
What to do with the kids this weekend in Greater Moncton (Jan 24-26, 2025)
Welcome to another wintery weekend, everyone! Whether you want to get out and embrace the season or hunker down at home for some cozy fun, we’re here to help!
In case you’re new to visiting Pickle Planet & our weekend round ups, here’s what you can expect. A chronological list of events & activities that we found happening in and around Greater Moncton this weekend – this includes Riverview, Dieppe, Salisbury, Shediac, etc. We do our best to be as exhaustive and inclusive as possible, finding family-friendly events by checking dozens and dozens of website, social media pages, and more!
Then there’s a section listing local attractions that are always a great idea to consider for an outing – bowling, llama walking, crafty endeavours, and more. We’ve added in some of our tried-and-true at-home ideas for winter with littles here, too!
We wrap it up with a few quick highlights of things that are coming up during the week or the rest of the month you might want to know.
Ready? Let’s go!
WINTER FESTIVALS 2025 – A quick list!
- ❄️Shediac Winter Carnival – Jan 17 – Feb 17
- ❄️Riverview Winter Carnival – Jan 31 – Feb 9 — Check out our in-depth Guide!
- ❄️Sackville Winterfest – Feb 6-9
- ❄️February Frolic in Fundy Albert – Feb 13-17
- ❄️JackFrost (in PEI) – Feb 14-17
- ❄️Moncton PolarFest – Feb 15-17
- ❄️Cap-Acadie – Feb 14 – 23
- ❄️Salisbury WinterFest – Feb 15-17
Looking for inspiration to embrace the snow & cold with littles? Check out our Fun Ideas for Snow – and our Boredom Busters!
It’s🪩🕺Disco Night🕺🪩at Dieppe’s Fun on Ice! ⛸️🎶This weekly event brings free music, bonfires, skating, & more to the Place 1604 Oval every Friday! They have skates & helmets you can borrow, too. The fun happens 6:30-8pm. You can check their site for cancellation info if you’re curious about conditions.
The Wildcats host the Titan Friday night, which the game’s theme celebrating Women in Sport. The puck drops at 7pm.
It’s a busy hockey night in town, with the UdeM Aigles Bleus Men’s Hockey hosting St. F.X, too!
- ⛸️Preschoolers with sticks, 9:30-10:30am, FREE, Arthur J LeBlanc Centre (432 Melanson Road, Dieppe)
- ⛸️Public Skating, 9:30-10:30am, FREE, Byron Dobson Arena (90 Biggs Drive, Riverview)
- 🏊 Preschool Swim, 10-11:25am, $5-$10, Dieppe Aquatic Centre
- ⛸️Parent & Tot Skating, 10-11am, FREE, Greenfoot Energy 4-Plex (55 Russ Howard Drive, Moncton)
- ⚽ Open Gym at the Kay Arena in Moncton, 10am-noon, parent & tot
- ⛸️Parent & Tot Skating, 10:15-11:15am, FREE, Tantramar Veterans Memorial Civic Centre
- Parent & Tot Skating, 10:15-11:15am, FREE, Kay Arena (99 Wynwood Drive, Moncton)
- ⛸️Family Skating, 10:20am, FREE, Shediac Festival Arena
- ⛸️Public Skating, 12-1:30pm, FREE, Tantramar Veterans Memorial Civic Centre
- ⚽ Open Gym at the Kay Arena in Moncton, 2:30-4:30pm, students K-8 (adult supervision required for those Gr 5 & younger)
- ⛸️Public Skating, 3:30-4:30pm, FREE, Kay Arena (99 Wynwood Drive, Moncton)
- 🏊 YMCA Greater Moncton $3 public swim, 6-7:30pm
- ⛸️Public Skating, 8:15-9:15pm, $2/person or $5/family, Hillsborough Arena
- 🎿Poley Mountain is open until 9pm on Fridays.
- DYK: Friday and Saturday Day Passes for both YMCA locations are only $5 for those aged 12-18!
🍔Burger Fest🍔 continues throughout the GMA with all kinds of special creations & reasons to skip making supper!
If you’re looking for a 19+ night out this weekend or next, the 25th annual HUBCAP COMEDY FESTIVAL is underway! French performances this weekend & English shows Thursday through Saturday.
🧩 Puzzle lovers! There’s a special event happening at Scholar’s Choice in Moncton, 10am-2pm, featuring the beautiful Ravensburger Puzzles! You can sign up for the tournament to test your puzzling speed skills & take in the various puzzle stations (no pressure on time!) around the store.
New Brunswick author Janet Robinson will be at Chapters Moncton from noon until 4pm, promoting her series of children’s books highlighting grandmothers.
Chapters is also hosting a LEGO Friends make-and-take this weekend, starting at 1pm & while supplies last!
We’re huge fans of the programming for all ages in Riverview, especially their teen options. Saturday night the Youth Drop In will have a board game night!
