Several provinces in Canada will be celebrating Family Day (while other provinces may call the holiday something different) on February 18 and if you’re lucky enough to be spending it with your grandkids, we have some great ideas for getting the most out of the day.
There are countless events taking place across the country, providing fun and entertainment for the whole family. Here are some ideas for how you and the grandkids can enjoy the day together.
Get out and enjoy some fresh air
Hundreds of skating rinks are open all across Canada and many of them offer free skating on Family Day.
Some rinks are even organizing Family Day specific skating parties. In Saskatoon, the Cameco Family Day Skating Party also has sleigh rides, face painting, balloon animals and prizes.
Celebration Square in Mississauga is hosting its Big Family Day Skate with a DJ, kids’ activities, a photo booth and tasty treats. What more could you want?
Hit the slopes
For the more adventurous, skiing or snowshoeing with the grandkids are great ways to spend Family Day.
Some ski hills are organizing special Family Day events. Grouse Mountain, north of Vancouver, is offering half-price lift tickets and Family Day activities, including a pancake breakfast, a skate dance party and free snowshoe tours.
Blue Mountain in Ontario also has a Family Day weekend event, including a dance party, scavenger hunt and fireworks. Just make sure to bundle up!
Get active – or just watch your grandkids bounce around
How about getting some fun exercise with your grandkids? Many YMCAs are offering free Family Day activities including family gym, table tennis and badminton sessions.
If you’re sensitive to the brisk temperatures, one great way to escape the cold weather is to take your family swimming. Swimming pools will be open all across the country on Family Day. In Toronto alone, 18 pools are offering free Family Day swim sessions.
If you’d rather sit back and watch the kids tire themselves out, indoor rock climbing and trampoline parks are a great option.
Experience some culture
Most museums and art galleries across Canada will be open this Family Day and many of them are holding special events.
The Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto is celebrating Family Day with music, dancing and interactive activities. There will be an all-day dance party where kids can learn new moves, a collage party and a family karaoke lounge as well as lots of creative activities.
There will be a variety of free events offered at the Niagara Falls Museum, including an Earth Rangers show on habitat conservation, scavenger hunts and family portraits.
Big winter festivals for the whole family
There are fun events planned across the country that are happening over the Family Day weekend this year.
The Waskimo Winter Festival in Regina has a large assortment of free, indoor and outdoor activities, including outdoor races, snow cricket, sleigh rides, sled dog races, KAOS Dogs, balloon sculpting, live entertainment and magicians.
The Eau Claire Market in Calgary is running a Family Fun Day with free entertainment, a dance party, carnival games, a magician, kids’ crafts and lots more.
If you like the idea of being indoors and relaxing while the kids go crazy, Kids Fest Toronto could be just the ticket. It boasts the largest collection of indoor inflatable rides as well as entertainment like Mad Science and Magician Toronto. There is also a live DJ dance show, carnival games and fun treats.
Finding Family Day fun in your neighbourhood
To help you decide on an activity you’d like to do with your grandkids, just go online and search for Family Day + your location + either your local YMCA, ski resort, rink, pool, museum or art gallery.
Or, if you’d rather go to a big Family Day festival, search up Family Day events + your town/city.
There is so much going on for this year’s Family Day that, wherever you are, you’re bound to find an event that will make it a fun and memorable day for you and your grandkids.
