FAMILY ACTIVITIES
With its small size, lovely green spaces and many amenities, St. John's is a family-friendly place! We have included some suggestions for activities if you are traveling to ICTM with children.
City of St. John's
The city runs numerous day camps, recreation programs and play groups throughout
the summer for children of all ages. Check their website to download the most
recent "Active Living Guide"
http://www.stjohns.ca/brochure.nsf/recbrochures
Tourist Attractions
- Fluvarium, Nagles Place: Learn about local fish and river systems, with an
underwater river glass viewing plane. Most suitable for school-aged children. - Geo Centre, Signal Hill Rd.: Located halfway up Signal Hill, the Geo Centre
offers much for the geology enthusiast. More than that, it offers a small but
amazing children's room that contains toys and activities related to dinosaurs,
outer space and science for children aged 2 to 8. - Railway Coastal Museum: located in the 106 year old train station building on Water Street, a short walk west from downtown. Features displays on the Newfoundland railway as well as an automated train model. http://www.railwaycoastalmuseum.ca
- The Rooms: houses the province's museum, art gallery and archives with a stunning view of the city and St. John's Harbour. The Rooms has family and children's programs on offer. www.therooms.ca
Day Camps and Play Sessions
- Camp Whatchamacallit: Week long camps throughout the summer, right on campus. They use the Field House, Aquarena and MUN Recreation facilities.
http://www.theworksonline.ca/camp/ - The Little Gym: runs active play, gymnastics, sports and dance for children of all ages. A short drive from the university. http://www.thelittlegym.com/stjohnsnl/pages/default.aspx
- Many local music and dance studios also offer day camps. Drop us an e-mail if
you would like some contacts.
Playgroups
- Family and Child Care Connections: a short drive from the university, this
organization provides, as part of its services, a free drop-in playgroup. #50
Pippy Place, Unit 22, Telephone (709) 754-7090
http://www.familyandchildcareconnections.com/ - Daybreak East End Downtown Family Resource Initiative (DEEDFRI): run outdoor playgroups at Bannerman Park over the summer. http://www.daybreakcentre.com/
- Brighter Futures playgroups: Brighter Futures is a community outreach
organization and runs playgroups throughout the city.
http://www.brighter-futures.net/
Parks and Walking Trails
There are many parks throughout the city. Here are a few of the larger ones;
however, many local playgrounds dot the neighbourhood landscape. All these
parks are open to the public.
- Bowring Park, Waterford Bridge Rd.: in the west end of St. John's, an expansive
park with walking trails, a massive playground with splash pad, a duck pond
with lots of ducks to feed, and an ampitheatre for summer concerts, plays and
other events - Bannerman Park, Military Rd.: adjacent to downtown St. John's, has a baseball
diamond, swimming pool, playground and lots of green space. - Harbourside Park, Water St.: downtown, facing the harbour. It's a smallish park
but has a nice green space, lovely view of the Narrows, and is home to a weekly
free outdoor lunchtime concert series every Friday during the summer. Concert
schedule can be found at www.stjohns.ca in the spring. - Pippy Park, Mount Scio Rd.: this urban park in St. John's borders the university
and features a golf course, camp grounds, walking trails, a playground and lots
of green space. http://www.pippypark.com/ - Rotary Young children's park, 95b Elizabeth Ave.: adjacent to the university
with a soccer field, playground equipment and lots of green space. - Victoria Park, Water St. (west end): large green space and baseball diamond.
- East Coast Trail: 200km of trails across the Avalon, some trails are suitable
for younger walkers. For more details, see www.eastcoasttrail.ca - MUN Botanical Gardens: lots of trails for walking, including one that leads to a
duck pond with lots of ducks for feeding. They also run programming for
children, but you need to contact them first to see if there is space.
http://www.mun.ca/botgarden/ - Grand Concourse Walkways: walking trails throughout the city. Maps are sold in
local bookstores or check out http://www.grandconcourse.ca/
Swimming
- Bowring Park Swimming Pool: Waterford Bridge Road, offers a Parent and Tot wading pool, Adult Lane Swimming and a giant water slide all in a 50 metre pool!
- Bannerman Park Swimming Pool, Bannerman Road
Other Activities
- Lester's Farm: Located a short drive from the university to the west end of the city at 173 Brookfield Rd, Lester's offers U-pick strawberries, a corn maze, a petting farm and local produce.
- St. John's Farmer's Market: Lion's Club Chalet, Allandale Rd, a short walk from the university. Open Saturdays 9am-2pm during the summer. In addition to local crafts veggies, homemade waffles and ice cream are on offer. www.stjohnsfarmersmarket.com
- Moo Moos: A St. John's institution! Located downtown at Rawlin's Cross (look for the cow-coloured building), Moo Moos has homemade ice cream in every flavour imaginable.
- St. John's Haunted Hike: Suitable for older children and adults. Local folklorist and storyteller Dale Jarvis takes participants around downtown St. John's, telling tales of ghosts and haunting. $10 per soul and runs several evenings per week from the west entrance of the Anglican Cathedral. www.hauntedhike.com