Charlottetown 
Photo Credit: Canadian Tourism Commission
Prince Edward Island is a charming place any time of the year. The small island province has many things to keep a teenager occupied, inside or outside, summer or winter. There are so many opportunities to enjoy the island, despite its relatively small size — here are some suggestions to help you decide what you should do!
- Prince Edward Island National Park is a great place to start your to-do list of PEI! There are various hiking and biking options available to you, with a multitude of trails to choose from. As PEI is largely flat, the hikes are sometimes long but not necessarily strenuous. A fine introduction to the island for any active teenager.
- Did your teenager read Anne of Green Gables as a child? Now is their opportunity to experience the setting of the infamous Lucy Maud Montgomery novel. Green Gables house stands as a museum to the 19th century setting of the novel and is a National Historic Site. You’ll experience the horse-drawn carriages and walking trails described in the novel. Take your teenager back to the novel they so-enjoyed as a child.
- Celebrate PEI through its summer festivals.
- Glamping is all the rage now. Plan a comfortable camping trip at Meridian63°. Located centrally between Charlottetown, Borden and Cavendish, Meridian63° has four off-grid micro-cabins inspired by the beauty of the sixty-third meridian, the line of longitude that runs right through PEI.
- Explore the Island through its boardwalks! Whether you start at the northwestern tip of the Island or head to the city, you will find many options for a leisurely walk on the Island boardwalk.
- Hit the water at Strathgartney Provincial Park day-paddling area. If your teenager loves spending time on the water, then be sure to check out Strathgartney Provincial Park’s day-paddle area and canoe and kayak rentals.
- Are you and your teen looking for something a bit more challenging? Try kayaking with Malpeque Bay Kayak Tours. Or, if kayaking isn’t your thing, the company also has stand-up paddle boards that you can rent to tour Malpeque Bay in. The tour offers you a unique opportunity to spot eagles on the shores of the Island, and take in the unique red sands of PEI beaches. A great experience for any water-loving teenager.
- Backed by the ocean, beaches, and flatlands, Prince Edward Island’s gardens create fantastic playgrounds for photographers and local gardeners. Explore some of them with your teenager.
- Got two bikes? Looking for a way to see the Island on two wheels? Well, you and your teeanger are in luck. There is a 435km bicycle trail known as the Confederation Trail, spanning the entire island! This mostly-flat trail provides gorgeous opportunities to see some of the best of PEI, whether that’s rolling potato fields or gorgeous coastal views. A tour of Prince Edward Island on the Confederation Trail is a two-wheeled summer vacation dream!
- Do you and your teen enjoy theatre? Visit the Confederation Centre of Arts in Charlottetown and catch a play at the Island Theatre.
- Things get spooky in the town of Kensington’s Haunted Mansion! It’s got everything you’d expect from a haunted house to keep you and your teenager in suspense throughout the spooky experience.
- Visit the Basin Head Fisheries Museum and explore PEI’s shipbuilding and fishing history. For those teens with an interest in the maritime history of the island, this is a must-see. Located near Red Point Provincial Park.
- Another fishery museum is located at Green Park Provincial Park, the Green Park Fisheries Museum is the home of famous PEI shipbuilder, James Yeo. Your teen gets to experience the life and times of someone who was once considered the most influential man in the colony.
- Does your teen love to ski? Visit Brookvale Provincial Ski Park! Downhill skiing and cross-country skiing are available, as well as lessons and packages for groups, so your teen can bring their friends! Brookvale Provincial Park isn’t just for skiing, though, there are also nearly 10 kilometres of biking trails that are regularly by the park service. If your teenager loves to stay active during the winter months, and enjoys spending time on two wheels — then fatbiking in Brookvale is a great way to do both!
- There are many walking trails around PEI — one can even find groups to walk with! If your teenager likes getting outside, then check out any one of PEI’s walking trails, and get out with – or without your snowshoes!
- If you and your teenager are, however, seeking dedicated snowshoeing trails, then check out the Winter River Trail near Suffolk. The 7 kilometre hike makes for a fantastic day outside in the fresh air. Dedicated snowshoeing trails can also be found in Brookvale Provincial Ski Park.
- Winter or Summer, Victoria Park in Charlottetown is a fantastic place for teens. Whether you’re seeking a peaceful walk in the woodland, or frolicking in the swimming pool in the park, or a lovely seaside walk along the boardwalk, Victoria Park is the place to go for summer, or winter activity in Charlottetown.
- Want to have some fun time with you teenage daughter? Why not book a spa time at the Mysa Nordic Spa & Resort. This 18-acre retreat offers an array of spa and relaxation services, such as thermal baths, cold water plunges, essential oil steam rooms, a Finnish sauna, massages, and meditation sessions.
- Get lost and find your way through corn mazes.
- Participate in goat yoga with Beach Goats on Prince Edward Island’s south shore. While most goats hate the water, these goats love the water, the beach, and dressing up.