If you’re a hockey family, you likely already know there’s a special Wildcats game this weekend. It’s Gill vs Gill – Riverview-born brothers Dyllan & Spencer Gill will face off when the Wildcats host Rimouski this Saturday. (Their other brother, Zach, is also in the Q this season, playing for Armada!) Fellow Riverviewites Dylan MacKinnon & Jack Martin will be on the ice Saturday, too, so you can be sure the stands will be packed with local fans cheering them on! (Check out the great post on the Wildcats’ Facebook for a trip down memory lane!) Saturday’s game starts at 7pm at the Avenir Centre.
The UdeM Men’s hockey team is also on the ice again tonight, hosting Dalhousie.
The Indo-Canada Association of the Greater Moncton Area is celebrating Republic Day with a potluck at the BGC Dieppe. It’s a free event; you’re asked to register online.
- 🎿Poley Mountain is open until 9am-9pm on Saturdays.
- ⛸️Public Skating, 2-3pm, $2/person or $5/family, Hillsborough Arena
- 🏊 Pat Crossman Aquatic Centre in Riverview, Saturday public swims, 2-3:30pm
- ⛸️Public Skating, 2:30-4pm, $2, Kay Arena (99 Wynwood Drive, Moncton)
- 🏊 Dieppe Aquatic Centre public swim (with wibit), 3:15-4:55pm, $20/family, $10/adult, $8/students & seniors, $5 ages 12 & under – except 24months & under are free.
- 🏊 Dieppe Aquatic Centre’s public swim (with wibit) 6pm, $20/family, $10/adult, $8/students & seniors, $5 ages 12 & under – except 24months & under are free.
- ⛸️Public Skating, 6:15-7:15pm, FREE, Arthur J LeBlanc Centre (432 Melanson Road, Dieppe)
- ⛸️Public Skating, 8-9pm, $2/person or $5/family, Hillsborough Arena
🛷🐴Sleigh rides are back at Dieppe’s Rotary St-Anselme Park for the season! Every Sunday until March 2, you can enjoy a ride through the trails and a hot chocolate at Café Inclusio. Cost is $5/person (free for children ages four & younger; please bring cash to pay on site). There will also be bonfires at Maison Doiron, too. Rides available 1-4pm. (Private group rides are available; cost is $160 for 30 minutes. Contact Michel Breau at 506-866-8291 or Lindsay Hicks at 902-718-6736 to book.) The park has a sliding hill, trails for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, fat biking, and walking, as well as outdoor skating, too; you can check the conditions for each on their website.
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- 🎿Poley Mountain is open 9am-4:30pm on Sundays.
- ⛸️Parent & Tot Skating¸9:45am-10:45am, $2, Greenfoot Energy 4-Plex (55 Russ Howard Drive, Moncton)
- ⛸️Public Skating, 11:45am-12:45pm, $2, Greenfoot Energy 4-Plex (55 Russ Howard Drive, Moncton)
- ⛸️Public Skating, 1-2:30pm, FREE, Petitcodiac Arena
- ⛸️Public Skating, 1-2pm pm, FREE, Arthur J LeBlanc Centre (432 Melanson Road, Dieppe)
- 🏊 YMCA Greater Moncton $3 public swim, 2-3pm
- ⛸️Family Skating, 2:15-3:15pm, $2/person or $5/family, Hillsborough Arena
- ⛸️ Public Skating, 2:30-4pm, $2, Kay Arena (99 Wynwood Drive, Moncton)
- ⛸️ Public Skating, 5:30-6:30pm, FREE, Shediac Festival Arena
Years ago one of my parenting heroes, Ann Douglas, asked me to share ideas on thriving through the winter with little ones at home. Here are a few of the ideas I shared back then:
Weekly Activity Grab Bag – Outdoor & Indoor Versions
- Pick 10 outdoor winter activities you could do as a family & write each one on a piece of paper or craft popsicle stick. Designate one day a week as your Outdoor Adventure Day. When it’s time, choose your adventure for the day! Ideas could be building a snowman, using food colouring to draw in the snow, checking out a new sliding hill, borrowing snowshoes at the park, outdoor skating, etc.
- Make a similar grab bag idea of indoor activities, too! This can be especially helpful if you’re home during the day with little kids. Write out 30 ideas – make play dough, mail a card to a friend, rainbow scavenger hunt, etc – that are easy activities and make sure you have the supplies on hand. (Tuck these away in a bin if necessary.) Each morning or afternoon, pick another activity. There’ll be an element of mystery and luck to keep both adults & kids entertained.
Snow Day Stash
- Make sure you’re not caught off guard by snow day; fill a bin with items that will get you through a day stuck inside! Things you might want to include are mini cereal boxes & funky spoons, supplies for one hands-on activity (a craft or a science experiment), a family movie and special treat, deck of cards or another small game, like Yahtzee or Boggle, snow day storybooks (The Snowy Day, Sneezy the Snowman, Yeti Files, etc.), and funky paper plates, cups, napkins that will give it a party feel AND save you from dishes!
