13 Outstanding Family Friendly Activities in New Brunswick #LetsGONB

Looking for a great family vacation idea with loads of things to do? Check out all the amazing family friendly activities in New Brunswick Canada!

Remember a couple weeks ago I shared how excited I was to go to New Brunswick, Canada? Well, I’m back and had an amazing time! The whole time I was there, I couldn’t wait to tell you about all the outstanding family friendly activities in New Brunswick!

Before I went, I didn’t know how much I was missing out on. The food, the views, the friendly people. Most of all, though, I didn’t realize how many family friendly activities there really were in New Brunswick. My friends who went before told me to expect beaches and lobster. Yes, New Brunswick has PLENTY of that, but I guess my neighbors just didn’t get to experience all the other amazing places that I went.

Family Vacation to New Brunswick: It’s More than Just Beaches and Lobster

Tourism New Brunswick planned a fabulous itinerary for me and my kids. Unfortunately, my husband couldn’t make the trip due to work commitments. Boy, was he envious of all our pictures and the stories of our fun! We visited the Bay of Fundy in New Brunswick and stopped in multiple cities during our tour.

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I traveled with some amazing bloggers and their families: Tammi from MyOrganized Chaos, Nancy from Whispered Inspirations and Kristen from My 3 Little Kittens. I’ve never traveled in a group before, but let me tell you, it was the best experience ever. My kids had such a blast playing with their kids, and the adults had a great time connecting. As a work-at-home-mom, I find myself missing these adult get-togethers.

I have so many things to share and so many pictures to show but I have to start somewhere. I can’t possibly share everything in one post or it will be a novel!  I thought I would start with this: If you were to visit the Bay of Fundy in New Brunswick with the kids, what should you do? So let’s get started. I am breaking down the activities by city so it will be easier for you to bookmark and organize your upcoming trip to New Brunswick. Because I am sure you will be organizing one VERY Soon.

13 Family Friendly Activities in New Brunswick

MONCTON

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First stop: Moncton! We stayed at the Delta Beauséjour hotel. The service was very friendly and they have one of the best breakfasts I have ever tried in a hotel. The downtown is lovely and has loads of gorgeous restaurants with terraces to enjoy the fresh air. Fun family friendly activities include:

Resurgo! Place

We didn’t get a chance to visit because we opted for a few of the other activities and couldn’t fit it in, but others in our group said it’s a must-see. Definitely on our list for the next visit! It’s a combination of the history of Moncton’s heritage and a very cool transportation museum.

Magnetic Hill Zoo

This mid-size zoo is just right for the little ones. It had all their favourite animals: bears, llamas, tigers, horses. Kids will love feeding the llamas! I couldn’t get my daughter to leave the zoo. You can also ride the horses if you want!

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Hopewell Rocks

What can I tell you about this? It is just beyond any words or explanation. We took the shuttle from the main gate to the rocks. We had a guide that was a judge on Amazing Race Canada. So he was beyond amazing and most of all: he kept the kids entertained and interested during the tour of the rocks.

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The tour lasted around 1 hour where we learned about the rocks, low tide, high tide and where the kids got to visit some mini caves and throw some rocks in the water. Just make sure to have some extra change of clothes for the kids and an extra old pair of shoes because it gets muddy.

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Shediac Bay Cruises

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Shediac is renowned for its beach but we did not get the chance to visit it.  We did, however, get to go on a Lobster Tales Excursion with Shediac Bay Cruises. The owner  of the boat was a fisherman for 3o years, so he knew everything about lobster. The tour lasts 2 hours and we took it at 7 pm. I was kind of worried how I would entertain my 7 year old daughter and all the other 8 kids on the boat but the owner kept the kids entertained.

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They got to fish lobster (or help with it), touch a lobster, eat it. Some kids even got to kiss the lobster! It was just amazing tasting such fresh lobster. The owner showed us how to eat a lobster correctly and  I got the hang of it. It was beyond delicious and I highly recommend this tour. Besides helping with fishing, the kids got coloring pages and crayons which kept them busy.

