Ottawa has had a long-standing reputation for being one of the most family-friendly cities in the world. With year-round family-focused activities, festivals, and entertainment, as well as parks, farms, and museums to enjoy, our capital is the perfect place to bring the entire clan to enjoy. Learn more about our family-centric attractions right here.
Family Sundays
If your kids love to create and explore, the National Gallery of Canada hosts Family Sundays! On select Sundays throughout the year, kids 12 and under along with their parents can get together and experience a new themed event at the gallery each week. You never really know what you’re going to see, but you can expect to get your hands a little dirty with arts and crafts and to hear some songs to get your kids dancing. This interactive and immersive experience is wonderfully designed to keep everyone entertained.
Family Fun at The Museum
Speaking of museums, Ottawa is also home to seven world-class national museums that can even entertain those kids who think they’re “too cool” for museums. Whether your children love playing with animals, pretending to be astronauts, dreaming about dinosaurs, playacting as pilots or learning more about their culture – there’s a museum in the city they will love getting lost in. Here are the six museums we highly recommend taking your kids to this year: Canada Agriculture and Food Museum, Canada Science and Technology Museum, Canada Aviation and Space Museum, Canadian Museum of Nature, Canadian Museum of History, and the Canadian War Museum.
Family-orientated Adventures
If your family is big on adventure, Ottawa doesn’t disappoint. There’s a ton of attractions and tours that will get everyone’s heart pumping, like the Funhaven entertainment centre. This massive complex features a laser tag arena, jungle gym, bumper cars, escape room, and a massive arcade area. Located only 15 minutes away from Parliament Hill, it’s a must-see when visiting Ottawa. Next up is Calypso Waterpark, the largest theme waterpark in all of Canada, that offers a variety of water slides and a lazy river when Mom and Dad need a well-deserved break.
Fun for The Whole Family at The Farm
Animal lovers can keep busy all year long at one of the farms located in the area. With 100-acres of countryside, Saunders Farm offers plenty of activities to try, including the full-sized hedge mazes, a large pirate ship, and hayrides. There’s also the smaller family favourite, Valleyview Little Animal Farm, with an array of animals and rides to enjoy. And if you want to get a closer view at some of Canada’s more famous wildlife, be sure to visit Omega Park which will allow the whole family to experience Canada’s natural environment up close. There are wolves, bears, bison, reindeers, and many more animals to see!
Family Festivals
In May, Ottawa hosts the Children’s Festival de la jeunesse, 4-days of exciting activities and events for the family. The kids will love the acrobatic stunts, theatre skits, and installations. Speaking of acrobats, Ottawa International Buskerfest takes over Sparks Street with live acrobatic performances every August. Other festivals that you do not want to miss include the Kite Festival in June and the Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival at the end of August.
Moving to Ottawa? There are plenty of family housing options to purchase or rent. Reach out to us at CLV Group and one of our professional property managers will be more than happy to show you our latest listings in the area.
