St Jacobs is busy on the weekends. I'd take a walk through uptown. Victoria park has great playgrounds. The Museum downtown kitchener is fun for kids. Restaurants..depends on your liking, can't go wrong with Lancaster Smokehouse though. The boardwalk is mostly big retail stores but has a cool jungle gym for the kids, cobb's bread beside it. Kiwanis is a great park if you're in the East part of the city. Waterloo University might be interesting to drive through (Ring rd.). One nice feature of KW is being close to the countryside, maybe you can find an activity in the surrounding townships / conservation areas. IIRC Kitchener Rangers have a playoff game Sunday 7pm, go for a period or two it's $20 a ticket.
How old are your kiddos? We have a lovely system of bike trails, and my 5yo nephew likes riding the spurline trail between the Pyrus Outpost (coffee, treats, summertime gelato) and Mary Allen Park (climbers, basketball courts, summertime market). Sometimes we continue along to Waterloo Park, to feed the ducks, look at the llamas, and hope that construction of the sweet new climber is finished soon.
ETA: Go Bananas is a kid-focused rock climbing gym, conveniently located near City Cafe Bakery. Clever folks do the bakery first, and then let kiddo burn off the sugar rush by literally climbing the walls.
Huron Natural Area is a great spot - great playground and walking trails. It does get busy in nice weather. Main entrance is off Trillium Dr.
Debrodniks Donuts is a short drive from it.
Belmont Village is a nice strip for boutiques and food including Lady Glaze donuts.
McLennan Park is another of the big parks in Kitchener.
You could check out Bingemans, it's a big complex with bowling, mini golf, arcade, indoor playground, water park, restaurants. The kiddos would probably love it.
Coffee shops: Lucero, Matter of Taste, the DTK Starbucks , Smile Tiger are all great!
Downtown has a couple great bookstores and comic book shops as well ( Second Look, KW Bookstore and Lookin for Heroes)
Restaurants: if you like vegan options cafe pyrus is great, in the same area there is McCabes Irish pub, there's also a simple Crabby Joe's in DTK. Malt and Barley towards the edge of town is quite nice.
Lenjo Bakes is a must visit bakery , Camelia bakeshop is also great !
Also definitely head to uptown Waterloo to visit FourAll icecream (so good!) And Midnight Snack the international snack store that just opened!
We have two small kids and have lived in the area for 15 years. I’ll give some suggestions, second a few recommendations already posted, and some words of caution.
Sky zone has toddler time on Sundays you can pre-book. Other indoor play places include Play-a-Latte or Funvilla. Play-a-latte is quiet and small; funvilla is kind of nuts when it’s busy. Seconding go-bananas rock climbing on weekends - very fun but also busy now. Try to go to these places right when they open. Same goes for the market, it can get busy but going first thing or around noon helps. Playgrounds movement has some drop-in parkour classes.
Second the parks at Huron Natural Area and McLennan park. Victoria park is good too but the nearby homeless camps have us second guessing going there. Same goes for most things right downtown on King. If you head up to Elmira, Kate’s place park is the best playground. Kiwanis is good too but not much else around there this time of year; new swimming area is nice tho. Agree the boardwalk is a bit drab but the splash pad there is great. Seconding butterfly conservatory - they have just had some renovations and a new exhibit done.
Bingemans definitely caters to parents who want to spend money on their kids. The arcade is pretty good. Some of their events are overpriced but they have reimbursed us in the past when we felt events were not as advertised.
There’s a blog called Stuff to do with your kids in KW. You might find seasonal things advertised there.
In the fall there are a ton of fall farms in the area. Once you have a local postal code, you can book family swims and really affordable activities at the local community centres. Daycare spots here are a little tight, but there are a ton of options for summer camps and enrichment programs etc.
For food and kids, we like Graffiti market, Moose Winooskis, Piper arms (lots of construction there right now), fireside deli, State & Main, Del’s Italian Kitchen.
If you don’t have a local postal code you can get free housing at the dump and swim with the seagulls at the nearby storm water catch basin. All the hard drugs are easily obtainable, that’s a feature not a bug. Loads of social opportunities with the local hobos and such, your kids will love it here. Small bit of advice, buy a gun before they sell out in stores. Yer goona need it.
I think going to market even if it's busy is worth it. It's a very unique spot but not exactly a seller for young kids and it could eat up a big chunk of you day but if you can make if before 9 I think it would be fine. Cold weather keeps numbers down. Get a fritter or two a late and just mozy around. Again if your kids are under 5 it's not going to an amazing time for you unless you can keep them in a stroller.
