For those parents looking for plans or entertainment for the week, Calgary has a lot to offer over the break!
Parents and kids can decide between outdoor fun and nature activities, day trips in any direction, or from Calgary’s many wonderful attractions.
Plus, a few Calgary locations have programming especially for Spring Break in the city like TELUS Spark, the Calgary Zoo, the Public Library, or city Rec Centres.
Spring Break Movie Days in Calgary
- Films at the Fort will feature Hairspray on March 23rd, and a complete Lord of the Rings marathon on March 30th.
- General admissions at the TELUS Spark Science Centre grants visitors access to an Infinity Dome Theatre experience. The theatre is currently playing Hazelnuts, a show made for kids.
- Calgary has three Landmark Cinema locations, a theatre adored for its comfortable and cozy movie-going experience. Notable family movies out now include Kung Fu Panda, or Migration.
- Cineplex Odeon has eight locations across Calgary, and two family movies out playing for Spring Break: Kung Fu Panda, and Migration.
- See movies for $3.99 during Cineplex March/Spring Break Family Favourites screeningsor $5 movies at Landmark Cinemas.
Calgary Toy Store Activities over Spring Break
These toy store chains have created a full five days of spring break programming. Get kids excited about different parts of play like creating, building, problem-solving, and more.
- All four of Calgary’s Mastermind Toys locations are hosting the store’s Spring Break events for kids. These days will be filled with toy making, Easter egg decorating, storytelling, and karaoke.
- Calgary’s three Toys R Us locations are taking part in the 2024 Spring Break programming from the store. These drop-in programs will include toy making, a scavenger hunt, and crafts.
- Kids Break Events are available at Indigo & Chapters Stores across Alberta. Along with storytelling and readings, these days will feature fun with Lego, Barbie, Hot Wheels, and more.
Spring Break activities for Kids in Calgary
A handful of Calgary attractions have scheduled their official spring programming. These day camps and drop-in opportunities involve a variety of interests for kids including science, animals and animal science, building and creating, art, sport, and video games.
- TELUS Spark offer a variety of spring day camps for the 2024 break for ages 5-12. Younger kids can sign up for Dig It, Tiny Town, or Seven Seas Science, while older kids can sign up for Medieval Masters, or Movie Makers. For a day visit, you can enjoy exhibitions, join for Indigenous Science Night on March 22 and more!
- Laser City host day camps for PD Days, Spring Break, and Summer Breaks in Calgary. This year, kids can join Laser City for Spring Break Mini Paintball camps, Laser Tag camps, or Minecraft day camps!
- The Calgary Zoo’s Spring Break day camp is a five-day program centred around conservation education and adventures around the zoo.
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Visit Calgary’s Best Museums
Keep the learning alive over the spring break in Calgary with the city’s wonderful collection of classic cars, planes, farm equipment, and other automobiles or vehicles. These collections span three different museums in Calgary, all open during the break.
- Gasoline Alley Museum in Heritage Park is normally open Tuesday-Sunday but will make an exception for Monday March 25th and Monday April 1st. Plus, the park offers horse-drawn carriage rides through the park from March 27-29, and an opportunity to visit the Railway Café.
- The Military Museums of Calgary are open Monday-Sunday over spring break and offer hours’ worth of exhibits to explore. These include memorabilia, art, and thousands of memories.
- Calgary’s Hangar Flight Museum will be open their regular hours during spring break from Tuesday to Sunday. The museum includes a collection of airplanes and aviation equipment, along with other pieces of aviation history.
- Fort Calgary is hosting an indoor scavenger hunt on March 27th! Explore the museum, find clues and solve riddles to win awesome prizes!
Cool Indoor Attractions around Calgary
Whether there are rainy days ahead for the spring break, or you’d prefer not to risk anything with the weather, you can rely on Calgary’s indoor attractions for spring break fun as a family or just for kids.
- Choose between a few different arcades in Calgary perfect for a family or kids’ afternoon out over spring break. The Big Box indoor play centre has many ways to play, including a 35+ game arcade. Plus, the Rec Room in north Calgary offer a massive arcade with full restaurant service.
