Meet Christy Schaefer | Content Creator, Slides and Sunshine

We had the good fortune of connecting with Christy Schaefer and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Christy, as a parent, what have you done for you children that you feel has had the most significant impact?
Being a parent is the toughest, and most important, job there is! My husband and I have three daughters and have realized that you’ve never arrived in parenting. It is always about learning and trying to do better next time. We heard a talk on parenting years ago and ever since, we have had an overall goal of raising our girls to be great adults. Does that mean we don’t have a lot of fun and silliness along the way? Of course not. We love spending time together, playing at parks, watching movies, and solving escape rooms. Along the way, though, we focus on teaching them responsibility, to take pride in their work, and to treat others with kindness. With all that being said, when I think about the most important thing we do as parents, it is actually being honest with our kids and letting them when we don’t know what we’re doing. We constantly say things like “you’re the first kid we’ve ever had that has done this” or “we’ve never taught someone how to …” and then we follow it with “so let’s figure this out together.” We are open with our girls and, in turn, they are open with us. We talk a lot within our four walls, we listen to their problems, and we tackle them together. We live life as a team.

What should our readers know about your business?
Slides and Sunshine is a free resource for parents, grandparents, and Coloradans that provides recommendations for family-friendly activities and events across the state. I began with a desire to help provide opportunities for children to find joy playing outside, away from their screens, and have expanded to include indoor play opportunities, festivals, local sports, concerts, and even some travel. I work with local companies as sponsors and advertisers to help other Colorado parents reach a larger audience, but also to continue to offer this as a free resource for those that need it. There are definitely times when it hasn’t been easy, when I’ve been frustrated by social media algorithms, my lack of business background, and even the crazy Colorado weather, but remembering my why and seeing the “thank you’s” in my inbox from families having fun together keep me going. I love what I do and love being a tourist in my home state! If you have a child in your life, make sure to check us out at slidesandsunshine.com and find amazing places to go just around the corner.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
This is a great question, Colorado has such amazing places to visit!

In the Denver area, I’d recommend the Museum of Nature and Science with its new nature playground, traveling exhibits, and the view from the secret fourth floor rooftop is incredible. If you’re looking for some unique, active fun, check out Archery Games Denver for a crazy game of archery dodgeball or Treehouse Adventures for the most amazing ziplines and ropes course! If you’re visiting in the summer, fall, or even the holidays, I would take you to Colorado Railbike Adventures to ride along train tracks from the 1800’s and experience the history of small town mining, and pickle!, industry.

For some unique food experiences, my favorites are the Downtown Aquarium restaurant (you may spot a mermaid swimming by!) and Casa Bonita (watch for reservations far in advance). If you’re all about supporting local small businesses, check out downtown Erie with my favorites: The Birdhouse (can’t go wrong with tacos and ramen!), Piripi for fine dining, and Sweets for an ice cream treat.

If you’re visiting with family, I would sprinkle in some parks along the way. They are such a great way to enjoy the Colorado sunshine, let kids run off some energy, and they’re free so you can spend minutes or even hours playing! Some of our favorites include the massive farm-themed playground at Twin Silo Park in Fort Collins, the bike pump track at Erie Community Park, and Clear Creek Valley Park in Arvada with its celery slide and chicken coop play structure. I love helping people find the perfect place to play – message me @slidesandsunshine if you need a recommendation near you!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My family deserves so much credit in the creation of Slides and Sunshine. After years of our family park tour and many friends commenting that I should do something to share the information with other parents, it was my husband Jeff’s encouragement that ultimately led to the decision. My daughters are amazing, never complaining about going somewhere for me to review, and always having a smile for the pictures I need. We have been able to become tourists in our own state and I love being able to do this together. A huge thank you to all of my friends and family that have been with me along the way, providing words of encouragement, sharing Slides and Sunshine with others, and helping me find the next great place in Colorado to review!

Website: https://slidesandsunshine.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/slidesandsunshine/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christy-schaefer-08700744/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/slidesandsunshine