Winter can be a LONG season as Saskatonians know all too well! Cabin fever can run rampant as squirrely kids drive parents to their wit’s (and sanity’s) end. Most parents can agree that the best way to remedy this is to get everyone out of house for a few hours, but, unfortunately, entertaining an entire family out on the town can be a bit costly. That’s why Family Fun Saskatoon has compiled this list of…
Family-Friendly and FREE Activities in Saskatoon (WINTER EDITION!!!)
Ice Skate at an Outdoor Rink
Skating is a great way to get out and get active in Saskatoon in the winter. Most outdoor rinks at schools are free and available for the using any old day of winter! If you don’t have skates, hit up the Cameco Meewasin skating rink at PotashCorp Plaza outside the Bessborough hotel and borrow a pair!
Grab A Sled
If the weather is agreeable, why not grab a sled, toboggan, or even a garbage bag and hit one of these awesome hills in Saskatoon? Optimist Hill Snow Park is now open and the tobogganing run remains FREE! All the excitement of a wild ride and the repeated trudges up the hill are guaranteed to tire even the most virulent sufferers of cabin fever!
Check out a Saskatoon Public Library Story-time
Most libraries in Saskatoon offer free story-times when parents and their caregivers can show up and listen to a story, engage in a related activity and connect with other parents. See here for a list of dates, times, and locations!
Get Creative with SCYAP
Are your kids into art? Drop in to Saskatoon Community Youth Arts Program for some FREE arts and crafting opportunities on Tuesdays or Saturdays.
Photo Courtesy of Tourism Saskatoon
Experience Saskatoon Winter on Foot
If you bundle up enough, most days in the Saskatoon winter are good enough for a simple walk. Why not try one the Meewasin Valley trails or just take a stroll around your neighborhood?
Burn Some Steam at Market Mall Playland
The Playland at Market Mall (near the food court) is open mall hours and is the perfect play for preschoolers to burn off steam. It is simply a semi-enclosed play structure with lots of room to run! What more do you need?
Come in for a Soft Landing at Lawson Heights Play Area
Lawson Heights Mall is home to, not one, but TWO preschooler-friendly padded play structures! Wile away a winter hour or two drinking a cup of something nice while little ones burn off some steam. The mall also lends out push cars for kids to ride in around the mall while you get a little shopping done!
Try your Blades at the Clarence Downey Speed-Skating Oval
Public skating is FREE, believe it or not, at the Clarence Downey Oval. No need for specialty speed skates! There are lanes available for all skill levels. Check out their schedule.
Photo courtesy of Tourism Saskatoon
Cross-Country Ski Endless Trails
If you’ve got the equipment, there are no limits to energy you and your family can expend doing this classic winter sport in Saskatoon. There are miles of groomed and not-so-groomed FREE trails in and around Saskatoon for your enjoyment!
Visit an Art Gallery
Check out this fantastic list, find an exhibit that suits your fancy, and make it a day out with the family! Get out, get inspired, don’t spend a penny and enjoy the best of the arts scene in Saskatoon.
Photo courtesy of Tourism Saskatoon
Take a Self-Guided Tour Around the University
Spend a day touring around the University of Saskatchewan! The campus is extensive–you could probably put a few steps on that counter of yours and run into a few interesting sites along the way. Visit history at the Diefenbaker Centre, experience science and innovation at the Biology and Agriculture Buildings, or check out some art at the Kenderdine Art Gallery. And do it all at NO cost!
Get Crafty on the Cheap (and Free)
There are so many opportunities to get creative in Saskatoon at little or no cost. Michael’s offers cheap crafting events in-store every Saturday morning. Indigo invites little ones to story and craft time also on Saturdays. As well the Saskatoon Public Library offers programs for budding builders, artists and tech-lovers all at no cost!
Tour an International Treasure
The Canadian Light Source offers FREE tours on Fridays and Mondays. Find out what the famed ‘synchrotron’ is all about and how it has changed the face of Canadian science.
Hope to see you out and about, Saskatoon families! Best of luck managing that cabin fever!
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Family Fun Saskatoon
Family Fun Saskatoon is your go-to resource for all things fun and local. From the biggest festivals to the hidden gems, we are on the move and on the lookout for the very best #YXE has to offer! You can stay up to date by liking us on Facebook and signing up for our monthly newsletter.
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