An Ottawa winter offers endless opportunities for families to play, explore and create lasting memories both outdoors and in. From dazzling ice sculptures and snowy playgrounds to wildlife experiences and interactive museums, here are some of the best family-friendly winter activities in the capital of Canada. Let the frosty fun begin!
Make warm memories at Canada’s iciest festival
Celebrate winter with the 47th edition of Winterlude. This annual, city-wide event turns Ottawa into a magical playground for three weekends from January 31 to February 17.
Along with dazzling ice sculptures on Sparks Street, Winterlude whips up an array of family-friendly events and activities. Head to the Snowflake Kingdom in Jacques-Cartier Park, along the Ottawa River in Gatineau, and discover a winter wonderland complete with tubing runs, obstacle courses and mazes, hot chocolate, games and snow sculptures illuminated at night.
Kids and parents alike will also love the urban art installation and sugar shack experience in Ottawa’s Centretown neighbourhood.
Tear it up tobogganing or tubing
Ottawa-Gatineau boasts plenty of tobogganing hills, with some of the best to be found in the National Capital Greenbelt, including Bruce Pit and Conroy Pit (the latter is lit for evening fun).
Older kids might prefer the retired ski hill at Carlington Park, one of the highest natural points in the city. If you’re driving, park at the J.A. Dulude Arena and brace yourself for a steep climb. And then a rush.
For snow tubing, head to either Sommet Edelweiss near the quaint town of Wakefield or Domaine de l’Ange-Gardien. Both are roughly a half-hour drive from downtown Ottawa in Quebec. Edelweiss has six tube slides, and Domaine has eight. You can’t beat those numbers!
Remember to stay safe and wear protective head gear!
Go hog wild at Parc Omega
Just an hour from Ottawa, Parc Omega offers an unforgettable wildlife adventure for animal-loving families. This sprawling sanctuary is a 12-kilometre self-drive safari home to 400 wild animals.
Feed carrots to the deer, boars and elk that get up close and personal with your car. Marvel at the majestic, snow-draped bison. See moose, wolves, foxes and other wildlife. And visit the sugar shack for a sweet treat of maple taffy.
Snowshoe trails and snow tubing are also available at Parc Omega, and you can even stay the night!
Eat at a classic Ottawa diner
What makes diners a hit with kids? Is it the retro décor? The checkered floors? Or maybe it’s the milkshakes. (Yep, it’s the milkshakes.)
Zak’s Diner has some of the best milkshakes this side of the country. And with locations in the ByWard Market, on Elgin Street, in Westboro and even farther west in Kanata and Carleton Place, you’ll find a Zak’s almost anywhere you stay in the Ottawa area.
Other diner staples include the Elgin Street Diner, an Ottawa institution that’s open 24 hours a day and has a top-notch breakfast poutine, and Bank Street’s Bramasole Diner,.
See a family-friend show at the NAC
Catch a range of family-friendly programming at the only bilingual, multidisciplinary performing arts centre in Canada, the National Arts Centre (NAC).
From The Story of Babar the Elephant to Mad.Sad.Glad: A Symphony of Emotions, there’s a show for everyone in the family and free activities on Tuesdays for parents with toddlers.
If you’re here for Family Day weekend, you can catch the BIG BANG Festival (February 15–16). This one-of-a-kind festival invites kids to embark on a colourful journey of sound via various shows, mini-concerts and interactive adventures. Entertainment and education — now that sounds like a plan.
Get creative at an Ottawa museum
Need to escape the cold? Spend a few hours at one of Ottawa’s many museums. The Bank of Canada Museum in downtown Ottawa is always free, fun and surprisingly engaging for kids of all ages. Create your own avatar and learn about Canada’s economy. And don’t miss the museum’s Winterlude activities.
The Canadian Children’s Museum invites kids to explore diverse cultures by going on a global adventure. Where else can you load a cargo ship, decipher hieroglyphics and create an Indonesian shadow puppet all in the same day? And don’t miss some great activities at the museum this winter, too, like glow-in-the-dark marble painting!
Want to tucker your kids out? Take them to the Canada Science and Technology Museum. The ZOOOM Children’s Innovation Zone will have them, well, zooming between sensory play structures, a foam car-building station and more, fueling their bodies and minds. Other must-sees at the museum include the Crazy Kitchen, steam trains and pyrotechnic demos.
Bring your family together in Ottawa
As a capital city, and with so much protected greenspace swathing the region, Ottawa is a mecca for family fun. Other winter activities to experience include ice skating and downhill skiing or snowboarding. Or, to stay warm inside, you can work as a family unit to solve an escape room or rack up a high score at a fun zone.
Like the Ottawa-born BeaverTail, it’s easy to bite off more than you can chew. Take your time and savour every experience. If you don’t get to it all, just come back for more!
