Wondering what to do with the family in Moncton?

We’ve got you covered!

Well, hello there! This is your one-stop list for events, activities, attractions, and more in Southeastern New Brunswick!

This is a list of all kinds of family-friendly events & activities & ideas for outings compiled from dozens & dozens of websites, social media accounts, etc in the Greater Moncton Area. If you have an event or idea to submit, drop us a message!

WHAT YOU’LL FIND HERE

Family-friendly events & activities happening in Moncton, Dieppe, Riverview & beyond
Indoor attractions (swimming, museums, etc)
Outdoor adventures & ideas
Markets & yummy places to go for treats
& more!

Please remember to always check our source links for updates!

MUST READ: Playgrounds in Greater Moncton

DID YOU KNOW? The Pickle Planet Weekend Round Up began in June 2015! Want to know WHY we started? Check out our Facebook Page or read this article in Inspired Me magazine.

We’ve created & updated this round up of family-friendly activities & events more than 400 times now. During the pandemic we shifted away from weekly updates to monthly, and took a little mental health refresher/worked on a major international project for a few months in late 2022, but we’re committed to remaining the top resource for families looking for fun things to do in the local area!

Let’s get going, shall we?!

INDOOR IDEAS

You can find all kinds of links to family fun on our MEGA GUIDE TO FAMILY FUN IN GREATER MONCTON, but here are some highlights:

Looking to beat the heat or get out of the rain? Great spaces to appeal to a variety of ages & interests are Hop Skip Jump!, SkyZone, & DIY Studio. The Riverview Indoor Skatepark is a wonderful place for all ages, and bowling is always a great time! Fairlanes in Moncton & Bowlarama in Dieppe both offer gutter blockers for kids, and Bowlarama has an awesome arcade section. Don’t forget Riverview is now home to The Marvelous Holy Bowly, too.

Older kids might want to try laser tag at Marco’s Clinic, or neighbouring FitRocks Climbing Gym,or maybe test their wits at Room Escape Atlantic or Mystery Moncton Mystere.

Add a dose of learning with a trip to Resurgo Place, Doiron House or the Moncton Public Library.

Cineplex has theatres in both Dieppe & Moncton, and the drive-ins are open for the season! Shediac’s Neptune Drive In and the Sussex Drive In both begin at dusk, which is generally close to 9pm, though gates open earlier.

There’s really no season that isn’t fun on our playgrounds! We’re on a mission to visit them all and share our thoughts; follow the link for our Playground Profiles! You can also go straight to the ones with splash pads and water features by clicking here.

The YMCA Moncton North has an indoor splash pad & playground.

Wanna swim inside? Check out the Pat Crossman Aquatic Centre in Riverview, the Moncton YMCA at Vaughan Harvey, and the Dieppe Aquatic Centre. Both the Moncton & Dieppe pools are great with littles; Dieppe has a sloped entry with a pirate ship, while the Vaughan Harvey YMCA has a separate kiddie pool.

Find more details in our Guide to Swimming in the GMA here.

Magnetic Hill Zoo is open most of the year & a fantastic option for families. The average time to enjoy the site is two hours; lots of shade, an awesome playground, and places to eat or picnic make this a great outing in any season. Animal lovers might also want to try horseback riding at nearby Boyle Family Farm on Route 126.

Butterfly World & The Boardwalk includes batting cages, go-karts, mini golf, bumper boats, and lots more – another great spot for the whole family to enjoy!

Adventurous families might want to try Maghill Paintball, East Coast Karting, or Off Grid Adventure.

September Craft: An Apple Tree

OPEN GYMS & INDOOR WALKING

We see folks looking for these drop in options all the time, so we thought we’d share a few! (We’ll be back to add more!)

Please note: This listing is what’s on the regular schedule. Just like public skating, these sessions are often cancelled for tournaments and events. Be sure to check before heading out!

🏀 Maple Hills
- Tuesdays, 3-4:30pm, Parents & Tots & K-Gr 5
- Thursdays, 3-4:30pm, K-Gr 5
- Fridays, 8:30-10pm, Gr 6-8 & 9-12
- Saturdays, 4:30-6pm, Gr 6-8 & 9-12 (cancelled April 12)
- Sundays, 4:30-6pm, Gr 6-8 & 9-12 (cancelled April 13)

MARKETS & YUMMY TREATS TO EXPLORE

The Moncton Market & the Dieppe Market are both open on Saturdays from 8am to 1pm, with fantastic options for local goodies.

Many smaller communities also have markets & great hidden eating gems, like Salisbury’s growing market/antique scene and the Green Pig Country Market, as well as the Old Church Farmer’s Market in Hillsborough.

Magnetic Hill Wharf Village is open seasonally.

A fun spot to shop & enjoy a riverside stroll is the Starving Artist Cafe; in 2022, they revamped the outside with a new Festival Inspire mural & added a patio bar & ice cream stand!

Treat your tastebuds with a walk along St. George Street for Halo Donuts, Lost and Found Ice Cream, and maybe even a Taco in a Bag from Notre Dame de Parkton or something from Dolma. You’re also super close to Co Pain Artisan Bread Company & oodles of great restaurants!

The Arches of St. George hold regular pop-ups with some of the neatest makers around. Treats, vintage finds, jewelry, and so much more!

The Pickle Planet Podcast (aka The Jenna & Tosh Show)

Season 4 of our podcast/TV show has wrapped production – but don’t worry! You can find all 150+ episodes of our podcast on this site – AND we’ll be back in September for Season 5!

The Pickle Planet Podcast is a weekly conversation with interesting people in the community; reach out if you have a topic you’d love to hear us dish about. Here’s a sample of some of the topics we’ve covered!