50+ Things To Do This Winter

Let’s banish those winter blues! Here are more than 50 things to do in winter in Hamilton and Halton area, including Milton, Oakville, Burlington, Waterdown, Hamilton, Stoney Creek and beyond. We love keeping this list on hand for those days when you need a little extra motivation to head out into the coldworld. This list of winter thing to do should inspire you to revisit a family favourite winter adventure, try something new and have fun!

Explore Nature

• Hike at one of our favourite kid-approved hiking spots. We’ve got stroller-friendly hikes here, so bring the littlest explorers with you.
• Wander near the water. Lake Ontario’s waterfront is easily accessible, smooth-paved in most areas, and always free to explore.
• Keep an eye on the wildlife all winter in Burlington’s Cherry Hill Gate. Bring your binoculars and observe the birds, squirrels and other animals in the waterways. They’re active no matter the time of year!
• Visit Bronte Creek Provincial park and explore the working Victorian-era farmhouse and see some of their farm animals. If the temperatures are mild, they may be out in their pens! (spring and summer)
• Take a trip to the Cambridge Butterfly Conservatory. It’s a tropical oasis that kids will love.
• Triple C Farm is one of our favourite places to visit – even in the winter! Their farm takes in animals in need and is home to goats, sheep, horses, donkeys, alpacas, llamas, pigs and more!
• It’s always a warm, spring day at the Gage Park Greenhouse. Bonus – it’s free to visit all year long!

Soak Up The Christmas Spirit

• Use our Google Map to find streets and neighbourhoods decked out in their Christmas lights and displays.
• Wander through Downtown Burlington’s Spencer Smith Park and see the annual Lakeside Festival of Lights. No cost, and strategically located near some great hot chocolate shops!
• Top Pick: check out our Map of Christmas lights – it includes photos, address, and driving routes.

Add a Memorable Family Experience To Your Calendar

• Hop aboard one of these epic train rides and enjoy the ride, the sights and the experience.
• Save your pennies and skip the major leagues! We absolutely love OHL hockey games. They’re family-friendly and full of action for a fraction of the price of a Leafs game. Check out the home games for the Brantford Bull Dogs (who have moved from Hamilton to this arena in Brantford) and the Niagara Ice Dogs here.
• TreeTop Trekking in Hamilton has their Tree Walk Village open over the winter break.
• Families who love a challenge will love the skills needed to beat an Escape Room. We have a ton of them to choose from, and each location has different themes, rooms and skill levels required.
• When was the last time you beat your kids at bowling? Sounds like they could use a rematch and we know the coolest lanes to visit.

Run, Jump, Climb and Play!

• Play Indoors no matter the weather. Here’s our massive list of indoor things to do nearby.
• You can read our coverage of local play centres here and see which ones are going to be added to your “must-visit list”.
• Tweens and Teens will love climbing at The Hub Climbing in Mississauga.
• Indoor play centres are always an option to escape the winter temperatures while also keeping the kids active and moving. Here are the lists of indoor play centres in Halton and this list is for Hamilton and Niagara.
• My teens love an afternoon at the arcade. And I love when I can beat them at retro video games and air hockey!
• Bowling is one of our favourite things to do with the kids because we never know who will score the lowest haha! But the best part is that you don’t need to win to have a great time.

Easy Outdoor Activities For Winter Fun

• Toboggan the hills, there are 10 city-approved sledding hills in Hamilton and Burlington for you to try.
• Skate at an outdoor skating rink. We know where the best ones are!
• Glide around these cross-country skiing trails in and around Halton and Hamilton.
• One of the most popular outdoor winter activities for families is snow tubing. There are more local tubing hills that you would imagine!

Take a Road Trip or a Day Trip

• Stratford, Ontario looks like a Hallmark movie set in the winter, and their downtown shopping is quaint. Don’t miss out on their widely-known chocolate shops while you’re there.
• Spend the day or weekend in Guelph because there is so much to do! Here are 10+ things to do in Guelph to get you started.
• Have you read our recap of our trip to London, Ontario? You need to add a visit to your winter season itinerary!
• Staycation-ing is my jam, and we loved our local stay trip in Burlington.
• Have you heard of Leamington? It’s a cute little town that is home to an excellent hotel that is so much fun you won’t need to leave it!

Eat Great Food

• It wouldn’t be winter in Canada without a visit to the maple syrup farms and festivals.
• Our readers told us the very best donuts in Hamilton, Burlington and Oakville – go get one today!
• The best french fry joints are open all year long. You told us these were the best spots for fries in town.
• It’s never not a great time for ice cream! And lots of these ice cream shops are open all year.

Free and Cheap Ideas

• Look into Postcrossing. We’ve been talking about it non-stop since we discovered it. You get an address for someone who would love to receive a postcard and send them one. You, in turn, get one sent to you. We’ve sent and received cards from Japan, England, Lithuania and Africa!
• The same goes with Letters From Afar. Kids will love following Isabelle on her world adventures through beautiful letters, maps and stamps. We’ve been subscribers for years and these letters are truly something you can save and read with your grandkids!
• Get science-y with these easy and quick at-home experiments you can do with simple items from your cupboards. Kids will love it and they’ll leave a little something, too!
• Check out the Library. They’ve got books, movies, games, learning kits, audiobooks and even family passes to art galleries, conservation areas and museums!
• Play at the Tansley Woods Community Centre play structure. It’s free!