Bozeman, Mont., is a city in the Gallatin Valley in Gallatin County. Although it's a college town, home to Montana State University, the city offers many activities for children to enjoy. Throughout the year, whether its summer or winter, you'll find a long list of things for kids to do in Bozeman to keep them entertained.
Kids visiting the Children's Museum of Bozeman will find hands-on, sensory exhibits and programs. Exhibits include a 110-gallon aquarium, a puppet theater, a reading corner and a veterinary clinic with X-rays and anatomical models. Six-week after schools programs are offered for kids in kindegarten through the 5th grade. Admission is free after 5 p.m. on Fridays, when children can participate in activities such as family movie night, face-painting, games night or a dance party. The museum offers other activities including weekly art projects, art lessons and painting projects. Children's Museum of Bozeman is closed on Sundays.
In Bozeman, children can enjoy year-round outdoor recreation. The Gallatin Valley Bicycle Club offers bicycle rides for families with children up to 10 years old. The kids will ride their bikes on the town bike paths, along Bozeman’s town trails, or for kids ages 9 and older, on the trail loop in Bohart Ranch. During winter, kids can ice skate in the ice rink in 2.2-acre Beall City Park, 6.8-acre Bogert City Park or 6.5-acre Southside City Park. In the Bridger Bowl ski area, located 16 miles north of Bozeman, kids can take a single lesson or a five-week program as a group to learn how to ski or snowboard.
The annual Wild West Winterfest, on its ninth year in 2011, takes place in the Gallatin County Fairgrounds. During the three-day event in February, kids will enjoy the horse sale, dog keg pull, children's art show and the petting zoo. The Watershed Festival in May is sponsored by the Montana Outdoor Science School. It celebrates its 13th year in 2011 and promotes awareness of and responsibility towards the natural resources found within Bozeman's watersheds. The event in 2010 featured educational exhibitors, live music, face painting, fly casting and tying, fish dissections, food, storytelling and T-shirt making.
The city of Bozeman offers recreational programs for children who are residents and non-residents. Kids starting as young as 6 months old can take swimming lessons in the Bozeman Swim Center. Kids can take tennis lessons or take a class about bike safety. Children can attend an avalanche awareness program, take a rock climbing class or learn about surviving in the outdoors in an outdoor skills class. Other programs include lessons in ice skating, snorkeling and boating. The cost and duration of the programs vary depending on the program.
