We love our family activities in Niagara.
Every year, the McGarr Realty team of expert real estate professionals tell great stories about finding fun Niagara activities for families and children.
For families with young children, we know that moving to a new place can cause some anxiety: you want to make sure your new community offers programs and activities allow for growth and satisfy curious little explorers.
We thought we’d take this late-spring blog and offer a few ideas for warm-weather family activities in Niagara. Among our Niagara-based team members, we have managed to find activities that are suitable for all ages and abilities, and won’t break the bank for Mom or Dad.
Here goes:
* Niagara’s beauty can be sampled via a network of trails allowing cycling, hiking, walking, rolling and strolling, all within Niagara’s 12 municipalities. From the Greater Niagara Circle Route to the Bruce Trail to other paved routes, Niagara has hundreds of kilometres of places to go tramping or cycling, all within our boundaries. Pelham offers the scenic Steve Bauer Trail. For each municipality’s paved trails, visit the website for that city.
* Feel like a day at the beach? Niagara Region publishes a list of available beaches and offers water-quality testing between Victoria Day and Labour Day each year. Access the list HERE. If you are headed to Lakeside Park in Port Dalhousie, don’t forget to look for the carousel! You and your children can enjoy a ride for five cents, usually open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. from Victoria Day through Labour Day.
* How about a trip to the park? Niagara abounds with parkland, some of which offers amenities such as baseball diamonds; soccer fields; tennis courts; basketball courts; pools or splash pads; playground equipment, rest rooms and endless places to play, run, jump and splash. Visit the website for each municipality for a full list of parks and their features.
* Let’s go to the library! Families can really have some fun at the library, where programs for children and parents can offer after-school fun; Saturday story time; educational programs; craft programs; movie showings and so much more. The website Niagara Families has compiled a list of local libraries with links to each one’s website – find them all HERE, or visit each municipality’s website and search “library.”
* Conservation areas and provincial parks offer opportunities to observe local wildlife and enjoy a picnic in a natural setting. For a list of conservation areas, the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority offers a great map and description of what each area offers. For a detailed map listing all Ontario provincial parks, visit the Ontario Parks website.
* One great place for families to wander in nature is Heartland Forest in Niagara Falls. Along with a wonderful education centre, the area offers trails; ponds; places to picnic; a playground; a mini-putt course and one of Canada’s largest tree houses. This fully accessible area hosts loads of special events, including summer camps and birthday parties – visit the Heartland Forest website, HERE.
* Organized programs for children can be fun, offering opportunities to learn sports, be part of a team or gain other, specialized skills. From soccer to horseback riding and everything in between, Niagara’s network of sports and specialty programs can keep children active and give parents an opportunity to volunteer. You’ll have to do a little searching, though: There are far too many sources to list here! Check in with Niagara Families, where the awesome team has put together a list of organized sports teams by municipality. Suffice it to say, that if your child wants to learn a specific sport, you’ll be able to find a club that will teach it to her!
* Want to know more about our region’s history? Visit local museums; Old Fort Erie; Fort George or some of the other battlefield sites from the War of 1812-14. Local museums are often operated by their municipalities: Check in with each city and enter “museum” in the search bar. If you are visiting the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre, take the opportunity to visit the viewing platform at Lock 3 to watch the ships on the Welland Canal.
* A visit to the animals is always fun; Niagara offers a few places where families can visit and view domestic and exotic species of critters in natural habitats. Happy Rolph’s, operated by the city of St. Catharines, is one such place, where kids can run, play and visit with rabbits, chickens, goats and other critters. Safari Niagara is another, but is more of a structured zoo offering awesome educational programs, a fun concert series and a place to visit with exotic wildlife. It’s a wonderful place for a birthday party, or a behind-the-scenes tour of the park. In summer, a day camp is even offered here. Don’t forget about Marineland; the Niagara Parks Butterfly Conservatory; the Niagara Parks Botanical Gardens or the Niagara Glen.
* Day trips to other Niagara municipalities can offer fun activities, new spaces to explore and quirky shops to visit. Local eateries offer fabulous opportunities to try new cuisine or sample local specialties. This is one way to get to know your new community: You’ll get a sense of how each Niagara municipality is unique simply by exploring its location within the region. Don’t forget to stop for ice cream on the way home!
* Have you ever been to the quarry? The Glenridge Quarry Naturalization Site is open to the public, with attractions both natural and educational. It’s a great place to wander the trails and experience local nature, while learning about the makeup of the Niagara Escarpment. Windmill Point Park is another site that is worth visiting. Its natural spring-fed waters surrounded by sun-heated limestone offer opportunities for swimming, snorkelling, scuba diving and fishing. Extensive facilities and a resort offer a fun camping experience here, on the shores of Lake Erie near Crystal Beach. It’s a fun place to get away for the weekend … right in our own backyard!
You can see, our McGarr Realty team is full of great ideas on where to have fun as a family in Niagara!
While lots of the above activities require somewhat good weather and warmer temperatures, it’s still possible to go exploring when snow is on the ground. Just remember to dress warmly and stay hydrated, and you’ll be ready to step out together for a day of fun.
If you are thinking of a move to Niagara, McGarr Realty is here to help. Give our office a call at 905-468-9229 in Niagara-on-the-Lake, or 905-687-9229 in St. Catharines. Or send us a message here!
Together, we can explore the family fun Niagara has to offer!
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