Children's Program

Our Children's Program is offered from June 6 through September 5.

Weave a dreamcatcher. Tie dye a shirt. Make music with your new homemade instruments! Climb up into the treehouse, and learn about why the crows talk the way they do. Sprawl around the tipis with your friends while one of the counselors tells you a Native American legend. Bring a pan down to the river and see if you can turn up any gold!

When children play, they let their imaginations lead them from world to world, activity to activity, from drama and action to quiet reflection. Our outdoor youth program values and encourages this in your children. We let the day flow intuitively—we start out actively, playing outdoor, boisterous games as the sun warms the grass, and then moves to less energetic activities, crafting, and storytelling after lunch. You’ll be amazed each night as you sit down at dinner, and your children come running in and rattle off facts about the Colorado ecosystem they learned that day.

Each evening, your children have the option of eating with the other kids on our Dinner Bell deck, or enjoying a meal with you and the family on the pavilion. Afterwards, there is time for a raucous game of capture the flag, water balloon launching, or tag. You’ll enjoy your dinner all the more hearing the kids’ laughter rising from the meadow.

Our children’s program has it’s own location: a cabin called the Homestead where a warm couch, tables and art supplies abound for fun summer days on the ranch. It is located adjacent to the corrals, for easy access to pony rides and mid-day horse treat feedings, and next door to the chicken coop, where the kids can enjoy finding eggs and feeding the many friendly, chattering birds in their yard. There is no end to the learning adventures your kids will enjoy at Smith Fork Ranch!