Check out these budget friendly winter fun in Calgary ideas to keep your family busy this Winter!
Activities in Calgary can quickly get expensive and in the Winter, your options seem even more limited. To help keep your family entertainment budget down, I’ve put together a list of budget friendly options. You will also want to check out my post on FREE things to do with kids in Calgary in the Winter.
My criteria for making this list of Budget friendly winter fun in Calgary is that the activity is not free but a family of four can do it for $30 or less (prices listed are from September 2019).
Many of the things that I thought would make the list like bowling or some of the local attractions surprised me by being over the limit. I’m sure I haven’t found everything though, so if you have a suggestion, please let me know!
1. Indoor Skating
Calgary has a lot of free outdoor skating options but indoor skating is also pretty inexpensive. Most rinks have a family rate. Skating at city of Calgary rinks is $15.30 for a family. Vivo (formally Cardel place) has a special skating-only price of $15.
You can even skate at the olympic oval as a family for $18.50. The Oval is also running a special Monday Toonie Night Skate – if you bring a non-perishable food item you can skate for only $2!
2. Swimming
Swimming is awesome in the winter as it can almost make you forget how cold it is outside. Calgary has a ton of different options for swimming and a family of four can go to almost any of them for under $30. Admission to the city pools range from $14.65-$17.35 and many offer Splash and Swim times on Sundays – admission is only $2 for adults and $1 for kids.
The leisure centres, rec centres and YMCAs also have drop-in admission for families that nearly all fall under $30.
3. Rec Centres and Leisure Centres
In addition to swimming, many of the Rec and Leisure Centres also have other activities included with your admission like climbing walls and gymnasiums where you can play things like badminton and basketball.
4. C-train
Ride the C-train. This may seem to be an odd choice but my kids adore riding the C-train. You can explore the city and it only costs $3.40 for adults and $2.35 for youth for a 90 minute ticket. Kids 5 and under are free.
5. Lougheed House
The Lougheed House is a historical site and museum. Effort has been made to restore the building back to it’s original turn of the 20th century state when the Lougheed family lived there.
They also host museum exhibits and at Christmastime put on a “Lougheed Family Christmas” Event. Family admission to the Lougheed House is $25.
6. Military Museums
The Military Museums is dedicated to educating the public about Canada’s navy, army, and air force and is $30 for a family.
7. Bow Habitat Station
The Discovery Centre has freshwater aquariums, as well as beautiful interactive exhibits that explore different ecosystems. Visiting the Bow Habitat Station’s Discovery Centre is $30 for a family (does not include a visit to the fish hatchery).
8. Cheap Movies
There are a couple of options for cheap family movies in Calgary. Movies at Canyon Meadows Cinemas are only $5 a person. Cineplex also hosts Family Favourite movies on Saturday mornings with a family favorite movie each week for only $2.99.
9. Indoor play places
Calgary’s indoor play places generally only charge for kids, making them one of the cheaper places to go as a family. Find out more about Calgary’s indoor play places here.
10. Family Sundays at Century Sports
Mini golf is only $4 a round on Sundays at Century Sports. After 4pm you can play glow mini golf. They also have half price hourly bowing which ends up being a little over $30 when you factor in the cost of shoe rentals.
11. Rothney Astrophysical Observatory Public Events
The Rotheney Observatory hosts occasional public events. Talks are held inside and on clear nights, guided sky observation sessions are held outdoors. Admission is $30 per car.
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All fine and well if you have $30. As a single parent full time student with deadbeat dad a 49 cent McDs soft ice cream and another park to explore for free while taking our own sandwiches and drinks was all we could do $25 or $30 is inaccessible for more calgary families than you can fathom.
Hi Linda,
The items on this list cover the range of $1-30 for a family of four. If you are looking for less expensive options check out my list of free things to do with kids in Calgary.
https://calgaryplaygroundreview.com/free-things-to-do-with-kids-in-calgary-in-the-winter/
True . Women’s centre lends passes to Telus Spark !
If families are eligible for Calgary’s Fair Entry program then they can access some of the above at much-discounted prices. http://www.calgary.ca/CSPS/CNS/Pages/Neighbourhood-Services/Programs-and-services-for-low-income-calgarians.aspx
I’d add bowling to the list as some places offer family discounts or cheap days. Also, Home Depot offers free or cheap building classes for kids on some Saturdays. Sometimes Micheals classes would fit into a budget category as well.
Thanks for mentioning the Fair Entry program Christina.
Bowling could work with a discount. I tried looking for a place that had a set discount time that would work for families but I wasn’t getting anywhere. If someone knows of one though, please share!
Thorncliffe Greenview Community Centre has bowling in the basement, it’s cheap and cheerful!
Thanks for the tip! I always forget they have bowling there. When I you add the cost of a game and the shoe rental it ends up being a little over $30.
We come to Calgary about 4 x a year and we have NEVER been to an indoor play space. WE MUST. Thanks for sharing. I am keeping this.
Fabulous tips here. Thank you!!
Which pool and play place pictures do you have posted here. Both look very neat and I’ve never seen these particular ones!! Thanks!
Hi Carley,
The pool is Vivo (formally Cardel Place) and the play place is Treehouse in the NE (they are opening up a 2nd South location too).
The Glenbow Museum has free admission the first Thursday of every month (5-9pm).
The Rothney Astrophysical Observatory is $30/car (so load up the minivan!) when they have event nights.
It’s not under $30 but Loose Moose Theatre has season tickets (4 shows) for $44 so that’s a pretty good price.
There’s also literally hundreds of km of completely free pathways, parks & destinations throughout Calgary. Many malls also have kids play places (but not so awesome for older kids) that are free.