Ottawa Kids Guide

Ottawa is a great place to raise kids. We have lots of outdoor space, plenty of indoor attractions and recreation facilities, and a safe environment. Here are some ideas for entertaining your family.

On this page (and beyond)

• Activities and attractions
  
• Birthday Parties
  
• Blogs
  
• Books
  
• Daycare, babysitters & nanny services
• Hair cuts for kids
  
• March Break
• Music lessons
• Resources for kids & parents
• Stores & services
• Summer Camps
• Swimming, water parks, splash pads, beaches
  
• See also: Ottawa Baby & Maternity Guide...

Activities & attractions

• See also: Ottawa March Break 2012
• See also: Ottawa Summer Camps
• See also: Ottawa Birthday Party Guide
   
  
• Art Empowerment for Kids
• Bearbrook Farm (Navan)
  Elk, deer, buffalo, llama, peacocks and chickens
• Bowling: Check out our Sports & Recreation Guide
• Brinketoos
  "more than just fitness for kids"
• Capital Kids
  Event calendar featuring activities for kids in Ottawa
  
• City of Ottawa Parks & Recreation
  Includes a listing of programs and activities offered by the City of Ottawa.
• Cosmic Adventures (Glouceseter)
• Frugal Fun Ottawa
  Lists free and frugal events and activities happening in the National Capital Region, geared towards families and kids.
• Funhaven
• Gracewood Stables (Kenmore)
• Kids in the Capital
  Kids in the Capital is a blog written by parents who share some of the activities, attractions, events, tips and tricks they love to do with their kids in the National Capital Region.
• KidSports Ottawa
  Helps Ottawa children & youth from low-income families participate in organized sport by providing grants for sport registration fees & equipment.
• 40 (mostly) free family fun ideas
  A great blog post from DaniGirl with lots of indoor and outdoor activities for your kids. Make sure you read the comments for more ideas from readers, or add your own Ottawa kids activities to the list
• Macaroni Kids
  A listing of kid-friendly events and activities, along with a focus on the environment, local services and independent stores.
• Macoun Field Club
• Mini golf: Please see our Ottawa Golf Guide...
• Motherhood in Ottawa
• New Star Childrens Theatre
• Odyssey Theatre - Youth Matinee
• Ottawa Art Gallery - Creative Sundays
• Ottawa Mommy Club
• Ottawa Parades Guide
  Our listing of local parades, including the annual Santa Claus Parade.
• Papanack Zoo
• Pinto Valley Farm (Fitzroy Harbour)
• Renfrew Storyland
• RCSCC Falkland (sea cadets)
• Salamander Theatre
  Related: Ottawa Theatre Guide
• Saunders Farm
• Sugar Bushes in Ottawa and Gatineau
• Strawberry Picking
  A directory of pick-your-own berry farms in the Ottawa area.
• Tiny Hoppers
• Tubes & Jujubes (Gatineau)
• Valleyview Little Animal Farm (Nepean)
• Vertical Reality (indoor rock-climbing - Victoria Island near downtown)
• See also: Ottawa Events Guide
• See also: Ottawa Festivals Guide
• See also: Ottawa Sports & Recreation Guide
• See also: Ottawa pools, water parks, splashpads

Blogs

A growing list of Ottawa-based blogs by parents, about their families. Add your blog...

• a peek inside the fish bowl
  Written by Andrea Tomkins, chronicling the adventures of her family. One of the best blogs in Ottawa.
• Postcards from the Mothership
  Another one of our favorites, blogger DaniGirl shares pictures and stories about her life & family.
• And baby makes three
• adventures of a mom, geek, gamer
• Adventures of a Working Mom
• Bread Crumbs in the Butter
• Bytown Mom
• Capital Mom
• Chasing Blue Sky
• Consuelo Bernardi: The B Sides
  Written by Consuelo Bernardi, a 30-something mummy of two. This blog focuses on music.
• Cool Science
• Crazy Life, Makes me Tired
• Dadly Off In All Directions
• frugalfish
  The Official Frugal Fun Ottawa Blog
• Gliding Through Motherhood...
• Humpty Dumpty House
• Folkabout Baby
• From Nat's Brain
• It Is What It Is
• Kidscanhavefun
• Kitchissippi Kids
• LD-Techno Kids
• Life is Good ... at the Beach
• Loulou's views
• Momma and Max
• meanoldmommy
• Muddy Boots
• one and one + two
• OttawaMom
• Party of 3
• PhD in Parenting
• Simoninigans
• Some kind of Wondermom
• Stay-at-Home-Mayhem
• Tales of life with a girl on the go
• The Rambling Stroller
• Trials of a New Mom
• Virtually There
• What garlic is to food, insanity is to art
• See also: Ottawa Blog Guide

Books

• Ottawa with Kids by James Hale. The complete family travel guide to attractions, sites and events in Ottawa.
  
