Family Day Activities in Burlington 2012

It’s almost here – the second statutory holiday of the year and a day meant to share with your loved ones – Family Day 2012!  Burlington is a great place to celebrate Family Day, with a wide variety of events and activities you are sure to find something to please. 

For families looking to spend the day outdoors you need look no further than our local parks.  If the snow flies before the 20^th you can partake in tobogganing, snowshoeing and

cross-country skiing but rest assured that even without the white stuff there is plenty to see and do!

Baby goats at Mountsberg

Conservation Halton parks are a great place to walk, hike, birdwatch and enjoy nature.  At Mountsberg you can enjoy all things cute and cuddly with the arrival of baby goats and lambs to the Cameron barnyard! Moms and babies are all doing fine and are looking forward to visitors. Why not spend the day with the babies, play in the play barn and take a horse-drawn wagon ride ($) through the fields and forests. Then visit the Raptor Centre and take in the Birds of Prey show, this year you can also visit the Royal Ontario Museum’s spectacular Northern Owls exhibit being hosted at the park until February 23rd. Crawford Lake is home to a re-constructed 15^th century Iroquoian Village which you can explore or as part of their Season of the Snowsnake join the staff for a guided tours of the at 11am, 1pm and 3pm, try a guided winter survival hike at 2pm and create a craft or enjoy a discovery hunt from 10am to 4pm.  While the ground may be bare here, if you head to Glen Eden there is plenty of snow for you to ski, snowboard and tube on.  Look for special family day activities at the snow park to be announced soon.  Check out the video of our guest blogger Victoria Hughes and her daughter enjoying a private kinderski lesson.

Bronte Creek Provincial Park is another amazing location for enjoying the outdoors.  You can hike the trails, skate on the outdoor rink (weather permitting), visit the farm animals and explore the children’s play barn.  If you bring along your four legged friend they can run themselves out in the designated leash free areas.  There will also be special family day tours of the 1900’s farmhouse from 11am-3pm.
 
Lace up and head down to the Waterfront at Downtown Burlington.  Rotary Centennial Pond is open daily for skating from 10am-10pm (weather permitting) and the best part – it’s FREE!  While you are there you can also stroll the waterfront and the kids will love the playground in any weather.  Post skate, consider heading to one of the many downtown eateries for a hot chocolate or bite to eat.

Prefer your activities indoors?  The City of Burlington parks and recreation have some great family day activities planned.  Visit Tansley Woods and purchase a Family Day pass that allows you to participate in 3 activities at the Centre.  Activities run from 9:30am-4:30pm (see the website for schedule and activities).  Other drop-in programs will also be available including skating at Appleby Ice Centre and swimming at Aldershot  & Angela Coughlan pools.  Times and locations on the website.  Ever thought of joining the circus? Prestige Circus & Gymnastics School is having a family day free event.  Bring the kids and try out age appropriate circus skills and gymnastics.  Details online.


Facepainting at Kids Day


Looking for a family fun event?  The Rotary Club of Burlington Lakeshore presents Burlington’s Kids Day.  This family friendly event runs from 9am-5pm at Corpus Christie Secondary School with a pancake breakfast at 8:30am. Purchase a play all day wristband($15/child, $5/toddler under 2) and let the kids enjoy a wide variety of fun activities including professional entertainers, arts and crafts, sporting activities, inflatables and more!  Note: some additional activities are available at a nominal cost.  See the website for a complete listing.  There is food on-site so you don’t have to leave when the “hungrys” start.  I have visited this event in the past and it is very busy so be sure to pack some patience as the more popular activities may have line-ups.  It is a great way to spend the day and I highly recommend it – just be sure to visit the website for all the details on things like parking, strollers, changing areas, etc. before you go.

Checking out the Chocolate Exhibition at the RBG


A sweet way to spend family day is to visit the Royal Botanical Gardens for Chocolate: The Exhibition (running to April 15).  In addition to the amazing interactive exhibit from the Museum of Chicago there are numerous activities for kids of all ages.  Start with the chocolate chase, a self-guided scavenger hunt that can be traded in for a reward at the marketplace.  Visit the interpretive programs full of stories, activities, chocolate making and more.  Be sure to include a stop at the Gardens Café for a sweet lunch or snack while visiting.  Inside you can also explore the year round gardens and take in the Glass under Glass exhibits.  When you are done there are loads of great hiking/walking trails to explore and the birds at The Gardens are famously friendly (we hear they like sunflower seeds in the shell best).

For those looking for a culinary delight consider the self-guided Burlington Chocolate Trail, a decadent day of all things chocolate in Burlington.  Check out the video of our day on the trail.  Or consider prix fixe dining with a Taste of Burlington (Feb. 20-Mar.11) at twenty-five of Burlington’s finest restaurants.  You are sure to find something to please your palate.

