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Kid Tested, Mom and Dad approved!

Kids and Teens Programs

For more than 70 years, C Lazy U’s Children’s Program and Kid’s Club has helped children and teenagers build confidence and independence with the help of our experienced ranch counselors at C Lazy U’s family dude ranch. Our counselors are always refining the program, which revolves around horseback riding every day. Learn more about the kid’s horse program here.

Counselors supervise every age-appropriate activity (from horseback riding to pool time to a game and the Kids Corral) and are with the kids throughout the day. No matter where your child is, he or she will have a counselor nearby. The Teen Program even includes supervised trips, such as overnight camping, whitewater rafting and heading off-ranch to visit a local rodeo.

What makes C Lazy U dude ranch such a great place for kids and teens is the balance of family time and adventure time. During breakfast and after dinner, families enjoy plenty of quality time together. At C Lazy U guest ranch in Colorado, kids experience a family vacation of a lifetime and are kept busy from sunup to sundown, allowing adults to truly relax knowing that their children are happy, safe, and having fun!

kids show off the ribbons they won during their vacation at C Lazy U

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Pony Express Newsletter

Our Pony Express Newsletter is sent once a month and is chock full of fun facts, ranch updates, games and fun facts about the animals on the ranch. Sign up your children today!

Please fill out the form once per email address. For example, if your younger children will receive email at your email address, put their first names in the First Name field, and your email address in the Email field and submit. Then for your teen son who has his own email address, submit the form again with his information.


Seasonal Children’s Programs and Kid’s Club Options

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Summer Children’s Program

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When

  • Memorial Day Weekend (Friday – Monday) 3 night minimum
  • mid-June through mid-August (Sunday – Sunday) 7 night minimum
  • Labor Day Weekend (Friday – Monday) 3 night minimum

Hours

  • Counselor Supervision:
    • 8:45am to 12:00pm;
    • 1:45pm to 4:30pm
    • 6:00pm to 8:00pm
  • No counselor supervision 12:00pm to 1:45pm and 4:30pm – 6:00pm

Meals

  • Breakfast and lunch are enjoyed together as a family.
  • Adults eat separately from kids & teens for all dinners June through August.
  • No kids under 18 are permitted in the adult dining room during dinner.

Important Things to Know

Horseback riding is not offered on Sunday, June through August. It is available on Sunday for Memorial Day and Labor Day Weekends.

Sign Up?

  • The Children’s Program is included for all children ages 3-17.
  • The program is included for all kids, but many activities can be enjoyed as a family by taking your kids out of the program.

Baby Sitting

C Lazy U Ranch does not provide babysitting services but can recommend a local service. No kids under the age of 3 will be allowed in Children’s Program and require a babysitter/nanny. Cowpokes – ages 3 to 5 – must be potty trained. Discounted rates are available for families who bring a nanny who is caring for children under 3 (or un-potty trained 3-year-olds).

Ages

Four age groups:

  • Cowpokes (3 – 5)
  • Mustangs (6 – 11)
  • Outlaws (11 – 12)
  • Teens (13 – 17)

Program Activities

All horseback riding and many activities are enjoyed separately from mom and dad with counselors in age specific groups.

Fishing, pool time, counselor hunt, kids carnival, lawn games, cookouts, talent show, line dancing, capture the flag & hayrides.

  • Cowpokes (3 – 5): Arts and crafts, pool time, pony rides, donkey cart rides, movies, cookie decorating, ranger rides and scavenger hunts.
  • Mustangs (6 – 12): Horseback riding, sandwich ride, pool time, grooming clinics, game room, roping, swim ride and shodeo.
  • Outlaws (11 – 12): Same as 6-12 but includes ropes course, separate sandwich ride, some different night activities and some adult meals.
  • Teens (13 – 17): Horseback riding, ropes course, cattle clinics, whitewater rafting, go cart racing, overnight teen campout.

Family Activities

Friday family horseback ride, ropes course, fly fishing, zip line, trap shooting, archery, BB gun shooting, hatchet throwing, pool, spa, white water rafting, guided hiking & guided mountain biking.

Children in the kids program at C Lazy U ride out on a trail ride with their counselors.
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Holiday Winter Children’s Program

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When

  • Christmas and New Year’s
    5 night minimum

Hours

Counselor Supervision:

  • 9:00 am to 12:00 noon
  • 1:15 – 3:30 pm
  • 6:00 to 8:00 pm

Meals

  • Breakfast and lunch are enjoyed together as a family.
  • Adults eat separately from kids and young teens for all dinners.
  • Teens 16 and older have the option to eat with their parents.
  • No kids under 16 are permitted in the adult dining room.

Important Things to Know

  • Christmas day and New Year’s day are family days; there are no kids programs.
  • Families eat together for Christmas dinner.

