Montreal Family Activities

Fireworks Competition

2015-05-27T11:15:00.002-04:00

The International Fireworks Competition is always a fun affair! This year the festival runs from July 1st to August 1st on Saturdays and Wednesdays. Officially it is run by Laronde and with a ticket to the amusement park on a fireworks day you can get up close and personal to the fireworks. You don't have to spend all that money to enjoy them though. At the old port is a great place to view them as well as on mount Royal. You can even enjoy them with the music by tuning into 105.7 FM.
The fireworks usually start at 10pm and last half an hour.

https://www.sixflags.com/larondeen/linternational-des-feux/program

Help Mackay Center School!!!

2014-05-29T16:04:00.001-04:00

This is not a family activity but it does affect many families with disabled children. Mackay center school is an amazing school that is in trouble. Please watch the video and sign the petition!

Mackay Needs Help: http://youtu.be/nJ7nAh4Aj3k

http://www.change.org/en-CA/petitions/ga%C3%A9tan-barrette-intervene-on-behalf-of-the-students-of-mackay-centre-school-for-the-deaf-and-physically-disabled-and-philip-e-layton-school-for-the-blind

Ice Fishing Village

2014-01-31T16:01:00.000-05:00

The old port of montreal has a fun, different family activity this year: ice fishing!
Weather permitting they are open from Jan. 3, 2014 to March 31, 2014. Everything that you need can be rented on site.. You can even purchase your fishing license there (which is mandatory). They are open everyday.

Where: Situated at the marina of the Montreal Yacht Club, Clock Tower Quay

Hours:

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday : 10am to 6pm
Thursday : 10am to 8pm
Friday : 10 am to 9pm
Saturday: 7am to 9pm
Sunday : 7am to 8pm

Price:

Adult Access: $12
Child Access (under 16): $6
Tip-up rental (2): $7
Temporary shelter rental (1 to 4 people): $35
Permanent shelter rental (5 to 12 people): $75
Jigging rod rental: 7$ (lure not included)
Sale of minnows: $6/dozen
Sale of lures: retail price
Sale of fishing licence: according to Ministère des Ressources Naturelles (fishing licence is mandatory)

website: http://www.villagepecheblanche.com/?lang=en

Family Skate Day Pointe-Claire

2014-01-31T13:26:00.001-05:00

Now that the weather has given us a bit of a break it's time to head out and actually enjoy the winter season! The city of Pointe-Claire has organized a family skating day at Hermitage Park. The event takes place from 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm and should be a fun, free activity for the whole family. Two rinks will be open with animated games as well as inflatable games and best of all hot chocolate!

Date: Saturday, February 1st
Time: 12pm - 4pm
Cost: free!
Where: Hermitage Park, 400 Hermitage, Pointe-Claire

more info: http://www.ville.pointe-claire.qc.ca/en/calendar-of-events-sports-and-leisure/family-skate-day.html

La Fete des Neiges

2014-01-17T10:09:00.000-05:00

It is now mid-January and if you aren't already enjoying winter activities with your kids now is the perfect time to start. La fete des Neiges is starting tomorrow at Parc Jean Drapeau and will run for 4 weekends. This is a fun festival that kids (and adults) of all ages will enjoy. There are activities such as sledding and skating that are free and other activites such as tubing and dog sledding which do have a fee. More information is available on the site as prices do vary. Lots of fun can be had even without paying anything though as entrance to the park is free. Make sure to bring your skates or sleds (or rent them there) A new thing this year is that it has extended into the evening with outdoor concerts and nightime skating among other activities. Take advantage of the season!

http://www.parcjeandrapeau.com/events/fete-des-neiges-de-montreal/

I-Saute

2014-01-14T14:03:00.003-05:00

I-Saute is the new trampoline family play center in Laval. I went there with my 5 and 6 year old boys and they had a blast! The whole place is completely covered in trampolines so there is no danger of falling off which was my first concern when I first heard of this place. There are different areas- some just for jumping where you can be impressed by watching some of the older participants who have clearly done gymnastics do impressive flips. There are other areas where you can throw soft (nerf-like) balls at each other. This seemed to be especially popular with the siblings in the place. A basketball area, a tightrope area... All of it really fun! It was a little expensive- it cost over 30$ for my two boys for an hour of jumping even after the facebook posting discount! Monday evenings, however, they offer a $35 price for the whole family. A good deal especially if you are part of a large family! Despite the large price the boys had a very good time and gave them something a little different to do. Make sure to wear socks if you go and if you have little kids (6 and under) they have a reserved time for them on Friday mornings.

website: http://www.isaute.ca/en

Price:

