5 Free Family Day Fun Events

Discover the best free events for Family Day fun in your community. Spend quality time with your loved ones without breaking the bank.

We’re prepared for Family Day fun this year as we found many free events with neighbours, family, friends, and our community.

Every community is different. However, I hope this blog post offers some ideas to celebrate a family day filled with love.

Family Day fun is spending time with family, and that’s what we will do by attending these free winter events in our area.

Family Fun Day Fun At The CBB House

If you’re as excited as I am for the Family Day holiday, you’ve probably scheduled activities to keep everyone busy like we have.

You don’t have to spend money to spend time with your family.

For most, any free events we attend accept Food Bank donations from your dry pantry.

This is a great way to give back to the community and help fellow needy citizens, especially during winter.

Related: Types of Food Bank Donations

This year we will donate two boxes of diapers that we left from our son when he was a baby.

We went overboard buying them on sale, thinking we’d use them, but our son grew so fast, and we couldn’t return them.

Instead of selling them we decided to donate them.

You don’t have to be related to someone for them to be family.

When is Family Day?

Family Day is celebrated on Monday, February 20th, a stat holiday that hasn’t been around for too long but is certainly welcomed by Canadians each year.

Note: These days will change based on the year you read this blog post.

Also called	Louis Riel Day (Manitoba), Islander Day (PEI), Nova Scotia Heritage Day (Nova Scotia)
Observed by	Alberta, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Saskatchewan
Date	Third Monday in February
2016 date	February 15
2017 date	February 20
2018 date	February 19
2019 date	February 18
Frequency	annual

British Columbia Family Day Fun

Family Day (BC)
Official name	Family Day
Observed by	British Columbia
Date	Second Monday in February
2016 date	February 8
2017 date	February 13
2018 date	February 12
2019 date	February 11
Frequency	annual

Yukon Heritage Day

Yukon Heritage Day
Official name	Yukon Heritage Day
Observed by	Yukon
Date	Friday before last Sunday in February
2016 date	February 26, 2016
2017 date	February 24, 2017
2018 date	February 23, 2018
2019 date	February 22, 2019
Frequency	annual

What Happens On Family Day?

Every city is different regarding what shops and services are open and closed for Family Day. During Family Day 2017 in Ontario, you won’t find many stores open because Family Day is a stat holiday.

You may, however, find corner shops, coffee shops, and other independent places that offer holiday pay to their employees.

For this reason, you may also find that Family Day daycare centres might be open, or you’ll have to find alternate arrangements for your child.

Schools and government buildings are closed, so buy beer and alcohol before Monday.

I’d also like to find out if your local pharmacy will be open if you need medications.

I was a bit shocked to read that Canada Post was still running, but I guess that’s the way it goes.

Most grocery stores will be closed in Ontario, but some may only be open for holiday hours. Your best bet is to make a phone call and find out.

Related: Here’s what’s open and closed on Monday, Family Day 2017, in Toronto, Ontario. What’s open in Toronto For Family Day 2024?

All provincial government offices, including Service Ontario (online services are still available) are closed.

Municipal employment and social services locations are also not operating, along with waste drop-off depots and all Toronto Public Library branches.

Garbage collection will be mostly normal, with a few exceptions.

Canada Post offices — not including those inside private businesses — will be open, and mail will be collected and delivered as normal.

Banks, however, are closed.

Related:What is open and closed in Toronto on Family Day- an extensive list (BlogTO)

If you want to spend money, Toronto Ripley’s Aquarium, CN Tower, and The Toronto Zoo are open on Family Day.

We’ve been to two of the three and plan to visit the Toronto Zoo sometime this summer.

I highly recommend Ripley’s Aquarium as our family loved it so much that we went twice in one year.

Our Free Family Day Activities

I’m not sure why most people frantically search for Family Day events in their local area the morning.

If you want to arrive early for any free shows or excursions, then start researching Family Day fun in advance.

Start now, and you have two days before the holiday.

Working two jobs over the past 3 years has certainly taken time away from what I would typically spend with Mrs. CBB and now our son.

Every year, we like to add something new to do for Family Day fun rather than repeat the same events.

Family Day events in our house often consist of Food, Family, Food, Family, Fun and more food.

We love to eat, and food brings our family together at a table where we can sit, look at each other, and communicate.

One thing that won’t change is morning coffee in bed for Mrs. CBB and me and Fluffy Pancakes with maple syrup for our son.

Mrs. CBB sometimes makes her low-carb pancakes with sugar-free syrup as a breakfast treat to kick off Family Day.

This year, we’re attending a free Winteramafest in the morning, with games for the kids, free skating, hot cocoa, prizes, and outdoor fun.

There are also indoor events where families can warm up and enjoy snacks.

All proceeds from snack and drink sales fund next year’s event.

You are not obliged to buy anything and can bring drinks and snacks.

After Winteramafest, a free movie for kids is being held in a school auditorium with a play centre for toddlers who won’t sit still.

That would be our son since he has ADHD and Autism and struggles to focus.

