Family Fun

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Set aside some time for outdoor fun! Northumberland's outdoor adventures provide great activities for kids and the entire family. Our picturesque rolling hills include beaches, gardens, natural conservation areas, forests, rivers, lakes and much more. There is no shortage of outdoor family fun activities in the heart of Northumberland, grab the Family Fun Touring Map and get started!

Family fishing is abundant in Northumberland as we are bordered by Rice Lake, the Trent River, Ganaraska River and Lake Ontario with even more waterways inside our borders and featured in our public conservation areas. This makes it easy to fish from either shores, docks or other public areas. If you haven't experience fishing, the Ontario Family Fishing Week in July is a great license free way to experience Ontario fishing at its best.

The Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority hosts a Tackle Share Program where fishing equipment is loaned to children under the age of 18. If you prefer a guided trip with kids, LetsFish Guiding Service specializes in teaching kids to fish and what a treat it is to speed across the lake to find the next hot fishing spot. Rice Lake also has many cottage and boat rentals that provide great locations for family fishing.

It's a known fact that kids love animals. Thankfully, Northumberland is full of a variety of both wildlife and farm animals.  We have bison, elk, horses, llamas, sheep, goats, donkeys and much more, all found in the hills of Northumberland's farmland. Maple Crescent Farm and Healey Falls Quarter Horses offer trail riding in a forest setting for 14 year olds or over. Healey Falls also offers summer camp for children ages 6-15. Another interesting animal attraction is the Primrose Donkey Sanctuary where more than just donkeys roam the barn. Many species of wildlife can also be found in Northumberland's forests and parks, including Ferris Provincial Park, Presqu'ile Provincial Park, Ganaraska Forest, and Northumberland Forest.

Cultural experiences are great for keeping kid's minds active over the long summer holidays. Visit Alderville First Nation and introduce your children to the stories and legends of Ontario's Aboriginal past. Take part in a traditional Pow Wow, drum social, or tour the rare and endangered eco-system of Alderville Black Oak Savanna. Take the kids back in time at Memory Junction Train Museum, which is an old train station in Brighton that has been transformed into a museum, featuring old railroad artifacts. Kids can climb the steam engine and box cars while learning about the history of trains. Another place kids can climb is at the Big Apple Theme Park, on Highway 401 at Colborne. Climb the interior of the world's biggest apple, read about our great growing climes for apples and then reach the top for a view of Lake Ontario and the rolling countryside. Candy apples line the counter at the checkout and our all-time favourite treat is their new apple/almond cheesecake.

Northumberland also has great performing art venues for the whole family to enjoy, take in some of Ontario's best productions indoors or out. Tuesday nights in the summer, at the Cobourg bandshell, is when the kids can dance on the grass in front of the bandshell to the music of the Cobourg Concert Band.

If swimming and beaches is what you like to enjoy, Northumberland is on the north shore of Lake Ontario where you can sun bathe, build sandcastles, and enjoy the beautiful summer weather. Cobourg's beach is complete with a splash pad, beach lifeguards, outdoor swimming pool, play area and covered shelter for picnics.  If you are in the Trent Hills area, you can enjoy the town pool, or Lion's Park Beach. or the newly re-opened Crowe Bridge Park with gentle waterfalls over limestone rocks. Port Hope has a quiet sandy beach which ties in nicely with the Waterfront Trail's off-road section adjacent to the beach. Presqu'ile Provincial Park in Brighton has expansive, sandy beaches for long strolls with the family.