Sudbury Winter Activities – Sudbury Rocks For Families In Winter

If you’re searching for Sudbury winter activities that actually deliver adventure, learning, and a surprising amount of family fun, let me introduce you to Northern Ontario’s rocky, lakeside gem. Sudbury Tourism hosted my kids and me for a weekend of exploring, eating, skiing, skating, and science-ing — and while they may have footed the bill, the opinions are entirely ours. And trust me, we have a lot of them.

For years, most of my adventures with the kids stayed in southern Ontario. But when the chance came to finally dig deeper into Sudbury in winter, I jumped on it. My early memories of Sudbury were basically “drive-through, eat, sleep, leave.” Big mistake. Because once you actually slow down and explore? You realize this city is packed with winter fun, science museums, outdoor adventures, and a family-friendly vibe that makes the cold feel downright magical.

Why Sudbury is a Great Winter Destination for Families

One of the biggest surprises for me was just how easy Sudbury is to navigate with kids in the winter. Everything is close, parking is simple, and there’s a genuine balance between indoor and outdoor activities. Whether your family leans toward science museums, skating trails, skiing, or indoor adventure parks, Sudbury offers a mix you can personalize to your comfort level. And because the winter air here is drier than Toronto’s infamous bone-soaking cold, being outside actually feels refreshing instead of punishing.

Planning Your Sudbury Winter Trip

If you’re planning a winter weekend escape from Toronto, Sudbury is a very doable four-hour road trip. The drive is straightforward, the attractions are clustered, and you can fit a full mix of outdoor and indoor fun into two or three days. My best advice? Layer up, start early, and pack your sense of adventure. You’re going to need it — in a good way.

Population-wise, Sudbury is the largest city in Northern Ontario. The city was built on the traditional Ojibwe grounds of the Algonquin indigenous group. Once nickel was discovered, the city was built up by European settlers. The “Nickel City”, as it has lovingly been nicknamed, is spread over 330 lakes. The entire region of Greater Sudbury contains more lakes than any other city in Canada. If that doesn’t scream that there is a big outdoor scene here, I don’t know what will.

As Sudbury is roughly 4 hours north of Toronto, it does get colder in winter. For Torontonians who can’t stand the cold, that could be bad news. The good news is that the cold feels different. The cold we feel in Toronto is wet, gets in your bones and aches cold. Sudbury’s cold air is a little drier, and to the kids and me, it was more tolerable. I’m good in pretty much all weather except for that sweat-your-face-off humidity, making Sudbury a fairly temperate location for us to visit.

However, even if you are there in the winter and you find it chilly, you don’t particularly need to spend much time outside. We had a great mix of inside and outside activities on our weekend trip there and there is an abundance of things to do.

If you’re ever around Sudbury in autumn, be sure to check out What To Do And See In Sudbury In Fall.

Sudbury Winter Activities for Families: Your Complete Guide

Sudbury might be famous for mining, the iconic Big Nickel and the Cambrian Shield, but that’s only scratching the surface. Between its 330+ lakes, unique landscape, and science attractions that make kids’ eyes light up, there’s way more happening here than most families realize. Consider this your guide to the best Sudbury winter activities for families — what to do, where to eat, and why this northern city deserves a spot on your cold-weather getaway list.

 

Cross-Country Skiing at Kivi Park

We had a gorgeous morning at Kivi Park! The kids learned how to cross-country ski, equipped with gear rentals from Adventure365 at Kivi Park.

I grew up cross country skiing out of our front door and garage from our home in Belleville. We lived on the edge of town and had the ability to head out into the woods at the end of our street. It was something my parents, my sister and I did and our dog ran along beside us. Growing up in downtown Toronto, my children aren’t afforded that same opportunity. It’s a totally different life.

Little Man has taken downhill skiing lessons before and loved it. Miss M has only been on downhill skis once before in her life, and it didn’t go over well. I mean here’s the thing, when I’m chasing after two kids on a sport that I barely have mastered myself… it almost begs for another adult or an actual instructor to assist or one kid isn’t going to get the attention they need. That happened.

