Family friendly activities in the beautiful province of Quebec and surrounding area. Find tips and guides for hiking, traveling, outdoor and indoor time with your kids.
One word: Wow! What a day! We spent a full day at the Village Vacances Valcartier beginning of the winter and we didn’t want to leave the place! The park has more than 35 snow slides to go down with a yellow tube, snow rafting, skating and much more.
We decided to try a 2km walk (one way, total 4km) with snowshoes for the first time in beautiful Charlevoix. We took the easiest path in the area, called Sentier des Lacs. During wintertime, the walk is inside the forest, along a frozen lake, truly a majestic walk. The 2km walk is basically parallel to a closed road which leads to parking P2 (accessible by car in the summer), you can stop, eat and start a fire at the refuge and return back to the original starting point or to continue for many other trails with panoramic views of the St Lawrence river.
The best ski area for beginners we have yet come across, the bunny hill located at the base of the mountain offers two adjacent magic carpets – the one on the right for very beginners with a tiny slope and the one on the left with a steeper hill, but moderately easy for young kids who are learning to ski for the first time.
Sommet Saint Sauveur has 5 ski hills. This post is about Sommet Saint Sauveur – Avila Versant (hillside). This side of the mountain has 13 trails and 3 lifts. We chose this part of the mountain although it does not have the magic carpet (bunny hill is located on a different part of the mountain at Pavillon 70) as there was not enough snow when we visited. The domain is less suitable for complete beginners as the small slope (Babalou) has an open lift where an adult must accommodate young kids. The slope is quite steep. On the right hand side there is a tiny slope to train but it can be challenging without a magic carpet for help. Otherwise the domain is very much equipped, nearby free parking, cafeteria and bistro bar, ski shops and rentals.
Mont Blanc is a ski resort located in the Laurentian Mountains east of Mont Tremblant. It offers 43 trails, 7 lifts and has the second highest elevation in the Laurentian Mont Tremblant region. The resort is fully equipped with cafeteria, ski school, day care and the highlight of the resort, the huge indoor playground for kids (Jungle Magique – check rates online).
We decided to give a visit to Quebec Aquarium once we were in the area of Quebec City, during a huge snow storm. We enjoyed the visit very much and so did our kids! The Aquarium exhibits fish, reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates, and sea mammals.
As a big astronomy fan, I was just waiting to visit Mont Megantic as it is known for its astronomy research, observatory and for the AstroLab museum for families. Megantic and St -Joseph mountains are about 1000 meters high. There is no cable car to go up the mountain and in order to reach the observation area, you will need to climb up the mountain during winter time as the road was not open when we visited in December.
Mid-December, we were looking for a ski resort to teach the kids how to ski or a place to do snow shoeing but there was not enough snow even though most resorts were open. We called Mont-Orford centre and they recommended this trail for families with young kids. This is part of a cross-country ski trail which was open for hiking as the season did not start yet. The signs along the way indicate that this path is only for cross-county skiers but we assume it is open all year long.
Located only 23km East of downtown Montreal, this National Park is an easy escape for nature and bird lovers at the city’s doorstep. In this post, we visited two short trails at the national park – Sentier Saint-Gabriel and Sentier Petit-Duc. The second walk, Sentir Petit Duc is suitable for snowshoeing. We have hiked it without the equipment this time as there was not enough snow to snowshoeing.
It was on my mind to write about this walk we did back in early September, on a sunny day but the ground was slippery from rainy days before. The trail is rough. Although it is considered an intermediate – easy hike, it can be difficult for young kids. The park does not allow strollers. It includes a walk along the river, a waterfall and a steep climb uphill. I definitely recommend taking a child carrier backpack, or to hike with older kids.
The place to go all year round with kids, but I prefer to keep it for a rainy day. So many stalls offering fresh vegetables, fruits and a lot of local product from Quebec!
Best day to spend on a summer day, dip or canoe/kayak in Lake Raynaud, circle the lake (2km) with 10 ultra fun fitness stations, visit the Birds Garden and the Velan Pavilion Observatory to watch the Sun!
Love trains? This is the place for you! The perfect place for kids, you can definitely spend all day here! Rainy, or snowy days? Here we go. The big closed train hangar has a permanent exhibition where you can discover the evolution of the Canadian rail transportation from the early years to modern time.
The place to learn about the Huron-Wendat First Nations history. Wendake is a reservation of the Huron-Wendat and is located in the La Haute-Saint-Charles borough of Quebec City. Just 30 minutes from Quebec City you will find this beautiful reservation, with a great walk to see Kabir Kouba waterfall and the Huron-Wendat Museum.
I am happy to write about this hike as we were confused from the information about this walk when we first looked at it. Hopefully it will be easier to follow now.
This great park is totally worth the visit. It has three main entrances, Porte Ste- Béatrix, Porte St-Jean de Marta and Porte Ste-Mélanie. The Rivière L’Assomption crosses this park and offers three waterfalls which can be viewed from bridges. The walk – Sentier Desjardins which is described here is about 5km return.
On a summer rainy day, we decided to go out although the non-stop showers. We found this nice farm online. This is a family farm with about 29 different animal species and about 1000 animals. The farm has group visits usually twice a day. Call before you go to make sure there are tours on the day of your visit and to confirm the exact time of the group visit.
Fantastic destination for an outdoor family day! Beautiful park with well preserved gardens and a big variety of plants. Six different gardens to visit (Cascades Garden, Bird Garden, Wetland Garden, Giant’s Path, Path of Curiosities and Healthy Garden), and big monuments decorated with flowers and plants.
If you are visiting Mont Tremblant National Park, head for this easy trail. It is about 3km long, loop shape and relaxed walk. Located near Monroe Lake, we were able to spot few animals – two deers, birds and a beaver swimming in the water.
Last September we headed for the Beer Festival at Mont Orford. I always try to collect regional tourism brochures everywhere I go and I found out about this fantastic beer festival this way. I am not 100% sure but I believe this is the second year this festival is taking place. Many Quebec microbreweries participated in this festival to present their beers along with local food stands and brasseries. The festival was taking place on the weekend of 15-17 of September 2017.
