Holiday Spirit
Move to Kanata
November 20, 2020
Decorate Your Home’s Exterior for the Holidays
December 4, 2020
Safe & Fun Things to do for the Holidays
The snow looks like it is here to stay and Christmas lights are going up! We are approaching the most wonderful time of the year! With the pandemic, the holidays may look a little different this year than they have in the past. The good news is that you can still have some great safe fun! Ottawa has a few safe events you can attend, and there are lots of great things you can do at home to spread the holiday cheer. If you are looking for something to get you into the holiday spirit, check out these safe & fun things to do for the holidays!
Magic of Lights
Location: 401 Corkstown Rd, Ottawa
Date: November 13th, 2020 – January 9th 2021
Price: $22 – $35 / vehicle
The fifth annual Magic of Lights is underway nightly from 5-10PM. This event is ideal for social distancing and staying safe! Just pack your family (dogs allowed too!) in the car and drive through the magical forest decorated to the nines with the latest LED technology and digital animations. Be sure to bring the camera! Don’t forget to wear you mask for when scanning your ticket, or purchasing your ticket at the gate. A portion of every ticket sale goes towards the CHEO foundation.
Website: wesleycloverparks.com/events/magic-of-lights-ottawa
Christmas Crafts
Location: At home
Date: Whenever
Price: Depends
A great way to get into the holiday spirit at home is to do some crafting! From wreathes to gnomes to snow globes to planters, there are so many holiday crafts you can do! No matter what your crafting experience level is, creating home decor with your own two hands is a rewarding experience! It is so great to be able to look at it and say “I made that!”. Get the whole family involved and make a day out of it! You won’t regret it!
Christmas Lights Across Canada
Location: Downtown Ottawa
Date: November 30, 2020 to January 7, 2021
Price: FREE
The 36th annual Christmas Lights Across Canada begins in the city of Ottawa on November 30th! This year, the program is being transformed. A new bright and exciting experience will light up the city this year! Some of the best places to experience the lights include the National War Memorial, the Garden of Provinces and the view from Alexandra Bridge.
Website: www.canada.ca
Bake Treats
Location: At home
Date: Whenever
Price: Depends
Baking cooking is an easy (and delicious!) way to get into the holiday spirit! Bake whatever your sweet tooth desires and enjoy accordingly! Your entire family will love eating those fresh gingerbread cookies! Not seeing extended family for the holidays? Why not bake some cookies for them and leave them on their front step along with a nice card! If you aren’t one for baking, you could also just buy a gingerbread house from the grocery store! Decorating these houses are always a blast too!
Sing Christmas Songs
Location: At home
Date: Whenever
Price: FREE
Who doesn’t love singing Christmas carols?! You can’t be sad or angry when you are singing Fa La La La La! What a great way to lift your mood and get you into the holiday spirit! Though caroling outside in your neighbourhood might not be a good idea, you can do a Zoom call with loved ones and sing with them! Make it even more fun by getting the background music off of YouTube and then singing along as Christmas Karaoke!
CP Holiday Train at Home
Location: At home
Date: December 12th at 6:00 PM
Price: FREE
For over 20 years, the Canadian Pacific family has supported Canadians and Americans in need through the CP Holiday Train program stopping in at various cities along the way. This year the Holiday Train is coming to you! Serena Ryder and The Trews will headline this at home concert to help raise food, money and awareness for people who struggle with hunger. Due to COVID-19, the regular holiday train will not be running. Instead, you can tune in and watch the live concert ‘Holiday Train at Home’ on CP’s Facebook page. You can support by giving donations to help with the cause.
Website: www.cpr.ca/holidaytrain
Cedar Hill Christmas Tree Farm
Location: 951 8th Concession South, Pakenham
Date: December 12 – 24th
Price: FREE
Get into the Christmas spirit at Cedar Hill Christmas Tree Farm! You can cut your own tree, or choose from fresh cut trees. With a toboggan hill on site, straw play structure, hot dogs and hot chocolate, this site is fun for the whole family! There are also free socially distanced tractor and wagon rides to the plantation. Masks are mandatory. Cozy up by the bonfire to keep warm, or pop into their heated shop. You can order ahead online and then pickup anything in store once you are there to stay safe.
Website: cedarhillchristmastreefarm.com
Enchanted Holiday Drive
Location: Karter’s Korner, 6336 Fallowfield Road, Stittsville
Date: December 1 – 22
Price: $40 / vehicle
On weekends between 5-9PM, you can bring your car to Karter’s Korners and drive along the track! Drive along through eight festive scenes involving special effects, innovative lighting, and fantastical production. Unlike other experiences, it also focusses on scenery and interaction. Including live, fully built scenes and Santa himself! Enchanted brings a new level of magic to Ottawa.
Website: www.enchantedottawa.ca
Kidsmas
Location: Nepean Museum, 16 Rowley Avenue, Nepean
Date: December 5th – 19th
Price: $34 / household
Celebrate the holiday season with your children at Nepean Museum! The museum has been magically transformed with holiday décor. They have safe, family-friendly activities for you and your kids to enjoy. Book a time slot for your household and you will have the museum to yourself. You can help your little ones build their own early-settler toy, craft their own holiday card, and decorate a nature-inspired tree ornament. Take photos in front of the cozy, Christmas cabin backdrop as a souvenir of your visit!
Website: ourcityview.ca
Watch Christmas Movies
Location: At home
Date: Whenever
Price: FREE
An easy way to get into the holiday spirit is to throw on the Christmas movies! There is such a great assortment of holiday movies out there with classic favourites such as Home alone, The Grinch, Christmas Vacation, The Santa Clause and so many more! There are also lots of great Hallmark Christmas movies as well! Search up holiday movies on Netflix for a great variety! Grab the comfy slippers, throw on a fire and cozy up on the couch and have a Christmas movie marathon!
Make Hot Chocolate Bombs
Location: At home
Date: Whenever
Price: Depends
Have you heard of these new hot chocolate bombs that are taking the internet by storm? Just add warm milk and your chocolate bomb does the rest! You can purchase these delicious treats from many stores such as Costco, but why buy them when you can make your own! Not only do they taste delicious, but they also make a great gift! All you need are chocolate chips, cocoa mix, mini marshmallows and a round mold!
We hope you enjoyed these safe & fun things to do for the holidays. It would sure be nice to have a normal holiday season like we are used to, but at least we can make the best of it!
Enjoy your time at home, call your loved ones and stay safe!
