10 Things to Do in Banff with Kids

Want to see a grizzly bear up close? You can head up to Grizzly Bear Refuge (also called the Grizzly Bear Interpretive Centre) at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort. It’s home to Boo, an orphaned grizzly who forages inside the resort’s 20-acre mountainside wildlife refuge. Guides provide you with insights on Boo’s life and antics as you watch him play. You can get close views thanks to the protective fences. Rates are around $30 for adults and $15 for kids 12 and under.

This park on the northern bank of the bend in the River Bow in Banff offers wide open spaces where you can enjoy a picnic in the summer months (between June and September), with the majestic alpine landscape in view. The kids can run and play on Central Park’s smooth tree-lined lawns, in the large kids’ playground, or on the soccer field. Mum and dad can simply lie down on the grass under the sun and take in the lovely scenery and the sounds of the calm Bow River.

Just a hop north from the lovely riverside Central Park, Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies serves as a fun stop in Banff for families. It’s big on landscape paintings by its namesake founders, together with exhibits that show the life of settlers in the Rockies over a century ago. The museum offers treasure hunts for kids, which introduce them to Banff’s history in a fun way. Outside, you can find a collection of preserved heritage wood cabins. Tickets are around $10 for adults and free for kids under 12.

Housed in a giant log cabin by the Bow River, Banff Park Museum is Western Canada’s oldest natural history museum. It contains a variety of exhibits that showcase the diverse wildlife of the Canadian Rockies. You’ll find thousands of different botanical and zoological specimens in its collection, ranging from vintage stuffed animals such as grizzlies and elk, to exhibits of highland birds, bees, and flowers. You’ll be inspired by the fine art of taxidermy on display, as well as the amount of care put into the vast collection.

The scenic drive up to Mount Norquay is as much an attraction as the destination itself, which is the smallest of Banff’s 3 most popular ski hills. Steep hairpin turns offer stunning alpine views, and a viewpoint near the top has red chairs where you can pause and take it all in before reaching the top. Some locals consider the chairlift ride up is better than the Banff Gondola ride to Sulphur Mountain. You can join lessons on the gently inclining bunny slopes if you’re new to skiing, and kids can ride down them on tubes. Lift tickets are from around $24.

In the winter, you’re treated to plenty of sloping terrain for tobogganing fun right outside Banff Town. Toboggans and sleds are widely available for rent in town. Just a few minutes’ drive south, between Bow River and the Fairmont Banff Springs hotel is Spray Meadows Hill, which locals love to slide down. Cascade Ponds, around 10 minutes’ drive north from town, is a great family picnic spot in the summer, which provides fun and safe slopes in the winter – great if you have tots in tow.

The whole family can enjoy ice skating indoors and play ice hockey on the two rinks of Banff’s community facility, one of which is National Hockey League-sized. Located just outside of town, The Fenlands Banff Recreation Centre is also home to the Banff Curling Club. You can often see club members practice, compete, and basically have fun during their regular bonspiels held at the centre. You can usually join in on the fun and learn to curl over the weekends.

Consider a memorable winter tour through Banff National Park on a fun sleigh ride. You get to ride in a wood-crafted sleigh, usually pulled by a pair of majestic Clydesdale horses. It’ll take you over some of the most scenic meadows and foothills of the Canadian Rockies. Along the journey, you can cuddle up in a warm blanket while the sleigh crosses stunning snow-covered landscapes. Warner Stables, just outside of Banff Town, is home to the Banff Trail Riders, who provide popular horseback tours and sleigh rides.

Together with the kids, you can make a splash at the indoor swimming pools of Sally Borden Fitness and Recreation, near Banff’s Bow River trail. The 25-metre pool has a glass roof that allows you to enjoy the view of the majestic snow-capped peak of Sulphur Mountain while you swim. For some soothing warmth, you can try the Jacuzzi hot tub, wade in the heated pool, enter the steam rooms, and soak up some rays on the outdoor sundeck. This fitness facility also houses a full gym where you can work out.

This is perhaps one of the world’s coolest skateparks, with a series of concrete bowls, ramps, and rails laid out against a stunning alpine backdrop. Banff Skateboard Park is where you can watch members of the town’s skateboarding community dish out some cool tricks, and you can join in on the fun yourself. The park is on the same grounds as the 3 Banff Ball Diamonds baseball fields, around 7 minutes’ drive southwest of Banff town.