Opportunities for children are extensive

Craig is a child-friendly city that offers numerous educational and recreational opportunities year-round.

The Boys & Girls Club of Craig, on the east side of city, offers after-school care for children of all ages during the school year, and all-day activities in the summer.

The club assists students with homework, and offers a variety of groups to teach youths computer skills, character development and new crafts. The club features a large gym, game tables, movie room and computer space.

In the warm months, the Parks and Recreation Departments offer a variety of sporting leagues for children to participate in, as well as horseback riding excursions. Craig's numerous parks play host to seemingly ongoing sporting events throughout the summer.

The Craig Swimming Complex, located at City Park, offers a six-lane L-shaped pool with a 12-foot deep diving well and one of only two wave pools on the Western Slope. The wave pool begins at zero-depth and increases.

Swim lessons and raft rentals are available at the complex.

The Craig branch of Moffat County Libraries offers story times on Thursday morning, followed by a craft project related to the book read. In the summer, the library moves story times to the park.

The indoor ice arena at Loudy-Simpson Park south of Craig allows children (and adults, too) the chance to get out on the ice during open skate hours or through organized hockey teams.

The arena offers skate rentals and even the occasional introductory lesson to beginners.

Parks and Rec also offers a ski program that transports Craig youths to nearby Steamboat Springs for a day or skiing or boarding.

Craig also offers Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts and 4-H to youths in the area, providing children the opportunity to learn new skills and make new friends. There are innumerable activities with which to get involved offered through children's schools, such as art and science clubs. Churches also offer a variety of activities, such as vacation Bible schools in the summer, and programs, like First Christian Church's Joyful Noisemakers singing club.

Yampatika, a local nonprofit environmental education organization dedicated to teaching about the natural and cultural resources of Northwest Colorado, also has a number of summer youth programs for children who are ages 3 to 14. In addition, Yampatika offers field seminars throughout the summer to explore topics such as wild mushrooms and animal tracking. Many of the seminars are family oriented.