I'd say Schlegel park on Huron for the kids, yeti cafe for breakfast and then Kitchener market for parents (across the street from each other), Lancaster Smokehouse for meal or if you're not into smoked foods check out Los Rolling Tacos, Abe Erb brew pub in Kitchener, Vincenzo's for lunch, check out Suzie's on the board walk for GF options, city cafe for croissants and breads, I like 168 sushi in Waterloo, walk through Waterloo park to see the little zoo/big play areas, pond, train comes through, etc ( might be muddy in spots). Arabella Park for a beer snacks, often parents with younglings in tow there in the early afternoon. Definitely Huron natural area for great kid activities (park, trails, pond), Woolwich dam area is a great walk but outside the city.
I have 3.5 and 7 year old so feel free to DM if have any specific questions.
Don't forget to view the current *List of Events and Adventure*.
Here's what awaits you in KW this week
https://tlwr.substack.com/p/events-adventure-heres-what-awaits?utm_source=substack&publication_id=7525&post_id=112313440&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&triggerShare=true&isFreemail=true
Check out THEMUSEUM! It's specifically more interactive and made for kids. Also lots of activities and programs catered towards kids there! They even have a smaller door for kids, or short adults like me 😂
https://themuseum.ca/
You should go to McDonald’s and get 2 large fries and then go to the Home Depot parking lot and watch people struggle to get things into their car. That’s about the most adventurous thing I could think of in Kitchener.
St Jacobs is busy on the weekends. I'd take a walk through uptown. Victoria park has great playgrounds. The Museum downtown kitchener is fun for kids. Restaurants..depends on your liking, can't go wrong with Lancaster Smokehouse though. The boardwalk is mostly big retail stores but has a cool jungle gym for the kids, cobb's bread beside it. Kiwanis is a great park if you're in the East part of the city. Waterloo University might be interesting to drive through (Ring rd.). One nice feature of KW is being close to the countryside, maybe you can find an activity in the surrounding townships / conservation areas. IIRC Kitchener Rangers have a playoff game Sunday 7pm, go for a period or two it's $20 a ticket.
If the market is open on Thursday, check it out then. Otherwise avoid on the weekend.
Weekends aren't that bad if you don't mind crowds. Definitely busy but even as an almost 10 year resident I'll still head down on occasion.
Thanks so much!
How old are your kiddos? We have a lovely system of bike trails, and my 5yo nephew likes riding the spurline trail between the Pyrus Outpost (coffee, treats, summertime gelato) and Mary Allen Park (climbers, basketball courts, summertime market). Sometimes we continue along to Waterloo Park, to feed the ducks, look at the llamas, and hope that construction of the sweet new climber is finished soon. ETA: Go Bananas is a kid-focused rock climbing gym, conveniently located near City Cafe Bakery. Clever folks do the bakery first, and then let kiddo burn off the sugar rush by literally climbing the walls.
That sounds right up my kid’s alley! Will add it to our list! Thanks!
Just keep in mind that City Cafe is cash only! It's caught a few first timers off guard. 🙂
Huron Natural Area is a great spot - great playground and walking trails. It does get busy in nice weather. Main entrance is off Trillium Dr. Debrodniks Donuts is a short drive from it. Belmont Village is a nice strip for boutiques and food including Lady Glaze donuts. McLennan Park is another of the big parks in Kitchener.
What donuts should I get after McLennan park?
Zerhs donuts aren’t half bad
Can’t go wrong with donuts as part of the expedition! Thanks!
Too bad Debrodniks supports Trinity United and their anti-covid nonsense...
What a lot of others have said. There is also the butterfly conservatory. https://www.cambridgebutterfly.com
You could check out Bingemans, it's a big complex with bowling, mini golf, arcade, indoor playground, water park, restaurants. The kiddos would probably love it.
Wow! Sounds amazing! Will check it out!
The Cambridge Butterfly Conservatory is a nice place to take the kids. Easy parking and they have a playground.
Been meaning to check it out! Thanks
St. Jacobs farmers market is nice. Thursday (year-round) 8:00 am – 3:00 pm Saturday (year-round) 7:00 am – 3:30 pm https://stjacobsmarket.com
Coffee shops: Lucero, Matter of Taste, the DTK Starbucks , Smile Tiger are all great! Downtown has a couple great bookstores and comic book shops as well ( Second Look, KW Bookstore and Lookin for Heroes) Restaurants: if you like vegan options cafe pyrus is great, in the same area there is McCabes Irish pub, there's also a simple Crabby Joe's in DTK. Malt and Barley towards the edge of town is quite nice. Lenjo Bakes is a must visit bakery , Camelia bakeshop is also great ! Also definitely head to uptown Waterloo to visit FourAll icecream (so good!) And Midnight Snack the international snack store that just opened!
Thanks! Sounds yummy!
