Pick a trail, grab a backpack, and make it an adventure — look for animal tracks, collect rocks, build a stick fort. Options: Dalewood Conservation Area loop (2 km, pond), Catfish Creek trails, or Fingal Wildlife Management Area. Change the destination each time to keep it fresh.
FREE — just wear good shoes
2.6 km fully paved flat loop around Lake Margaret. Swans, ducks, turtles, playground, flower gardens. Stroller-friendly. Perfect for 7-year-olds.
FREE — no parking fee
Canada's only elevated park — an 850 ft boardwalk suspended 95 ft in the air with interactive art and sculptures. Part of the Trans Canada Trail. Absolutely wild for kids.
FREE — open dawn to dusk
Three easy hiking trails (~4.5 km total), lake views, playgrounds, BBQ areas. Kayak/canoe rentals on site. Day-use entry ~$15/person.
~$15/person entry
Load the bike trailer and find somewhere new — Thames Valley Parkway in London (45+ km paved, riverside), Medway Valley Heritage Forest, or the Avon Trail near St. Marys. Pick a destination with a café or ice cream stop at the end. Combine with Strathroy or St. Marys for a full-day adventure.
FREE — bring snacks and water
Flat, paved rail trail from downtown St. Thomas all the way to Port Stanley beach. Completely flat, no road crossings. End at the lake for ice cream! Can shuttle car to the end.
FREE — parking at Sunset Dr trailhead
Pick-your-own strawberries, mid-June to mid-July. $4.70/litre, tractor ride to the fields. Open daily 9 AM–6 PM except Wednesdays. Season may already be on — go soon! Call: (519) 619-7017.
~$4.70/litre (pick your own)
Same farm — 14 acres of U-pick blueberry rows. Season mid-July through mid-August — ideal timing for the summer. Great to combine with strawberry trip! Call ahead for per-pound pricing.
Call ahead — per-pound pricing
No fishing licence required (private waters). Stocked rainbow trout — easy for kids. $8/lb catch-and-keep. On-site filleting service available — call ahead to confirm and they'll clean your catch for you. Loaner rods available (call to confirm). Open Sat/Sun and statutory holidays 9 AM–8 PM. Call ahead: (519) 631-4510.
$8/lb — no licence needed
Short-term paddleboat or canoe rentals near home — no park entrance fee. Kettle Creek Conservation Area has calm water ideal for kids. Port Stanley Marina area worth checking for seasonal rentals. Call ahead to confirm availability — no reservation needed for walk-up rentals.
~$20–40/hr — call to confirm local options
Summer swim day at Tim and Jeannie's — always a hit with the girls. Reach out to schedule a pool afternoon. Perfect for a hot day when beach logistics feel like too much.
FREE — just bring snacks to share!
Sandy Lake Erie beach — shallow entry, perfect for 7-year-olds. Ice cream and fish & chips on Main St. after. Combine with the Whistlestop trail bike ride for a full day. Plan at least 2 beach days this summer!
FREE beach access — bring snacks or grab food on Main St.
In theatres July 1, 2026. Woody, Buzz, and the gang are back — rated G. $5 Tuesdays at Cineplex London (SilverCity Masonville). Scene+ members save another 10%.
$5 Tuesdays at Cineplex London
In theatres August 14, 2026. The PAW Patrol crew on a dinosaur island vs. Humdinger — rated G, directly targeting ages 4–8. Times up perfectly with the Aylmer Fair weekend.
$5 Tuesdays at Cineplex London
Double features Thu–Sun. General $11/person, Kids 5–12 just $2! Thursday Carload special $18/car. Best in late August when it gets dark earlier. Call (519) 644-1160 for schedule.
$11 adults / $2 kids — Thu carload $18
Walk among hundreds of free-flying tropical butterflies in a warm indoor conservatory + insect exhibits. Adults $22.50, Kids 3–12 $13.50, Under 2 free. Book timed entry online — weekends sell out! Check butterfly.ca for current promotions or AAA/CAA discounts.
$22.50 adult / $13.50 kids — check butterfly.ca for sales
Ontario's newest reptile zoo — 28,000 sq ft of indoor exhibits. Daily shows, guided tours, live feedings all included. Open daily 10 AM–6 PM. Check reptilia.com for current pricing + seasonal promotions — they run Groupon deals periodically.
~$20–25/adult — check reptilia.com for deals
Loud, exciting, very kid-friendly. Happens annually at the Elgin County Fairgrounds. If you missed the June 28–29 dates, the Fair weekend in August often includes pulls too. aylmerfair.ca or call (519) 773-3445.
~$10–15/adult, kids under 10 often free — confirm aylmerfair.ca
August 14–16, 2026. Demo Derby, livestock shows, Campbell Amusements midway rides, wood carving. Perfectly timed — same weekend as PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie! Midway rides are pay-per-ride (bring $20–40 cash for the girls). aylmerfair.ca
~$10–15 gate + midway cash — check aylmerfair.ca
One of Ontario's most iconic swimming holes — a flooded limestone quarry right in town with clear water, diving boards, and a beach area. Supervised, seasonal. $5–8/person entry. Opens mid-June. Family favourite that feels like a secret even though everyone knows about it!
~$5–8/person — check stmarys.ca for 2026 hours
Small-town summer outing — Strathroy has a splash pad at Caradoc Park, an outdoor pool, and the Strathroy Caradoc Museum for kids. Worth combining with a stop at St. Marys Quarry for a full day trip in that direction. Call Strathroy Parks at (519) 245-5900.
FREE splash pad — pool nominal fee
Find a yurt to rent for a night — the ultimate glamping upgrade. Long Point Eco-Adventures (Turkey Point, ~1 hr, lpfun.ca, 1-877-743-8687) has glamping suites. True yurts: check Airbnb + Ontario Parks for Pinery/Rondeau yurt sites. Summer weekends book out early — research and book ASAP.
Varies — check lpfun.ca + Ontario Parks yurts
Best window: late July (July 20–31) or first two weeks of August when overnight temps hit 19–21°C. Zero cost, zero logistics. Make it special — sleeping bags, stargazing, midnight snack. Can invite a friend!
FREE — best late July or early August
Weekly Wednesday drop-in art and craft sessions for kids — no registration needed, just show up. Call to confirm summer schedule: (519) 631-6050. Great rainy-day anchor activity on a Wednesday.
FREE drop-in — call (519) 631-6050 to confirm
St. Thomas Public Library sets up an outreach booth at the Horton Farmers Market — crafts, take-home activity kits, and summer reading sign-up. Combine with produce shopping for a full morning. Check stthomaspubliclibrary.ca for summer dates.
FREE — outdoor market activity
Confirmed 2026 event! Tuesdays & Wednesdays, July 28–Aug 19, 12:30–3:30 PM. All art supplies provided. FREE for all ages. Presented by the STEAM Centre in the park right beside St. Thomas Public Library. No registration required — just show up!
FREE — all supplies provided, no signup needed
Free all-summer reading program — earn prizes for books read, weekly challenges, live events at Central Branch. Kids register at any branch or online at lpl.ca. Central Branch has the biggest event calendar. Open Mon–Thu 9–9, Fri–Sat 9–5.
FREE — register at lpl.ca
A proper downtown London outing: Central Branch Discovery Series drop-in events (check lpl.ca/whats-on), then Covent Garden Market for lunch, walk the Thames River trail. Check the event calendar before going — drop-in events run June through August.
FREE library events — budget for lunch