This page was created by a Continuing Education student through the course of their Bureautique et immersion anglaise program.
The views expressed below are those of the student and not those of Champlain College Saint-Lambert.

Family Fun

3 Ways to enjoy with your kids

FOR FREE

 

Going out with your kids may be budget challenging, difficult in terms of pleasing
different ages and far from relaxing. In this post, we share with you some activities on
the South Shore you can do on winter weekends with your children, grandchildren,
nieces or nephews. The best part is that most of them are FREE!

Outdoor activities

Have fun with the kids outside, get them to do some sports, or simply enjoy the cold
weather. Just don’t forget these winter essentials: coat, boots, hat, scarf and gloves!
The territory of the Agglomeration de Longueil boasts over 300 parks that outdoor
enthusiasts can discover along the territory’s 235 km.

 

Have fun with the kids outside, get them to do some sports, or simply enjoy the cold weather. Just don’t forget these winter essentials: coat, boots, hat, scarf and gloves!

The territory of the Agglomeration de Longueil boasts over 300 parks that outdoor enthusiasts can discover along the territory’s 235 km.

  • Ice Skating: A winter must! Usually free of charge for those who bring their own skates. Montreal skating rinks offer a cheap, easy to learn activity great for all sorts of occasions, especially if it’s your first year adapting to Montreal’s chilly weather.
  • Ice fishing in Saint Laurent river: Enjoy a refreshing, affordable and natural adventure
  • Christmas market and traditions: Experience holiday magic and the ambiance of the Christmas market. Come out and celebrate artisans!
  • Quebec National Parks: FREE for kids 0 to17 years old.
  • Winter Party! Come and have fun at Parc de la Cité. Free activities for all, including obstacle race, inflatable games, yoga class, ice sculptures, animation, and much more!

Artistic and Cultural Activities

In addition to physical activities, there also artistic and cultural activities  that help develop and stimulate kids’ creativity, imagination, fine dexterity and memory. You can check the free activities offered by Ville de Longueuil Library Network. Learning through fun is guaranteed and well-thought for different group ages.

  • Biblio-Jeux-Trottineurs (6 months – 6 years): Activity of stimulating language and awakening to writing and writing through play with the help of a speech therapist, nursery rhymes, stories and puppets.
  • Tales and Plastic Arts: Interactive family activity and discovery of artistic notions and techniques via history and plastic creation.
  • Tales Around the World: Tales from here and elsewhere told in their original language (Spanish, Dari, Creole, Romanian)
  • Discovering The Instruments of the World: Through a map, we travel to world music to discover the different musical styles from America to Africa.

These activities are scheduled up to December 14, 2019. To look up for addresses and schedules, check the Espace Culture publication for Autumn 2019.

 

The music lovers can enjoy some playful educational programs, focused on the interaction between music and theater through concerts that captivate the whole family. The Montreal Symphony Orchestra has a great series to discover the symphonic repertoire in family.

If you want to introduce the opera to your children and make them discover adapted and educational shows, come experience the Opera de Montréal to help them discover and nurture their natural curiosity. They may discover a new talent!

 

In case you want to spend the day at the museum with the little ones, every first Sunday of each month, some of the Quebec Museums are free for everyone!

 

MUSÉE McCord offers a parent-baby activity every last Wednesday of the month from 10:30 to 15:30. The activities include nursery rhymes, animated songs, sign language, sensory-motor games and an exclusive visit of the exhibitions.

Technological and leisure activities

If your kids are more into technology or you would like them to learn how to code or to create their own emoji, the Apple Store offers some labs for kids 6 years and up. Just choose the store and schedule the lab of your choice. Once there, check out also the Parental Control Labs.

Public libraries also offer a Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math Lab (STEAM). These workshops for children 5 to 12 are FREE. No prior registration required.

The Georges-Dor Library has a PixiLab, activities for the 10-year-old and over. They can learn some basic programming with microbits or create a fanzine, among other activities. Register online or in any counter of the Ville de Longueuil Network Libraries.

Alternatively, if you want to spend some time in the library with the kids, there are board games intended to improve children’s communication skills. Likewise, it is possible to rent video games for free for up to 3 weeks and movies for $1.50 per week.

 

If you prefer going to the movies without spending much money, Cineplex has a deal you can’t miss for just $2.99 per person almost every Saturday at 11:00 a.m.