Family Game Night Tournament
- Make this winter all about family time by setting up a Family Game Night Tournament. Create a leaderboard you can have on the wall all winter long. Mark the games played and the highest scores/winners. Build up momentum by playing each week, working towards a great Family Showdown over the March Break. Have something at stake for the winner, like choosing what take-out you’ll have to celebrate as a family.
🏊♀️ The indoor splash pad at the YMCA North End is an amazing option for kiddos – with public openings every day of the week! Check the schedule as times vary day-to-day; cost to attend for non-member is $6.
🏊♀️ For indoor swimming, there are public options at the YMCA Greater Moncton (love their small, warmer pool for little ones – Friday public swim 7-8pm, Saturday public swim 6:30-7:45, & Sunday public swim 2-3pm – thanks to the City, Friday & Sunday swims are just $3/person), the Pat Crossman Aquatic Centre in Riverview (Saturday public swims, 2-3:30pm), and the Dieppe Aquatic Centre (with the awesome sloped entry & pirate ship splash zone!).
Hop! Skip! Jump! is perfect for little ones, as well as the cool climbing wall & laser room for older kids.
Bowling is always a fun idea! Go retro vibes with Marvelous Holy Bowly in Riverview, check out glow bowling times at Fairlanes in Moncton, or head to Bowlarama & its awesome arcade in Dieppe. (We recommend calling ahead to book in advance so you’re not disappointed.)
Creative mood? Try DIY Studio to paint your own pottery!
Want to move as a family but need to be indoors? Try a visit to FitRocks Climbing Gym!
Book laser tag at the Sportsdome or Marco’s!
Riverview Indoor Skatepark & Riverview Youth Centre are a great space to learn to skate or practice your skills!
🛹 There’s a borrowing program at YMCA North with skateboards, helmets, and protective gear for use on their great outdoor ramps when weather permits.
Up for a challenge? Room Escape Atlantic usually has a few non-scary, kid-friendly options & Mystery Moncton Mystere is great for the teens & up. There are also online options you can purchase to play on your own time, like … Motive for Murder audio game — A great ‘any time of day’ option for the true crime fans who are up for a little hometown sleuthing. Download a whodunnit set in Moncton!
💥 Gamer in the family? The Comic Hunter hosts Friday Night Magic Modern sessions, Sunday Lorcana Locals & Pokémon sessions, Monday Star Wars Unlimited Weekly Play & lots of other gaming events.
If board games are your family thing, check out the great shop on Moncton’s Main Street, Board Miniatures! The have a standing paint and play tabletop session on Sundays. (And for amazing board games selection, don’t forget our friends at Scholar’s Choice.)
Bass Pro’s 12,000-gallon freshwater aquarium with striped bass, Atlantic sturgeon, trout, perch, and more is always fun to visit, especially when you need an indoor option.
Resurgo Place is a spot we love to visit again & again; history, hands-on science & arts, & special programming, too!
Local libraries are always a great spot to visit, with lots of programming for all ages – and also another rainy day must visit option.
BGC Dieppe is always a great place for families to connect.
🎧 There’s a roughly one hour iTour of downtown Moncton’s historical & cultural locations you can use to help you explore – a great way to add a little movement, a little history, and a little fun to your family outings! Be sure to check out all the amazing public art installations around the downtown core, too!
Llamazing Adventures is a great way to get out & get moving! Take the llamas for a walk!
Wondering what to do with littles during the week? The Early Childhood Family Resource Centre de Ressources à la Petite Enfance hosts several fabulous drop in programs & playgroups – including Musical Mondays in Sackville and Wednesdays in Riverview & Cap-Acadie.
Crafty teen looking for a fun workshop? The beautiful Christa Martin (All the Pretties – creator of my pickle earrings!!) is holding a polymer clay earring workshop at the Dieppe Arts & Culture Centre, open to those 13+, on Wednesday, Jan 29. No experience require, all materials provided with your $50 fee.
Dr. Sophie Godbout-Beaulieu is hosting a discussion on recognizing and addressing anxiety in children. It’s an evening session, offered in French, with childminding available, as part of Shediac’s Winter Carnival. It takes place Jan 29. (We love Dr. Sophie; she’s )
- ❄️Riverview Winter Carnival kicks off Friday, January 31 with Ignite, followed by 10 days filled with fun! Check out our in-depth Guide for more & tune into the podcast Monday for more!
There’s a Beyblade tournament coming up at Property Guys on Saturday, Feb 8. The top eight players will earn a spot in the championships this summer!
Tickets are already selling fast for The Addams Family musical at the Capitol Theatre, opening Feb 21 – and there are only a few spaces showing for the kids’ sessions planned for Brix during March Break.
Psst! Our BIGGEST round up of the year is already in the works! Our MARCH BREAK MEGA ROUND UP has been the go-to source for families for almost a decade. If you’re a business or organization planning something fun for families, please reach out to ensure we have the details to share. (Text inclusion in our round ups is always free; email us to ask about additional paid promotions available.)
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