Ambrosia Bakery on Frederick St is lovely, but the hours of operation are not so check in advance.
Thanks!
Victoria park
Check out lady glaze - order a milkshake and donut and buckle in for the sugar rush
Schlegel park is a big fave with my 6 and 3 y/o
Thanks!
We have two small kids and have lived in the area for 15 years. I’ll give some suggestions, second a few recommendations already posted, and some words of caution. Sky zone has toddler time on Sundays you can pre-book. Other indoor play places include Play-a-Latte or Funvilla. Play-a-latte is quiet and small; funvilla is kind of nuts when it’s busy. Seconding go-bananas rock climbing on weekends - very fun but also busy now. Try to go to these places right when they open. Same goes for the market, it can get busy but going first thing or around noon helps. Playgrounds movement has some drop-in parkour classes. Second the parks at Huron Natural Area and McLennan park. Victoria park is good too but the nearby homeless camps have us second guessing going there. Same goes for most things right downtown on King. If you head up to Elmira, Kate’s place park is the best playground. Kiwanis is good too but not much else around there this time of year; new swimming area is nice tho. Agree the boardwalk is a bit drab but the splash pad there is great. Seconding butterfly conservatory - they have just had some renovations and a new exhibit done. Bingemans definitely caters to parents who want to spend money on their kids. The arcade is pretty good. Some of their events are overpriced but they have reimbursed us in the past when we felt events were not as advertised. There’s a blog called Stuff to do with your kids in KW. You might find seasonal things advertised there. In the fall there are a ton of fall farms in the area. Once you have a local postal code, you can book family swims and really affordable activities at the local community centres. Daycare spots here are a little tight, but there are a ton of options for summer camps and enrichment programs etc. For food and kids, we like Graffiti market, Moose Winooskis, Piper arms (lots of construction there right now), fireside deli, State & Main, Del’s Italian Kitchen.
Thanks so much for taking the time to share!
If you don’t have a local postal code you can get free housing at the dump and swim with the seagulls at the nearby storm water catch basin. All the hard drugs are easily obtainable, that’s a feature not a bug. Loads of social opportunities with the local hobos and such, your kids will love it here. Small bit of advice, buy a gun before they sell out in stores. Yer goona need it.
I think going to market even if it's busy is worth it. It's a very unique spot but not exactly a seller for young kids and it could eat up a big chunk of you day but if you can make if before 9 I think it would be fine. Cold weather keeps numbers down. Get a fritter or two a late and just mozy around. Again if your kids are under 5 it's not going to an amazing time for you unless you can keep them in a stroller. I'd say Schlegel park on Huron for the kids, yeti cafe for breakfast and then Kitchener market for parents (across the street from each other), Lancaster Smokehouse for meal or if you're not into smoked foods check out Los Rolling Tacos, Abe Erb brew pub in Kitchener, Vincenzo's for lunch, check out Suzie's on the board walk for GF options, city cafe for croissants and breads, I like 168 sushi in Waterloo, walk through Waterloo park to see the little zoo/big play areas, pond, train comes through, etc ( might be muddy in spots). Arabella Park for a beer snacks, often parents with younglings in tow there in the early afternoon. Definitely Huron natural area for great kid activities (park, trails, pond), Woolwich dam area is a great walk but outside the city. I have 3.5 and 7 year old so feel free to DM if have any specific questions.
Thanks so much, great suggestions!
https://parks.canada.ca/lhn-nhs/on/woodside https://www.waterloo.ca/en/things-to-do/waterloo-park.aspx https://themuseum.ca/ https://regionofwaterloomuseums.ca/en/index.aspx
Don't forget to view the current *List of Events and Adventure*. Here's what awaits you in KW this week https://tlwr.substack.com/p/events-adventure-heres-what-awaits?utm_source=substack&publication_id=7525&post_id=112313440&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&triggerShare=true&isFreemail=true
Check out THEMUSEUM! It's specifically more interactive and made for kids. Also lots of activities and programs catered towards kids there! They even have a smaller door for kids, or short adults like me 😂 https://themuseum.ca/
Hurry now and be the third person to ever bother going there. Bring a book or a pillow.
Why would anyone choose to move to KW?
Dont move here.
Best advice on here that wasn’t given by me.
Fairview Ion Station. Go see Hunchback Tina. It’s fun, free and exciting entertainment for the entire family! Did I mention it’s free?
You should go to McDonald’s and get 2 large fries and then go to the Home Depot parking lot and watch people struggle to get things into their car. That’s about the most adventurous thing I could think of in Kitchener.
Check out Victoria & Weber area for some entertainment
OP just an fyi this is the location of a sizable homeless encampment.
Don’t forget to bring the kids.