Edventures

New Mexico True Ed-Ventures

When is a vacation more than a vacation? When it’s an ed-venture! We’ve pulled together a list of some of the best learning opportunities for kids to deliver a double dose of excitement and education during your next family vacation. Whether you have a few hours to kill or a few days to commit, your child will love these special events, camps, and workshops found in all four corners of the state.

Is your child a Space Superhero?

New Mexico Rocketeer Academy

New Mexico’s roots in space history run deep. From re-entry capsules to rockets, the Land of Enchantment is home to many of the technology breakthroughs behind space exploration as we know it today.

Want to be a rocket scientist? Or just know what they do? New Mexico Rocketeer Academy has something for the young astronaut in each of us, whether it’s week-long summer camps or education programs held here at the museum or in your class.

Learn more about the New Mexico Rocketeer Academy

Bonus: Travel the New Mexico Space Trail to 52 historic sites important to our nation’s space history, and plan a night at the City of Rocks State Park for astronomical camping surrounded by information about the solar system.

Is your child an Extraordinary Explorer?

Candlelit Lantern Tour

Prepare for awe as your budding geologist gets an eyeful inside one of the world’s most impressive natural wonders. Each day at Carlsbad Caverns National Park in Carlsbad, park rangers lead a candlelit lantern tour through Left Hand Tunnel, an undeveloped section of the caverns. Children 6 and over (with a parent or guardian) will be amazed as they learn about natural science during this top-notch tour.

Learn more about the Candlelit Lantern Tour

Bonus: Stick around to see thousands of Brazilian Free-Tailed Bats exit the caverns each evening from mid-April to late-October.

Summer Outdoor Adventure Programs

With classrooms ranging from the riverbeds and canyons of the Rio Grande Valley to the headwaters of the Jemez River, the Summer Outdoor Adventure Programs at the Pajarito Environmental Education Center in Los Alamos are wonderful ways to explore the diverse ecosystems and cultures of Northern New Mexico. Camps include The Nature Odyssey Outdoor Adventure Program (grades 4-6), Living Earth Adventure Program (grades 7-8), and Backpacking Adventure for Teens (grades 9-12).

Learn more about Summer Outdoor Adventure Programs

Candlelit lantern tour through a New Mexico cave.

Is your child a Wild Thing?

Take a Llama to Lunch

Kids learn the basics of ecology, sustainability, history and wilderness skills as they hike with llamas from Wild Earth Adventures. Each guided hike is accompanied by a gourmet meal (all fresh ingredients carried in by the llamas) to be enjoyed in the pristine wilderness surrounding Taos. Multi-day adventures are also available, where families may choose to summit peaks, explore ancient forests, or discover hidden alpine lakes and meadows. Educational nature games and lessons about tracking come standard, and evenings are enjoyed sitting around the campfire, telling stories, and having fun.

Learn more about Llama Trekking

Bonus: Walk with a wolf near El Morro National Monument at the Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary.

Is your child a Budding Buckaroo?

Fort Stanton Live and Old Lincoln Days

Kids on the hunt for action need look no further than these two events. Each July at the Fort Stanton Historic Site, and in August at the Lincoln Historic Site (both in SE New Mexico), families will encounter reenactments in period costume, old-fashioned kids games, and dynamic opportunities to learn the important history that forts played in the settling of the great American West, as well as experience what life in the 1800’s was like. As a bonus, Old Lincoln Days boasts the country's oldest running Western Pageant "The Last Escape of Billy the Kid."

Learn more about Fort Stanton Live and Old Lincoln Days

Is your child a Creative Genius?

Arts Alive!

Every summer at the Museum of International Folk Art and Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, Arts Alive! brings kids K-through-12 together with some of New Mexico’s most prominent folk and Native American artists. Children will learn about traditional art forms from different cultures as they make their own pottery, baskets, and notched paper picture frames. While enjoying the creative process, children learn the unique history and uses of their art creations and the place they hold in New Mexican culture.

Learn more about Arts Alive!

Is your child a Cultured Character?

Flamenco Kids Camp

Held each June in concert with the Festival Flamenco Internacional de Albuquerque, children ages 6-12 are invited to learn the full range of flamenco arts and culture via classes in dance, guitar, cajón (percussion), cante (singing), Spanish language, and literacy. This two-week camp at the Conservatory of Flamenco Arts concludes with a student performance at the historic KiMo Theater in downtown Albuquerque.

Learn more about Flamenco Kids Camp

Bonus: Check out the Kids Camp at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center for hands-on workshops in printmaking, pottery, and painting. Children also learn to cook their own Pueblo-inspired cuisine.

International Flamenco Festival (Festival Flamenco Internacional de Alburquerque)

Looking for Creative Exploration?

Creative Soul Scavenger Hunts

Designed to help your team take a deeper dive into Santa Fe and Taos, the goal of these scavenger hunts is to provide rare opportunities to connect with this unique and beautiful state. Take the chance to explore New Mexico in a different and creative way. Be led by your host to find fun and unique experiences in the Land of Enchantment. This is no piece of paper with a hunt list or an employee following a script. Each hunt is personally curated and slightly different depending on your responses. Your team and the energy you bring will be the defining element in an adventure through Santa Fe and Taos itself. This game is designed for all ages of people who like to have fun, explore, be creative and learn new things.

Learn more about Creative Soul Scavenger Hunts!

New Mexico's Gateways to Adventure