Sign Up?

Sign up is not necessary: the ranch plans for all kids ages 3-17 to enjoy the Holiday Winter Children’s Program.

Baby Sitting

C Lazy U Ranch does not provide babysitting services but can recommend a local service. No kids under the age of 3 will be allowed in the Children’s Program and require a babysitter/nanny. Cowpokes – ages 3 to 5 – must be potty trained. Discounted rates are available for families who bring a nanny who is caring for children under 3 (or un-potty trained 3-year-olds).

Ages

  • Kids are grouped by age 3-17 and generally do most activities together.
  • Morning activities are dependent on the ages of the kids, interests & weather.
  • There are optional teen specific activities offered throughout the week.
  • In the afternoon, kids have the option to go tubing with or without mom and dad.

Program Activities

  • All horseback rides are enjoyed together as a family, via sign up in the Outfitter’s Cabin, along with all activities outside of the Holiday Winter Children’s Program.
  • AM – Arts and crafts, games in the Patio House, grooming clinics, pony rides for children under 7, sledding and tubing by the pond, ice skating and snow activities.
  • PM Kids 6-12 – Tubing hill
  • PM Teens – Guided cross country skiing or snowshoe lessons, fire building lesson at the warming hut & BB gun biathlon (11 years and older). Indoor Arena equestrian activities such as riding lessons, trail obstacle clinics and/or grooming clinics will also be available upon request (depends on Ranch Hand availability).

Family Activities

Horseback riding, guided snowshoeing, guided cross country skiing, trap shooting, snowmobiling, ice skating and tubing. Indoor Arena activities – BB guns, archery, and hatchet throwing.

A family sets out on a horseback riding during the holidays at C Lazy U Ranch
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Winter Kid’s Club

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When

  • January to April
    2 night minimum

Hours

Counselor Supervision:

  • 9:00 am to 12:00 noon
  • 1:15 pm – 3:30 pm

Meals

All meals are enjoyed together as a family.

Important Things to Know

  • Horseback riding is typically not offered on Sunday unless it is a holiday weekend. The feed wagon, sleigh rides and other activities will be available in lieu of horseback riding.
  • Please note that ice skating typically closes at the end of February due to warmer temperatures.
  • Winter activities are weather dependent.

Sign Up?

Sign up is required for the Winter Kid’s Club. This can be arranged prior to your arrival or on-site at the Outfitters Cabin. 24 hour advanced notice is required for the Winter Kid’s Club.

Baby Sitting

C Lazy U Ranch does not provide babysitting services but can recommend a local service. No kids under the age of 3 will be allowed in Kid’s Club and require a babysitter/nanny. Cowpokes – ages 3 to 5 – must be potty trained. Discounted rates available for families who bring a nanny who is caring for children under 3 (or un-potty trained 3-year-olds).

Ages

  • Kids are grouped by age 3-12 and generally do most activities together. We do not have a teen Kid’s Club in the winter.
  • Morning activities are dependent on the ages of the kids, interests & weather.
  • In the afternoon, kids have the option to enter the program and go tubing with or without mom and dad.

Program Activities

  • All horseback rides are enjoyed together as a family, via sign up in the Outfitter’s Cabin, along with all activities outside of the Winter Kid’s Club.
  • AM – Family rides, arts and crafts, games in the Patio House, grooming clinics, pony rides for children under 7, sledding and tubing by the pond, ice skating and snow activities.
  • PM – Tubing hill, guided cross country skiing or snowshoe lessons, fire building lesson at the warming hut & BB gun biathlon (11 years and older). Indoor Arena equestrian activities such as riding lessons, trail obstacle clinics and/or grooming clinics will also be available upon request.

Family Activities

Horseback riding, guided snowshoeing, guided cross country skiing, trap shooting, snowmobiling, ice skating and tubing. Indoor Arena activities – BB guns, archery, and hatchet throwing.

Two girls snowtubing during a winter getaway vacation at C Lazy U
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Spring & Fall Kid’s Club

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When

  • Spring: April to early June (before summer high season)
  • Fall: Late August to Thanksgiving weekend (after summer high season)
  • 2 night minimum required

Hours

Counselor Supervision:

  • 9:00 am to 12:00 noon
  • 1:15 pm – 3:30 pm

Meals

All meals are enjoyed together as a family.

Important Things to Know

Horseback riding is typically not offered on Sunday (but varies based on exact dates). Early spring and late fall can encounter inclement weather which can impact some activities. Please see our packing lists by season so you can come prepared for all types of weather.

Sign Up?

Sign up is required for the Spring and Fall Kid’s Club. This can be arranged prior to your arrival or on-site at the Outfitters Cabin. 24 hour advanced notice is required for the Spring and Fall Kid’s Club.