Mon-Thurs: $12 for first hour, $8 for the second hour.
Fri. - Sun: and holidays $14 for first hour, $8 for the second hour
KID JUMP: jumpers 6 yrs and under only. Friday 10am-12pm $10/hr each jumper and one accompanying adult jumps for free.
2 years & under FREE with a paying adult

Hours:

Monday - Thursday 3-9pm
Friday 10am-midnight
Saturday 10am-midnight
Sunday 11am-6pm

Free Swim

2013-11-08T16:58:00.000-05:00

Swimming is a great, cheap activity to do with kids. I often bring my children to the community pool and one of the best things is that it's free! Most communities have a pool you can use that is either free or very affordable! In the summer it's easy to spot them but in winter there are many indoor pools that are equally as accessible! They often provide life jackets for the new swimmers and sometimes even some pool toys. To find the pools in your area simply log onto your city's website and look under sports and recreation.
The Montreal on the Cheap blog has also made a nice list of many pools in montreal: http://www.montrealonthecheap.com/2013/08/montreal-public-swimming-2013-season/

Make sure to call ahead to know when the family free swim hours are and if there are any specific rules like required bathing caps. And also, the bonus of bringing your kids swimming is that usually bedtime that evening is very easy as it knocks them out! :)

Orchestra and Video Games

2011-08-14T10:16:00.000-04:00

My kids loveSuper Mario Bros. They've never played but for some reason adore them. If I let them, they could watch clips of super mario bros on youtube for hours so when I saw this family activity I knew it was perfect! Les Concerts Campbell is putting on a concert with an orchestra of 50 musicians playing themes from popular video games. It's a chance to introduce kids to classical music with something they will actually listen to. The concert is completely free and presented in Jarry park.

When: Aug. 20th, 2011, 4:00pm
Where: Parc Jarry
Price: free!

http://www.accesculture.com/emplacement/ParcJarry

Pinocchio Play in the Park

2011-07-25T21:48:00.000-04:00

Going to the theatre is a great family activity. Theatre la Roulotte is putting on the play "Pinocchio" in French in parks around Montreal. Here's a great opportunity to introduce your kids to theatre without having to spend any money. These, like shakespeare in the park, are completely free. The company is putting on shows until Aug. 23 around the city.

Price: Free!

Website: http://www.accesculture.com/activite/Pinocchio

International Hot Air Balloon Festival- Saint Jean sur Richelieu

2011-07-19T14:51:00.000-04:00

The International Hot Air Balloon Festival is an annual event about 30 minutes away from Montreal in St. Jean sur Richelieu. There are 115 hot air balloons, including many special shapes, major shows, and a huge site that hosts an incredible variety of animation activities. There is a fair with rides for older kids and adults as well as a designated area for toddlers. There is face painting, a petting zoo, mini putt, concerts... too many things to describe in one post. It's also a family friendly area with changing tables, breastfeeding room and stroller rentals available.
Their website is very extensive and even offers tips for families with young children.
My kids loved this festival! There was so much for them to do and see that they didn't get bored.
Address:

5, chemin de l'Aéroport, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Québec, J3B 7B5

Phone #:

450-347-9555

Price:

0-2: free
3-12: $7.00
13 +: $20.00 ($25.00 on Sat.)
**Family rates available
**Nine day passes available
Parking: $7.00

Hours:

Aug. 13 -21, 2011
Weekends: 12:00 pm - end of the show at night
Week: 1:30 pm - end of the show at night

Website: http://www.ballooncanada.com/

Virgin Radio- Movies in the Park 2011

2011-07-19T11:41:00.000-04:00

Virgin radio 96 is offering movies in the park again this year in different parks across the city. All you have to do is bring your lawn chair and they provide the movie and even free food! Typically they are on Wednesday nights and the food starts around 7pm.

Price: free!!!

Locations:

July 20th - Parc Berthiaume-du-Tremblay (Laval) for the screening of Due Date

July 27th – Centennial Park (D.D.O) for the screening of Never Say Never

August 3rd – Hampstead Park (Hampstead) for the screening of Arthur

August 10th – St-Thomas Park (Hudson) for the screening of Something Borrowed

August 17th – Pierre-Laporte Park (Greenfield Park) for the screening of Life As We Know It

August 24th – Bellevue Park (Pincourt) for the screening of No Strings Attached

August 31st – Vanier College for the screening of TBD

September 7th – John Abbott College for the screening of TBD

Website: http://montreal.virginradio.ca/Events/MoviesInThePark

Shakespeare in the Park: Macbeth

2011-07-19T11:24:00.000-04:00

Free theatre in the park from July 28, 2011 - Aug. 21, 2011. Bring your older kids and teens to see a Shakespeare play right in your own neighborhood park. This year the repercussion theatre is performing the tragedy "Macbeth". It is absolutely free - although donations are accepted to help the troupe keep running. Just bring yourself a folding chair and enjoy the show!

