30+ ideas for March Break 2025 in Ottawa, the Outaouais and beyond

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Looking for something fun to do with the kids over the Outaouais Spring Break (March 3 to March 7) or Ontario’s March Break (March 10 to March 14) in 2025?

Here are a few family-friendly ideas for March Break in Ottawa, Eastern Ontario and West Quebec.

Remember: If your kids are communing with owls or snowshoeing through the forest, they can’t be secretly conducting unauthorized science experiments in your kitchen while you’re on a Zoom call.

NOTE: Many events require advance registration, so do check the organizers’ websites and make sure there’s space before hitting the road.

Cover photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash.

For performing arts fans

At the National Arts Centre, the Ottawa Children’s Choir is giving a fundraising singalong concert on Saturday, March 1. Regular free events include French story time (Monday mornings) and Toddler Tuesdays.

The Shenkman Arts Centre in Orleans is presenting two family-friendly performances over March Break: a musical version of Hercules on Saturday, March 8; and GLITCH, a surrealistic bilingual performance aimed at children aged 6 to 12 (Saturday, March 13).

For kids who would rather be on stage themselves, the Ottawa School of Theatre at the Shenkman Arts Centre is running two March Break theatre camps: one for kids aged 6 to 8, and another for tweens aged 9 to 12. At the end of the week, on March 14, they stage a show in the centre’s Richcraft Theatre.

For syrup lovers

Visiting a sugar bush to see how maple syrup is made is a time-honoured Ontario tradition, and this year many local sugar shacks are welcoming visitors. Check my big list of sugar bushes for details on which sites are open and when, and what activities they’re offering.

Possibilities include March Madness—maple-themed fun every weekend in March, as well as March 10 to 14—at Little Cataraqui Creek Conservation Area in Kingston (advance registration required).

For those who can’t decide between skating and a movie

The Municipality of Mississippi Mills is hosting afternoon public skates followed by a family-friendly movie: one in Almonte on Wednesday, March 12, and the other in Pakenham on Thursday, March 13.

For the artsy

The National Gallery of Canada has a range of March Break activities available from March 1 to 16, including drop-in sketching sessions and an open art studio.

ACE Arte Studio in Orleans is offering week-long art camps for kids aged 6 to 12 during Ontario’s March Break.

The Ottawa Art Gallery’s week-long art camp is bilingual and open to children aged 8 to 12 (note that the registration deadline is March 2).

The Ottawa School of Art is offering a wide range of March Break classes for various age groups (from 6 to 17) at its downtown and Orleans campuses.

The Carleton Place Public Library is offering a range of March Break activities from March 10 to 14, including craft and Lego robot workshops; some require advance registration.

For animal lovers

At the Canadian Museum of Nature, kids will probably love Butterflies in Flight, an exhibition where you can walk among live butterflies. The show runs until next January, but it might be a lovely place to escape the winter chill during March Break. Just make sure to buy your timed tickets in advance, as this show is always popular and March Break may be especially hectic. The museum will also be screening a new T.rex movie that will appeal to dinosaur fans, beginning February 28. And, as always, kids can learn about fossils, mammals, minerals, birds, bugs, aquatic life and the Arctic.

At the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum, March Break activities for kids (March 1 to 16) include cooking with eggs and maple syrup, watching an artist carve animals from wood, doing crafts, watching family movies (with cereal, if you come in the morning), and meeting calves, lambs, rabbits and donkeys.

At Little Foot Alpacas in Spencerville, you can book a visit or walk with the farm’s namesake charming critters.

I’m not sure whether this falls under the “animals” category, but in Brockville, the Aquatarium is once again presenting its popular show Mermaids (March 1 to 16). Attractions include underwater performances by “actual Mermaids” (hey, who am I to doubt?), mermaid stories and mermaid-themed activities. The event has been expanded from one week to two this year, probably because it regularly sells out.

Espace pour la vie is a collection of attractions in the shadow of Montreal’s old Olympic Stadium. Comprising the Insectarium, the Biodome, the Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium and the Montreal Botanical Garden, it’s offering all sorts of spring break fun from March 1 to 9. Among other activities, kids can learn about belugas, meet a pair of bearded emperor tamarins and explore a new wintertime fun trail.

