What to do with the kids this weekend (March 17-19, 2023)
Happy St. Paddy’s Day weekend, everyone – and welcome Spring, officially arriving Monday! A quick reminder: if you have kids in K-8 in Anglophone East, there’s no school next Friday, and no school April 7, 10, & 14 (first for for Easter, then parent teacher).
FRIDAY
The Town of Sackville has a free parent & tot skate from 10:15-11:15am & at lunch (noon to 1:30pm). Hillsborough public skate is on Friday night, 8:15-9:15pm. Cost is $2/person or $5/family. Riverview’s parent & tot skating is free from 1:30-2:30pm, and skating for those 12 & under from 4-5:15pm.
The St. Andrew’s Anglican Church in Petitcodiac is hosting two kids’ dances on Friday night. Kids in grades K-2 can dance from 6-7pm, while grades 3-5 are welcome from 7:30-8:45pm. Admission is $2; wear green & enjoy prizes & more! Children must be signed in and out by a parent or guardian.
A fun way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day as a family is the Wildcats game! They’re hosting the Charlottetown Islanders and have some special Irish-inspired jerseys ready to wear. They’ll be up for auction after the game.
Looking for St. Patrick’s Day craft & treat ideas? We have them here!
SATURDAY
There’s a pancake breakfast happening at the Salisbury Lions Club on Saturday, 7-10am. Children under 6 eat free, those ages 6-10 $5, and others $10. Enjoy pancakes, sausages, maple syrup, drinks, and a treat.
White’s Maple in Shenstone (outside Hillsborough) hosts a pancake breakfast Saturdays & Sundays from 8am – noon, starting this weekend & running until April 9. Cost for the breakfast is $14 adults, $7 children 10 & under; includes pancakes, sausages, homemade baked beans, homemade brown bread, and beverages. The site is wheelchair accessible, with maple products for sale and maple taffy for $2/stick. Tours available, too; reach out to book yours.
Renton Brothers Family Sugarbush is open Saturdays & Sundays, filled with five generations of maple tradition! They’re at 1270 Gorge Rd.
Trites Maples offers pancake breakfasts starting at 8am on Saturdays. Head for the “4th camp with the green metal roof” at the end of Maple Ridge Trail, about a 15-minute walk from where you can park at 1270 Gorge Road in Moncton. They’re open Sunday, as well, but no breakfasts that day.
Château Scoudouc offers taffy on the snow, maple coffee or cappuccino, and lovely trails. Group tours available; reach out in advance if you’re interested in booking.
The traditional Sugar Bush weekends at Kings Landing Historical Settlement wrap up this weekend! Enjoy a 19th century sugaring demonstration, horse & wagon rides, the Hagerman House, Joslin Farm, and Gordon House. Open Saturday & Sunday.
Hillsborough public skate is on Saturday, 2-3pm & 8-9pm. Cost is $2/person or $5/family. Riverview’s free public skate is on 3:45-5pm.
The Greater Moncton Home Show is on this weekend at the Coliseum.
Nine gymnastics clubs from New Brunswick & Nova Scotia will be at the 2023 Atlantic Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships happening at UdM this weekend.
Arabic Story Time returns to the Dieppe Public Library this Saturday, 10:30am. You can call the library to register: 506-877-7945.
Brix is hosting a gluten-free cookie & other treats baking class on Saturday morning. Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult; cost is $88/person.
There’s a stained glass workshop happening Saturday at the Starving Artist Cafe. This three-hour class has limited spaces and costs $80, with all materials provided.
Farmer Brown’s is holding a tulip workshop for kids on Saturday, noon to 3pm. Tour the farm, visit the animals, sip a hot chocolate by the fire, and plant a tulip container that will be left at the farm to grow and be ready for pick up in time for Mother’s Day! Cost is $15/container; text 506-878-9285 to register.
The Dieppe BGC is holding an open Family Gym day – including their rockwall (ages 7+) – on Saturday, from 11am until 2pm.
