Anne-Charlotte PasseraFinding activities to do with kids in Montreal in April can be a little tricky.
April in Montreal is what I refer to as the transitional month and the term is derived from the latin word Aperire which means to open. It’s a time of growth and blossoming for flowers and trees of the Northern Hemisphere.
In French we have a proverb: En avril, ne te découvre pas d’un fil . Although it can’t really be translated into English it’s used the same way as “April showers bring May flowers”. Either way, it’s a reference to how unreliable warm weather is in April and that’s particularly the case when you live in Montreal. You never know what the temperature is going to be like here.
Over the 11 years I’ve spent in Montreal, April has looked like a piñata that you are trying to break. It isn’t uncommon to experience over the course of 3 or 4 days a difference in temperature of 30 degrees Celsius! Heck, we sometimes even get a snowstorm thrown into the mix.
So enjoying the outdoors with kids becomes tricky because it’s hard to decide whether it’s time to trade the snow-boots for rain-boots. My advice: Keep them out until the end of the month. Just in case.
Therefore, with April being a transition month and the Pandemic messing up our daily lives, it makes it hard to find new things to do with kids in Montreal.
Free activities to do in Montreal with kids
One good thing in Montreal is all its parks. Luckily, unlike the provincial and state parks, the city parks are FREE to access all year long. But the Montreal parks aren’t the only things that are FREE in April if you are looking for activities to do with your kids.
Mount-Royal Park
The Mount-Royal Park can be visited all year long (see our September article).
April is a good time to go as it is mosquito free, and all the leaves aren’t out. It makes it fun to go to and play hide and seek in the woods.
Across from the Lac des Castors lies the Mount-Royal Cemetery which dates back to 1852. I know it sounds a little creepy, but this beautiful cemetery allows you to escape from the urban jungle. Find out HERE who is buried there and make a scavenger hunt out of it with your kids in silence. This is a good way to learn something new as a family. For example, have you heard about the travel writer Anna Leonowens or even read her books?
Another option is to head you can head down from the Mount-Royal Park belvedere to Promenade Fleuve Montagne. It’s a 3.8km pedestrian walkway that allows you to discover for FREE some of Montreal’s emblematic sites. Read HERE for more information.
Practical information
The bus 11 West takes you from Mont-Royal subway station all the way up to the top of Mount-Royal Park. Children under the age of 12 ride for FREE on week-ends.
Otherwise, it’s possible to park for FREE on Saint-Urbain, south of Mont-Royal Avenue.
Don’t forget to bring snacks and water for you and your kids as the hike up can be tiresome. Beware of the raccoons however. Make sure to dispose of your trash properly or bring it home and dispose of it there. A small backpack will come in handy and so will comfortable shoes.
Toilets and water fountains can be found in the building at the Belvedere. It’s very clean.
Dogs on leash are allowed throughout the park.
Street Art
I never get tired of mentioning Montreal’s street art. It can be observed throughout the city but the majority of it can be found on the Plateau and Mile End neighbourhoods.
Street art is an outdoor gallery that can be appreciated by everyone for FREE. Take pictures of the murals that you and your kids like best. Have them draw one when you get home and then hang it on the fridge or frame it.
If you want to discover more of the Mile End Area, why not play a game of riddles and puzzles? We played a game with Adventure City. You’ll need a phone and internet to play. The cost is 18$.
Although it will be hard to participate with young kids, I did it with Blondie Bear who was 11 at the time, it’s still a fun way to walk around and discover things that are right under your noise.
Also, there are some pretty yummy places to eat in that area with kids. Interested? Find out about these places HERE.
Botanical gardens
The Botanical Gardens of Montreal are FREE to explore until the end of April. Why not head on over there and watch it come to life in the Chinese or Japanese part of the gardens? If you miss traveling, this just might hit the spot.
It’s a nice way to escape the city and to take a walk. The closest subway stop is Pie-IX or you can park at Park Maisonneuve nearby.
Dogs aren’t allowed inside the gardens.
Park Frederick-Bach
If you haven’t been there yet, maybe it’s time you did and checked out the Park Frederick-Bach for a lunar experience.
To walk the whole path takes about 1h30-2h, depending on who you are walking with. The spheres along the path make for a fun photo-op and a great conversation piece about the environment. I tell you more about this park in my March activity issue.
Barbie Expo
It might be an odd thing to mention but yes, there is a Barbie permanent expo in Montreal. In fact, it is one of the largest Barbie Expo in the world!
So, if you like haute couture fashion and dolls, this might be the place to go. Some of the Barbies are dressed by Christian Dior and Vera Wang and some come from private collections.
The best part is that it’s FREE so you have nothing to loose by going there. It’s located inside Les Cours Mont-Royal which you can be accessed from Metro Peel.
