Butterflies Go Free

The Botanical Gardens is once again having the wonderful exhibit "Butterflies Go Free".  It's a great chance to get to see a great variety of butterflies live and flying around.  It's presented in the main greenhouse of the botanical gardens and should be a fun activity for children and parents alike.  It's quite hot in the greenhouse (about 29oC) so it's important to bring layers of clothing that can be removed.  To really pique the interest of the older kids, you might consider renting "The Blue Butterfly", a beautiful movie about a boy in search of the rare blue butterfly.  It was filmed partly in Montreal!

Dates:

• February 18 - April 25, 2010

Hours:

• Tues. - Sun. : 9 am - 5 pm
• ** Will be open Monday, April 5 (Easter Monday)

Cost:

• Adults: $12.00
• Seniors and Students: $9.00
• Children 5 - 17: $6.00
• Children 2 - 4: $1.75
• Children under 2: free
• ***  Note: fees are reduced by 15% because the insectarium is closed due to labour disputes.
• *** These are the rates before the reduction

Address:

• 4101, rue Sherbrooke Est, Montréal (Québec), Canada, H1X 2B2

Phone:

• 514-872-1400

Website:

• http://www2.ville.montreal.qc.ca/jardin/en/propos/papillon.htm

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/ 

Centaur Theatre: Far Away Tales, Close to Home

Going to the theatre is such a great experience!  I can't wait for my children to be old enough to bring them.  For parents who do have children that are old enough, the Centaur Theatre is putting on a play appropriate for children aged 7 - 15.  This play, comprised of three stories, will have music, dance and theatre.  It is called "Far Away Tales, Close to Home" and promises to be a magical experience for the new theatre-goers and is even less expensive then going to the movies!

 

When

• Saturday, March 27, 2010

 

Time

• 10:30 a.m.

 

Cost:

• Adults- $8.00
• Children - $6.00

Website:

• http://www.centaurtheatre.com/ 

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

Art Workshops at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts

Here's a great oppurtunity to explore your creative side with your kids. The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts is offering free family art workshops one Sunday per month.  All workshops are bilingual and are first come, first served.
Price:

• free!

Location:

• Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Jean - Noel Desmarais Pavillion, 1380 Sherbrooke St. W, Mtl, QC H3G 1J5
• --> Cultural Corridor, level S1

Phone #:

• 514-285-1600 ext. 440

Website:

• http://www.mmfa.qc.ca/en/activites/activite_32.html

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

I'm back

After a brief break I am back to my blog and will continue to report on interesting family activities around Montreal that I hear about and review those that I enjoy with my own family. I want to thank the readers that have still continued to come to my blog to find interesting activities even with my short break.

Tohu - Family Sundays

La Tohu is an organization affiliated with the Cirque du Soleil to promote circus arts in Montreal. During the summer they offer 'Family Sundays' which are described as big family parties filled with theatre, music, and running around! There is face painting, circus skills demonstrations, theatre, and many interactive workshops for parents and children. It has a wide range of activities for all members of the family and best of all: it's free!

Price: free!

Location: 2345, Jarry Street East (corner of Iberville) Montreal (Quebec) H1Z 4P3

Phone #: 514 374-3522

When:

• Sundays from July 26, 2009 - August 23, 2009
• activities start at 1:30pm and show start at 3:00pm

Website: http://www.tohu.ca/en/activities/item.aspx?aid=320

Matsuri Japon - A Japanese Festival

Matsuri Japon is an annual event celebrating Japanese culture. The festival will be held on Saturday, August 1 and is organized like a traditional festival that would be held in Japan. There will be presentations of traditional Japanese dancing (Bon Odori), Taiko drummers playing Japanese music, demonstrations of martial arts, free games for children to play, commercial booths and of course food! Participants are encouraged to participate in the dancing and drumming and can even try on a traditional Yukata!



Location:

• Old Port of Montreal (Bonsecours Island)

Price: free!

When:

• Sat., Aug. 1, 2009
• 2:00pm - 9:00pm

Website: http://festivaljapon.com/index.html

affordable, aug, big kids, little kids, outdoor, teens, wheelchair

Shakespeare in the Park: "As You Like It"

Free theatre in the park from July 24, 2009 - Aug. 16, 2009. Bring your older kids and teens to see a Shakespeare play right in your own neighborhood park. This year the repercussion theatre is performing the comedy "As You Like It". It is absolutely free (although donations are accepted) but are asked to bring a non-perishable food item for the local food bank. Just bring yourself a folding chair and enjoy the show!

Location: various parks around the city

Price: free!!