Fundy National Park

This national park can accommodate campers, hikers and nature lovers. You can take a stroll, relax on the beach and eat some fresh sea food from the village across the way.

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The kids collected LOTS of sea shells! It’s a great place to take a break from all the more regimented family friendly activities in New Brunswick and just relax together.

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SAINT JOHN

At Saint John, we stayed at the Saint John Hilton.  It had a great view on the city market and of course amazing service per Hilton standards.

Reversing Rapids

While you’re in Saint John, take a peek at the Reversing Rapids! They’re quite impressive! There’s a lot of science that goes into what causes them involving tides and underwater ledges. Learn more at their website or grab a Reversing Rapids rack card from your hotel.

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Saint John City Market 

Take a stroll along the Market square boardwalk and enjoy the music playing in the background. The market is open year round from Monday through Saturday. Grab some fresh  local and international delicacies and sample something new with the kids.

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Photo Courtesy of St. John City Market Website

New Brunswick Museum

This is another great family activity filled with treasures from New Brunswick’s rich history. You can organize a birthday party over there and learn about whales, birds and all kind of interesting things. The guide was amazing with the kids. The tour lasted long enough for the kids to be interested. It ended with crafts and refreshments. We even got the opportunity to see whale skeletons.

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Stonehammer Geopark

There are tons of things to do in Stonehammer Geopark, but one of the most amazing and must-see family friendly activities in New Brunswick is checking out the St. Martins sea caves. It is one of the wonders of the world (Merveilles du monde in French). Just make sure you take along an old pair of shoes, because it gets muddy!

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You can see the caves at high tide and low tide. If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I would not have believed it. At 2 pm, we could not walk to the caves because there was water blocking the entrance:

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Then at 6 pm, the tide goes out and we could walk into the caves.

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Fundy Trail Parkway

Just a few minutes away from the Sea Caves, you’ll find Fundy Trail Parkway. You can hike, walk or just drive over. Make sure to visit the waterfalls. They are very impressive. Here, the kids all entertained each other and challenged each other to a scavenger hunt of sorts. It’s another great relaxing stop on your whirlwind family vacation in New Brunswick.

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SAINT ANDREWS

At Saint Andrews we stayed at the Algonquin Resort. It is an amazing hotel with an indoor pool, slides, an outdoor pool. We had windows in our room that we could open. It was so nice to have the fresh breeze inside the room!

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Fundy Discovery Aquarium

This was another one of our favourite activities during our family vacation in New Brunswick! The aquarium is very hands-on. I got the chance to touch a sea cucumber! The kids really got the full experience,  touching stingrays, sea stars and so much more. Read my full review of Fundy Discovery Aquarium.

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We saw how they feed sea lions and got to see one of the largest lobster caught. He was  27 pounds! Imagine cooking that! If you’re traveling with a  group or from the area, you can even book a private party with the seals or have a slumber party in the aquarium! 

Kingsbrae Garden

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Kingsbrae Garden is a beautiful garden filled with lovely flowers and trees. It was created by John and Lucinda Flemer to preserve the beauty of their family estate, which was an important part of the area’s history. The garden isn’t just a beautiful place to relax, it added important jobs to the community. It’s also a gathering place to admire and appreciate stunning art.

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The kids had a great time playing a scavenger hunt game and feeding flowers with lady bugs. The grownups enjoyed checking out all the neat sculptures and spectacular views. Must-do events include the Live Ladybug Release and the Floral Carpet Ride. Kids will also enjoy the petting zoo!

Jolly Breeze Tall Ship Whale Watching

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This may have been one of my absolute favorite family friendly activities in New Brunswick of all because I got to enjoy a great time sailing! I even dozed a bit. What can I say, it was a very busy week! The view was absolutely spectacular and the crew from the Jolly Breeze Tall Ship was super friendly.

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It is one of my favourite activities as I got to enjoy a great time on a sailing boat. I even dozed off a bit. The view was amazing, the crew from the  We saw some whales and sea lions. The kids had the opportunity to touch a lobster again, do some face painting and even steer the boat. While the kids were enjoying all these activities, I was just enjoying the breeze and the relaxing time.

