Family Skate Day Pointe-Claire

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

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

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

Orchestra and Video Games

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

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

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/

Free Family Movies in French

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!

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

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

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

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!

Easter Farm - Plaza Pointe Claire

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

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

The Wiggles Movie

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"

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

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

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 

Easter Farm- Les Jardins Dorval

Easter is coming up fast this year!  With that comes a really nice, free activities for families with small children: The Easter Farm at the local malls.  My kids love to see animals and have been feeling a little deprived with the winter.  At these Easter farms you can see ducks, llamas, chicks, sheep, and other little farm animals.  Children can even feed them if they are brave enough. 

 

My kids review: They love it!

 

Les Jardins Dorval is the first mall that I have noticed so far that is advertising it but I imagine that others will be continuing the tradition too.  I will post the malls to the blog as I find out about them.

 

• Where: Les Jardins Dorval  - 352, ave Dorval
• When: March 30 - April 5 (closed on April 4)
• Cost: free!

Website:

• http://www.lesjardinsdorval.ca/home/ 

St. Patrick's Day Parade

A great tradition in Montreal is the annual St. Patrick's day parade.  According to some research it's been going on since 1824!  It's a great event for the whole family and if the weather keeps staying as nice as it does these days it promises to be even better this year.  The 2010 Parade is on Sunday, March 14th.  It will start at noon on St. Catherine Street and Fort (a little further east from Place Alexis Nihon).  It continues along St. Catherine until Phillips Square.  There will be lots of music, floats and wonderful costumes and it is completely free!  Keep in mind that it's the same day we change our clocks so make sure to be there on time :)

Where: Downtown Montreal - Starting at Fort and St. Catherine, heading East

When: Parade starts at noon on Sunday, March 14, 2010

Pumpkin Picking

Halloween is just around the corner and an activity that's always fun for families is pumpkin picking. It's also a great outdoor before it gets too cold. All the pumpkins are already cut off the vine so all that needs to be done is to search for the perfect pumpkin. The kids will love trying to find the biggest pumpkin. After going pumpkin picking last year I was able to decorate my house with a little pumpkin for every step! - It helped that my son was still a baby and I could put the pumpkins in his stroller :) It's also fun that you need to take a hayride to get to the pumpkin patch. After picking your pumpkins you can also visit with some farm animals - always a favourite activity for my boys. Quinn Farm also offers apple picking at this time of year. They also have a great store where you can buy homemade goodies.


Price:

• Hayride: $2/person 2yrs +
• pumpkin: 0.40$/lb

Location: 2495 boul. Perrot sud, Notre-Dame de l'Île-Perrot, Québec, J7V 8P4

Phone: (514) 453-1510

Website: http://quinnfarm.qc.ca/index-e.php