Winnipeg guide to indoor activities for families

In Winnipeg, we always make sure there’s big fun for littles, plenty of kicks for kids and tons to do for teens.

Whether your family is into edutainment, athletics, history or simply getting a little silly, these indoor attractions promise something for everyone.

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For your youngest

Looking for a spot to see your elementary school kids run wild?

Check out Kid City (opens in new window). With two locations in Winnipeg, your littles have their pick of slides, matts, obstacles, bridges and ropes to navigate. Hide N’ Seek (opens in new window) too is all about massive play structures, this one being a super cute jungle themed which will make your little monkeys go bananas.

And of course, the legendary Manitoba Children’s Museum (opens in new window) is brimming with all manner of hands-on exhibits that inspire young minds. Here they can board the train in the Engine House, make waves in the Splash Lab, slide through the Illusion Tunnel and make crafts at Pop m’Art, amongst many other exhibits that make learning so much fun.

For kids (and kids at heart)

One of our proudest Winnipeg-made businesses is Activate (opens in new window), an immersive gaming centre that makes you feel like you’re starring in your own 8-bit video game. Form teams then tackle high-tech rooms where you rack up points against a clock by doing things like ducking lasers, shooting hoops, blasting targets and jumping through the ultimate Tron-inspired “the floor is lava” game. Everyone who plays can’t get enough, and we’re so pleased to see how Activates are now popping up all around the world.

For more lasers, may we suggest some laser tag at either Lasertopia (opens in new window) or U-Puttz Amusement Centre (opens in new window)? The former has a huge two-level arena with Avatar–meets-Halo vibes, and the latter goes all out with black lights for glowing mini golf and bumper cars. Plus, there’s golf and 3D sport simulators adding to the fun.

At Fun Park Amusement Centre (opens in new window), kids have their choice of the sprawling trampoline park, along with a pretty sweet play centre. Parents will also appreciate the upper-level lookout area, where you can keep an eye on all the action. Jump into fun at Apex Adventure Plex, home to the Guinness World Record for the longest trampoline! Their 40,000 sq ft facility also includes parkour, ninja obstacles, bubble soccer and more. Flying Squirrel (opens in new window) also offers much in the way of trampolines, and if you have budding ninja warrior on your hands, Serratus Movement Centre (opens in new window) has parkour courses and classes kids can attend throughout the day where swinging, climbing, jumping will test their strength and agility.

To exert even more energy, watch your kids (or join them) climbing the walls at The Hive (opens in new window) and Vertical Adventures (opens in new window), the city’s premiere climbing facilities.

Glide into the weekend under shimmering disco lights and groove to top pop hits in Winnipeg’s legendary Wheelies Roller Rink (opens in new window). Pop a wheelie or just cruise around, all wheels are welcome. This family-friendly spot has been letting the good times roll since the 70s, so grab a friend and boogie on down because its more fun in pairs.

Uptown Alley (opens in new window) combines 5-and 10-pin bowling lanes with mini laser tag and arcades and Speedworld (opens in new window) provides some very fast go-karts, with several tracks and speeds available.

And then there’s the Rec Room (opens in new window), whose target market is primarily adults and teens (although kids are allowed until 11 p.m.) with its axe-throwing, pulsating arcades, pool tables, VR games, archery, bowling, hockey games and hoops –– all paired with quality food and a full-service bar program.

Marvel within our museums

Edutainment is the name of the game at Winnipeg’s marque museums, which provide an immersive showcase of the region’s history from its time as a prehistoric seaway populated by the Cretaceous era’s largest predators to its modern sporting heroes and the skies above.

At the Manitoba Museum (opens in new window), you’ll find everything from a world-class intact 90-million-year-old pliosaur, life-sized dioramas (including the iconic Métis bison hunt greeting visitors to the galleries), a Planetarium to explore the stars, and an interactive Science Gallery that kids take to with zeal. If you’re looking to further spark your young one’s minds, the Manitoba Electrical Museum & Education Centre (opens in new window) lights the way with exhibits on everything from the evolution of appliances to literal hair-raising fun using the Van de Graaff Generator.

At the Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada (opens in new window) young imaginations soar as kids are encouraged to enter several aircrafts. Your flight plan also includes former flying artefacts like the flashy Canadair CF-104 Starfighter and the spaceship-like Avro Canada VZ-9 Avrocar, a project that (thankfully) remained grounded. While there, surely your kids will also land in the museum’s space-themed play area.

And of course, the most iconic building on the Winnipeg skyline is the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (opens in new window), whose ever-climbing exhibits present human rights stories spanning both history and the globe. The museum ensures all visitors are welcome and has guides (opens in new window) for visitors under 7, ages 7-12, and teens, so you know exactly what exhibitions will work best for your family.

Be a fan

Canada Life Centre plays host to Manitoba Moose (opens in new window) AHL hockey games all winter long, where dancing for the Jumbotron is more than encouraged. The Moose offer great group rates, while you can always get box office tickets right before the puck drops. In summer, almost the same can be said about Sea Bears (opens in new window) basketball. But, given the immense popularity of CEBL basketball in the city, you better get your tickets well in advance as the Bears tend to sell out Canada Life Centre in its lower bowl-only seating format.