If you get hungry afterwards, head on over to Olly Fresco’s which is just around the corner from the expo.
Haven’t heard about Olly? It’s a great place to grab lunch on the go as you can pick and chose what ever you want to eat since they have a healthy hot and lunch buffet. Their general tao and Mac and cheese are super delicious. But what I love the most is their spicy grilled chicken with avocado, rice, tomatoes, beans available in their fresh salad bowl section.
Ben & Jerrys
Usually, each year, Ben & Jerrys offers a FREE cone day in April in all of their locations. They’ve been doing so since 1979 as a thank you to their clientèle.
Unfortunately, they won’t be doing it this year due the Pandemic. So I’m putting this here anyways in the hopes that next year we’ll be able to get our FREE scoop.
One of their stores is located in Old Montreal. After a visit at the Science Center, this is a great place to stop at for some sweetness.
Montreal museums
Visiting museums don’t come cheap when you go there as a family. However, most of them give you FREE access every first Sunday of the month to their permanent collections. This is great when you want to go there with kids and not spend a fortune on something you don’t know if they’ll even like.
Fondation Phi
Fondation Phi is FREE to access all year long. Its exhibits are a little out there but interesting nonetheless. Blondie Bear and I went there once for an expo by Yoko Ono. It was an interactive experience where we could actually touch things which made it a lot of fun.
Discover their program right HERE.
Temporary expos in Montreal
Just like in any major cities, temporary exhibits can be a good way to distract your family from your routines. They don’t come cheap, but with some careful planning and budgeting, maybe you could afford one once in a while.
MAC
The Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal (MAC) is currently presenting until the end of April The Machine that Taught Birds Tunes. It’s an exhibition that gathers about thirty artists from Montreal.
Blondie Bear and I went to see it and we didn’t understand anything. Modern art and I don’t mix. That’s probably why in 11 years in Montreal, I had never been to the MAC.
However, we did enjoy the documentary on the Inuit, even if it was on a screen, as well as the cut-out jeans.
Pointe-à-Caillère
Discover the expo A railroad to dreams showcased at the museum Pointe-à-Caillère until September 6th, 2021.
I mentionned this exhibit to my boys, their reaction: Do we look like we like trains? I guess not.
This new expo at Pointe-à-Caillère showcases hundreds of model trains and trains that have played an iconic role in Movies. Harry Potter ring a bell?
I haven’t discouraged to take at least Blondie Bear to see this expo as I believe it is interesting to visit in order to understand how Canada came to be connected.
Oasis Immersion
Immerse yourself in the first edition of Oasis Immersion which opened last February at the Palais des Congrès.
There is no end date to it as the exhibition is here to stay and change themes every six months.
This exhibition doesn’t come cheap. One adult: 30,24$ and one student 24,50$. Is it worth the money? Not really.
Although Junior and I did enjoy the exhibition, there isn’t that much to learn on the spot. However, the goal of the exhibition rightfully named Inspirations, is to inspire you to explore and get out of your box. At least, that’s what we took from it.
We found that the exhibits were a little repetitive yet dug deeper into each portrait as you move from room to room. From being an astronaut to learning about the Hygge movement to being captivated by the music of the pianist Alexandra Streliski through the projections of huge images and psychedelic forms, it’s a good way to let yourself be transported to another dimension for 1h30.
I was disappointed by their gift shop because there wasn’t much on offer. A more in depth book on the Hygge would have definitely sparked my curiosity.
Practical information
The Palais des Congrès is located at Metro Place D’Armes. Go to the bathroom before as there are none inside the exhibits. You can conveniently find some right next to entrance to exhibition.
Although you can go there with kids, it might not be suited for young ones who like to run around.
McCord Museum
The permanent exhibitions at the McCord museum celebrates Montreal’s history through collections of costumes and decorative art.
Right now there is a temporary exhibition on Christian Dior going on until May 2nd, 2021.
Generally, you can access the temporary exhibitions at a lower cost every Wednesday starting at 5pm for $9,50.
FREE access to children under the age of 12 at all times.
Indoor activities for kids
Usually, I would have more to suggest in terms of indoor activities to do with kids in Montreal even in April, but right now due to the Pandemic, we are sort of limited. You can check my past editions for ideas (October, November, January) for when we’ll be able to have fun indoors again.
Until then, here is what you could do.
Biodome
Luckily, the Biodome is open again. It finished getting its face-lift at the end of Summer of 2020 but had to close again due the Pandemic.
As with everywhere else, you have to book your tickets and your time slot online. We went there on a Thursday at 4:30 pm and there was nobody.
The Biodome showcases 5 different types of ecosystems that can be found in the Americas and is a great place to go with kids any month of the year.
More information HERE.
