Entertaining the family hits the wallet hard. But there are a number of Denver-area bargains to make family fun more affordable…if you know where to find them. Do your budget a favor and tuck this list in your wallet.

1. Kids five and under ride free on RTD buses and light rail, kids six to 19 receive a discount.

2. Families can borrow culture passes to visit museums and attractions around Denver and state park passes from libraries in the metro Denver area.

3. Through the Free for Kids program, Denver Art Museum general admission is free to kids age 18 and under every day.

4. The Scientific & Cultural Facilities District (SCFD) makes a number of free admission days possible for popular museums and attractions around metro Denver. Be sure to arrive early though, parking can be more difficult and crowds much larger on free days.

5. In the fall, every Colorado kid in fifth grade can register for the 5th Grade Passport Program to receive three free days of skiing and snowboarding at each of 22 Colorado ski resorts. Kids in sixth grade receive four days of skiing and snowboarding at the 22 resorts for $125.

6. Summer evenings in Colorado are for family picnics with a free outdoor concert or outdoor movie. Check with the local city or parks district for scheduled events.

7. Every winter a number of free or low-cost outdoor ice-skating rinks pop up around the city. Skyline park in downtown Denver offers visitors free ice skating if they bring their own skates (low cost skate rentals available).

8. Littleton Museum and Aurora History Museum are packed with things to see and explore and they are free every day.

9. Sign up your fourth grader for an Every Kid in a Park pass and your family can visit hundreds of federal land or water sites for free during your child’s fourth grade school year and the following summer. Sites around the country include National Parks, National Historic Sites, National Marine Sanctuaries and Reserves, and National Forests.

10. Eating out can take a bite out of the food budget, but there is a place for kids to eat free every night of the week. Check out our list of Kids Eat Free Meals at ColoradoParent.com.

Curtain Up!

If your child loves to imagine, play dress-up, and indulge in storytelling, take a seat in front of one of metro Denver’s outstanding stages for children’s theater.

• Arvada Center 
• Denver Center for the Performing Arts 
• Denver Children’s Theatre at the Mizel Arts and Culture Center