Having grown up in Texas, Mr. Jo and I didn’t go skiing for the first time until after we met in college. Though we are still beginners, we love this winter sport so much that we want our kids to learn how to ski from an early age.
Last Year’s Ski Trip
Last year, we went to Purgatory Ski Resort and we brought Jo Jr. (3) with us. Missy Jo was only 1 at the time, so we left her at home with the grandparents. At Purgatory, they only had ski bike lessons for toddlers, so we enrolled Jo Jr. in those classes. Despite being shy and afraid of strangers, he loved the classes and kept asking to go back.
Why Breckenridge?
This year, we decided to go to Breckenridge, Colorado for our family (and friends) ski trip. We had taken a super fun summer friends vacation to “Breck” last year, so we thought we’d go back again!
To Bring or Not to Bring the Toddler…
Mr. Jo and I debated for awhile about whether to bring Missy Jo. Since she’s not 3 yet, she can’t attend ski school. If we brought her, we would have to figure out something to keep her entertained.
In the end, we brought her along because I didn’t want her to feel abandoned. Mom guilt is real y’all. Plus, I was looking forward to some mother-daughter bonding time.
Breckenridge Toddler Activities
We stayed in Breckenridge from Wednesday night to Sunday morning (2/27/19-3/3/19), which meant I needed toddler activities for 3 days. Hubby and I both researched all the fun toddler-friendly activities and here’s what we ended up doing.
Sledding in Carter Park
While Mr. Jo, Jo Jr., and our friends were skiing, I took Missy Jo to Carter Park (totally free!) for some sledding! Our Airbnb didn’t have a sled already, so we headed over to Breckenridge Market and Liquor (the closest grocery store) and bought a tube for about $20. They didn’t sell any of those plastic sleds, so we thought we would give this a try.
When we got to Carter Park, we found that there were 5-6 sleds there that you could borrow. There weren’t that many people there when we went, so I’m guessing they may not be available on a busier day. They also sell these at the closest grocery store, City Market (same as Kroger) for $10-$15. The tubes do go a little faster than the sleds.
Missy Jo and I had a blast sledding down the hill. Every time we got to the bottom, all Missy Jo kept saying was, “again!” The hill was pretty perfect as far as incline. There were a few two and even one-year-olds sledding down by themselves on little round shield-shaped sleds.
The only downside is that you have to walk back up the hill each time. Missy Jo wasn’t really into walking in the snow so I had to carry her on my shoulders. After about 4 times, we were done! We laid down in the snow and made a few pretty awesome snow angels before we headed back to our Airbnb.
Breckenridge Recreation Center
On our second day of mommy-daughter fun, we went to the Breckenridge Recreation Center. Surprisingly, there was a lot for kids to do there. On Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 8 am to 12 pm, they have family open gym. Basically, they set up 3 large bounce houses in the gym. Also, they have a small slide, foam octagon, and mat. Missy Jo had a great time bouncing around, and I got a decent work out just chasing after her in the bounce houses.
The recreation center also has a permanent indoor play gym that was really nice.
Along with that, they had a rock climbing wall and indoor pool with a massive slide too.
Mountain Top Children’s Museum
The Mountain Top Children’s Museum was Missy Jo’s favorite activity of the trip. If you’ve been to Play Street Museum, it is somewhat similar but much more to do. The place was jam-packed with activities. There’s a toddler area, a building area, an arts/crafts area, a medical area, a dress-up area, and more!
We stayed for about 2 hours, but Missy Jo would have stayed even longer if it weren’t time for her nap. The great thing is, they are open from 10:00 am to 4:30 pm but you can come and go as you please. Mr. Jo took her back in the afternoon along with Jo Jr. after ski school let out.
The cost for admission is $8 per child and $6 per adult. Grandparents’ admission is $1. Parking can be a little challenging. However, there is a paid lot nearby where it costs $5 to park.
Where to Go for Yummy Treats!
For me, one of the best parts of going on vacation with kids is eating yummy treats! Of course, we made a trip to Clint’s Bakery and Coffee on Main Street for the best (giant) frosted sugar cookie anywhere. They also have ice cream, brownies (try the s’mores!), cupcakes, and much more!
As a reward for graduating from ski school, we promised Jo Jr. some ice cream. While we were waiting for dinner at Bangkok Happy Bowl Thai Bistro and Sushi Bar (food was ok), we decided to have dessert before dinner at Higgles Ice Cream across the street.
The ice cream was delicious! And, they had some pretty unique flavors. In addition to several Girl Scout cookie flavors, their Honey & Lavender was perfectly balanced and so good. We also had the salted caramel oreo which really satisfied Mr. Jo’s sweet tooth.
The kiddos went for plain chocolate, and that was just as good!
Finally, who can forget Crepes a la Cart? Though they offer sweet and savory crepes, we went for the sweet again. Mr. Jo got the s’mores and everyone enjoyed a couple bites.
Bye Bye, Breck!
Before we knew it, it was time to head home. Surprisingly, this trip was pretty low stress, even with our two crazy toddlers. We’ll definitely be coming back to Breckenridge soon and often!
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