Location: various parks around the city

July 28: Dorval, Parc Pine Beach, 7:30pm
July 29: Outremont, Mount Royal Cemetary, 8:00pm
July 30: Ville-Marie, Cabot Square, 8:00pm
Aug. 2-3: Westmount, Parc Westmount, 8:00pm
Aug. 4: Verdun, Parc George O'Reilly, 7:30pm
Aug. 5: Pierrefonds, East Community Centre, 8:00pm
Aug. 6: Parc La Fontaine, theatre de verdure, 8:30pm
Aug. 7: NDG, Parc NDG, 8:00pm
Aug. 9: Hudson, Parc Thompson, 8:00pm
Aug. 10: Kirkland, Parc Ecclestone, 8:00pm
Aug. 11: Cote St.-Luc, Parc Pierre Elliott Trudeau, 8:00pm
Aug. 12: Senneville, Parc Senneville, 8:00 pm
Aug. 13: Morin Heights, Parc TBC, 4:00pm
Aug. 14: Saint-Laurent, Parc Philippe-Laheurte, 7:30pm
Aug. 16: Parc Extension, Parc Howard, 8:00pm
Aug. 19: Beaconsfield, Centennial Park, 8:00pm
Aug. 20-21: Westmount, Parc Westmount, 8:00pm

Price: free!!

Dates: July 28, 2011 - Aug. 21, 2011

Website: http://repercussiontheatre.com/productions/shakespeare-in-the-park/

Free Family Movies in French

2011-07-19T10:51:00.000-04:00

Here's a cool free family activities on the weekends especially when the weather doesn't cooperate. Beaubien cinema is offering free screenings of family movies in the morning from June 25 to September 4. The movies are in French so keep that in mind in case the little ones don't understand French.
The movies are shown Saturday and Sunday mornings at 10am. Tickets can be obtained as of 9:30

Here is the schedule for the rest of the summer:

July 23 & 24: Megamind
July 30 & 31: Rango
Aug. 6 & 7: Rio
Aug. 13 & 14: Yogi L'Ours
Aug. 20 & 21: Frissons des Collines
Aug. 27 & 28: Kerity et la Maison des Comptes
Aug. 30 & 31: ?? Surprise ??

Where: Beaubien Cinema, 2396 Beaubien Est, Montreal, H2G 1N2

When: Saturday and Sundays at 10:00 am

Website: http://www.cinemabeaubien.com/fr/evenements.aspx

Fireworks in December!

2010-11-27T12:12:00.000-05:00

Telus is sponsoring Fire on Ice : Free fireworks at the Old Port every Saturday between December 4 and January 8. The great thing about these fireworks is the time: the show is on at 8. This means that I can actually bring my small kids without worrying that they will be cranky from missing their bedtime. The fireworks at 10 in the summer was a little too late for them.

Where: Old Port of Montreal

When: Saturdays:
                 December 4, 11, 18, 25 at 8 pm
                 December 31 at midnight
                 January 8 at 8 pm

Website: http://www.quaysoftheoldport.com/telus-fire-on-ice.html

Cirque Estival

2010-04-10T16:49:00.000-04:00

The Circus is in town! The Cirque Estival will be back for it's 7th season in May in Laval and Verdun. It will be a show full of jugglers, clowns and even elephants and horses. It should be a great event for the whole family. The tickets are $27 for adults and 22$ for children but if bought in advance are reduced by 2$ each.

When:

Laval: May 8th - 1 pm, 4 pm, 7 pm
Verdun: May 9th - 11 am, 3 pm

Where:

Laval: Colisee, 1110 Desnoyers, Laval‚ H7C 1Y5
Verdun : Auditorium, 4110, boul. LaSalle, Verdun‚ H4G 2A5

Cost:

Adults: $27 , **$25 in advance
Child: $22, **$20 in advance

Website:
http://cirqueestival.ca/index3.php?lang=en

Place des Arts - Junior Theatre

2010-04-07T09:02:00.002-04:00

Place des Arts has a whole range of programming geared for families with children of all ages for very reasonable prices. Known as 'PDA junior', families with kids as young as 3 can enjoy a fun, interactive play for just 8$ a person, or 25$ for a family of 4. I think it sounds like a great way to introduce children to theatre. It seems like most of the programming is only French but since a lot of families in Montreal are bilingual or want to expose their children to more French, it should be a great experience. Some things are a little more expensive but for the most part seem pretty reasonable.