Our time XC skiing in Kivi Park was a winter activity redeemer for Miss M. Both kids had an excellent time and by the end of the morning, we were all sweaty and sad it was over. I am so glad we could all cross-country ski together. They want to do it again! Actually, they want to go back to Kivi Park again, so that’s worth a trip back to Sudbury.

Side note – Kivi Park is an all-season, multi-sport recreation area set on over 450 acres of Cambrian Shield.  Other activities you can do there include hiking, snowshoeing, fat biking, skating in the winter or canoeing, kayaking or paddleboarding on Crowley Lake in the summertime.  

Science North 

Want a fun-filled afternoon? Spend it at Science North with the kids For Sudbury winter activities, sometimes you have to head inside. So many intriguing and interactive exhibits over four floors for the kids to get their hands and imaginations into. The first floor has an IMAX theatre, a planetarium, a cavern, and a toddler treehouse.

The second floor is the nature exchange, lapidary and the butterfly gallery. There’s a lot to see and do on floor number three, but here’s the condensed version – a section on animals in northern forests, a nocturnal room, northern lakes and rivers section along with its inhabitants, a wetlands section and a theatre. The fourth floor holds the object theatres, the body zone where you learn about the body and DNA, a racetrack to build your own cars at, the space place and a tech lab.

The highlight for me? There’s a bed of nails you can lie on. It’s a lesson in physics!

The biggest highlight for Little Man? The fin whale skeleton! It’s 20 metres long and came from Quebec. It’s quite a sight and can easily be mistaken for a dinosaur. As the circular staircase winds up, it’s hard to miss this species in the middle. No joke, as he spotted it, he ran to see it.

For Miss M, her highlight was petting a fox snake on the third floor. That or building her race car and seeing it move on the fourth floor.

The oddity of Science North? Drifter and Kash the beavers and also animal ambassadors refused to pose for photos for me. The nerve!

Skate the Ramsey Lake Skate Path

Skate the Ramsey Lake Skate Path? OKAY, I’LL DO IT! Of all the Sudbury winter activities, I have to say I’m always a sucker for a good skate.

Accessible from Science North parking lot lies a popular skate path on Ramsey Lake in the middle of Sudbury. The skate path runs from Science North to the Sudbury Canoe Club and features unique structures built by students of the Laurentian University School of Architecture.

Now, my kids and I didn’t make it end-to-end like I wanted to do. It was windy, and there were some tears (not mine). But we still got to enjoy some of it.

And best of all, this activity is FREE. Bring your own skates and helmets because they do not have rentals on site.

Dynamic Earth

Want to know where to find the Big Nickel? It’s on Big Nickel Mine Dr.!

The Big Nickel is a replica of the 1951 Canadian five-cent coin, built in 1964 by local Sudburian Ted Szilva. Open to the public at no cost, visitors are invited to walk around the Big Nickel and explore the site of the Centennial Numismatic Park. The big nickel weighs approximately 13,000 kilograms so that’s about as much as a school bus. The entire outer core is made of stainless steel which is why it hasn’t rusted after 55 years. Last random and amazing fact about the big nickel? It’s approximately the same size as a Tyrannosaurus Rex.

The Big Nickel isn’t all to this attraction! Head into Dynamic Earth – an earth sciences museum with a focus on geology that builds on the city’s mining heritage. 

Do not miss the opportunity to pan for gold on the simulated stream table, take an actual mine tour that shows you how things were done in the past, what a mine looked and felt like as well as the equipment they used.

And the new exhibit – Digging into Permafrost. Enter the world of the Western Hemisphere’s only permafrost research tunnel and take in sights and sounds that are usually hidden underground.

I would recommend this as a half-day activity for the kids. The mine tour is approximately 90 minutes long, and towards the end, the kids could get bored. 

Urban Air

I’m just going to say it, it’s hard to get a decent picture of the kids inside Urban Air Adventure Park.  The reason is they’re so busy running and jumping and making merry inside of this ultimate indoor adventure park!

Opened in Sudbury in March 2019, this is way more than a trampoline park! There are obstacle courses, rock climbing walls and a place to practice your own freestyle tricks. And if you think I’m just going to let the kids play? Well, no, I jumped too and I rode the Skyrider, like a big kid HA!

Definitely, a place we could have spent way more than 3 hours at! I wish there were one in Toronto, but until then, we’ll always have Sudbury.

