find this at the Lea County Airport in Hobbs New Mexico.
- Bitter Lake Wildlife Refuge: Love ducks, cranes, and geese? Catch them during migration at Bitter Lake Wildlife Refuge in Roswell, New Mexico.
- International UFO Museum and Research Center: I was born in Roswell, New Mexico, but shhhhhh. I don’t like to tell people because I have to hear UFO jokes and such. However, the International UFO Museum and Research Center is pretty cool and can’t be beat for the price. It tells the story of the UFO crash from 1947. Donations are accepted.
- Face painting: It’s messy, but so much fun! Let the kids go crazy with some face paint or pull out your old makeup that you no longer use and let them have some fun. Everything starts out sweet and innocent, like with the above picture of the nose. I wish I had a picture of what things really ended up looking like.
- Zoo: Check with the zoos in your area; they often have free days, and many have activities at night too.
- Camping in the backyard: There’s nothing like camping, especially in the comfort of the backyard. Load up some snacks and blankets, pitch a tent, and let the kids have fun. My kids love it, they don’t normally make it all night, but it’s fun to try.
- Gardening: Do you love to garden? Why not share your love for the outdoors and play in the dirt with the kids? They’ll love watching the beautiful things that come from all their hard work.
- Crafts: Crafts are a blast for everyone, and you can do just about anything from tie-dye shirts to building a scrapbook. Have fun and let your kids creativity go wild. Plus, it doesn’t matter whether you are looking for things to do in Alaska or California; crafts rock!
- Take the dogs for a walk: If you have a dog, be sure the kids take them for a walk. Great for the : puppy and your kids.
- Cloud watch: Watch the clouds and tell each other what you see. Loads of relaxing fun and a great way to get some sun.
- Look at the stars: Look at the stars! There are even some amazing apps you can download to help you identify constellations.
- Newspaper: Get the newspaper each day and see what is going on in your area that you can do for free with kids in New Mexico or anywhere else for that matter.
- Baking: Find a fun recipe and bake something the kids will like. You can even have a little fun and add some math in there and make them create their own list, so they’re using their little minds. We recently made some Cranberry Orange Muffins that were super easy, and the kids thought they were amazing.
- Go to the park: One of our favorite things to do is grab some snacks and head for the park. The kids get to burn some energy being outside while having a whole lot of fun; it’s a win-win!
The park is one of our very favorite things to do because the kids get to have fun, mom can meet a friend or two and enjoy an early morning or evening walk, the kids get tuckered, and we can bring along great snacks like CVS Gold Emblem Abound products, which you can grab at one of the 7,800 CVS locations. CVS Gold Emblem Abound products have quickly become some of our favorites because they are delicious, located at CVS, and perfect to take along on any adventure or daily activity to fuel the family. Want to know something else? There are plenty of gluten-free, heart-healthy, diet-friendly, high-fiber, and protein snacks. They have something to fit everyone’s lifestyle.
Not only are they great snacks to take with you while you’re on the go, they’re great for your daily meals and even creating some of your favorite snacks. One of my personal favorites is my new Easy No Bake Oatmeal Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Balls Recipe made with CVS Gold Emblem Steel Cut Oats! Talk about SUPER YUM, and the whole family loves them. I have to hide them in the freezer to keep everyone out of them, lol. So whether you’re heading for the park, a day at the zoo, or just hanging around the house with the family, be sure to check out CVS Gold Emblem products on your next trip to CVS. Oh, and if you don’t live close, you can shop online at CVS.com.
Summer has just started, and we have lots of plans with the kids, but there is no way we can afford to spend money on activities daily, so finding free things to do with the kids is awesome, and bringing along our own snacks is a must to save money for our family vacations. Do you have any free things to do with kids in New Mexico and beyond that you would like to share? Remember, it doesn’t have to be in New Mexico, just some fun and free things to do with kids this summer because I know there are parents hunting for new ideas.
Disclosure: I’m proud to partner with CVS/pharmacy as one of the “Gold Emblem Abound Trail Makers” this year! I am being sponsored by CVS/pharmacy for my Trail Makers posts and activities, but all opinions expressed are my own, and all product claims or program details shared should be verified at CVS.com or with the appropriate manufacturers.
