Family friendly activities in the beautiful province of Quebec and surrounding area. Find tips and guides for hiking, traveling, outdoor and indoor time with your kids.
Ottawa, Canada’s Capital, offers many family-friendly activities and is known for the wide selection of the National museums and nature activities just on the city outskirts.
Here is the list of activities (ideal for wintertime but it can be equally enjoyable during the summer):
– Parliament Hill
– Museums
– Byward Market
– Rideau Canal Skateway
– Gatineau Park
– Wakefield
– Mer Bleue
– Parc Omega
– Fairmont – Le Chateau Montebello
– Hockey Game
Upper Canada Village is a heritage park that lets you experience a rural English Canadian village in the late 19th century (around 1860s). It features over 40 authentic buildings, several working mills, and trade buildings. Most of the houses were physically moved there during the Seaway Project. The village staff, dressed in clothing of the time, is demonstrating various activities such as gardening and traditional farming vegetables and livestock. Other trade demonstrations include blacksmith, cabinetmaker, baker, shoemaker, cooper, physician and many more. Kids of all ages can enjoy the village, with lots of learning activities.
Oh, Charlevoix! The region with the nicest landscape and views of the St Lawerence River. Route Des Saveurs is a road along green hills and mountains with numerous local producers. We were hopping from one artisan shop and producer to the other, and the views, oh the views! This post is about our week in the Charlevoix area in the summer, where we visited farms, art boutiques, pottery shops, restaurants, and beaches. All suitable for families with kids.
Isle-aux-Coudes is located off the shore of Charlevoix on the St. Lawrence River. The 23km island is known for its cycling adventure and splendid views of the Charlevoix hills and mountains. The short free-of-charge ferry boat ride with the car is a nice experience. During the summertime you can enjoy many festivals and events on the island. It is part of La Route des Saveurs (a culinary route) with featured local producers and restaurants in the area.
Le Potager Mont Rouge is offering several self-picking fruits and veggies from their field, such as strawberries, sweet corns, tomatoes, apples and pumpkins. Great for families, enjoy a picnic near the apple trees, a playground with a giant trampoline and a mini-farm. We had fun picking strawberries and of course, the tractor ride! The views of the surrounding hills of Mont Rouge are very charming.
Clef des Champs is a beautiful garden (organic certified) with 150 medicinal plants planted on terraces of a mountain in Val-David. Open for only 5 weeks in the summer this garden has great views of the surrounding hills. Learn about the medicinal herbs with informative signs along the path, exploring the health benefits of these plants. Our kids liked the witch garden with toxic plants. We spent about an hour in the garden, including the playground, headed for lunch in Val-David, and continued on a short bicycle ride on the Petit Train du Nord which is located nearby.
Maison Lavande is a beautiful lavender field located only 45 minutes from Montreal. This picturesque gem has a high-end provencal look and feel. Come here to relax (even with kids) 🙂 Stroll around the lavender field and enjoy the many relaxing chairs, an elevated viewpoint, a giant swing, a playground, a bistro with lavender ice cream! and a shop with homemade beauty products made from the grown lavender.
45 minutes south of Montreal, you will find a safari, aquapark and an amusement park, all in one place. Parc Safari is offering a close encounter with 500 animals and 97 species. Enjoy a family day outing near Montreal watching the animals during a safari drive, while walking on a footbridge, terrace and inside a tunnel. Daily events offer animations and education sessions with the park staff.
Terre des bisons farm is great for kids to learn about the bison and elks in North America. Discover the history of the bison in the discovery center, watch the animals from close proximity while hiking 1.2km around the large farm.
Île-des-Moulins is located 30 minutes from downtown Montreal and nearby Laval, on the north shores of the Riviere des Mille-Iles and of the Riviere des Prairies. This small island is considered one of the most important pre-industrial site of the 19th century, a historical site, as it used to have a large complex of buildings from that era (today only 5 remained). The first flour mill was built in 1721 and a sawmill in 1725. Many other mills were built in the 19th century. We headed to Terrebonne on a cold autumn weekend day and we discovered a gem! Enjoy the sounds of the streaming water, cross the dam towards Île Saint-Jean and be inspired by the old buildings and mills.
