35 Festive Family Outings in SEO During the Holidays

Rosanne Lake

Embrace every minute of the holiday season with your children! There’s a certain twinkle in the eye of every kid at this time of year - make the most of that magic and plan to attend workshops, events, tree lightings, Santa events, craft days and even live reindeer sightings, to keep that sparkle all month long. Wondering what to do after the holiday rush? We’ve got you covered with ideas for 35 stress-free family outings. South Eastern Ontario is the place to find fun with your family throughout the holidays!

Create unforgettable memories in Bay of Quinte

1. Light up their holidays in Bay of Quinte
Light up their holidays! The Belleville Festival of Lights display is running from now until January 6, 2025 at Jane Forrester Park. Don’t miss Quinte West’s annual Fantasy of Lights in both Fraser Park and Frankford Tourist Park. Lastly, Greater Napanee’s Light Up the Park will stay lit until early January as well.

2. Hop on a wagon ride in Trenton
Giddy up to feeling festive in December with the kids! The Trenton Downtown Business Improvement Area will have free horse-drawn wagon rides throughout the downtown every day from December 15 to 23, from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

3. Explore play: elf workshops, Christmas Art Camp, NYE party at Paragon of Play
Wowzers! Paragon of Play in Belleville is dashing through the snow towards some amazing children’s programming. Christmas Break Art Camp has different themes every day. The New Years Eve kids’ party is much anticipated and we hear there may even be a Taylor Swift parent and kid dance party planned for Tay-Tay’s birthday in December. Check out all the magic!

4. Quinte Museum of Natural History
Did you know whales used to have legs? Find out more at the Quinte Museum of Natural History during a whale of an exhibit on now. Learn about these ocean giants through life-sized whale skeletons and spend time discovering local fossils up close at this museum in Trenton.

Explore family-friendly adventures in Prince Edward County

5. Christmas at Ameliasburgh Heritage Village
From the blacksmith shop to tasting soup and from cookies to learning about animals in winter, this event on Saturday, Dec. 7 from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. is sure to impress the kiddos.

6. Regent Theatre
Leading up to Christmas, the beloved Regent Theatre in Picton is having special free community screenings. See Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone on Friday, Dec. 20; It’s a Wonderful Life at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 21 and How the Grinch stole CHristmas on Dec. 22 at 2 p.m.

Enjoy a day of fun and discovery in L&A County

7. Light up Friday Night Lights at the Museums of Lennox & Addington
Enter the Museum free for this special series running Fridays Dec. 6 and Dec. 13! Families can explore galleries, listen to live music, make festive creations with local artists and enjoy the decorated courtyard. Look for the Museum Kids’ Holiday Shop, where littles can independently shop for gifts that are $2 or less -and get their gifts specially wrapped! Also on December 8, participate in the Reindeer Games event at the museum for a craft and to see real live reindeer!

8. Books on Main
Do your kiddos love books? Escape the hustle and settle down for some reading time. Books on Main is an Indie bookstore located in Bath’s historic downtown. With boardgames, puzzles, bestsellers, fiction and even a great kids section, Books on Main will soon be your regular spot to stop and browse.

Make the most of your family time in Kingston

9. Ring, ring! Christmas Trolley Tour
Get festive with the family! Carol along to Christmas classics on a light viewing tour from the comfort of a red trolley. This 75-min tour is fun for the whole family. Tours operate Thursday to Sunday from Dec. 6 to 22, then daily from Dec. 23 to 31, 2024.

10. The Bunker
Dark-light mini putt anyone? This super cool mini putt experience is the biggest indoor facility in eastern Ontario and leaves a big impression with kids! Look here for multi-sport simulators, too!

11. Winter Traditions at the Pumphouse Museum
PumpHouse Museum invites families to embark on a journey through Kingston's rich history - discover stories that have shaped the community. On December 14, the museum invites families to travel through time, exploring winter fun and games across the decades. Sip hot chocolate at the 1960s ski chalet, test your skills in the 1970s Inuit Games or practise curling indoors like in the 1980s Winter OIympics! Don’t forget to visit the museum over CHristmas break to see an epic model train collection, the original pumps for the pumphouse and a science discovery centre!

