Family friendly things to do with young children in Halifax during the Winter

UPDATED: FEBRUARY 2022

Winter in Halifax can be long.

January and February are traditionally our colder months but March can also be snowy and cold. The snow isn’t necessarily too bad, but the ice, wind, and damp will make you really feel the chill.

No matter the weather, if you have young children chances are that you need to get them out of the house to burn off some of that excess energy 😊

So here’s a list of activities to do to keep them occupied. Hope you find it helpful:

• If there’s snow on the ground, go sledding! Find a hill that works for you and the capabilities of your children. We personally love Ashburn Golf Course in Fall River but I’ve heard that Brightwood Golf Course in Dartmouth, Shubie Park (Dartmouth), Citadel Hill (downtown Halifax), Merv Sullivan Memorial Park aka The Pit (North End Halifax) and Gorsebrook Park (Halifax) are all fantastic places too! Check out our blog with a great list of hills in and around the Halifax area https://richardpayne.ca/real-estate-blog/best-toboggan-hills-in-halifax-nova-scotia/

• Head to the Emera Oval for a morning/afternoon or day of skating. Even if you don’t have skates or helmets, take valid ID and you can rent them for free (currently on pause until current restrictions are lifted). With updated health and safety protocols in place, there is reduced ice capacity and proof of vaccination is required (likely to change once our new Public Health measures kick in on 21 March 2022) In the meantime, you can check out current guidelines and the winter schedule here https://www.halifax.ca/recreation/facilities-fields/emera-oval

• If you don’t fancy outdoor skating (believe me, it can be a bit brisk at times), head to one of the many family indoor skating sessions. Check out this really great list of all the Public Skates and Family Skates in Halifax this winter. https://www.familyfuncanada.com/halifax/halifax-public-skates-and-free-family-skates/

• Take a trip to Get Air, Halifax’s trampoline
  park with wall to wall trampolines and a designated kiddie space for little
  ones. https://getairsports.com/nova-scotia/

• Visit one of the indoor play places: Ice Patch Hollow (Bedford), Hop Skip and Jump (Bayers Lake), Go Active Kids (Hammonds Plains), The Kids Fun Factory (Dartmouth) to name just a few.

• Check out
  the Halifax Library program for fun drop in-activities https://halifax.bibliocommons.com/events/search/index

• HRM also runs some great drop in playgroups. In Fall River, there is a drop in playgroup every Monday morning from 9.30-11.30am and an open gym session for pre school age children every Wednesday 9.30-11.30am. Check out the many programs offered near you. https://www.halifax.ca/recreation/programs-activities

• The Discovery Centre - a fun, interactive learning centre right in the heart of downtown Halifax. There’s something for everyone here. Check out the latest exhibit https://thediscoverycentre.ca/featured-exhibit/  

• A visit to the Museum. The Natural History Museum was always a big hit for our children when they were younger but there’s a few to choose from that your children might enjoy https://discoverhalifaxns.com/must-visit-halifax-museums/

• Swimming is always a popular year round activity to burn off all that energy. Here’s a list of the indoor pools and what they offer https://www.familyfuncanada.com/halifax/parent-tot-swims-the-best-places-to-swim-with-your-toddler-in-hrm/

It’s so easy to stay inside when it’s cold and damp but I have personally found that the way to survive and actually really enjoy winter is to get outside and embrace it.

So wrap up, build snow forts, snow men, play, sled, skate, and ENJOY! The season can also be a thing of incredible natural beauty and maybe in time, you will love it too 🙂