Where:

Place des Arts, various theatres
175, rue Sainte-Catherine Ouest, Montréal, QC H2X 1Z8

When:

check the program on their site to see when the various shows are available.

Cost:

8$ and up

Ages:

various shows have different age specifications but start at 2 and up.

Website:

http://pdajunior.com/

Easter Farm - Cavendish Mall

2010-04-01T20:03:00.000-04:00

Easter farms are fun activities for families with young children and Montreal has a number of them happening around. The Cavendish Mall in Cote- St. Luc is having an Easter Farm again this year friom April 1 to April 5. Each year at Easter my kids and I really look forward to seeing the animals at these free Easter farms. At the Cavendish Mall this year you can also enjoy Pony Rides and the Cavendish Mall "Express Train".

Where:

Cavendish Mall
5800 boul. Cavendish (ch. Kildare), Côte-St-Luc

When:

April 1 - 5, 2010

Cost:

free!

Musée des maîtres et artisans du Québec

2010-03-29T15:30:00.000-04:00

The Musée des maîtres et artisans du Québec is a neat little museum in St. Laurent that is offering creative art workshops for families. Each weekend there are worskhops that last about 1 hour that explore a different artisanal art form. The main series on right now is focused on glass. Glass painting, beading, and mosaic will all be explored on different days. Families with children 7 and up can participate for only 10$ for the whole family (2$ extra per person if more than 4). Other projects allow families with children 5 and up to participate. Please make sure to call to reserve first. Should be a fun way to get creative with the kids!

When:

Saturdays and Sundays
2 pm

Where:

615, avenue Sainte-Croix, Saint-Laurent, Montreal Qc H4L 3X6

Cost:

10$ for a family of 4, 2$ per extra person

Phone Number:

514-747-7367 ext. 7204

Website:

http://www.mmaq.qc.ca/programme_famille_en.htm

Easter Farm - Plaza Pointe Claire

2010-03-29T10:45:00.000-04:00

Here's another Easter Farm happening around the city. This time at Plaza Pointe-Claire. A great chance for little kids (even toddlers) to see some of the animals they sing about in "Old MacDonald Had a Farm". There will be goats, ducks, chickens, piglets, and more. What makes this mini farm stand out from the others I've talked about is that on Friday, April 2nd you can actually get a free colour photo of your child with a baby animal (between 10 am - 3 pm). What a great experience and a wonderful keepsake.

Dates:

March 26 - April 3

Where:

269 Boulevard St-Jean, Pointe-Claire, Quebec, H9R 3J1

Cost:

free!

Website:

http://www.plazapointeclaire.com/en/

Easter Farm at Carrefour Angrignon

2010-03-29T10:37:00.001-04:00

I have been waiting to find out if Carrefour Angrignon is holding an Easter Farm again this year and I am happy to see that they are! It's a great activity especially for toddlers because they get to see animals up close and, for the parents, it's free so you don't have to worry about spending a lot of money just to have your two year old throw a tantrum and have to leave. As soon as I mention the word animals to my toddlers they become good as gold and are very excited to go on this adventure. You can see the usual mini farm animals, rabbits, chicks, sheep. Bring some change to get food to feed the animals.

When:

March 24 - April 5
** closed on Easter Sunday (April 4)

Time:

Regular store hours
Monday - Tuesday: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Wednesday to Friday: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Saturday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Sunday: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Place:

Carrefour Angrignon
7077 Newman Boulevard, LaSalle (Quebec), H8N 1X1

Cost:

free!

Website:

http://www.carrefourangrignon.com/nouvelles_evenements.aspx?lang=en-CA

Butterflies Go Free

2010-03-27T08:07:00.000-04:00

The Botanical Gardens is once again having the wonderful exhibit "Butterflies Go Free". It's a great chance to get to see a great variety of butterflies live and flying around. It's presented in the main greenhouse of the botanical gardens and should be a fun activity for children and parents alike. It's quite hot in the greenhouse (about 29oC) so it's important to bring layers of clothing that can be removed. To really pique the interest of the older kids, you might consider renting "The Blue Butterfly", a beautiful movie about a boy in search of the rare blue butterfly. It was filmed partly in Montreal!