Looking for a fun parents’ night out? Check out the Black Tie Masquerade Party fundraiser for BGC Dieppe coming up next Saturday night!
SUNDAY
The Friends of the Zoo are hosting winter openings; visit on Sunday from 11am until 3pm.
It’s Make Something Sunday at the Owens Art Gallery in Sackville! Drop in to turn your miniature art into buttons or magnets. Meant for children ages 12 & under, free.
There’s free family skating at Dieppe’s Arthur J. LeBlanc Centre from 2:15-3:15pm and a free family skate in Sackville from 2:30-3:30pm. In Hillsborough, Sunday’s family skate is from 2:15-3:15pm. Cost is $2/person or $5/family. Riverview’s free public skate on Sunday is from 2:30-4pm.
White’s Maple in Shenstone (outside Hillsborough) hosts a pancake breakfast Saturdays & Sundays from 8am – noon, starting this weekend & running until April 9. Cost for the breakfast is $14 adults, $7 children 10 & under; includes pancakes, sausages, homemade baked beans, homemade brown bread, and beverages. The site is wheelchair accessible, with maple products for sale and maple taffy for $2/stick. Tours available, too; reach out to book yours.
Renton Brothers Family Sugarbush is open Saturdays & Sundays, filled with five generations of maple tradition! They’re at 1270 Gorge Rd.
Trites Maples offers pancake breakfasts starting at 8am on Saturdays. Head for the “4th camp with the green metal roof” at the end of Maple Ridge Trail, about a 15-minute walk from where you can park at 1270 Gorge Road in Moncton. They’re open Sunday, as well, but no breakfasts that day.
Château Scoudouc offers taffy on the snow, maple coffee or cappuccino, and lovely trails. Group tours available; reach out in advance if you’re interested in booking.
The traditional Sugar Bush weekends at Kings Landing Historical Settlement wrap up this weekend! Enjoy a 19th century sugaring demonstration, horse & wagon rides, the Hagerman House, Joslin Farm, and Gordon House. Open Saturday & Sunday.
ONGOING ATTRACTIONS & ACTIVITIES
A great option any day!
- FitRocks Climbing Gym
- SkyZone
- Hop Skip Jump
- Marco’s Clinic
- Bowlarama (with an awesome arcade)
- Holy Moly (with retro arcade games)
- Fairlanes (with Glow Bowling nights!)
- Riverview Indoor Skatepark & Riverview Youth Centre
- indoor splash pad at YMCA Moncton North (open to the public Saturdays & Sundays, 8:30-10:45am, 12:15-2:15pm, & 3:45-4:45pm)
- the pirate ship & sloped entry at the Dieppe Aquatic Centre (public swims on Saturday 3-4:55pm & 6-7:55pm & Sunday 3-4:55pm)
- the warm kiddie pool at the YMCA Greater Moncton (public swims Saturdays 6-7:70pm & Sundays 1:30-3pm)
- open swims at Riverview’s Pat Crossman Aquatic Centre on Saturdays from 1:30-2:25pm & 2:30-3:30pm.
- DIY Studio
- Room Escape Atlantic (their site shows a few non-scary, kid-friendly options)
- Mystery Moncton Mystere (for the teens & up)
- Cineplex has a few PG & G options playing this weekend, including Mummies and the new Shazam!
- Doiron House, celebrating Acadian community life in Dieppe, is open Saturdays & Sundays.
- Off Grid Adventure in Anagance for an awesome adventure course & their new indoor climbing walls
- Bass Pro’s 12,000-gallon freshwater aquarium with striped bass, Atlantic sturgeon, trout, perch, and more is fun to visit.
WINTER FUN IDEAS
Spring is just around the corner, but this week’s snow means there are still winter options to enjoy!
