It’s easy to want to forgo a trip to the mountains this time of year, especially when you have kiddos in tow. But we found three adventures this month that are worth the slog up I-70.

First Timer Ski and Snowboard Lessons
Now through March 25, Frisco Adventure Park

When you take your child skiing for the first time, what’s more frightening: the nascent skills of your inexperienced skier or the other people on the slopes? If it’s the latter, the Frisco Adventure Park offers a chance to remove those external fear factors. Kids (or kids at heart) over 8 years old can experience the park’s First Time Beginner Lesson, taught by instructors from Copper Mountain’s ski school. The two-hour lesson, which includes an all-day lift ticket, offers kids a gentle slope without any speedy skiers or snowboarders flying through the area. Students under 18 years old must wear and helmet, and all participants are required to bring/rent personal gear as no rentals are available at the park.

Cost: $79

Kidtopia Experience
February 19 to 21, Keystone Resort

If you haven’t taken the family to Keystone Resort, you’re missing out on more than 3,000 acres of terrain. The resort’s Kidtopia wrangles a ski school, tubing, and the world’s largest snow fort into one location. To showcase the offerings, the Kidtopia Experience weekend will include a concert from Denver-based bluegrass duo, the Okee Dokee Brothers, scavenger hunts, fireworks, a night sky exploration event, and daily cookie time.

?Cost: Free. Plus, kids 12 years old and under ski free with two nights of lodging

Family Mountaineering Weekend
February 26 to 28, YMCA of the Rockies, Estes Park

Mountaineering conjures up scenes of grizzled adventurers trudging up a snowy cliff during a blizzard. That’s not something that sounds particularly fun with a young outdoor enthusiast. The YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park is bucking the stereotype with a weekend dedicated to guiding and teaching families how to enjoy the great outdoors, even when it’s covered with snow. Activities include igloo making, snowshoeing, beacon training, snow safety workshops, and an expedition into Rocky Mountain National Park. On Saturday night, rock climber Tommy Caldwell and his wife Becca will share how they’ve gone about including their young son Fitz in their outdoor adventures.

Cost: All activities are free with lodge rooms starting at $99

Follow assistant editor Lindsey R. McKissick on Twitter @LindseyRMcK.