There’s never been a better year for a Great Canadian Day Trip, and we’ve put together some ideas for family days out.
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Take in Canada’s awesome landscapes.
Why not get started by spending a day exploring Canada’s great landscapes? Tube, raft or paddle down the Grand River, visit the Waterfall Capital of Canada (Hamilton), hike to the top of the Niagara Escarpment, or walk Canada’s oldest footpath, the Bruce Trail.
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Time travel into Canadian history
Interactive heritage experiences will prove that history is far from boring. Go beyond the textbooks with flight simulators at Hamilton’s Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum, pioneer play dates at Westfield Heritage Village, shipboard tours at the the HMCS Haida, and vintage streetcar rides at Halton County Radial Railway.
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Fascinate them with First Nations Culture
Let kids explore a 15th Century Reconstructed Iroquoian Village and learn from hands-on displays, exhibits and seasonal demonstrations at Crawford Lake Conservation Area. Spend the day dancing to a new beat at one of the region’s amazing Pow Wows: The Grand River Champion of Champions Pow Wow in July or the Three Fires Homecoming Pow Wow and Traditional Gathering in August are great options.
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Take terrific trips for toddlers
The youngest travellers will love Wild Waterworks’ Little Squirt Works in Hamilton, meeting the farm animals at Puddicombe Estate Farms in Stoney Creek, having an exotic animal adventure at African Lion Safari, or riding on a miniature steam engine.
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Design a day trip grade schoolers will love
Teach them with time travel at Bell Homestead National Historic Site or Dundurn National Historic Site, have an amazing animal encounter at Mountsberg Conservation Area’s Douglas G. Cockburn Raptor Centre (home to two dozen different birds of prey), spend a day searching for ancient fossils at Dundas Valley Conservation Area, or take time for a first-time paddle on the Grand River.
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Try a teen-approved way to spend the day
Thrill seekers can take a family climbing lesson on the limestone cliffs of Milton’s Rattlesnake Point Conservation Area, learn the ins and outs of mountain biking on Kelso Conservation Area’s Mountain Bike Skills Zone, give wakeboarding a try at Binbrook Conservation Area, or defy the law of gravity with a thrilling free-fall experience at Oakville’s iFLY Toronto. If you’re looking for a lower-key day out, brand-conscious teens will be thrilled with the collection of stores at Halton’s Toronto Premium Outlets, or appreciate a trip to the Art Gallery of Hamilton, Canada’s third-largest public art gallery.
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Limit the driving and don’t break the bank
What’s a family on a budget to do? The answer isn’t to stay home and mourn the loss of family fun. There’s no reason a day trip can’t be just as exciting as an away-from-home vacation, and Hamilton Halton Brant has lots of budget-friendly alternatives that will still inspire plenty of smiles with a collection of summer deals.
