Hi Kathy,

We started taking our 2 boys to Santa Fe when they were 4 and 7. We enjoyed at least 10 family trips there, maybe more. The following are things my boys really enjoyed:

Bandelier National Monument (been there 5 or more times, kids always loved it)

Santa Fe Ski Basin - if they have a lift running and it's a nice day

Half day raft trip out of Pilar (between Santa Fe and Taos) - lots of fun - everyone gets to paddle - not difficult

New Mexico Museum of Natural History in Albuquerque - extremely kid friendly - life size dinosaurs and good intro to the natural history of New Mexico - a great thing to do on the front end of the trip

Ghost walk tour of Santa Fe - did this one evening and the boys loved it - our guide made it really fun for the 4 or 5 kids in the group

I used to teach grades 4 -6 and found that my kids always got more out of field trips if we talked about what they were going to see before we went. If I was enthusiastic, they would be too. Have your parents "set the stage" by discussing all the things that make Santa Fe so special and unique - the mix of cultures, architecture, food, etc. Keep them busy and they'll have a great time!