As one of the largest and most visited cities in Canada, Montreal is a wonderful place to visit with kids. Being North America’s largest French-speaking city, it stands out as a distinctive and historic metropolitan area. Montreal’s French Canadian flair is combined with the different immigrant cultures that flourish here, resulting in a vibrant mix of people, cuisines, and attractions.
Whether you’re bringing your teenagers or toddlers, there are a lot of different family activities that you can do in Montreal together. You can enjoy strolling through the lush outdoors, while exploring Mount Royal or experience the uniqueness of floating in space at the Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium.
You can also sign the family up for a creative workshop or visit one of the many art museums that the city has to offer. Regardless of your family’s interests, it’s difficult to be bored in Montreal when there are so many different fun activities.
However, as there is so much to do in Montreal, it can be overwhelming to decide where to take the kids on a fun day out. To help take some of the guesswork out of choosing, we collated a list of the best things to do with kids in Montreal.
The Montreal Science Centre
The Montreal Science Centre is an interactive, kid-friendly, and educational destination. Here, kids aged six years and over can use their imagination to create a wide range of crafts in the Creativity Factory, including cars, parachutes, boats, and catapults.
Furthermore, the Science Centre allows kids to design houses and build roller coasters in the Zone for Curious Young Minds. Finally, the IMAX Telus Theater, highlights films that appeal to everyone from young to old. The Montreal Science Centre is well worth an afternoon visit, especially if the weather is not ideal.
The Montreal Biodome
The Montreal Biodome is home to a whole host of biospheres, which visitors can walk through. The indoor model of our natural world includes a rainforest, mountains, a polar zone, and a river. It is also home to more than 4000 types of plants and animals.
Any flora or fauna lover will feel right at home here, as the Biodome provides an engaging and informative visit. Of manageable size and reasonably priced, the biodome is perfect for introducing your kids to the different biospheres and animals across the world.
Voiles en voiles
Voiles en Voiles is an adventure park for all ages found in the Old Port of Montreal. It offers challenging and fun courses for kids, teens, and adults on a life-sized pirate ship. The courses include fun elements such as rope brides, wooden planks, rappels, and swings. At times, you might even be suspended as high as 10 meters from the ground. If your little ones are not comfortable in this high-adrenaline site, Voiles en Voiles also offers a 3D movie theater, an archery arena, an inflatable play area, and many more activities.
Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium
This is the perfect outing for any little astronomer in the making. The Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium is a natural history museum that really captures the imagination of children, while simultaneously teaching them things about the universe. The planetarium is one of the best indoor activities for cold and snowy Montreal winter days, particularly because it is located so close to the biodome, thereby ensuring that parents have plenty of activities to keep their kids entertained all day.
With regular shows and ongoing exhibits, you will not get tired of visiting the planetarium over and over again, as there is always something new to see and learn about.If you are looking for a fun and educational day out, we highly recommend this activity
Discover creative and educational activities for kids
La Ronde Six Flags
If your children have a thrill-seeking streak, an amusement park is always the answer. Montreal-based La Ronde Six Flags is the largest amusement park in the province of Quebec, and the ideal place to give kids a chance to have fun and burn off steam.
La Ronde is a great place to take the whole family, as it has something for everyone. There are thrill rides for older and braver kids, family rides for everyone to enjoy, and kids’ rides for the little ones. If you have exhausted all the museums in Montreal and your kids are looking for something a little different to do, outdoor activities are a great way to liven up your weekends.
Mount Royal
While we’re on the subject of outdoor activities, we recommend Mount Royal. Mount Royal is a spot that is frequently highlighted by tourism Montreal as a must visit destination, thanks to the breathtaking views of the city it offers visitors. However, Mount Royal is not just for tourists and hikers. There is a lot for kids to do in the 200 hectares of land. Hailed as a park for all seasons, it is a year-round attraction that children can enjoy.
For example, in the summer months, there is a summer camp and summer school held on the mountains, that enables kids to immerse themselves in the natural surroundings, and teaches them about wildlife and biodiversity. In the winter, kids can participate in a cross-country skiing program. Many companies also offer walking tours for parents to enjoy while their children are busy learning about the environment.
Zoo Ecomuseum
The Zoo Ecomuseum is the only outdoor zoo in Montreal, making it a must visit attraction for animal lovers. Only half an hour from downtown Montreal, it is an ideal attraction if you want a quick and easy day out that will keep the kids entertained and engaged.
The zoo is centered around the wildlife of Quebec and aims to teach kids about the animals that are native to the city. It features animals such as the snowy owl, red fox, and river otter, and is even home to a couple of impressive and stunning gray wolves.
With dedicated conservation initiatives, the Zoo Ecomuseum is the ultimate place to take your kids to teach them about the importance of helping the environment and looking after the biodiversity of the planet. The zoo also offers educational activities, seminars, and programs to help spread the message of conservation.
Montreal Tower
The Montreal Tower is an impressive structure located in a part of the city’s Olympic stadium. Built for the 1976 Olympic games, the most impressive thing about the tower is the fact that it has a height of 175 meters, making it the largest inclined structure in the entire world. For that reason alone, it is worth a visit.
If views of the city are what you are looking for, this is a fun activity that will get you just that. Kids rarely want to have to put in the effort required to climb to high vantage points to get showstopping views, so the glass cable car that runs you up to the top of the structure in only two minutes is the perfect solution. Parents get to take in the stunning views and kids don’t get bored on the journey up.
- Montreal Archaeology and History Complex
If you’re looking for a fun activity that also incorporates a dose of Canadian history, look no further than the Montreal Archaeology and History Complex. With a constant supply of interesting and engaging exhibitions at your disposal, there is always something new to learn at the complex. The museum has permanent exhibits as well as four changing exhibits per year, meaning there will always be something for everyone. Children and adults alike will thoroughly enjoy this museum.
Livart Creative Workshops
The Livart‘s creative workshops expose youngsters to art, while fostering a community that is encouraged by artistic engagement. The workshops contain an educational element in the extensive gallery as well as a creative element based in the studio. They provide kids with an environment to allow their ideas and creativity to develop. Furthermore, the workshops aim to pique the whole family’s curiosity and teach them new artistic techniques.
In addition to the regular workshops that we run, the Livart also organizes birthday parties for kids interested in art and all things creative. This is the perfect solution for parents who do not have the time to organize an entire party themselves. This convenient set up allows kids two hours with up to ten friends to create works of art. They end up not only having fun, but also having something to show for it.
The final activity that the Livart offers for kids is day camps that will keep them engaged and get them excited about art for days. Each day is centered around a different artist, with cultural events woven into the day to teach kids about the lives of the artists. Whether you’re looking for a whole day activity, a quick workshop, or a birthday party to keep your kids entertained, the Livart is the best place for fun art-based activities. Our mission is to create theme-based experiences, tailored to the interests of everyone involved.