Rainy Day Activities To Do with Kids in Ottawa

Red Umbrella and Rain Against Black Background

November isn’t exactly known for its glorious weather. Sometimes you get snow, sometimes cold, cold rain. And as the leaves mostly fall from the trees, and everything feels like it takes on a new grey hue in preparation for winter’s bright snow, we know that sometimes, getting outside in November with kids isn’t easy or the most fun.

When the weather is too cold, wet and miserable to get outside, but you don’t want to keep the kids in the house all day, here are some of our favourite ways to keep them busy:

City of Ottawa Museums

We always brag about the Museums in our city because it’s impossible not to include them on our list of places to go and check out, whether you live here or are a tourist. We love how open the space is at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum (plus, there is a lot of parking), and of course families have been raving about the newly renovated Canada Science and Technology Museum. But on the next rainy day, we recommend you head to Medieval Europe at the Canada History Museum before the special exhibit is gone in January. We wrote about why we think you’ll love it in a previous post.

Starr Gymnastics and Parkour

Drop-in classes are Starr Gymnastics and Parkour are typically for children aged 1-5, but don’t worry, if you have older kids, there is a drop in for kids aged 1-12 at their Lancaster location. The drop in days and times vary by location (there are three in the city: Lancaster, Orleans, and the Morrison Drive location) making it easier to find the best location for you and the kids. They’ll love being able to get their energy out on the trampolines, rolling on the mats, running around and more.

My Gym Ottawa

A membership at My Gym Ottawa may help take away the rainy day blues. Being able to drop into a class just when your kids need out of the house the most offers flexibility for busy families. With programs and classes designed primarily for younger children, pre-teens will find some offerings they’ll love too. You can read more about the My Gym Ottawa experience in our article.

The Ottawa Public Library

We love supporting our local libraries! On any given weekend, your local library may be hosting a special event and inviting families to attend. Even if your local library isn’t hosting something, you can always bring the kids and spend a good amount of time browsing the shelves for new books, letting them play the video games, and sitting quietly while reading their favourite comics. Younger kids will love some of the interactive toys as well. We also love the library because it means the whole family can spend time finding the perfect book to read while cuddled up on the couch for the rest of the rainy day.

Hockey Games

With two hockey teams in Ottawa and tickets for home games available on the weekends, taking the family to a hockey game may just be the perfect way to stay indoors, while cheering along with the rest of the home crowd. In addition to your little hockey fans getting to watch their favourite sport in person, they could see a favourite mascot! At an Ottawa Senators game, the kids might even run into Spartacat! Or, they’ll see Riley the Raccoon at an Ottawa 67’s game at Lansdowne. Tickets are available online in advance and often you can get last minute tickets if the weekend weather takes an unexpected turn for the worse and you need a last-minute idea.