9 Family Day Events in Ottawa

Family Day is possibly our favourite holiday of the year. There are no fixed traditions, no extended family obligations, and no shopping to do. It's just a completely free day to spend with our kids. So let's take full advantage and get out and celebrate the day with some family fun across Ottawa.

We'll be taking the whole gang out to The Diefenbunker, one of our bucket list experiences for this winter, for their family-friendly (and weatherproof!) LEGO Bunker Building event, running from 10 to 4 on Family Day 2016. See if you've got what it takes to be a bunker engineer, and enjoy a snow cone and their Secret Agent Scavenger Hunt—all included with admission.

Take advantage of the last day of fun and frolic at this year's Winterlude festival on Family Day. There are snow sculptures at Landsdowne, ice sculptures at Confederation Park, and snowflake making at the Bytown Museum, but we think we'll head to Jacques-Cartier Park, which features giant sledding hills, downhill ski demonstrations, musical performers, and a chance to meet the Ice Hogs—all free between 10 and 4. Beavertails, zip lining, kid-sized ATVs, and a carousel are also available for a small fee.

For the train lovers in the family (young or old) check out the brand new Thomas The Tank Engine special exhibit over at the Museum of History. There's a kid-sized Thomas to climb, so they can live the dream of being a train engineer, plus an enormous Island of Sodor set for imaginative play. Don a costume and pretend to fix an engine or load up the cargo cars. Choo choo!

Join the Mayor at the Rink of Dreams just outside City Hall for a fun skating party on Family Day between 11 and 2. There's free hot chocolate and BeaverTails for sale, and if your little ones are brave enough, they can snap a pic with the Winterlude mascots, the Ice Hogs.

On Family Day between noon and 5 pm, visit the beautiful grounds of Rideau Hall for skating on their naturally frozen ice rink. Explore the grounds and take a free guided tour every hour on the hour (no reservations required). We're hoping to catch sight of the Governor General, David Johnston, as his term is coming to an end (and he's a pretty fun guy).

The Aviation and Space Museum is always fun, but on Family Day they're upping the ante by adding print making and ejector seat demonstrations. The biggest draw is a special (and hilarious) magic show put on by wizard and illusionist Ian Quick at 11 am. Bonus: everything is included with admission.

The Ottawa 67s play some excellent, fast-paced hockey here in town, and tickets are perfect for families—you can get some reasonably-priced seats that are quite close to the ice. Catch a game on Family Day with a bedtime-friendly matinee at 2 pm when they take on North Bay.

Family Day is possibly our favourite holiday of the year. There are no fixed traditions, no extended family obligations, and no shopping to do. It's just a completely free day to spend with our kids. So let's take full advantage and get out and celebrate the day with some family fun across Ottawa.

Maple syrup season is upon us, and although the sap isn't quite ready for boiling yet, there's still plenty to do at the sugar bush. Fulton's is our pick for their wide range of activities, including sledding, face painting, pancake breakfasts and scavenger hunts in the forest, but the number one reason to make this your Family Day activity is their maple cotton candy, which is possibly the best food on earth. Tasting is believing!