Baby Sitting

C Lazy U Ranch does not provide babysitting services but can recommend a local service. No kids under the age of 3 will be allowed in the Kid’s Club and require a babysitter or nanny. Kids ages 3 to 5 – must be potty trained. Discounted rates available for families who bring a nanny who is caring for children under 3 (or un-potty trained 3-year-olds).

Ages

  • Kids are grouped by age 3-12 and generally do most activities together. We do not have a teen Kid’s Club in the spring and fall.
  • Activities are dependent on the ages of the kids, interests & weather.

Program Activities

All horseback rides are enjoyed together as a family, along with all activities outside of the Spring and Fall Kid’s Club.

Activities with counselors include fishing, archery, bb gun shooting, arts and crafts, pony rides, donkey cart rides, movies, cookie decorating, ranger rides, scavenger hunts, grooming clinics, game room and roping.

Family Activities

Horseback riding, ropes course, fly fishing, zip line, trap shooting, archery, bb guns shooting, hatchet throwing, spa, white water rafting, guided hiking, guided mountain biking

A wee guest enjoys a donkey cart ride during his family's spring vacation at C Lazy U

Safety Is Our Top Priority Since 1949

Mackenzie Brenneman, Children's Program Director
Mackenzie Brenneman, Children’s Program Manager

Mackenzie first fell in love with the C Lazy U Ranch in 2010 when she spent her first summer working as a Kids Counselor. After that summer, the ranch was her home for the next 9 years where she did everything from running the Children’s Program, working in the barn as a wrangler, to Membership Director. In 2019, Mackenzie put up her cowboy hat for a few years to work for a local non-profit organization that provided recreational and social programs for children and families facing pediatric cancer. Mackenzie has a strong passion for working with children and horses, and she is so excited to join the ranch family again as the Children’s Program Manager. Mackenzie and her team will not only make certain that your child is paired with the perfect horse for the week, but better yet they will also ensure that your child makes lasting friendships and lifelong memories filled with adventure! In her spare time, Mackenzie volunteers for Grand County Search and Rescue and enjoys spending time in the backcountry with her husband Brian and their adorable wirehaired pointing griffon named Mugs!

Ensuring the safety of your child with pre-qualified and professionally trained counselors.

The C Lazy U Ranch Children’s Program dates back to 1949 when Marion Palmer founded it, and it continues to uphold its reputation for offering superior childcare so you can relax and enjoy your vacation and know that your children are in safe hands on and off the trail.

  • All counselors are administered a pre-employment screening which includes checking references and running a background check to ensure there are no issues in the past prior to being hired.
  • There is also an extensive evaluation of horsemanship skills to ensure that your children are safe out on the trail and receiving proper instruction on western horsemanship.
  • Every counselor goes through a comprehensive training program prior to starting each season when the Children’s Program is in operation.
  • Training includes learning the trails, horsemanship and horse safety.
  • Each counselor receives training and testing on standard procedures for handling all situations including emergencies on the trails and around the main ranch facilities.
  • All counselors are required to take a Basic Water Safety course from the American Red Cross for pool safety.
  • Every counselor (and all year-round staff) are required to have a current CPR and First Aid certification.
  • Counselors are required to have previous childcare experience as well as horseback riding experience.
  • Counselors are matched according to their area of expertise whether it is supervising teens, six- to twelve-year-olds or working with the younger children in the cowpokes group ages three to five.  Identifying the right role and matching the right counselor with the correct age group is key to the success of our program.
  • The Head Counselor and Assistant to the Head Counselor have over 10 years of combined experience working with kids at C Lazy U Ranch, ensuring the safety of your children.
  • The ranch ensures that at least one senior Children’s Program supervisor is on duty at all times.
  • Each counselor is assigned a maximum of eight children at any given time; typically it works out to be less than eight.

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Picture a place where meetings blend seamlessly with outdoor adventures, where team-building exercises unfold against the backdrop of majestic mountains, and where productivity flourishes in an atmosphere of authentic Western freedom. If you’re looking for a place to host a show-stopping team-building retreat or corporate event, look no further than C Lazy U Ranch in…

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From the Horse's Mouth

We loved chatting with the ranch hands and learning all about the history of C Lazy U. Special call out for Ally who was so friendly and showed us an excellent and adventurous ride all while making us feel welcome. Spencer's stories were fantastic and we appreciated him sharing his experiences all while having a great time exploring the trails. Franny was so helpful and attentive during the clinical sessions. I took lessons as a kid and never got so much one-on-one help with my posture and horsemanship. Though we were rusty, she made us feel so comfortable. We were both nervous but she put us immediately at ease. Thanks to the ranch hands for such a wonderful experience!

~ Laura N., 10/15/2021

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