Tourism Burlington will be closed on Family Day but we are always available on the web, via Facebook or Twitter.

Whatever you do, we hope you enjoy the day.  Have fun, play hard, eat well & enjoy!

March Break 2011

How can you NOT have fun on March Break? I remember when I was a young chicken - March Break was the highlight of my March; no school, no (or very little) snow and lots and lots of things to do. Burlington and the Halton region has always excelled in providing tons of entertainment to keep parents from going crazy, or having to take the whole week off work, whether their kids are 6 or 15 years old. This year, March Break is from March 14 to the 20 (not like your kids haven’t been reminding you every day for the past month or two). Whether your kids like to ski, hike, skate, swim, learn, explore or be creative – there is an activity for them to take part in this March Break.

There are March Break camps, skating, and swimming available at city facilities. The camps are for kids of all ages as well as camps available for kids and adults with disabilities. Click HERE to learn more about these camps and to see the schedules for skating and swimming. Please visit the City of Burlington website.

Do you have a 12-16 year old? Why not enroll them in Babysitter Training at the Tansley Woods Community Centre? During this 2-day course they will be trained in childcare, safety and their rights and responsibilities as a childcare provider. They will be given a babysitters certificate upon completion. This is a great way for young adults to gain experience and have the knowledge and skills to help out with younger siblings or even get a summer job! Click HERE to register.

The Royal Botanical Gardens has a multitude of activities planned to keep the children busy all week long. Wild Music: Sounds and Songs of Life, on daily, are holding an interactive drumming program on Tuesday, March 15, from 1pm-2pm. This program allows the participants a chance to play the drums and learn about the history around different instruments. There are also various day camps available for kids from 4-13 years old at the RBG; they range in topics from the forest, environmental science, frogs to maple syrup! Check out their website for more information and event registration.

Crawford Lake’s Sappy Strolls and Sweet Water Demonstrations are learning opportunities for the young and young at heart. These events include walking tours to learn about the First Nations’ maple tapping techniques and demonstrations about the origins of maple syrup. Sappy Strolls will happen twice daily at 11am and 2pm and Sweet Water Demonstrations will happen twice daily at 12pm and 3pm on March 12, 13, 19, and 20; for more information on these events and to see some of Crawford Lake’s other March Break activities visit Conservation Haltons’ website.

If your child has a love for the snow, and an interest in adventure, then Glen Eden’s ski and snowboarding camps would be perfect for them! Running from 9:30am to 3pm daily during March Break, these lessons are sure to be a hoot! No, I don’t mean there will be owls, you would be more likely to see owl’s at Mountsberg!

Speaking of Mountsberg, they also have exciting activities planned! Maple Town features horse drawn sleigh rides, maple syrup samples and best of all, the Pancake Pavilion; for more information read our previous blog, It’s Maple Syrup Time; we delve into Maple Town, Sweet Water Season and the Maple Syrup Festival held at Bronte Creek Provincial Park where guided tours of Maple Lane, wagon rides, the pancake house, maple museum and the Maple Gift Shoppe are all offered daily from 9:30am to 3pm.

Arts and Crafts are always something kids enjoy; why not check out the Burlington Art Centre’s various camps for ages 4-13. These aren’t just for children either! They have a great variety of adult studio classes. Or if you want to keep them active, Burlington Gymnastics offers half-day and full-day camps for ages 3-13. It’s bound to be a high-jumping of a tumbling good time!

Want to make your March Break a staycation? Holiday Inn Burlington is offering a one night standard room accommodation with daily live shows, movies and scavenger hunts to get the feeling of going away without really leaving our beautiful city!

Want to raise a little chef or just get your family more involved with dinner at home? Paradiso Restaurant hosts cooking classes throughout the seasons but during March Break, it’s Kids Only Kooking Klass! Paradiso has put together a collection of 3 hour classes to introduce some basic techniques to kids in the kitchen with the use of household items.

Heritage is an important topic for some families, why not have your children understand the history of Burlington and Chief Joseph Brant and the Ireland Family. Both Joseph Brant Museum and Ireland House at Oakridge farm are open this March Break and offering Mystery Investigations workshops, make SWEET stuff and beware of the wild things with special guests and a mix of activities, crafts and entertainment.

We know March Break can’t be frustrating and sometimes expensive. We hope you enjoy all that Burlington has to offer, like our Coupon Book with deals from Burlington Bowl, Climber’s Rock, Conservation Halton, Lil’ Monkeys Indoor Playground, Royal Botanical Gardens and other great restaurants and shopping destinations!