Nearby Montreal, Mont Saint-Hilaire (elevation of 414 meters) is known for its apple orchards thanks to the soil which is ideal for the growth of apple trees. The orchard, located on the southern slopes of the mountain, offers a large playground, a mini-farm, a restaurant and a shop for homemade ciders and other local produce. In addition to a variety of 20 types of apples for self-picking, there are many other activities like a giant maze, a tractor ride (during the weekend only) and a treasure hunt.
Built during the war of 1812 to protect against an American attack on a strategic and elevated location, nearby the Ontario Lake, the Cataraqui River which flows to the St. Lawrence River and the Rideau Canal. Restoration work on the fort from 1832 to 1837 led to a second fort been built on the site of the first. The fort was occupied by British troops and then by Canadian troops until 1891. During the first and second world wars, it housed prisoners of war. Today, it is considered a National Historic Site and a World Heritage Site. The museum lets you experience a mid-1860 appearance and military life.
A great orchard for apple picking is Verger Lacroix. The orchard is known for its apple cider (fire ciders, ice ciders and sparkling cider), which are sold at the large and nice boutique shop at the orchard with other local produce. The orchard is offering about 11 apple types for self-picking, two big playgrounds, hay to jump on, a tractor ride and a mini farm.
Apple season is here! This cool orchard offers organic apple picking, along with picking of organic grapes, pears and plums. Several activities are available on site: playground, picnic area, farmhouse, a pastry shop with homemade produce and a small local store.
A must-see in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean area. This village is a great opportunity to learn about the history of the region. The village was created in 1901 with a purpose for one industry only, pulp and paper mill. The location was ideal for this industry as the energy required to operate the machinery was produced by two waterfalls on the Ouiatchouan river. However, the village has been deserted in 1929 due to low demand for non-transformed mechanical pulp and is considered since a ‘ghost town’. With more than 70 original abandoned buildings still standing, the convent-school, general store and the post office, you can feel the sense of community this place once held.
Passionate Brian Scullion, the founder of this massive garden, has purchased this land over 30 years ago. 2000 plants from all over the world were planted and have adapted well to the climate of the Saguenay region. This horticultural gem offers also a mini-farm, kids’ wooden playgrounds, walking paths (3.5km) and picnic tables. Choose between a walk or renting an electric cart to discover the garden.
A fun attraction park for very young kids (mainly 2-8 years old) in Saguenay. The staff at this small colourful and joyful park, play funny characters to entertain the kids. The main attractions include water activities (splash park), playgrounds, a train ride, car racing, a maze, inflatables and picnic area. Entry fees are reasonable and you can spend there half a day when the weather is good.
Pointe Taillon National Park is known for its water activities (warm water & sandy beaches) and cycling (45km of cyclable paths which go around the peninsula). The Sepaq national park lies on the north shore of Lac Saint-Jean and is part of Velo Route des Bleuets, the paved cycle trails around the lake. Our half a day at the park included cycling and playground. The cycling was easy and beautiful, riding along the beach felt like being in the south of Florida. True fun.
Considered the best place in Quebec to watch marine mammals, and internationally renowned as a prime location for whale watching, Tadoussac is located on the north-west shore of the Saint Lawrence River, at the junction of the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean and Charlevoix. At this point, it confluences with the Saguenay River (which brings cold fresh water from Lac-Saint-Jean) and the warmer, salty water of the St. Lawrence, to create a rich marine environment.
We saw Richard Legault Apple Orchard on our way to Oka beach. On the way back from a day at the beach, we decided to stop here and we didn’t want to leave the place. The orchard has a variety of 13 different apple types for self-picking, a massive playground and a mini farm where you can feed the animals.
Quebec Family Hikes 