Dates:

February 18 - April 25, 2010

Hours:

Tues. - Sun. : 9 am - 5 pm
** Will be open Monday, April 5 (Easter Monday)

Cost:

Adults: $12.00
Seniors and Students: $9.00
Children 5 - 17: $6.00
Children 2 - 4: $1.75
Children under 2: free
*** Note: fees are reduced by 15% because the insectarium is closed due to labour disputes.
*** These are the rates before the reduction

Address:

4101, rue Sherbrooke Est, Montréal (Québec), Canada, H1X 2B2

Phone:

514-872-1400

Website:

http://www2.ville.montreal.qc.ca/jardin/en/propos/papillon.htm

The Wiggles Movie

2010-03-24T13:48:00.000-04:00

If you have preschoolers in the house you probably are very familiar with the Australian children entertainers of the "The Wiggles". A Wiggles movie will be released for 2 days on April 10th and 11th. It is a concert movie entitled " The Wiggles - BIG, BIG, SHOW in the Round" and is inspired by the circus theme. It should be a fun movie for kids to see.

Dates:

April 10 - 11, 2010

Where:

Starcite Montreal
Colossus Laval
Cineplex Odeon Brossard
Colisee Kirkland

Times:

April 10: 1 pm at all locations
April 11: 4 pm at all locations

Cost:

$9.95, general admission

Website:

http://www.cineplex.com/Movies/MovieDetails/The-Wiggles-The-BIG-BIG-SHOW-In-The-Round.aspx?date=2010-04-10

Screening of the movie "Up"

2010-03-24T08:56:00.000-04:00

I was driving to work this morning when I heard about a neat little event happening this weekend. There are 7 children between the ages of 12 and 8 who are organizing a screening of the movie "Up" to raise money for Haiti. The movie will be shown from 2 pm to 5 pm at the Westview Bible Church in Pierrefonds for 5$ a person. Not only is this an oppurtunity to see a good movie at a good price but you will be supporting a really good cause as well as encouraging these children's efforts. They will also be holding a raffle during the intermission where you could win some really great prizes including an autographed hockey stick, ski passes, movie passes and more.

Date:

Saturday March 27, 2010

Time:

2 pm - 5 pm

Place:

Westview Bible Church, 16789 Pierrefonds Blvd.

Cost:

5$ per person, popcorn and drink included!

Website:

http://montrealhomelearners.ca/content/haiti-relief-project

Parents and Kids Fair 2010

2010-03-22T15:30:00.001-04:00

Here's an activity that should be fun for both parents and kids. For the 18th year in a row Jean Coutu is hosting a Parents and Kids Fair at Place Bonaventure from April 8th to 11th 2010. It's actually a consumer show for parents with exhibits showcasing different products, resources and services for families with children from 0 - 6 years old but it's also full of fun activities for the kids. That's great because you can enjoy learning about all the new and innovative services for parents of little children without worrying that they will be bored. There's even free babysitting for children 2 and up if you want to be able to listen to a special speaker. Some of the other activities at the site will be a giant indoor sandbox, colourful playground for babies, kids shows and concerts, and a kid-friendly food court. It's free for kids 12 and under and 12 per adult but you can find some coupons for the event in your Jean Coutu flyer.

Dates and Times:

Thursday, April 8 : 10 am - 8 pm
Friday, April 9 : 10 am - 8 pm
Saturday, April 10: 10 am - 8 pm
Sunday, April 11 : 10 am - 5 pm

Where:

Place Bonaventure, Montreal
Mansfield and de la Gauchetiere entrance

Price:

adults: 12$
seniors and students: 10$
kids 12 and under: free
*** 1$ coupon available from March 25 and April 8 Jean Coutu flyers

Website:

http://parentsandkidsfair.com/index_en.php

Easter Farm at Place Versailles

2010-03-17T15:12:00.002-04:00

From March 18th to April 3rd, Place Versailles is also having an Easter Farm. Animals like ducks, geese, peacocks will be on site for all to see. Place Versailles is also having children's "mini rides" and the Three little pigs house. Kids will be able to ride on little rides and participate in a colouring contest for a chance to win a giant chocolate bunny. This should be a fun event for small children.

Where:

7275 rue Sherbrooke est

Dates:

March 18th - April 3

Hours:

Easter Farm: Regular Store Hours

Monday to Friday: 9:30 am to 9 pm

Saturday: 9 am to 5 pm

Sunday: 10 am to 5 pm

Mini Rides (2nd floor):

          Thursday and Friday: 11am - 4pm and 5pm - 8pm

          Saturday and Sunday: 11am to 4pm

The Three Little Pigs House:

Thursday and Friday: Noon - 4pm and 5pm - 8pm

Saturday: 10am - Noon and 1pm - 4pm

Sunday: Noon - 4pm

Cost: free!

Website:

http://www.placeversailles.com/events/events.asp