Winnipeg

We had visitors to the RV this weekend – Wyatt and Rhett came for a sleepover. It was a great opportunity for us to explore Winnipeg from a new perspective. Our goal was to plan outings that a 10 year and a 6 year old would enjoy.

First stop – Fun Mountain Water Park.

The boys thoroughly enjoyed an afternoon here. The waterslides were very well maintained and there was a variety of “thrill levels”. There was a toddler/pre-school section with tamer slides, and then progressively speedier rides, including ones where riders sat on mats and in tubes. Lawn chairs were set up at the bottom of the slides for spectators. Life-guards were situated throughout the park – including at the top & bottom of each slide, to ensure safety rules were adhered to. There is also a mini-golf course and zip-lines on site. Admission was reasonable – $20/person, regardless if you were sliding or not. The only negative about the park is that outside food & drink are not permitted. So everything has to be purchased in the park from the concession stand. Healthy choices were limited.

Second stop – Manitoba Children’s Museum.

Unaccompanied adults aren’t admitted to the Museum, so this was the perfect chance for John and I to visit. Rhett and Wyatt LOVED the Children’s Museum. There were numerous interactive displays that were educational yet entertaining for both boys. The Splash Lab was especially popular, as was the construction area in the Tumble Zone with operational cranes. Lasagna Lookout is a climbing structure with various tactile materials – a perfect place for the boys to burn off some energy. We spent over 3 hours here – leaving only because everyone was hungry. Admission was $10 per person, and parking was free at the Forks. This is definitely a must-do tourist attraction in Winnipeg.

Third stop – Tinkertown.

It’s been several years since we last brought Kaitlyn here – though she does love a scary roller-coaster. Tinkertown is an outdoor amusement park featuring over 20 rides. We started off with the train ride around the park, suitable for all ages. Not knowing the boys’ fright tolerance (I was being cautious after the Dead Me incident with Rhett); we encouraged them to go on a “helicopter ride” which almost put them to sleep. They quickly moved on to the higher, faster and scarier rides. The grounds at Tinkertown were very clean – patrons are allowed to be coolers into the park for picnics. There was a wide selection of food vendors on site serving all the delicious fair foods – cotton candy, candy apples and deep fried Mars bars. We purchased each of the boys a wristband for $15 – which allowed them unlimited ridership on all the rides for the entire day. There was no other admission or entrance cost. It was a great place to spend an afternoon.

John and I both agreed that Winnipeg is an exceptionally Family Friendly city (if you can overlook the fact that Winnipeg is Canada’s murder capital). There is a wide range of outstanding activities for children to enjoy. Comparing the three stops above to taking the boys to a movie (which we also did) – they were all more engaging and offered substantial value compared to sitting in a theatre for 90 minutes.