Between summer sports schedules, part-time jobs and busy social lives, it can be tricky to convince the teens in your life to take time for summer travel. Enter the Great Canadian Day Trip. Day trips are a fantastic option for this sometimes hard-to-please demographic for a number of reasons, including the fact that they can be done in as little as four hours and it’s affordable to bring a friend along to make it more fun for them. Here are some day trip ideas that we think the teens in your life will love this summer.

 

 

  • 1

    Try a new sport...

    Forget indoor climbing gyms. Take a family climbing lesson on the limestone cliffs of Milton’s Rattlesnake Point Conservation Area. Read this for some outfitter suggestions.

    Teens 1

    Learn the ins and outs of mountain biking at Kelso Conservation Area’s Mountain Bike Skills Zone, which features wooden bridges, rollers, rocks, and logs to help riders learn how to properly tackle technical features in a controlled environment.

    The Grand River’s gentle currents make it a great choice for first-time paddlers. Area outfitters such as Grand Experiences and Grand River Rafting make it so easy to gear up and go.

    Teens 2

    See what all the buzz is about and take a stand-up paddleboard lesson on the shores of Lake Ontario in Burlington or give wakeboarding a try at Binbrook Conservation Area. Boarder Pass Canada operates a two-tower cable wake boarding system that provides the ultimate wakeboarding experience and is appropriate for people who have never tried the sport.

    Defy the law of gravity with a thrilling free-fall experience at Oakville’s iFLY Toronto. You’ll get a real sense of what skydivers experience during the free-fall portion of their jump at this indoor facility.

  • 2

    Hit the beach...

    Stoney Creek’s Fifty Point Conservation Area, Brantford’s Pinehurst Lake Conservation Area, Hamilton’s Christie Lake, Valens Lake Conservation Area and Burlington’s downtown shoreline are all great choices for a few hours of sun and sand.

     

  • 3

    Score designer deals...

    Brand-conscious teens will be thrilled with the collection of stores that awaits at Halton’s Toronto Premium Outlets, including Coach, Kate Spade, J. Crew, Bench and dozens more. If your teen prefers to hunt for vintage finds, head to Hamilton’s Ottawa Street or the vintage shops of Paris.

  • 4

    Inspire their artsy side...

    Plan a trip to the Art Gallery of Hamilton. It’s Canada’s third-largest public art gallery and is home to over 9,500 works of art. Just down the street you’ll find the Art Gallery of Hamilton Design Annex. Time your visit with one of the hands-on classes offered here, shop for unique art pieces in the Art+Design store, and take in one of the gallery’s experimental exhibitions. A great way for out-of-towners to tour through some of the city’s independent art spaces, including galleries, shops and studios, is to attend the monthly James Street North Art Crawl. It’s held on the second Friday night of every month.

     

  • 5

    Fuel up on food truck fare...

    Spend a day exploring around Hamilton and Burlington and catching up with the region’s amazing collection of food trucks.

  • 6

    Enjoy music together...

    Hamilton Halton Brant’s festivals are a fun way to enjoy music together. September’s SuperCrawl tends toward artists that are a little edgier. Past performers have included Monster Truck, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, Daniel Lanois, The Sadies and Hayden.

     

  • 7

    Snap a sensational summer selfie...

    For today’s social media savvy teens, you didn’t do something cool unless there’s a selfie to prove it. Hamilton Halton Brant has some share-worthy spots for your teen’s summer posting pleasure, including:

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April 2

Heritage Workshop: Needle Felting

Ireland House Museum

2168 Guelph Line, Burlington, ON, L7P 5A8

May 13

Fireside Foods Snack Box

Chiefswood Park Cabins

1037 Highway 54 Ohsweken, ON N0A 1M0

Now thru January 5

AGH Virtual Tours: Fridays at Four

Art Gallery of Hamilton

123 King Street West, Hamilton, ON, L8P 4S8

Now thru May 7

Nature Journaling Trees

Royal Botanical Gardens

680 Plains Road West, Burlington, ON, L7T 4H4

Sundays, Feb 5, March 5, April 2, May 7; 1 to 4 p.m

Now thru June 1

FREE Hamilton Waterfront Tour

Tour Guys

47 Discovery Dr, Hamilton, ON L8L 8K4

May 24

Learn how to wet-felt a wool “painting” tapestry workshop

Monika Schaefer Pottery & Fibre Art Studio

2 Palomino Drive, Carlisle, ON L0R 1H3

Wednesday May 24, 2-5pm, in Monika Schaefer Art Studio in Carlisle, ON, no experience needed!

May 28

Learn how to wet-felt a wool “painting” tapestry workshop

Monika Schaefer Pottery & Fibre Art Studio

2 Palomino Drive, Carlisle, ON L0R 1H3

Sunday May 28, 2-5pm, in Monika Schaefer Art Studio in Carlisle, ON, no experience needed!

Now thru June 17

STEAM-gineers

Joseph Brant Museum

1240 North Shore Boulevard East, Burlington, ON, L7S 1C5

April 12 - 19

Ceramic Buttons/Stitch Markers Workshop

Monika Schaefer Pottery & Fibre Art Studio

2 Palomino Dr, Carlisle, ON a L0R 1H3

2-day workshop: Wedensday April 12 AND Wednesday April 19, 2-5pm both days, in Monika Schaefer...

Now thru May 24

Toddler Days

Joseph Brant Museum

1240 North Shore Boulevard East, Burlington, ON, L7S 1C5

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