12. Boiler Room Climbing Gym
The Boiler Room Kingston is the city’s only indoor gym offering bouldering, top rope, auto-belays, lead and it’s Ontario’s first full-size two-lane speed wall! Develop climbing skills, boost confidence and work towards personal goals. Kids learn basic techniques for bouldering and auto-belay and will be challenged whether it’s their first time climbing or they’re a seasoned pro. Look for youth programs here, too!

13. Escape the dull
Immerse your family in a different world and work together to solve puzzles and mysteries! Entertainment and adventure combine at the award-winning, Improbable Escapes. Family-friendly indoor and outdoor escape rooms, theatrical games, a board game café and more await at this fun and unique experience that will have you cheering for each other.

14. Glide into the holidays: public skating at Slush Puppie Place
Glide through the holiday season with fun-filled series of free drop-in public skating events at Slush Puppie Place! Take part in a special drop-in skate, in support of the United Way KFL&A and Partners in Mission Food Bank Sunday, December 15 from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m., by donation of a non-perishable food item. No pre-registration is required.

Outdoor adventures in Frontenac County

15. Get in the spirit at The Christmas Farm
All kinds of festive feels happening here! The Christmas Farm near Harrowsmith offers a unique family fun experience outdoors, with hot chocolate, apple cider, candy canes and bonfires! Cut your own tree and enjoy the merriment.

Making family memories in 1000 Islands Gananoque

16. Holiday glow up at Festival of Lights and Candy Cane Lane
Gananoque is enchanting in Town Park with trees full of lights, holiday cut out displays, a walkway of lights to wander, as well as the big tree out front of Town Hall strung with lights. Join in the grand illumination of the park stroll through Candy Cane Lane. Revel in live music, photo ops and lights galore. Make your holidays sparkle in Gananoque this season.

Bring everyone together in 1000 Islands Rideau Canal Waterways

18. Stroll through Prescott Riverwalk Wonderland
Bring the kiddos to experience the Magic at RiverWalk Wonderland! The Prescott Pop-Ups are turning into a holiday wonderland with enchanting lights, festive inflatables, and Prescott’s 25-foot Christmas Tree from Dec. 6 to 7, 2024. Be there for children’s games and activities, wagon rides, real reindeer, photos with Santa, hot drinks, live choirs and lighting of the big tree.

19. Find holiday magic at Christmas in Merrickville
From the place that looks like a Christmas card - celebrate all things Christmas with your family on Saturday Dec. 7! From Breakfast with Santa, to real reindeer, to a cookie walk, bonfires, children’s games and much more, it’s a day to feel festive and find that Christmas community magic for all ages.

20. Ferguson’s Forest Fun
Enjoy and explore Ferguson Forest Centre in Kemptville! With more than 1,000 acres managed, 22 km of trails, and 35,000 visits per year, Ferguson Forest Centre is a popular place for your next family outing in nature. Complete with a large arboretum, tree nursery, off-leash fenced dog park and parks, be sure to visit Anniversary Park, which offers a waterfront trail, Kinderwood children’s trail, picnic shelter and more.

21. Tree-ific Johnston Brothers Tree Farm
Celebrating more than 75 years! Known for offering cut-your-own Christmas trees available until Christmas eve. Look here for horsedrawn wagon rides on Dec. 7 and 8, as well as Dec. 14 and 15, which are always a favourite with young and old. We hear the holiday swags are also gorgeous at Johnston Brothers!

22. Visit the animals at Stealing the Bloom Farm
Get outside and onto the farm! Tours are available if booked ahead at Stealing the Bloom Farm in Rideau Lakes. Meet and learn about their pigs, goats, sheep and more while also being immersed in the rotational grazing, animal husbandry and farm systems of this small scale agriculture enterprise.

The best of times in Brockville

23. Watch lights dance at the River of Lights
This enchanting holiday light display on Blockhouse Island in Brockville features thousands of twinkle lights set to music. The free show is about 40 minutes long and on a repeating loop – drive down and enjoy the show from your car while tuning your radio to the show frequency, or walk about in the crisp winter air to see and hear the full show! Watch the trees dance with lights while contemporary and classic holiday tunes entertain you. Running from until January 2025.

24. Throw some axes: Capitol Axe Throwing
Got teens? Throw some axes and make some memories! This fast-growing and popular sport is perfect for beginners to pros so give it a try at Capitol Axe Throwing for an impressive night out!

