Shel Zoklewich, Travel Manitoba Contributor, has put together an incredible list of fun-filled activities to do this winter in our wonderful province. We have picked 13 of Shel’s family-friendly activities that tweens, teens and kids of all ages will love! For Shel’s other 38 great recommendations, visit: https://www.travelmanitoba.com/
Bright blue skies. Fresh white snow. Crisp clean air. It’s winter in Manitoba and time to play outside. Whether you slide into skis, hop on a snowmobile, lace up skates, drop a fishing line or tie up a pair of snowshoes, our wide-open spaces make it nearly impossible to resist the calling of the great outdoors. Then it’s warm up time with hot sips, cool music and wintertime activities to stir your soul. The best of both worlds awaits this season.
• Drop a line at an ice fishing derby. Hot chocolate of big prizes await at Gimli Ice Fishing Derby or Winter Fish Off at Falcon Lake
• Pull up a stump for storytelling and roasted marshmallows over the campfire at FortWhyte Alive on weekends.
• Manitoba is home to The Guinness Book of World Record’s Largest Snow Maze! Snow sculptures, a snow mountain for tobogganing, bonfires, a giant luge run, snow games and hot chocolate await.
• Workshops and screenings await multimedia lovers at Freeze Frame’s International Film Festival for Kids in March.
• See world-class show jumping, heavy horse competitions and top-notch live entertainers at the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair in Brandon.
• Do some Manitoba downhill skiing with visits to Holiday Mountain in La Riviere or Asessippi near Russell.
• Rent snowshoes from Wilderness Supply then hit the trails in Winnipeg and beyond.
• Did you know that the first floor of WAG-Qaumajuq is always free to visit? Shop, eat and view nearly 5,000 stone carvings in Ilavut, the glass vault.
• It’s a waterpark wonderland! Hecla Lakeview Inn (Hecla Island), Days Inn (Steinbach), CanadInns Destination Centre (Brandon), Best Western (Dauphin) and Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott (Winnipeg) all have wet and wild indoor fun.
• Slide the afternoon away at Valley View Tubing Hill in MacGregor and remember to bring some weenies to roast over the campfire.
• Fly high and have some fun at Winnipeg’s indoor trampoline and adventure parks including The Flying Squirrel, Fun Park Canada and The Rec Room.
• Spend the day at Birds Hill Park where the resident deer population is in no short supply along the hiking, biking, snowshoe and cross country ski trails.
• Get your fill of piping hot pea soup, savoury tourtiere and maple syrup rolled in snow at Festival du Voyageur.
About the author: A journalist by trade and an adventurer at heart, my career has included stints as a reporter, magazine writer, editor, food stylist, television cook and digital marketer. I am always collecting stories about Manitoba, whether I’m on assignment or not.