• Frommer's® Ottawa with Kids by Louise Dearden. Reveals the most fun and educational experiences for kids in Canada's capital. It's full of incredibly detailed tips - right down to which hotels offer cribs and rollaway beds and which restaurants offer high chairs.
• The Lobster kids' guide to exploring Ottawa-Hull by John Symon. Whether you're a parent, an educator or a tourist, if you're caring for children between the ages of 1-12, this book is the perfect answer. More than 100 suggestions for fun-filled family activities in the National Capital Region.
  
• Books Guide... (includes local libraries, book stores, and more)

Daycare, babysitters & nanny services

• Andrew Fleck Child Care Services
• Baby-Bumblebee Daycare
• Betty Hyde Co-Operative Nursery School
• Canadian Mothercraft of Ottawa-Carleton
  Offers full time child care for children 18 months to 12 years, plus Ottawa’s only part time/respite childcare program for babies, toddlers and preschoolers.
• CanadianNanny.ca
• CanadianSitter.ca
• Centrepointe Childcare Services
• Child Care Providers Resource Network
• Child Daycare Garderie Nepean
• The Children's Place
• The Children's Welcome Centre
• City View Centre for Child and Family Services
• Community Child Care of Ottawa
• Counterpoint Academy Day Care
• Daisies and Dragons Daycare
• EB Caregiver Placement Services (nanny)
• Global Child Care Services
• International Nannies and Homecare Ltd.
• Kanata Research Park Family Centre
• Lili and Friends Daycare
• Little Faces Daycare
• Military Family Resource Centre
• Nanny Perfect
• Orleans Daycare
• Ottawa Nanny Agency
• Rockliffe Child Care Centre
• Sharon's Home Daycare (Orleans)
• Short Term Child Care
• SOSsitter.ca
• Totlot Childcare

Resources for kids

• Child & Youth Friendly Ottawa
  CAYFO strives to engage, inspire, support, and celebrate children and young people in our community.
• Kids Help Phone
  1-800-668-6868. Available anytime of the day or night, in English and French, by phone and by web, it is the go-to resource for kids in Canada from five to 20 when they need help or trustworthy information on issues that are difficult to discuss with anyone else.
• Youth Canada
  From the Government of Canada, resources for teenagers and older youth.

Resources for parents

• Canada Toy Testing Council
  If you're buying for kids, a good resource is the Canada Toy Testing Council. Each year, they test hundreds of new toys, rating the toys for durability, safety, design, function, ease of assembly, battery consumption and overall play value.
• Food recalls & allergy alerts
  From the Canadian Food Inspection Agency
• momcafé Ottawa
  A network site for moms, including monthly events with inspirational speakers over a latté and light breakfast.
  
• Multiple Birth Families Association
  For parents and expectant parents of twins, triplets, quadruplets and higher order multiples.
• One Parent Families Association
  A non-profit association of families with one parent who have joined together to provide guidance, enlightenment and friendship for one another
• Ottawa At Home Dads
  A Yahoo! Group for stay-at-home-dads
• Ottawa Families
  Listing events, camps and resources for families
• Ottawa Mommy Club
  Activities and resources, plus members-only events
• Parent Resource Centre of Ottawa
  This website offers information about programs, workshops and where to get parenting help.
• Playgroups & Drop-ins
  A listing from Frugal Fun Ottawa
• SavvyMom - Ottawa Edition
  help with the ever-present challenges of modern day motherhood.
• Single Parent Club of Ottawa
  Social activities, events and meetups aimed at fostering new friendships.
• Tummy Thyme
  Nutrition Guidance for Growing Families

Stores, services & more

• Belly Laughs (kids consignment clothes)
• Biometrik Canada (kids identification)
• Bongoworld
• Boomerang Kids (consignment)
• Children's Village of Ottawa-Carleton
• Daisy Blue (clothing)
• Dandelions Consignment
• Eko Bear (eco-friendly toys)
• Empower Single Moms
• Entrepreneurial Moms
• Fiesta Kids
• Friendly Fish (eco-friendly childrens products)
• Info Biometrik
• LabelMyClothes
• Lovable Labels
• Lulu & Coco
• Mabel's Labels Inc.
• Magic Shadow Shapes ("a fantasy journey")
• Miss Tiggy Winkles
• Mom Cafe
• Mommy 'n Me (childrens consignment store)
• Neighbourhood Toy Stores of Canada
• Nest - European Toys
• Peek-a-boo Natural Toys
• Posh Kids (clothing)
• Play Felt Plus
• Upper Canada Kids (clothing)
• Wall Candy Creations

Related Guides

• Ottawa Baby & Maternity Guide
• Ottawa Birthday Party Guide
• Ottawa Schools Guide
• Ottawa Summer Camps Guide
• Ottawa Swimming Guide
• Ottawa Events Guide
• Ottawa Parades Guide

Special Thanks

Thanks to Andre Ouellette for his assistance in creating our Kids Guide.