- Take a trip to the northern tip of PEI and visit North Cape Provincial Park! Plan your trip for low tide and you can walk across the reef and enjoy the diving seabirds. There is also an interpretive center which houses a gift shop, a marine aquarium and a restaurant. Also on-site is the Atlantic Wind Test Site, where scientists and engineers test and research the use of wind technology for power. Your teenager will love a tour of the facility to close out a great day at North Cape!
- Does your teenager have an affinity for wildlife? Visit the International Fox Museum in Summerside, PEI. The museum tells the tale of the history of Fox fur trading and fox farming in PEI. An informative afternoon awaits you.
- Does your teen have an appreciation for artistry? Then you should definitely check out the Confederation Centre Art Gallery — one of Canada’s two national art galleries, there are contemporary and historical pieces featured, as exhibits rotate every four months.
- As you cross the Confederation Bridge, a right-turn will send you toward the Ice Boat Monument and Ice Boat Rarities and Antiques. The Ice Boat Monument is an homage to the 1970s, when PEI was the site of ice-boating — a sport requiring intense physical exercise and nerves of steel as teams of two or three would ‘sail’ across the ice in at Cape Traverse. If your teenager is interested in the history of PEI, the Ice Boat Monument is a must-see.
- If you and your teenager love small musical venues with acoustic guitars and singer-songwriters, then you’ll love PEI’s Festival of Small Halls! Taking place in June with over 50 performances in 14 days across PEI. If you and your teenager enjoy creativity and small-town musical concerts, then the Festival of Small Halls is for you.
- Another great festival on the island is the Fall Flavours Festival. Held annually on the island in the middle of Fall, the festival makes wonderful use of many of the island’s natural hallmark foods such as delicious potatoes and carrots, usually accompanied by steak. There are also bar clams and other assorted seafood, showing off the Island’s culinary versatility. If you and your teen are interested in a delicious variety of food at a beautiful time of year, check out the Fall Flavours Festival.
- Like country music? Then you’ll love one of the biggest music festivals of the summer in the entire country — the Cavendish Beach Music Festival! Tickets are sometimes inexpensive and it helps to buy in advance, but there are few better ways to enjoy a PEI summer than with country music! If your teen is a country fan, then CBMF is definitely the destination for you.
- Do you and your teen enjoy lobster? Visit North Rustico! Home of world-famous Fisherman’s Wharf Lobster Suppers! A walk along the wharf in North Rustico is a must as well, the community has gone to great lengths to see that the wharfside is well used with homages paid to the fishing history of the area.
- PEI’s lighthouses, some colonial and still operational, guided ships in early times. These historic structures attract visitors worldwide, offering stunning photo opportunities and panoramic views of the island’s landscape and sea. Plan a lighthouse trip with your teen.
- Does your teen like getting out on the water? Then check out By-The-Sea Kayaking in Victoria By-The Sea. You’ll explore the island’s coastal bay and inlets with interpretive tours and even dig for clams. If you’re interested in kayaking, canoeing or stand-up paddling, then By-The-Sea Kayaking is the touring company on the Island for you.
- If you or your teenager are interested in the history of Prince Edward Island, then visit any one of five Wyatt Heritage Properties, where the history of Prince Edward Island is brought back to life through art galleries and museums.
- Round off a visit to Anne of Green Gables with a carriage ride by the Lake of Shining Waters! Drive through the flower gardens and be drive around the museum property in a unique way, which harkens back to the days of old. Carriage rides with experienced driver, Matthew, are always a hit when visitors come to Anne of Green Gables, no matter their age.
- Want your teenager to experience the movies in a whole new way? Pay a visit to Brackley and the drive-in movie theatre! They’ll experience movies the old-fashioned way, and nothing beats a hot summer night with a bottle of Coke and a drive-in movie playing. There’s a fully-serviced canteen with food and drink — a fantastic way to spend a summer evening.
- Does your teenager like to shuck oysters? Then they should apply for the Canadian Oyster Shucking Championships that are hosted in PEI every year. Will they be the fastest oyster shucker in the country? Maybe it’s time to find out. If not, great fun will be had regardless. If they do not wish to compete, they can always observe and partake in the festivities thereafter.
- Prince Edward Island is famous for many things, including its potato farms! If your teenager is at-all interested in agriculture, then a visit to the PEI’s Potato Museum is a must. The experience is complete with a guided tour and going through the process of making potato fudge (which you get to take home and eat later!). A great way to spend a rainy day, perhaps?
- You may want to stop in for some German sweet treats! Angelika’s German Bakery/Pastry Shop offers authentic German bread, cakes and pastries. Ever tried an apple strudel? A German Danish? A Florentiner? Angelika’s shop is the perfect to go for authentic German treats on an island filled with culinary diversity.