Dates: July 24, 2009 - Aug. 16, 2009

Website: http://www.repercussiontheatre.com/en/
affordable, big kids, educational, aug, july, outdoor, teens, wheelchair

Italian Week Aug 7-16 2009

Italian Week is back! Various activities will take place all over Montreal. It kicks off in NDG on Saturday, August 8 with a full day of activities including soccer and bocce tournaments, inflatable games for children, concerts, car exhibits and more. Then other days there are events in Old Montreal, R.D.P., St.-Leonard, Lasalle and others. All have music, food and activities for kids. One show in particular that should be fun for children will be the Carpe Diem circus show on Saturday, Aug. 15 on St. Laurent Blvd in Little Italy.

Location: all over the city

Days:

• Aug 7 - Aug 16

Price: free!

Website: http://www.semaineitaliennedemontreal.com/index.php

affordable, aug, big kids, little kids, outdoor, teens, wheelchair

Weekends du Monde- Parc Jean Drapeau

Parc Jean Drapeau is holding cultural two weekends in July. There will be lots of different events taking place all over the park representing countries such as Cuba, Jamaica, Romania, Haiti and more. All events will be filled with music, food, games and animations and most things are absolutely free! It should be a lot of fun for the whole family and diverse enough for everyone to see something they like. Check out the website for the program because there is a lot going on!

Location:

• Parc Jean Drapeau

Price: free!

Hours:

• July 25-26
• 11:00 am - 11:00 pm

Website: Weekends du Monde

affordable, big kids, july, little kids, outdoor, teens, wheelchair

International Hot Air Balloon Festival

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.

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 +: $15.00
• **Family rates available
• **Nine day passes available
• Parking: $5.00

Hours:

• Aug. 8 -16
• Weekends: 12:00 pm - 10:00 pm
• Week: 3:30 pm - 10:00 pm

Website: http://www.ballooncanada.com/

animals, aug, big kids, little kids, outdoor, teens, wheelchair

Fete de la Famille- Centre de la Nature Laval

The Nature Center in Laval will be hosting a free Family Day on Sunday, Sept. 6, 2009. It is a fun-filled day with street performers, musical acts for all ages, face painting, inflatable games and many other surprises.

Address:

• 901, avenue du Parc, Laval (Québec) H7E 2T7

Telephone #:

• 450 662-4942
  

Price: free!

Hours:

• Sunday, Sept. 6, 2009
• 12:00 pm - 6:00 pm
  

Website: Fete de la Famille 2009

affordable, animals, big kids, little kids, sept, outdoor, wheelchair

The Centre de la Nature - Laval

The Nature Center in Laval is a really nice place for famillies with young children to go. It has a little farm with pigs, cows, horses, donkeys... you name it! Kids can even take a pony ride for $3.00. There is also a little train that takes you around the park for $3.00/person. Aside from a lot of green space there is a lake where you can rent canoes or kayaks and two great parks with a lot of different games for kids. There are also two pools on the edge of the park (for big and little kids). It truly is a place you can spend the whole day in! Bring a picnic lunch or grab some lunch at the little restaurant.
My kids review: They had a great time! There were so many little activities for them that they couldn't get bored. We went from looking at the animals, to riding on the train, to playing in the park, to looking at fish and turtles in the lake and back to the animals... It was a busy and very fun day!

Address:

• 901, avenue du Parc, Laval (Québec) H7E 2T7

Telephone #:

• 450 662-4942

Price:

• Entrance to the park is free! $3.00 fee for pony rides and train rides.

Hours:

• Everyday from 8:00 am - 10:00 pm

Website: http://www.info.ville.laval.qc.ca/ms/centre_nature/index.html

Labyrinth in the Old Port

The Labyrinthe du Hangar 16 is a huge maze right in Old Montreal. There are lots of winding hallways to go through with obstacles to climb, slide down or figure out! Kids and parents of all ages will enjoy this adventure with a pirate theme. It takes between an hour to an hour and a half to complete it. They are open from mid-May to Halloween. Unfortunately, due to the obstacles, strollers or wheelchairs cannot go through the maze.

Location:

• The Shed 16 Labyrinth is located at Clock Tower Pier Entrance of the Old Port of Montréal, near Berri Street.

Phone #: (514) 499-0099

Price:

• 3 and under: free
• 4-12: $10.50
• 13-17:$13.00
• 18-59: $14.00
• 60 +: $13.00
• ** Coupons available on their website and the POM guide as well as family rates

Hours:

• Everyday from 11:00 am - 9:00 pm

Website: http://labyrintheduhangar16.com/en/index.html