For history buffs

The Canadian Museum of History is offering a family fun zone and inviting visitors to check out Beaver Tales, a salute to Canada’s official national animal (March 1 to 16). For the smallest visitors, the Canadian Children’s Museum—housed within the Canadian Museum of History—offers lots of opportunities for educational play.

During March Break at the Canadian War Museum (March 1 to 16), kids can learn how to camouflage a ship using “razzle dazzle” techniques from the First World War.

At the Bank of Canada Museum in Ottawa, kids can learn about the history of counterfeiting and find out how to spot fake currency during March Break (March 3 to 14).

The Smiths Falls Heritage House Museum will be hosting March Break camps on March 13 and 14.

A dozen museums, historic sites and other attractions in Almonte, Smiths Falls, Brockville, Gananoque, Kingston and Bath are participating in March of the Museums. From March 10 to 14, admission will be free and there will be kid-friendly activities and displays at each location.

For science fans

During March Break at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum, young visitors can try their hand at drone flying (advance tickets required), space art, mail delivery or even crater creation (March 1 to 16).

The Canada Science and Technology Museum is offering March Break fun for kids of all ages (March 1 to 16). Kids can build structures from oversized cardboard blocks, marvel at model trains, build Lego robots and learn about the intricacies of the brain.

For parade lovers

March Break coincides with St. Patrick’s Day this year, so there are lots of chances to see marching bands, clowns and floats in a variety of parades. The Ottawa St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Saturday, March 15, will celebrate the 200th birthday of Thomas D’Arcy McGee. You can also check out parades on March 15 in Hudson and March 16 in Montreal. (The Montreal event will be the city’s 200th St. Patrick’s Day Parade!)

For package deal seekers

Want a staycation? The Brookstreet Hotel in Kanata has a family package that includes a movie rental, café treats, a backpack for each child and more. Further afield, Tourism Laurentians has a whole page devoted to discounts and offers.

For teenagers

Many March Break activities are geared to younger kids, but what if you have an antsy teenager or two at home for the week? If they’re weighing post-secondary choices, perhaps they could check out one of these open houses and tours.

• Carleton University, Ottawa (Saturday, March 8)
• Queen’s University, Kingston (Saturday, March 8)
• St. Paul University, Ottawa (March 10 to March 14)
• Royal Military College of Canada, Kingston (March 10 to March 14)
• Trent University, Peterborough (Friday, March 14)
• Algonquin College, Pembroke Campus (Saturday, March 15)

For Toronto tourists

Tourism Toronto’s March Break ideas page includes everything from exploring a Snow White exhibition at Casa Loma to walking along a catwalk high up on the CN Tower. I can highly recommend the Little Canada attraction—tiny dioramas of cities and attractions from various parts of the country—as well. And if you’re headed to Southern Ontario, you’ll find lots of ideas in Ontario Tourism’s March Break post. (That post actually covers the whole province, but it’s heavily Southern Ontario-centric.)

More ideas for Quebec March Breakers

Here are some more ideas for March Break fun in the Outaouais, Montreal and the Eastern Townships.

More ideas for Ottawa and Eastern Ontario fun

If you’ve exhausted all these options, Ottawa Tourism has collected tons more, from rock climbing to escape rooms. Here’s a roundup of March Break fun in Perth. sx

For frequent (and not-so-frequent) flyers

Are you taking the kids to a far-off destination this year? Check out these tips from Travelzoo about keeping your tots happy at the airport.

Want more tips on road trips from Ottawa—including info on hotel discounts, contests, festivals and other cool news? Subscribe to my free weekly e-newsletter! I will never spam you—promise.

As the owner of Ottawa Road Trips, I acknowledge that I live on, work in and travel through the unceded, unsurrendered territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg Nation. I am grateful to have the opportunity to be present on this land. Ottawa Road Trips supports Water First, a non-profit organization that helps address water challenges in Indigenous communities in Canada through education, training and meaningful collaboration.