Oh, Canada! Active ways to celebrate Canada Day at home

Many of the traditional annual Canada Day community celebrations will go virtual this year, but on July 1, from coast to coast, Canadians will celebrate together at home and in their neighbourhoods.

Here are some active ways you can celebrate the beauty of the country that we live in and create some special memories with your family.

Very Canadian traditions

It’s no secret that Canadians are very creative and always have something fun up our sleeve. These activities will keep everyone active, happy, and in good spirits!

• Canadian charades: Try a Canadian twist on this classic family game. Get each member of your family to write or draw some iconic Canadian symbols on slips of paper, and everyone can take turns acting them out. Think canoeing, skating, hockey, beavers, or maybe your favorite Canadian landmark.
• Make some Canadian crafts: How about a beautiful Canada Day-themed paper kite? Your little ones can paint it in white and red and use their hand print to illustrate the maple leaf. Or make a beaver puppet for a Canada Day puppet show. The CBC Kids Canada Day Fun Pinterest page has a ton of great ideas to add some Canadian flair to your crafts.
• Say cheese: Make your at-home Canada Day celebration more special with some fun Canada Day decor! This DIY red-and-white photo booth to capture memories that will last a lifetime. You may also hire these 360 photo booths for events.
• Canoeing: If you’re fortunate enough to have access to one of our beautiful bodies of water as well as a canoe, take this opportunity to head out on a canoeing adventure. Not only is everyone getting active and getting some fresh air, but you can also teach the kids a thing (or five!) about this historic Canadian activity and method of transportation.

Very Canadian sports

Sports in Canada are a big deal. Not only do we take them seriously, but they’re a huge part of what unites us and—let’s be real—they’re pretty much guaranteed to be a good time. Seeing as Canada Day is likely to be a bit unusual this year, we encourage you to not only play these Canadian sports with your little ones, but also teach them about the history behind these awesome Canadian sports.

• Hockey: We love this mini hockey game that allows your little ones and the entire family to play the sport at home.
• Lacrosse, baseball, and basketball are Canadian sports, too! There’s so much history behind these incredible sports, and they present a great opportunity to get active by batting a balloon or dribbling a basketball together at home!
• Indigenous games: Canada is home to more than 1.6 million Indigenous people, with distinct cultures and traditions. Try these Indigenous games with your kids—a way to learn something new while having fun!

Very Canadian recipes

Make classic Canadian goodies together at home! Here are some fun recipes to get the family in the kitchen together:

• Some great traditional dessert ideas from across Canada
• A classic: Canada’s Wonderland funnel cake recipe
• Patriotic red and white popcorn
• Maple syrup anything is always a hit—try this Canadian maple syrup sugar pie

Very virtual Canada Day

The big celebration on Parliament Hill has been replaced by virtual Canada Day celebrations this year. You can tune into CBC or watch online from 1-2 p.m. local time (2-3 p.m. Atlantic time) to watch the daytime show, Canada Day across the country.

Then at 8 p.m. local time (9 p.m. Atlantic), come back to watch Canada Day Together, a musical extravaganza that will feature performances from a variety of Canadian artists including Serena Ryder, Sarah McLachlan, Charlotte Cardin, and Shane Koyczan.

Visit canada.ca/canadaday for full details and to download themed celebration kits with ideas for Canadian crafts and activities to do with your family at home.

Even more very Canadian fun

Here are a few more festive ideas for ways to create a special Canada Day experience for your family at home:

• Create a Canada Day carnival: There are so many carnival games that everyone can enjoy: glow in the dark ring toss, bobbing for apples, sticky tic tac toe, a pool noodle DIY toss game, or even a bowling station using some leftover bottles!
• Have a virtual dance party: You can stream music online from the artists performing in this year’s Canada Day celebrations for free on Stingray, search for a Canada Day-themed playlist on Spotify, or create your own list of your favourite Canadian tunes.
• Guess that Canadian sound: Take turns moving around and making the sounds of different Canadian animals. Are you a moose, an owl, a bear, or a Canada goose?
• Fireworks in a jar: As we turn to virtual celebrations this year, we know that no Canada Day celebration is complete without fireworks. These fireworks in a jar might be an awesome solution for your little ones who just can’t wait to see those fireworks light up the sky.

Whichever way you decide to celebrate Canada Day with your kids, we hope the day is full of play and fun physical activity. Happy Canada Day!