- Another trip back in time awaits you at Lennox Island. Lennox Island First Nations offers a guided tours that will back to the time of the First Nations Peoples of the Island. You’ll learn about the history, ecology and culture of Lennox Island prior to, and since, the centralization of the Peoples — who used to be spread out over 1320 acres of the island. If your teenager is interested in the pre-colonial history of PEI, Lennox Island is the place to go.
- Experience Charlottetown Harbour at night with dinner under the moon and stars on a solar boat cruise! A unique experience for your teenager will be this ride, aboard a cruiser outfitted with a kitchen so you can dine in style aboard a unique vehicle on the water. A very cool experience awaits you indeed.
- Got a teenager with a passion for birds of prey? Check out PEI’s falconry! A majestic bird of prey soars high above and lands on the trainer’s hand. You’ll learn about falcons and hawks while getting up close and personal with these magnificent birds. This is definitely a stop to make for any bird-loving teenager.
- Did you know that PEI was a French colony before it became an English one? That history is not forgotten among PEI’s Acadian community. And that community celebrates its history with the Acadian Musical Village, this historical village largely pays homage to Acadians of old, with classic Acadian folk music and dinner-theatre. If you have Acadian familial roots, then this might be the place to take your teenager to learn more about their family history.
- Take a giant step back into the history of PEI and explore what life was like in 1793 for the Roma Peoples who settled on the island from Europe. Walk through the French heritage garden, eat fantastic periodic food as heritage lunches are served daily and walk the many kilometres of trails. Spending a day at the Three Rivers National Historic Site is sure to be a hit among teens and adults alike.
- Charlottetown celebrates its diversity at it’s ”DiverseCity” multicultural street festival. The festival highlights the multiculturality of Prince Edward Island in a variety of ways: a multitude of different foods from different parts of the world, people speaking many language, live music and games. If you and your teenager enjoy learning about the world, then DiverseCity Festival is for you.
- Does your teenager enjoy getting outside in the winter but doesn’t want to have to worry about moving slowly or unstably? If you’ve got a snowmobile, PEI is a great destination to ride it. There are over 650 kilometres of trails on the Island, each showing you a different part of the island in a whole different light, under the cover of white snow. So, pack up your snowmobile and cold-weather gear and hit the trails!
- Do you and your teenager like to fish? Instead of stream-fishing, though you can certainly do that too, why not try your hand(s) at something a little more challenging and fun? Deep sea fishing for cod and mackerel is available at North Rustico. Get out on the high seas and have a new and exciting fishing experience!
- Bowling is great fun for any teenager! And PEI has “The Alley” at which to test your bowling skills. If your teenager has friends on the Island, bring them along too! It’s a great way to spend a rainy day.
- Does your kid love to be on a mountain bike? Brookvale Park — when it’s not being used for snow sports, is used for excellent singletrack downhill mountain biking! With over 20km of mountain bike trails to choose from, it’s great fun and exhilaration for any teenager. If you’ve a bike and are headed to the Island, be sure to check out Brookvale Park.
- Get the adrenaline going at Crossfire Paintball in Cavendish! There are four playing fields and a picnic area with a barbecue. You can play all-day, with unlimited air in your weapon and 100 rounds of ammunition. There are two levels of paintball that will be of interest to your teenager — there is regular paintball, and a brand-new addition of MagFed paintball, which is a riveting experience in and of itself. A fantastic day of fun awaits you at Crossfire Paintball.
- Test you and your teenagers climbing skills at Rise and Climb in Cornwall, PEI. There’s a lot of adventure and high-adrenaline sport to be found at Rise and Climb, whether it’s swinging high above the floor on roped canopies, or ziplining, or laser tag… Sure, you can climb that tower during the day, can you do it at night? Night climbing is a thing at Rise and Climb. For any teenager who isn’t terrified of heights, Rise and Climb is a fun outing for the whole family.
- Go to the Guild Theatre! The Guild puts on some fantastic plays year-round and has a summer festival known as the Guild Festival, which runs seasonally from May to October and hosts a variety of different plays with a variety of different themes. If you and your teenager have an interest in theatre, then the Guild is a great place to go!
- Take a trip back to the dawn of Confederation in Canada and visit Charlottetown’s Province House. In 1864, representatives from the Maritime provinces and delegates from Ontario and Quebec, all gathered together to agree to unify and become the nation of Canada under British rule. For any teenager interested in Canadian history, a visit to Charlottetown’s Province House is a must. (2023: The building is currently under restoration, and the Story of Confederation exhibit can be viewed at the Confederation Centre of the Arts located next door.)
While small in size, PEI makes up for that in engaging, interesting, fun and challenging activities for teenagers and adults alike. Whether you’re bombing downhill on skis or mountain bikes, or soaking up the sun on a PEI beach, or learning about the history of the island, there’s enjoyment to be found in every small corner of the Island.
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