Rainy Days and Everyday

For those days when it’s too cold, too hot or too stormy to safely or comfortably play outside with kids, head inside to one of Thunder Bay’s indoor play centres. These centres all have drop-in options that are ideal if you’re here visiting family and friends or are in town for a sports tourney or another event. Ready, set… play!

EarlyON Sites

These free drop-in programs for caregivers and kids 6 and under are available at a variety of sites around the city of Thunder Bay including the centrally located Intercity Shopping Centre plus several rural areas too. Stop in to hang out with other parents and kids with toys, activity centres and lots of opportunities for pretend play. Even the stylish Goods & Co. Market has “Lil Wednesdays” on Wednesday afternoons, where kiddos can play in the Euro-style market’s open area and the in-house eateries provide kid-friendly snack options. There’s also the Indoor Active Playspace (in Northwood Mall) where your littles can run, jump and roll around. For the most up-to-date schedules and times, check their Facebook page.

Maple Tops Adventure Park

Jaws drop when you walk into the main play area at Maple Tops. Formerly a movie theatre, this site now houses a 2,500-square-foot, three-storey Canadian-made play structure that looks like a tree fort with tunnels, tube slides, ramps and stairs, designed for kids 5 to 12. It’s completely enclosed with lots of padding on corners and edges. There’s also a small climbing wall, a log cabin area for creative play, and several interactive video games. A separate infant and toddler area (0-4 years) means little ones can roll, toddle and tumble on the heated, anti-microbial floor, plus play in the ball pit. Refuel at the Maple Grove Café which offers mini pizzas, hot dogs and beverages. Check their Facebook page for drop-in hours of operation.

Giant Gymnastics

For those days that require non-stop kid activity in a huge colourful padded area, check out Giant Gymnastics. This private gymnastic centre has a range of gymnastics options and top-notch equipment. Give them a call at 807-683-3730 to find out what drop-in times are available for sessions like Ninja (for 5 to 10 and for 10 and up) and Kinder (ages 3 and under). Note that you must pay a once-yearly $40 Gymnastics Ontario fee plus the drop-in fee.

Thunder Bay Gymnastics

Thunder Bay Gymnastics is the city’s longest-running gymnastics centre and offers drop-in times as well for caregivers and kids aged 1 to 4. It has 14,000 square feet of space filled with gymnastics equipment, like two trampolines, a spring floor, padded shapes and a tumble track. Note that you must pay a once-yearly $40 Gymnastics Ontario fee plus the drop-in fee.

Canada Games Complex Aquatics

Splash, dive, cannonball, giggle: Sometimes only the pool will do, so head to the recently renovated Canada Games Complex (check the website

for public/family swim and slide hours and prices.) You may be able to snag a handy poolside family change room right on deck, but of course there are regular change rooms with lockers too. The Olympic-size pool is 77 metres long, divided into three sections, and the depth ranges from just under 1 metre to just under 5 metres. Or, chillax in the Swirlpool, which offers hydrojets and warmer temperatures. For older kids (age 7 and up, who have passed an on-site swim test), the main attraction will likely be the Thunder Slide: 73 see-through metres of twisty, fast-moving fun. Zoom!

Sir Winston Churchill Pool and Volunteer Pool

Churchill and Volunteer pools are both popular options. These city pools have reasonably priced family public swim and public swim times at different points throughout the week. Churchill, in Fort William, is a 25-m pool with a diving board, sauna, swirl pool (heated shallow kids pool) and two family change rooms, while Volunteer Pool in Port Arthur is a 25-m saltwater pool with a diving board, whirlpool, sauna and a family change room. Lifejackets and pool toys are available too.

Disappointing weather? Tired of the parks and playgrounds? No problem. You can still have a fun, active, creative—not to mention sanity-saving—day with the kids in Thunder Bay. 

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