- Country Sleigh Rides
- NB Urban Mushing
- Boyle Family Farm
- Broadleaf Ranch
- Llamazing Adventures
- Rent cross-country skis & snow shoes at Moncton’s Centennial Park via Camp Centennial
- Rent snow shoes & fat bikes at Moncton’s Mapleton Park via Camp Centennial
- Poley Mountain is open for the season, with lots of skiing & snowboarding fun on 30 trails
LOOKING AHEAD
Boutique Hospice Shoppe is having a grand re-opening March 21. We love seeing the changes even since we visited a few weeks ago!
Date Night alert! Resident Aliens is an incredibly sounding play that weaves together the stories of Vivian Larsen, a woman who travelled from Moncton to Hollywood by horse-drawn wagon in the 1950s, and a young gay boy growing up in Shediac. You have two chances to see it at the Empress Theatre in Moncton, March 29 & 30.
Tickets are on sale for early shopping at the MM Sale coming up April 1. We see the 8:30 tickets are sold out, but $5 entry at 9:30am is available – or wait till 11am & enjoy free entry. This is a fabulous shopping opportunity if you need spring/summer clothes & toys for the kids!
INFANTS & TODDLERS!
I had the absolute joy of spending a day this week with two of Mommy Connections‘ mom & baby groups. We talked about all things Pickle Planet and how tricky it can be to find activities suited for infants & toddlers locally. So here’s a quick look at some of the options available during the week for the youngest among us!
Speaking of Mommy Connections, if you missed out on signing up for their current classes, why not join them for a stroller social? A great way to get moving and meet other parents!
Sunny Brae Baptist Church hosts Sunny Tots on Wednesdays. This is a free, drop in session geared to newborn to four years old. There are activities and snacks provided in a lovely space with lots toys and more. The sessions take place at the church from 10-11:30am, though they do switch to playground meet ups when the weather changes.
A fabulous local resource is the Early Childhood Family Resource Centre de Ressources à la Petite Enfance, which offers drop-in and pre-registered activities at their facility, in various communities, and they schedule group outings to fun places to check out. Their active kids program is happening at the Crossman Centre on Friday morning, 10:30-11:30am; open to infants and children up to age 6, along with their adults. They offer maternal mental health and parenting sessions, car seat clinics, musical sessions, pre- and post-natal groups, and more.
ReConnect Health is a wonderful health care facility with more & more programs happening all the time! Their pediatric physiotherapist offers to groups focused on developing infants’ gross motor skills, including tummy time, purposeful play (for 3 year olds), and more. There’s a group for infants up to six months, and one for six to 12 months.
Our public libraries are always great places to visit with little ones, whether you join an organized activity or just stop in to spend some time.
The Moncton library has a large children’s section on the main floor with a play area as well as books and more. They currently have a Thursday morning bilingual story and craft time for ages 3 to 5 (registration required), a drop in sensory session on Friday, March 24 from 10am – noon for ages infant to 5 years old, and a toddler time (ages 18 months to 3 years) on Fridays starting March 17 (contact the library at 506 869-6000 to register).
The Dieppe Public Library is hosting PJ storytime for ages 3 to 5 on Wednesdays from March 22 to April 12. Come at 6:15pm for stories and crafts in French. Call 506-877-7945 to register. The library also has a bilingual storytime on Saturdays (starting March 25) at 10:15am for the same age group.
Sackville‘s library offers a parent & baby drop in session on Wednesdays at 10am.
SkyZone offers special guided activities for Little Leapers on Sunday mornings, 10am – noon. This is included in the price of admission ($19.99 for a Toddler Play Pass or a membership). All ages are welcome in the facility at this time, but instructors Kaylee and Keegan will help entertain the little ones.
The gym at the Crossman Centre (99 Wynwood Drive) is a hidden gem of community fun! There’s an indoor walking track that welcomes strollers during designated times, as well as open gym times for various age groupings, including some weekday sessions for toddlers and infants.
The Moncton Coliseum also offers indoor walking. Depending on what events are taking place, the Coliseum is open from 9am to 4pm on weekdays from October 1 to March 31. Call 857-4100 for more info.
If you found this helpful, please take a moment to share it with someone else who might, too! Enjoy your weekend & check back next week for more events & ideas!