Where to Eat in Sudbury With Kids This Winter

Stack Brewhouse tour and dinner – Shockingly, but perhaps not, I find myself at a craft brewery, Stack Brewing, for dinner. It’s Sudbury’s award-winning craft brewery and restaurant.

Brewmaster Brenden is new at the helm here, having recently graduated from Niagara College, but is already is putting his stamp on the process and taste. Now I have nothing former to compare too, but I can tell you that the four brews I tasted (Nickel City Lager, Expansion Sour IPA, Saturday Night Cream Ale and Impact Altbier) were all smooth, district in flavour that was done with the right amount of hops.

You can bet I made a purchase of a few cans to take home to Toronto on our way out! Food was good, there was no kids’ menu presented to us, and that’s not surprising, seeing as though it was a brewhouse, but my kids ordered tacos and a burger and were very happily eaten.

P&Ms Kouzzina

1463 Lasalle Boulevard

Miss M and Little Man love pizza, they’re kind of becoming experts about taste and quality of it around the world. They loved having it for lunch at P&Ms Kouzzina.

I had the turkey, bacon and brie sandwich. Divine! Bonus for us? It’s right around the other side of the plaza from Urban Air!

Respect is Burning Kitchen & Bar

82 Durham St

Who takes their kids out to an awesome restaurant, downtown Sudbury on a Saturday night? I did! What lovely dates they are. I mean I did open up Tinder while I was there, but I was with my kids, so no sampling of the gentleman inventory.

Little Man ate more pizza, surprise! Miss M indulged me though, we split arancini balls and a steak. Highly recommend a night out here!

Tucos Taco Lounge

582 Kathleen St

I never really thought I would enjoy vegan food very much. I mean, I feel like it’s not in my DNA. However, restaurants like Tucos Taco Lounge change my mind. Check out the Bành Mì’ Taco at Tucos Taco Lounge, Sudbury. Delicious!

Full disclosure, I did not tell the kids it was a vegan restaurant when we went in, nor when we sat down or before we ordered. I waited until after they ate. Remarkably, they were unbothered by that fact. I guess we will do it more often!

Where to Stay in Sudbury for Your Winter Getaway

We stayed at the Travelway Inn in Sudbury. This is a locally owned establishment, so if you are looking to reinvest in communities with your tourism dollars, try doing it here.

Location-wise, everything is about a 10- to 15-minute drive in Sudbury, but this accommodation is literally right across the street from Science North and the Ramsay Lake skate trail. There is also a hospital across the street and plenty of parking for hotel guests.

 

For families, the rooms are a large size, the beds are comfortable, there is a mini-fridge for leftovers, a coffee maker in the room for mornings, free wifi and coin-operated laundry facilities because travelling with kids means always having to wash something. Our room was on the first floor and we could pretty much park in front of our window, so if I wanted to look out at my vehicle early in the morning to ensure it was there, I could.

A continental breakfast is always included in the room rate. Plenty of toast, muffin, oatmeal options as well as juice, tea and coffee. We were there for 2 mornings. The first morning options included bacon and mini pancakes as well as hard-boiled eggs. The second morning, the options were sausages and egg patties.

Hot tip for parents – if you rise before your kids and can’t wait to eat any longer, head down there and ask the service staff for paper plates to take some food away with. Some days, my kids can sleep well past the cutoff time for breakfast service, so I have to be constantly mindful of it.

If you’re looking to visit Sudbury and want a place to stay, check out these accommodations here:

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Worth The Drive

Our winter experience in Sudbury was pretty amazing for one weekend! The drive was only four hours to Sudbury and it can easily take that long to leave Toronto and arrive in cottage country. I hope this illustrates how Sudbury rocks for families in winter. As a solo parent, this was an easy escape from Toronto and all the activities with the kids I could easily handle. Knowing full well that we only scratched the surface of the city, I cannot wait to head back in June (without kids this time) and explore during the Travel Media Association of Canada conference.

We’ve also experienced Sudbury in the fall and really loved our time there. Be sure to check out The Greater Sudbury Area then as well: What To Do And See In Sudbury In Fall

Want to see where else I have explored in Ontario? Take a walk through these past posts and find out.