Create your own boardgames
Purchasing boardgames can become expensive not to mention that they take up a lot of closet space. Although you can rent some for FREE at your local library, why not make your own?
I got the idea when I last saw my friends at their home, months ago. In case you didn’t know, since last September 2020, we have not been allowed into each other’s homes at all.
All you’ll need is:
- the top of a cardboard box or a thick piece of paper;
- 4 different coloured pens or pencils;
- A ruler;
- A compass or something to make a circle.
- 16 cork top bottles or anything else to move around on the board.
- 1 dice.
How to make your board
Well I sort of winged it. The idea is to have 4 different coloured boxes of the exact same size, at each corner of the board. It should make a cross in the middle.
- Divide the cross in three equal size columns (clearly I did not do that). Where the lines of the cross intersect it should make a square or rectangle. Draw a line from one corner to the other. Colour in each triangle a different colour.
- Now, each part of the arm of the cross, divide in 6 equal parts. Colour the middle column the same as the triangle above it. Don’t colour the last square close to the edge. (see picture below).
- Colour each square on the corners a different colour. It should match with the colour of the column to its right. Colour 1 square linking the big square to the coloured column.
- For the moving pieces, I used cork top bottles which I coloured a different colour to match with the board. You can use something else instead such a buttons, coins, figurines. You have to have 4 different sets of 4.
Rules of the game.
The first person to move his or her 4 pieces around the board and into the middle of the board on its designated colour wins.
Take turns androll the dice. If your dice falls on a 6, then you can move 1 piece out of its home base. This is the only way to move a piece out of your square.
To move your pieces around, just roll the dice and move them according to the number. If it falls on a 6 you can either move your piece up 6 and roll again or move a piece out of the square and roll again. The inner square (middle of the cross) is not part of the itinerary when you are going around.
If you land on a square where another piece of a player is, the player’s piece goes back to its home base. The player will hate you because they’ll have to start over by rolling a 6 to get out. It’s very annoying, especially when you are close to the end.
The only time that your pieces are safe is on the home base (only to start) or on your designated colored column.
Once you have gone around the board, go up your coloured column. Do not pass it or you’ll have to go around again. There is no turning back. You have to roll the exact amount needed to land on your coloured triangle. When you’ve placed on your coloured triangle your final and 4th piece before everyone else, YOU ARE THE WINNER.
Family activities outside of Montreal
As always, we don’t necessarily want to stay in the city at all times. Going on day trips with kids outside of Montreal is always fun and April is no exception.
Animals
Kids love seeing animals. They are part of nature. The activity doesn’t always come cheap but it can usually be done all year long. Once again, when you know how much an activity cost, it’s easy to plan it in your budget ahead of time.
HERE you’ll find a list of fun places where you can see animals in and around Montreal.
Park Michel Chartrand – Longueuil
The park Michel Chartrand is located in Longueuil and is FREE to access. However, dogs are not allowed there because of the animals you might come across.
In this park which stretches over a surface of 1,850,000 m2 you can spot for the thousandth time squirrels but also birds, raccoons and Deers! In fact, you can observe more than 200 species of birds, 17 species of mammals such as the red fox, the white-tailed rabbit and the marmot.
Location: 1895, rue Adoncour Longueuil, QC J4J 5G8
Bois de l’équerre
Bois de l’équerre is located in Laval. There is a 4km loop which you can walk on throughout a forest. It’s pretty flat so it’s easy to walk with young kids.
The access and parking is FREE and you can go there with dogs. (49, rang de l’Équerre, Laval)
Due to the Pandemic it has become very popular. On week-ends, park on the lot on Boulevard de l’Industrielle. It’s easier to park as there is more space. (4204, Boul. Industriel, Laval)
If you are into birds, you’ll be able to spot some. We only saw woody wood pecker but apparently 160 bird species resides in the woods along with 20 species of raptors out of 27 that can be found in Quebec.
Hudson
Watch the river Ottawa melt away in Hudson.
The Park Jack Layton lies on the shores of the Ottawa river in Hudson. It even has a beach which could make for a perfect spot to have an easter week-end family picnic.
It used to be a tradition of ours as an expat family to picnic on the beach for Easter. We usually did it at Park d’Oka, but if you want to do it for FREE, you can do it in Hudson.
Organize in the process an egg hunt in the sand for your kids to enjoy or a relay race.
Location: 400 Rue Halcro, Hudson, QC J7T 2H9
Verger Champêtre
Another option for Easter week-end is to head on over to Verger Champêtre.
From April 2 to April 5th between 9 am and 4 pm, enjoy outdoor activities with your kids. These activities include:
- A mini-farm;
- Animal parks;
- Walking an alpaca;
- Easter animal hunt
- Entertainment by a song writer;
- Bonfires; etc.
No reservation is required.
More information about this activity HERE.
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