You are guaranteed to feel you’re on a trip if you go to one of the nature parks, where innovative programming awaits, for young and old. Try adapted cross-country skiing, “snowga,” and a maple syrup scavenger hunt with a visit to the sugar shack in the Parc-nature du Cap-Saint-Jacques. Enjoy interactive games about animals at the Parc-nature Bois-de-Liesse. Visit the Parc-nature de l’Île-de-la-Visitation to learn more about life in a sugar bush. Some parks even offer a maple taffy pull (la tire) for your sweet tooth.

Our partner, GUEPE, runs a day camp and a drop-in childcare centre at Parc-nature du Bois-de-Liesse.

Admission is free to the outdoor gardens at the Jardin Botanique: take a walk, go birdwatching or cross-country skiing. No charge for Montréal’s other major parks, Angrignon, Frédéric-Back, Jarry, Jeanne-Mance, la Fontaine, Maisonneuve and Mount Royal. 

Several ice rinks are refrigerated and several sledding hills have artificial snow so that the fun can last longer. Check site conditions before you go.

Would you like to borrow outdoor equipment? You can do so at several parks and even at four libraries. And it’s free for children, so why not try it?

Arenas and swimming pools open their doors for skating and freestyle swimming. Ideal when bad weather strikes.

Whether your kids are beginners or pros, TAZis the place to be for family fun on inline skates, skateboards, scooters and BMX.

Has a heavy snowfall just blanketed the city? Your family can enter the snowman contest. Then, invite your friends to vote: $900 will be awarded in prizes to entrants who win the public vote. Guaranteed fun!

Do you want to play tourist in your own city without spending a cent, and for the smallest ecological footprint possible? Go discover the murals and other artwork that beautify many Montréal neighbourhoods.

Playtime in the libraries 

Come play, with Montréal joue. Entertainment, board games, video games and role-playing — take advantage of many free activities, both online and on-site. You can even take games home — they are free to borrow.