The third Monday of February is a holiday for many Canadian provinces. While Alberta, Saskatchewan and Ontario know it as Family Day, it’s also Louis Riel Day in Manitoba, Islander Day in PEI and Nova Scotia Heritage Day. Whatever you call it, we can all agree that we need to address the ‘late winter blues’ with a well-deserved holiday tucked in perfectly between New Years to Easter weekend.
If you live in one of these provinces, chances are you’re looking for a few activities to keep the family busy this long weekend and we’ve got a few ideas for you!
Here are five fun-for-the-whole family ways to spend your weekend:
Get Outdoors
Depending on where you live, the selection of outdoor activities may range from cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, dog-sledding to fat biking. But if snow is scarce in your area, there are still plenty of ways to enjoy the last long weekend of winter. Why not visit an outdoor skating rink or go for a winter hike? Bring some hot chocolate, dress warmly and enjoy! Remember thanks to Canada 150, you can explore all of Canada’s 44 national parks for free! Get your Discovery Pass now.
Check Out a Museum
From the Canadian Museum of Human Rights in Winnipeg to the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in Halifax, your closest museum will likely have special long weekend programming for the whole family and may even offer free admissions. In case you missed it, we’re celebrating a major milestone this year, so look out for Canada 150 themed exhibits. Here are some picks from Passport 2017’s.
Get Crafty
If you prefer to stay indoors there are still plenty of things to do. Encourage the family to get crafting using Canada 150 as a prompt. Ask each other, what does Canada mean to you? Draw pictures or write stories and letters describing what your Canada looks like. You can take it one step further by creating a home video! Be sure to share your content with CBC 2017, as part of the What Is Your Canada project and it might even be published on Canada Day!
Get Cooking
There’s no better way to spend time with family than around the dinner table, but the experience doesn’t have to start there. Cooking and baking together is a great bonding exercise and helps kids (and adults) learn and practice important skills. Don’t forget to share what you eat using the President’s Choice and Canada 150 hashtag #EatTogether!
Give Back
Like most holidays, this is a great opportunity to reflect and give back. Tackle your spring cleaning list early; spend time tidying up, collect old clothes, toys, books and unused belongings and help them find a new home. Check out this list of Canadian Charities for more information on how and where to give!
We hope we’ve inspired you to try something new, but whatever you’ve got planned for the weekend, don’t forget to have fun! And continue to follow our year-round Canadian celebration of special days through our hashtag #SESQUIDAYS on all key social media channels.