10 March Break Activities in Ottawa
/March Break is just around the corner! If you plan on sticking around the National Capital Region this March Break, then you’re probably wondering what there is to do to keep the kids busy, entertained and happy.
With that in mind, here are 10 March Break Activities in Ottawa:
1) Visit a Sugar Bush
When was the last time you visited a sugar bush with the family? While some offer delicious breakfasts or brunches, others offer that plus additional activities, such as hiking, wagon rides, and more. Check out our blog post with must-visit sugar bushes in and around Ottawa.
2) Try Downhill Skiing or Winter Tubing
March break is a prime time to take the kids downhill skiing or enrol them in downhill ski lessons. But if you aren’t skiers, hills such as Mount Pakenham, Edelweiss and Domaine de l’Anne-Gardien offer winter tubing too!
3) Visit a Museum
Ottawa has many great museums that appeal to a a variety of interests. Whether you want to teach kids about farming and agriculture at the Canadian Agriculture and Food Museum or learn about dinosaurs at the Canadian Museum of Nature, there are plenty of things for kids of all ages to see and do at a local museum.
This year the Canadian Museum of Nature’s special exhibit, Me & My Microbes: The Zoo Inside You runs until March 29th. There are interactive displays, simulation games and even a small area for toddlers and younger children where they can play with stuffy microbes such as bacteria, fungi and viruses.
For younger kids the Children’s Museum at the Museum of History is always a hit!
From March14th to the 22nd, the Canadian Space and Aviation Museum is offering various interactive activities, hands-on crafts, tours, and more. Kids can make aliens out of plasticine and hear from special guests as they discuss what life might look like on another planet.
The Canadian Science and Technology Museum’s has various activities and programming on throughout the month of March, including “Unboxed Creativity from March 5 to 7th and March 19th to 22nd, where kids will be challenged to fashion cardboard boxes into giant sculptures or create a personalized game inspired by arcades, favourite sports, or rollercoasters.
On March 14th they are also hosting a “Ottawa Jam: Raspberry Pi Microcomputer Event” where participants can discover projects created by local tinkerers with Raspberry Pi microcomputers. You can also make your own digital game using simple coding programs, and increase your digital skills by exploring the full potential of this device.
There is also Brain Awareness Activities scheduled from March 16th to the 19th and Mechanical Sculpture from March 15 to 22nd, where participants can assemble an automata — a mechanical sculpture that moves with a crank.
Exploring a museum is a great way to spend a few hours or an entire day!
4) Escape Room Junior
If you have children who love to solve a good mystery, you may want to check out Escape Manor Junior. Escape Manor Junior offers various themes of fun and immersive escape games for a younger audience. Themes include Space Invaders and Candy Conspiracy. Work together as a family to escape the room by looking for clues, solving puzzles, and figuring out the codes.
5) Go Cross Country Skiing
March Break is usually a good time to check out the groomed cross country ski trails in Gatineau Park or the multi-use Sir John A. MacDonald trail. If you don’t own skis you can usually rent them from places such as Mountain Equipment Co-op and Fresh Air Experience.
6) Skate as a family at the Sens Rink of Dreams
Weather-permitting, the Sens Rink of Dreams at Ottawa City Hall is open daily from 6 am to 11 pm and unlike many other public skating rinks there is also a heated changing facility. If you don’t own skates (or you just discovered your kids have outgrown theirs) you can rent skates right on site (during designated times).
7) Slide or Dive into a City of Ottawa pool
The City of Ottawa offers a wide range of public swimming schedules during the March Break and have locations all over the city that offer everything from standard swimming, to slides to waves! The great news is that it isn’t expensive, in fact kids 2 and under are free!
8) Sign up for a program at the Ottawa Public Library
Every year the Ottawa Public Library offers free programs for school age children and teens as part of their March Break. Program themes and length vary depending on the library, but past programs have included programs about science, technology, arts and more!
9) Paint Pottery
If your kids love to be creative bring them to a ceramic painting place in Ottawa. There are several including Pottery Playhouse in Stittsville and The Mud Oven on Bank Street. Kids can paint something as simple as a plate or mug and make it their own – or get a head start on birthday gifts for family and friends. It’s a lot of fun and the mess is left behind!
10) Try Bowling
If you’re anything like me the last time you went bowling was on the Nintendo Wii. Bowling is great exercise and a fun way to play together as family. Ottawa has a couple of bowling lanes to choose from including the Orleans Bowling Centre and Merivale Bowling Lanes, which also has glow in the dark bowling!
How do you plan on spending your March Break this year? What are some of your favourite family activities?