25. Explore together: The Aquatarium at Tall Ships Landing
Ready to discover the St. Lawrence region in a whole new light? The Aquatarium in Brockville takes your family on an interactive adventure from shipwrecks to fish to a touch tank and watching real river otters frolick. Be sure to visit the beaver during special presentations and see frogs, turtles and much more. The high ropes course at the Aquatarium is the perfect challenge for teens wanting to test their climbing skills! It’s one of the Aquatarium’s most engaging activities for youth, who can experience climbing through the rigging of a tall ship on a high ropes course with nine element obstacles. It’s all suspended high above the third floor. Finish it off with a 40-foot quick jump called the AquaDrop!

26. Be inspired at Clow’s Christmas Trail on Hallecks
Be transported back to your childhood with magic memories of Christmas! This 1.5 km walking trail through the woods is decorated by the Clow Family each year to bring cheer to families. Opening Friday, Saturday, Sunday Dec. 6 to 8 and then running nightly from Dec. 13 to 23 from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Spend time together in this outdoor wonderland visiting the Christmas displays including the Elves Lodge, the Candy Shop, the North Pole office, winter sports land and more. We hear that you might even spy some special visitors walking the trails! Tickets can be purchased online.

Treat the kids in SDG Counties

27. Alight at Night – Upper Canada Village
Stroll through one of Ontario’s largest outdoor light festivals! More than a million lights sparkle in the postcard-perfect setting at Upper Canada Village near Morrisburg. Alight at Night transforms the historic village into a captivating winter wonderland, providing a fun, festive and family-friendly experience for all ages. Running until January 4, 2025 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., guests can celebrate with the return of old-fashioned carol singing, a sound and light show, a visit with the Village’s Victorian St. Nick (until Dec. 23), dining, and more.

28. Eat Breakfast with Santa
Ho Ho Ho! Join Santa at the Crysler Community Centre on Dec. 15 from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. for breakfast and festive fun. Donations for the local food bank will be accepted during this event.

29. Adventure in the Country
Where can you find axe throwing, archery, late night bonfires, trails to explore and hot chocolate at dusk? At Countryside Adventures! This place is well known for its legendary skate trail through the woods in winter, but this summer things are heating up at Countryside Adventures in Moose Creek, with kayaking and paddleboarding, fishing and good old family time on the agenda. Start your summer adventure here!

Connect as a family in Cornwall

30. Rush Hour Escapes
A whole different world awaits – two challenging escape rooms here will put you and your friends to the test as you work together to crack codes, find clues and solve puzzles. Escape before the time runs out!

31. Small art, big impression: Merry Minis
Have an older kid? They might be all about this art show! The Cline House Gallery and Studio is hosting everyone’s favourite art show and sale, the Merry Mini collection. Until Dec. 21 visit this artist’s showcase of more than 250 original mini masterpieces by over 50 talented regional artists. Visit Thursday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Be sure to check out the holiday market, too!

32. The Cornwall Aquatic Centre
Two-storey waterslide! Need we say more?! The Aquatic Centre is a six-lane 25 metre indoor swimming facility in Lamoureux Park. With a leisure pool and whirlpool – and of course the tall waterslide – it’s a great place to hang out.

Tasty times in Prescott & Russell

33. St-Albert Cheese Co-Op Tour
Cheese lovers won’t want to miss a stop at the St-Albert Cheese Co-Op! Take a walk along the observation hall on the second floor to peek inside the state-of-the-art factory, visit the St-Albert Museum to see the cheese making process from start to delicious finish. Then stock up in the on-site shop!

Family fun throughout South Eastern Ontario

34. Cheer on the Road to the Juniors
Christmas is coming early this year! Seven communities are slated to host games from Dec. 19 to 23 in the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship! In total, 11 games will be played throughout Eastern Ontario on the Road to the World Juniors. The road begins and ends in Ottawa, with three games scheduled for the nation’s capital, as well as Belleville, Brockville, Cornwall, Hawkesbury and Kingston. Over the course of five days, all 10 competing teams will be on the ice. See the world’s best junior players in action – on local ice - leading up to the holidays.

35. Free public skating
Keep an eye out for postings about free public skating throughout the holidays at local arenas and outdoor rinks! Every year, local businesses sponsor skating times in December to lace up and hit the ice with families and friends for free. Grab your skates and go!

Get ready to make festive memories with the kids before, during and after the holidays in South Eastern Ontario! Do you have an event for littles that you’re looking forward to?