Featured Listings

• Chick Pea Children's Boutique
  Chick Pea is a European-style boutique full of things we love most for babies, toddlers and moms, located in the heart of Wellington Village. From the softest cashmere sweaters, to whimsical printed organic cottons, adorable lambskin booties, delightful storybooks, wonderful natural body products, funky party dresses for little girls, sturdy wooden play sets and furniture, and the most original baby shower gifts in the city.
  
  
• ICE In Case of Emergency Inc. 
  Everyone remembers how quickly the Police, Paramedics, Fire Fighters, Medical Personnel AND the public all adopted the ICE YOUR PHONE campaign, right?!
  Ingenious idea, BUT cell phones are easily separated from their owners, batteries run low, they get damaged or have locked keypads.
  The ICE (In Case of Emergency) concept has now been taken one step further with the creation of the ICE Tag®. Ottawa Paramedics & Firefighters alike say they like it for its simplicity and ease of recognition.
  Although piece of mind is priceless...we’ve made them affordable enough that everyone can have one!
  
  
• Ducsunaru
  A local online boutique featuring Canadian-made products for the whole family to enjoy:  Toys, games, gifts, loot bags, organization products and more! 
  Weekly Friday Specials - Save 20% Off a Select Item Each Week
  
  
• Starr Gymnastics & Fitness
  Starr Gymnastics & Fitness is Ottawa’s first choice for Family Fitness. We provide instructional gymnastics for children of any background and ability. Our programs are dynamic, challenging, promoting self-esteem. Our instructors are the best in the industry! Starr Gymnastics provides everyone with Great Exercise, Great People and Great Fun!
  
  
  
  
  
• Nanny Perfect
  Nanny Perfect is a Canadian online nanny placement service that puts Canadian families in touch with locally-based nannies. Families can use our website to find and contact candidates matching their requirements, without having to deal with an agency and at a fraction of the cost of a regular nanny placement service.  Search for matching nannies online, contact candidates to discuss requirements, and create a free profile to advertise your vacancy on our popular website.
  
  
• Pirate Adventures Canada
  Arrgh mates! Join us aboard our 50ft pirate ship as we venture forth to seek sunken treasure. Be immersed in our interactive story as you learn to be a pirate, man the water cannons and if you’re lucky, even haul aboard treasure to share. Families, groups, and birthday parties welcome.
  
  
• TummyThyme
  TummyThyme is an Ottawa based nutrition consulting business specializing in early childhood nutrition.  We offer 5 week cooking classes on making homemade baby food; 90 minute nutrition workshops and individual virtual consultations to meet your individual needs.  All services are provided by a Registered Dietitian. See www.tummythyme.com for details. 
  
  
  
• Ottawa Parenting Times Magazine
  An Ottawa based parenting magazine home delivered in Ottawa and Eastern Ontario. Parenting Times covers issues and topics important to parents and families for helping to raise their children. Parenting Times strives to give parents the information they want on health, education, family fun, the arts, community profiles, and so much more. From interesting, and informative articles, Ottawa Parenting Times provides in-depth editorial and information for today’s busy parents.
  
  
• Tumblers Gymnastics Centre
  Tumblers Gymnastics Centre offers everything ‘gymnastic’ under one inviting roof.  Drop-in classes, recreational and competitive programs, camp programs and Parties are just some of the fun available.  Tumblers is open seven days a week offering daytime and evening programs.  Check out our website: www.tumblers.ca or call 613-834-4334 for more details. 
  
  
• Funatorium Explorium
  February 18-20, 2012 at CE Centre (4899 Uplands Drive). At Funatorium Explorium we believe that parents and children can and should play together and have loads of fun doing it. At at Funatorium Explorium Family Extravaganza, everyone will have a BLAST!
  Click here to purchase tickets...
  Discount code for OttawaStart readers: START4 (save an extra $2 per ticket)
  
  
• 4Cats Arts Studio Hintonburg
  4Cats Arts Studio is a professional Art Studio for artists ages 2 - 15.  Artists will try their hands at a variety of mediums, including Painting, Drawing, Sculpture, Stop Motion Animation, and more!  4Cats offers weekly classes, Summer, Winter and March Break Camps, and Birthday Parties! Come and experience the BEST, MOST FUN, ART STUDIO EVER!
  
  
  
• Kids in the Capital
  Kids in the Capital is a blog written by parents who share some of the activities, attractions, events, tips and tricks they love to do with their kids in the National Capital Region.
  
  

• Make your business stand out from the rest.
  Click here to add your Featured Listing...