They have cartoons on the television in the playroom, and the older kids go into the gym to watch a featured movie.

All these events are free.

Our last stop before heading home is to have coffee and cake at my sister and brother-in-law’s house to celebrate so the cousins can play together.

Their neighbourhood also hosts a winter street party for families and relatives until 6 pm.

This is their first year hosting it, so I’m unsure what to expect.

It’s supposed to be sunny out, which will be better for the kids than being too cold.

In the evening, we will come home to enjoy homemade pizza I will make for the boy and me since Mrs. CBB doesn’t eat it.

I’ll prep the dough in the early morning so it’s ready when we get home.

So all I have to do is roll it out and top it with our favourite toppings, meat, and more.

I let Junior join in on topping the pizza he loves every minute.

Our son loves pizza and will peel all the meat and cheese off before eating the bread.

Mrs. CBB will make our low-carb pizza recipe that doesn’t taste too bad, especially if you stop eating bread.

Some costs involved gas and making pizza, but we didn’t stress over the day.

Our local newspaper, internet and Facebook helped us source free Family Day activities in our area.

These kids events are great for meeting other parents and for the kids to interact socially and make new friends.

Family Day Trips

Family day trips are a great idea to explore Ontario without stress or worrying about going to work.

Ontario has many amazing parks that you can visit over the winter, and walking trails are everywhere.

Free of course, apart from gas and possibly parking fees.

In the past, we’ve taken a road trip to see the in-laws, but with the little guy here, it might be too much driving for one day as we’d come back the same night.

If we go on a road trip, we may go to the next town to explore what it offers, sit in for a coffee, and talk to the locals.

They always seem to love my British accent for some reason.

Family day fun may cost you little to nothing if you are frugal-minded like us because you can’t spend money on love.

Besides, with so many events taking place for free on Family Day, why would you pay for something to do?

Discussion Question: What does Family Day Fun mean to you?

Please leave me your comments below.

Now, on to The Saturday Weekend Review.

Behind Closed Doors

Hey friends,

This week was undoubtedly better than last week when everyone was sick in the CBB house.

Our son still has some rough coughs coming out, as is Mrs. CBB.

We took a small road trip to Hamilton, Ontario, to visit a friend we hadn’t seen before and go out for dinner.

For Valentine’s Day, I was welcomed home to plenty of paintings from my little guy and a lovely card.

I was able to sneak out and get Mrs. CBB a card, which she was shocked I remembered.

I’m not the best with holidays, but I’m working on taking that up a notch.

Typically, we don’t spend money buying roses or chocolates because she won’t eat them, and flowers she’d rather see them grow outside.

Working too much is not an excuse, but it’s true, and I hope I’ll see improvements in my work hours next year.

Family Dates Window Shopping

Lastly, we made our way into the mall a couple of times to do some window shopping and have coffee.

The little guy likes his rides on the escalator, so while I’m doing that, Mrs. CBB buys our java hit for the night.

We spend most of my allowance on coffee dates as a family.

I know it may seem strange, but this is our way of getting out of the house, connecting in public, and people watch.

Our son loves going to McDonald’s to say hi to all the customers coming in. We love the coffee!

It seems like it’s warming up outside, and the birds are chirping, so I’m hoping that is an early sign of Spring.

I’ve got SO MUCH to get done this summer around the house, plus fit in our holidays.

I wish I had worked harder to complete these renovations before the little guy came.

When I’m home, so much takes me away from my family.

Family day fun is every day at our house, but it means everything to me when it’s a holiday Family Day. No work- Just the 3 of us.

CBB Mail Bag

If you have a question you would like to ask me, fill out the Contact Mr.CBB form on the blog home page, and I’ll do my best to reply to each question.

If you would like to share a story via a Fan Question, please ensure that there is a minimum 500 words and lots of details…we love details!

Contact me for more info at canadianbudgetbinder@yahoo.ca

CBB Posts Of The Week

Top Post This Week: How Much Should My Grocery Budget Be?

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Making A Difference

Welcome to the Making A Difference series!

Join the networking movement of Personal Finance Bloggers around the world.

If you are a personal finance blogger and would like your blog to be featured, drop me an email.

I’m currently booking March/April 2017-Limited spots.

Hey there, Mr. CBB and Friends,

My Name is Kent Tilley, and I am a CFP Professional and a stand-up comedian.

I worked for a large financial institution for many years but recently branched out on my own to start an online, fee-for-service financial planning company called – K4 Financial Services.

As well as doing planning, I write financial blogs and do videos once or twice a week, which cover all areas of financial planning.

I feel that all Canadians can benefit from understanding the basics of financial planning.

Making a difference by educating as many Canadians as possible and uncovering how large institutions exploit their consumers is the dream.

Weekly Fan Brag

If you have a brag that you want to share, email me at canadianbudgetbinder@yahoo.ca with a photo and a small write-up of your deal.

It can be anything you saved money on that you are excited about.

Hi, Mr.CBB and Readers,

Back at it again with more reduced milk. I was lucky to hit the mother-load of milk this week.

