Things to do with kids in Ottawa this summer

Canada Day on Parliament Hill, fireworks, Busker Festival, Calypso Waterpark, Changing of the Guard and the Musical Ride.  These are just some of the fun locations and events happening in Ottawa this summer.  We have so much fantastic entertainment and events for kids but we don’t like to put it out there too much.  It’s like wearing a colourful, vibrant dress and then covering it with a burlap sack.  Shed that burlap and shout it out, we have amazing things happening in this city! So if you will be visiting this summer (or even if you live here!), check out our list for some of the best kid-friendly entertainment Ottawa has to offer this summer.

Museums!  We have a ton of them and they all usually have children's events/programs. My favourite is the Museum of Nature.  Followed very closely by the Canada Agriculture Museum.  Lots of organized activities for little kids or you can just let them run around the grounds and visit the animals!   

Don't forget the Canada Aviation &Space Museum, the Canadian Children'sMuseum is inside the Canadian Museum of Civilization (which is really like getting two museums in one location!), and the Canada Science andTechnology Museum.

If you'll be heading to the Canada Agriculture Museum, make sure to stop by
Central Experimental Farm The entire area is beautiful and includes the Arboretum.  Then if you cross the street, it's all green space with hundreds of trees.  If you continue walking you'll eventually hit Dow's Lake, part of the Rideau Canal, where you can sit at the restaurant and have lunch then rent paddle boats. It's also an awesome spot to picnic on a nice day.

The busker festival is the long weekend in August and is always a lot of fun for kids.

CosmicAdventures is a giant indoor playground for the rainy days like today.

Gatineau Park is beautiful and has a few beaches.

Hull-Wakefield Steam Train

Mont Cascades Waterpark or Calypso Waterpark (if you are staying downtown, Mont Cascade is closest. Calypso is at the far east end of the city and worth the drive!)

Changing of the Guard on Parliament Hill (every morning in the summer)

RCMP MusicalRide (June 26-30) 

There are lots of little boat cruises on the canal or the Rideau River or double decker bus tours in the market.  You can get them anywhere downtown around Elgin Street or the market.

Saunders Farm - play structures, mazes, tree forts, splashpads, wagon rides.  Again, definitely worth a little further drive if you're in the east or the downtown core

Storytimeat Rideau Hall (the Governor General's official residence) Again, beautiful grounds, lots of room to run and play.

There is so much to do that it's difficult to put it all in one blog so make sure to do your research to find out what else is happening!