- Hit up Calgary’s indoor trampoline parks for a full spring break workout like the two Flying Squirrel locations, or Vortex YYC.
- Classified YYC offers the older kids something fun to do this spring break, no matter the weather. The laser tag facility, meant for ages 13 and older, is a tactical laser tag experience with a huge course.
- Mini golf is a reliable activity which most young or old kids can enjoy alongside parents. Pick up a game at Calgary’s Monster Mini Golf or Splitsville!
Cool Outdoor Attractions around Calgary
These outdoor attraction in and around Calgary are open or offering tours over spring break. Explore the city’s artistic side, or the city’s wilder side.
- Head to Butterfield Acres Farm to see all the spring babies! Snuggle with baby goats and woolly little lambs, and peep at the freshly hatched chicks and adorable piglets with their mama.
- The Saskatoon Farm allows for a fun family day trip together, depending on where you are in Calgary. The Farm offers boutique, plant, and market shopping, a café and bakery, a restaurant, and some resident tortoises to meet!
- Every year, Calgary is host to the BUMP mural festival, which has led to several large murals decorating the city. The organization responsible for the festival also offer guided tours of these beautiful paintings for March 23-24, and 30-31.
- The Inglewood Bird Sanctuary is an important part of nature conservation in the city with 2km of walking trails, a Nature Centre, picnic areas, and interpretive information along the trails.
- 25 Urban Walking Trails in Calgary.
Calgary’s Public Libraries
While there aren’t any specific Spring Break programs happening this year at the library branches, there are still many ways to use this free city resource for a fun break with kids.
- The library continuously offers drop-in programs and classes for toddlers, kids/youth, and teenagers, with a focus on thins like technology, science, art, or sports and recreation.
- And when kids get access to the shelves of Calgary’s larger library locations, they may spend hours browsing for their new favourite titles.
- Calgary’s annual Comicon is a big deal in the city, and the Public Library has created a comic expo just for kids to help them enjoy the event in a smaller, more kid-friendly setting. Catch Calgary Kids Comic Con on March 30 at the Central branch.
- The Arusha Centre’s Climate Program, with support from The City of Calgary and community agencies is hosting an Earth Hour celebration on March 30th.
City Rec Centre Programming
The City of Calgary offer three main spring day camps for kids, all of which still have spaces open and available for registration. First is Rec Adventures for kids 5-12, or Outdoor Adventures for kids 5-12, as well as Arts Ventures for kids 6-12. These day camps are reservable for five days (a week), or by the single day.
You may like: City of Calgary Youth Hiring Fair on March 28th.
Theatre & Concert Experiences
These aren’t kid-specific shows or entertainment in Calgary during this specific week. However, these are fun and exciting musical or theatre, or musical theatre, experiences, easily enjoyed as a family. These are chances to introduce kids to classical music, classic rock music, Broadway, and more.
- Help kids experience the joy of rocking out this Spring Break with Rock the Nation shows on at Studio Bell. These are matinee performances on the weekends of March 23 and 30.
- Calgary’s Beddington Heights Theatre will host the Front Row Centre Players and their Steven Sondheim Tribute Revue (March 22-24, 29-30). Sondheim was a prolific Broadway composer and songwriter, so the show is set to feature a wide array of his biggest hits from his popular musicals!
- The beginning of Spring Break (March 23-24) is the last chance to catch Broadway Across Canada’s showing of Hairspray in Calgary.
- Experience the extraordinary depth and breadth of authentic Chinese culture when Shen Yun comes to Calgary (March 29 to 31). Savour the magnificence of five thousand years of civilization —the beauty of China before communism—brought to life on stage.
Walks and Picnics in the Bow River Valley
Head to the Bow River Valley to find numerous things to do with kids and as a family, including a few delicious dining options to bring on a picnic, like the River Café, or enjoy after a walk like the Bow Valley Ranche. All of Calgary’s Bow and Elbow River Valley areas are lined with walking and cycling trails to explore this spring break.