One 4 litre of skim, 2 two liter of 2 per cent, 3 two litres of whole milk.

I managed to find almost $30 of milk and paid a whopping $5.94.

The expiry dates were for the next 2 days.

Mr.CBB- We buy milk in bulk if we find a deal and freeze it, although we have milk bags in Ontario.

We’ve never had any issues with it.

Related: Milk in a Bag or Jug, Which Do You Prefer?

CBB Finance Tip

I wrote this when life was getting tough.

It was 2007 and I had just moved to Canada and was trying to find a job, but no one would hire me.

I returned to school when I was 29 and had to start again.

Being in a new country was tough, but figuring it all out when you have gone from being a University grad to amounting to nothing is tough to swallow.

In time, things got better because I didn’t give in.

I wanted to succeed at what I did, which meant sacrificing living in a tiny room with my wife and working hours. I didn’t spend much time with her.

Today, I’m happy to say that had I not punched down those walls, I wouldn’t be where I am.

Never give up on yourself; there’s a whole world out there.

Related: Life As An International Student In Canada Meant Crushing Poverty

Top Finance Post

Over at Pretend to Be Poor, I enjoyed reading a shopping hack post about Shopping In the Wrong Department To Get Better Savings.

Oddly enough, Mrs. CBB and I have encountered this situation several times.

We’ve found similar products in another department where you wouldn’t expect it but for less money.

Sometimes we’ve found the same shirts in two different departments, but one costs less because one is listed in baby and the other in toddler.

Like Neil pointed out in his post about the gardening hat, it doesn’t hurt to shop around and look for alternatives.

Going to the accessories department, you will pay almost double what you would if you had gone to the gardening department.

It may not be as fancy, but you’re gardening, so who cares?

I hope you enjoy this post, and please share any experiences you’ve had. I’d love to hear about them.

Mr.CBB

Top Frugal Recipe

Food is a big part of any budget and a struggle for so many people, so I’ve created frugal recipes for my family and yours for many years.

I have a second Facebook page called The Free Recipe Depot, where I exclusively share recipes from Food Bloggers worldwide.

Check out the Free Recipe Index on CBB, which is compiled of frugal recipes 100% tested and accepted by family and friends!

This week, I was over at the food blog Cooking With Janica checking out her Homemade Crunchwrap Supreme, the homemade version from Taco Bell.

When Mrs. CBB was pregnant, one day, she had a thing for Taco Bell.

I can’t remember how many hard and soft tacos we ate that day, but it was filling.

When I saw this recipe, I knew Mrs. CBB would love it but won’t eat it as she no longer eats bread or tortillas.

I will work on a low-carb tortilla wrap for her and then make this recipe.

Did You Know?

We’re approaching that time of year when we should think about our vegetable gardens.

Many of you may plant seeds indoors to transplant outdoors when the weather warms up in the Spring.

Our back garden has huge trees, a wooden fence, and little sunlight.

I stumbled upon this neat infographic from Dream Garden 101 that details what vegetables you can grow in the shade.

For many of you with a balcony or small garden with more shade than light, don’t think you can’t fire up that green thumb of yours.

I’m sure many of you enjoy eating almost every fresh vegetable on this list as much as we do.

I think it’s great that we can grow vegetables in the shade, so this year, I will pick a shady spot and see what I can do with it.

Shade Friendly Vegetables

Some of our favourites from this list would be;

• Endive or leaf lettuces
• Broccoli
• Spinach
• Radish (we tried this one year, and it was an epic fail)
• Cauliflower  (we’ve never grown this before)
• Brussel Sprouts
• Beets

The next time someone tells you that you can’t grow a garden in the shade, tell them, watch me!!

Then get out there and grow vegetables that you never thought you could do but now know you can.

Aren’t you just as excited as I am?

I hope so.

Search Term Giggles

Always begin and end your day with a SMILE!- Mr.CBB

Every week, I get tens of thousands of people visiting Canadian Budget Binder because they did a search online and found my blog.

Most times funny, Sometimes serious.

• Mr. Food Shortbread Cookies: Nope, wrong guy, but I bet the Dundurn Castle Shortbread would change your mind.
• What do women think of their Valentine’s Day Gifts? Stop over-thinking.
• How do you clear $100,000.00 in debt with no money? Are you good with magic?
• Should I buy a more expensive house? Yes, because the internet told you to do so.
• What should I do with my $100,000.00 in February 2017? If you don’t know the person above, you sure could use that money, hahaha!!

That’s all the fun for this week; thanks for dropping by, and we’ll see you all again next Saturday.

Mr.CBB

Related Blog Posts

• The Saturday Weekend Review #206: How A Guy Managed To Break The Poverty Chain
• The Saturday Weekend Review #207: How to Prepare for Short term Lost Income Before It Happens
• The Saturday Weekend Review #208: Achieve Financial Success By Leaving Money Sins Behind
• The Saturday Weekend Review #209: 8 Ways To Waste Money You Could Be Saving