7 Fun Winter Activities for You and Your Family!

With the holiday season fast approaching and the temperatures dropping, it’s tempting to cozy up with the family on the couch at home! Why not plan to do that right after some memorable outdoor winter activities, enjoying the fresh air and winter sunshine!

Bundle up and get ready to have fun with your family this holiday season with these 7 fun outdoor winter activities:

1. Ice skating

Let us start off with one of our most favorite winter activities, ice-skating! This activity is one of the best family winter activities in Calgary because of the abundance of ice rinks in the city. Depending on the outside temperatures, you can ice skate from November to March.

• Many communities have their own ice-skating rinks for local residents, but you can also visit one of the bigger outdoor rinks that Calgary has to offer, including Prince Edward Island or Bowness Park.
• If you are looking to venture outside of the city for the day, another of our favorites is to go ice skating in the mountains!  Gap Lake is about an hour drive west and the views are picturesque. Bring your hockey nets, mini fires to roast hot dogs and marshmallows, and spend the day!
• The University of Calgary has recently announced the opening of their new and exciting Central Commons Park! The new park will have a lot to offer for families all year round, including a large outdoor skating rink complete with fire pits.

2. Tobogganing

The next few months are likely to have ample amounts of snow, so pull out your toboggans, sleds, GT racers and hit the hills! There are dozens of tobogganing hills throughout the city, but here are a couple of popular hills you are sure to enjoy:

• Confederation Park is located north of downtown and offers a variety of slopes, ranging from gentle hills for the little kids to extreme slopes for the thrill seekers!
• Andrews Heights’ hill is situated west of McMahon Stadium and is attractive to both older children and adults. The hill is fast and steep and most importantly, free of trees, and so much fun! Snow helmets are highly recommended for this hill.

 3. Tubing at Canada Olympic Park

• The Winsport Servus Tube Park is a popular winter attraction for many people. The park features a magic carpet that brings you and your tube to the top. Once you reach the summit, you have eight lanes of fun to tube down!  The tube park is faster than sledding, and we think a bit more fun, especially for the adults!  Click here to learn more.

4. Christmas Light Festivals

• Sparkly colorful Christmas lights can be seen all over Calgary and surrounding communities during the holidays. One display that really stands out is the “Zoo Lights” at the Calgary Zoo. Featuring more than two million lights and 200 displays, the zoo also provides fire pits and holiday drinks to keep the whole family warm!  Zoo Lights runs between November 18, 2022 and January 8, 2023. Click here for more information.
• Another popular light display is Airdrie’s “Festival of Lights”, which is located in the heart of Nose creek Park. The Festival of Lights is the largest one (1) mile walk-through Christmas light display in Western Canada and its free to enter. While there are no admission fees to enter the park, donations are appreciated upon entering. The Festival of Lights runs between December 01, 2022 and December 31, 2022.  Click here for more information.

5. The Polar Express

• Families are sure to love the journey to the North Pole on the Polar express train! Passengers get to enjoy hot chocolate and cookies while they are entertained by the many characters from the movie, as well as the reading of the polar express book! Once you get to the North Pole, Santa greets the children and they all receive their very own sleigh bell, just like the one in the movie! You must ‘believe to receive’ to enjoy this holiday tradition, which runs until December 24^th.  Click here to learn more.

6. Ski Nakiska

• With Nakiska being only a short drive away, it makes for the perfect ski trip getaway! The ski hill is the most beginner-friendly in the Rockies and is an ideal place for anyone looking to try out skiing or snowboarding for the first time.   It is also the most cost-friendly place to learn, allowing you to get a feel for the sport and to enjoy the outdoors with your family and friends at a reasonable price. And the views are incredible! Click here to learn more.

7. Kananaskis Village

• Kananaskis Mountain Lodge may be your new favorite family winter getaway! Its less than an hour from Calgary and only minutes to the Nakiska Ski Resort, making it an ideal location for a night or even a weekend trip. Some of the great features of the resort include an outdoor fire pit with a complimentary s’more station, outside skating on the pond in the middle of the resort, an inside/outside hot tub, a large indoor pool with a splash park, and the relaxing Nordic spa.  The resort always has fun activities for the kids and families, especially around the holidays. This is the perfect place to bring your whole family!  Click here to learn more.

Bundle up and get out there and enjoy the winter wonderland Calgary and its back yard has to offer!

Happy Holidays!

The Costen Insurance Team