- Fish Creek Provincial Park offers some of the most extensive hiking trails in the city, plus a variety of other activities like birdwatching and wildlife viewing, picnicking, dining, cycling, and relaxing.
- Prince’s Island Park is a great place to grab scenic family or Easter photos over the break. Plus, the park is connected to dozens of kms of riverside trails for walking and biking. Nearby, find snacks at the park’s River Café.
- Bowness Park is a pretty place for a family picnic, bike ride, walk, or photos. And on the opposite side of the river, find a wide open off-leash dog park.
- Pearce Estate Park will bring your family walk to the Bow Habitat Station where kids can learn all about the fish of the Bow at the Discovery Centre.
Easter Celebrations
Spring break and Easter are part of the same week, making it easy to end your break with a variety of celebrations. Find 10+ dining events around the city, takeout Easter meals, or more events to the west in Banff.
- There are several places around Calgary offering in-person Easter dinners and in-person brunch, as well as a few takeout places offering Easter meals to enjoy at home.
- Head to Calgary Zoo for the annual Easter Eggstravaganza featuring new games and experiences for the ‘hoppiest’ of Easter celebrations! Kids 12 and under will be thrilled to find Treat Stations while exploring the zoo grounds, where zoo volunteers will give them a free treat
- Looking to combine a day trip with your Easter plans this spring break? The ski resorts and hills in Banff each have their own way of celebrating Easter including egg hunts and visits from the Easter Bunny.
Day Trips to take with Kids from Calgary
Drumheller, Banff, Canmore, and Kananaskis are all reliable day trip destinations to take as a family from Calgary. Below are dozens more ideas for exciting family day trips, some of which are perfect for spring break.
Plan a Bike Trip
As long as the snow stays at bay, a family cycling trip is simple to plan with the great number of paved and nonpaved trails around the city. These trails offer several kms worth of biking paths to explore.
- The Weaselhead Natural Area has over 15km of bike paths which create a nice loop around the Glenmore Reservoir. Shorter trails around 5km also loop around the natural area.
- Edworthy Park offers cyclists the shade of the park’s tall and mature trees, which also provide many great family photo opportunities. The Christmas Tree trail along the side of the Bow River is especially great for biking with wide and even trails.
- Cycle the trails of Confederation Park and discover the playground, and sports fields, or follow the sidewalks to the nearby Nosehill Park for more trails.
Book a Family Trail Ride near Calgary
Enjoy a day trip as a family with the intent to see the foothills or Rockies! These outfitters and tour guides offer equestrian trail ride tours in areas which get you incredible views of the mountains and foothills near Calgary.
- The winter trail rides at Moose Mountain Adventure (near Bragg Creek) are available until April 30th. Rides are available as 1.5, 2, 3, 3.5, or 4 hour rides.
- Anchor D Guiding & Outfitting (near Black Diamond) are open year-round for trail rides, with 2-hour and half-day rides available.
- The Boundary Ranch in Kananaskis south of Canmore offer a variety of trail ride routes including a few with barbecue lunches.
Cheer on a Calgary Team
These hockey games taking place over spring break in Calgary will give kids a chance to witness the fun of the sport live, while parents get to save when comparing ticket prices to the NHL. These are fun and affordable ways to cheer on a local hockey team.
- The Calgary Hitmen (WHL) will take on the Swift Current Broncos on March 23 at the Saddledome.
- The Calgary Wranglers (AHL) have a few home games over the Spring Break including March 26, 27, 29, and 31.
Explore the Nature & Wildlife around Calgary
Spring is an excellent time for wildlife viewing in the rural areas around the city. Bring the kids to see a huge array of migratory birds and possibly large mammals, depending on where you visit.
- The Yanmuska Wolfdog Sanctuary in Cochrane is a good option for older kids and families, and getting to see bigger mammals up close. All of the dogs at the sanctuary are part wolf in varying capacities.
- Frank Lake, east of Calgary, is a perfect birding location near the city. The protected bird conservation area is also home to a diverse plant and mammal population.
- Places to Go Birding Around Calgary