20+1 fun things to do with kids in Calgary this spring

1. See the babies at Butterfield Acres Children’s Farm.

Mix and mingle with all the different animals on a farm.

Pony rides for little ones, tractor rides, petting zoo and more!

Butterfieldacres.com

2. Visit some scaly friends at YYC Nature & Education Centre.

The YYC Nature & Education Centre offers curated private experiences, classes, day camps and more. Meet a variety of exotic animals including birds, snakes, chinchillas, turtles and more! Yycnaturecentre.com

3. Learn about Canadian military history at The Military

Museums. At one of North America’s largest military museums, you can follow Alberta’s military heritage from 1885 to present day. Themilitarymuseums.ca

4. Meet dinosaurs at the Royal Tyrrell Museum. Located near

Drumheller, see more than 35 skeletons of dinosaurs like

Albertosaurus, T. Rex and Triceratops. Journey through time, as different life forms emerge, evolve and in some cases, face extinction. Tyrrellmuseum.com

5. Learn about trains at the Alberta Railway Museum. Located in

Edmonton. Take a train ride back in time to the Alberta Railway museum. See their extensive collection of railway or tour the railway buildings around the grounds. Abcentralrailway.com

6. Learn about planes at The Hangar Flight Museum. Located in a drill hall that was built as part of the British Commonwealth

Air Training Plan during the Second World War, this Calgary attraction is a hidden gem and a must-see destination. They are passionate about bringing aviation history to life and trust that a visit to the museum will leave you inspired with dreams of flight! Thehangarmuseum.ca 7. Drive by the Brooks Aqueduct. This 3km long, centipede-like structure was a vital link in an extensive irrigation network that provided water critical to the dry lands of Southern Alberta.

Brooksaqueduct.ca

8. Take a trip to the Remington Carriage Museum. Located in

Cardston. The museum’s interactive galleries tell numerous stories of turn-of-the-century society and the carriage industry.

Remingtoncarriagemuseum.ca

9. Tour Rutherford House. Located in Edmonton. Check out how the other half lived in the early 1900s. Rutherfordhouse.ca

10. Learn about the poet at Stephansson House. Located southwest of Red Deer. Check out how Icelander, Stephan

G. Stephansson, considered one of the greatest poets in the Western world, managed to tend this homestead by day and write his famous and respected poetry by night.

Stephanssonhouse.ca

11. Enjoy the low season at Banff National Park. Featuring mountains, glaciers, forests, meadows and rivers, Banff

National Park is one of the world’s premier destination spots.

Pc.gc.ca/banff

12. Enjoy a drive through the Bow Valley Parkway. This scenic alternative to the Trans Canada Hwy 1 provides an opportunity to view the landscape at a more leisurely pace. Explore the history of the Bow River Valley through interpretive signs located at various points along the highway.

Banfflakelouise.com 13. Enjoy a spring walk around Moraine Lake and the Valley of the Ten Peaks. Located east of Lake Louise. The emerald green lake is set before Mount Temple, the highest mountain in the Bow Range and third highest in Banff National Park.

Banfflakelouise.com

14. Take an early season hike through Jasper National Park. The largest and most northerly Canadian rocky mountain national park, part of a spectacular World Heritage Site. Pc.gc.ca/jasper

15. Beat the crowds to Kananaskis Country.Located 90km southwest of Calgary, the spectacular mountain and foothills landscapes make a perfect backdrop for a multitude of recreational opportunities.

16. Check out Waterton Lakes National Park. In Southwestern

Alberta, some of the most ancient and colorful mountains in the Rockies abruptly meet the rolling Prairie. It is a dynamic landscape shaped by wind, fire, flooding and abundant plants and wildlife.

17. Plant some veggies. Whether you have yard space or decide to rent a community allotment, why not plant some of your own vegetables this year?

18. Do some birdwatching. Calgary is home to a huge variety of resident and migratory birds - how many do you recognize?

There are plenty of great apps and websites that will help you learn a few calls and name the birds at your feeder this year.

19. Play in virtual reality at VRCORE. Explore the wonders of

Virtual Reality with your friends and family in Canada’s premier

VR arcade! Soar through the universe, fight ancient dragons, and battle through a zombie-filled apocalypse − all in VR.

Vrkade.com.

20. Learn some cake and cookie decorating skills. Ready to put together that audition tape for The Great Canadian Baking

Show? Learn the basics of decorating together at Cakeify Studio and you’ll be well on your way to greatness! Cakeifystudio.com

21. Explore the +15 network. There’s tons of artwork, interesting architecture, restaurants and shopping along Calgary’s extensive +15 network in the city center.