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Huge thanks to Tourism New Brunswick for making this all happen! Follow the #LetsGONB hashtag to see other stories and more great family friendly activities in New Brunswick! Check out Tourism New Brunswick on Twitter and Facebook to keep up with news. Get inspired by their Pinterest pictures!

Which of these great family friendly activities in New Brunswick would you love to try? Tell me in the comments!

This post is brought to you by  SJ Consulting on behalf of Tourism New Brunswick. All opinions are mine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

51 thoughts on “13 Outstanding Family Friendly Activities in New Brunswick #LetsGONB”

  1. Canada sure is a beautiful place…that waterfall is amazing! I would love to see that upclose. I have a couple friends who live in Canada, it’d be great to visit them one day and take in the sights.

    It sure looks like you and your family had a great time! Thank you for sharing the pictures with us. Have a great week!

    Cori

  2. I have never been to Canada. Although it is one place I have always wanted to visit as that is where my great grandmother was from. Thanks for sharing these awesome places with us.

  3. New bruswick spuds like a great place to visit! I’ve been all over Canada but never there :-/ need to change that!

  4. When I think of Canada, a beach is the last thing on my mind. I would like to visit one if I’m ever in New Brunswick. One of the first places I would go check out is the zoo.

  5. National Parks are so much fun. I’ve been waiting to take my kids on a trail near by. Hopefully we can soon.

  6. Oh, there is so much to do there! I think my favorite stop would be the Hopewell Rocks. Looking at all of the wonderful sites makes me itch for a family vacation. We really are due one.

  7. We have never visited New Brunswick but as well have just heard about the beaches, lol. I do love the idea of visiting the caves after the tide goes out, however I do admit I would be so scared! The waterfall is gorgeous, this would make a fun family road trip:)

  8. I’ve never been to Canada, but I really want to go. Looks like such a fun trip. That waterfall is beautiful. So glad your family had a great time.

  9. These beautiful photos make me want to vacation in NB. I would love to take my Family to the Bay of Fundy and Hopewell Rocks!

  10. I would love to go to New Brunswick someday! I have only been to Ontario in Canada (and I live here ;) so visiting the other provinces (at least some of them!) is on my bucket list! Looks like there are a lot of fun things to do with kids, too :)

  11. What a great list of options and there are so many beautiful things to see! I know my kids would love the Magnetic Zoo Hill and I’ll admit, it looks like it would be fun for me as well!

  12. This looks like so much fun! I haven’t ventured to that part of the North East in years and it looks amazing! So much fun stuff to do on the tour as well cool enough to keep the kids entertained. My youngest loves exploring and would have a blast!

  13. Robin (Masshole Mommy)

    There are so many natural wonders in New Brunswick. It seems as though the fun and the learning would never end here. What a great place to visit!

  14. I know your family had a ball touring New Brusiwick. I have never been to Canada but I truly wish to go one day! I would love that boat ride for sure!

  15. I had the chance to go explore New Brunswick Canada/ and I loved it! We are amking plans to go back so my husband can go as well. You highlighted so many great things to see, I missed a couple of them my first trip!

  16. We live in Ontario, I have traveled out to the west but I have yet to go out east, I want to so bad! I have heard awesome things about the maritimes! This is a great list of things to do in New Brunswick, thanks for sharing )

  17. Canada is such a beautiful country. I have not visited in a long time but I do plan on returning. I dream of Vancouver and now I have a new place to visit in New Brunswick. I love how much nature is all around and my kids love the Zoo so it would be nice to have them visit a zoo in another country.

  18. I haven’t seen a llama in actual and I would love to visit that zoo given a chance. Interacting with animals looks so fun and entertaining especially for kids. The Reversing Rapids also sound interesting. How many days will it take for one to explore and experience all these activities?

  19. I have been to New Brunswick before and really didnt even have it in our radar for places to visit. We love to hike and explore nature and this looks perfect for our family. How long were you there for or can a family do this trip in 3 to 4 days?

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