FREE Family Events + Halloween Printable Kit and Book Giveaway

НАРРУ THANKSGIVING!

Navan Playgroup 9:30am–11am 📍Navan Memorial Centre & Arena (ages 0–6)

Centrepointe In-Person Playgroup 9:30am 📍Centrepointe Child Care Services (ages 0–6)

EarlyON Free Playgroup – Parkwood Hills 10am–12pm 📍Parkwood Hills Recreation Centre (ages 0–6) Nepean Resource Centre

Baby & Me Playgroup 10am–11:30am 📍Orléans-Cumberland Community Resource Centre

Evening Playgroup 4pm–5:30pm 📍Orléans-Cumberland Community Resource Centre (ages 0–6, drop-in)

Nature Walk 10am 📍Andrew Haydon Water Park and Playground

Mommy & Me Playtime at 11am 📍Love Lyla Books

EarlyON Free Playgroup – Manordale Woodvale 10am–12pm 📍Margaret Rywak Community Building (ages 0–6)

Centrepointe Infant In-person Playgroup (Series) at 1:30pm 📍Centrepointe Child Care Services

Free After School Program – Manordale 3pm–5pm 📍Margaret Rywak Community Building (ages 6–12, registration required)

Centrepointe In-person Playgroup 9:30am 📍Centrepointe Child Care Services (ages 0–6) Eventbrite

EarlyON Free Playgroup – Parkwood Hills 10am–12pm 📍Parkwood Hills Recreation Centre (ages 0–6) Nepean Resource Centre

Centrepointe Sensory Playgroup 2pm 📍Centrepointe Child Care Services sensory materials + messy play

Free Thursday Nights 5-8pm📍the National Gallery of Canada , 5-7pm📍Canadian Museum of History, 5-7pm📍Canadian War Museum, 5-7pm📍Canadian Museum of Nature

Orléans Playgroup 9:30am–11am 📍Orléans-Cumberland Community Resource Centre

EarlyON Free Playgroup – Manordale 10am–12pm 📍Margaret Rywak Community Building (ages 0–6) Nepean Resource Centre

Groupe de jeu – Francophone Playgroup 1pm–2:30pm 📍Orléans-Cumberland Community Resource Centre

Atelier libre du samedi 9am–3pm 📍Centre communautaire Apollo free open art studio Gatineau Calendar

Canadian Museum of Nature – Research & Collections Open House 9am–4pm 📍Natural Heritage Campus FREE, timed tickets required; see behind-the-scenes collections of animals, fossils, plants and minerals Canadian Museum of Nature

Mac Johnson Wildlife Area Fall Festival 10am–2pm 📍Mac Johnson Wildlife Area, Brockville dogsled teams, pumpkin carving, Kids Zone & scavenger hunt; admission by donation Cataraqui Conservation

613flea 10am–4pm 📍Lansdowne Park free admission; outdoor market is weather dependent 613flea

Glebe Halloween Village 2026 11am–2pm 📍Glebe Avenue & Lyon Street FREE accessible daytime trick-or-treating, crafts, colouring, superheroes, Star Wars characters, Ghostbusters + fire truck; free registration requested Eventbrite

Hintonburg Howl-O-Ween 12pm–4pm 📍Parkdale Park free family party with dog costume parade, photo booth, snacks & market

Petit Picasso – Ages 0–5 9am–11:30am 📍Centre communautaire Apollo free sensory art and creative play for little ones with a caregiver Gatineau Calendar

Creative Sundays 10am–2pm 📍Ottawa Art Gallery FREE all-ages drop-in art activity; no registration required Ottawa Art Gallery |

Geek Hoard Haul-oween 10am–5pm 📍Bell Sensplex Kanata FREE admission & parking; 100+ vendors, cosplay, performances and trick-or-treating at booths for kids in costume Hunt Halloween

Sticker Making Workshop with MASC Artist Tyler Proulx 2pm–4pm 📍Parent Preschool Resource Centre ages 5–10, FREE, registration required; younger siblings 0–4 can use the playroom

There’s a lot happening at Ottawa Public Library this week beyond regular storytimes — crafts, LEGO, STEM, puppets and some fun fall-themed activities. Here are a few highlights:

STEAM Storytime 10:30am 📍Ruth E. Dickinson Branch (ages 3–4 + adult, registration required) Ottawa Public Library

Preschool Show & Tell 2pm 📍Ruth E. Dickinson Branch (ages 3–4, registration for the series required) Ottawa Public Library

Friday Crafternoon / Brico-matin 11am 📍Main Branch (ages 4+, drop-in) Ottawa Public Library

Bilingual Family Storytime & Craft 10:30am 📍Ruth E. Dickinson Branch (family program, drop-in) Ottawa Public Library

STEM at the Library 10:30am 📍Alta Vista Branch (ages 4+, hands-on STEM stations, drop-in) Ottawa Public Library

LEGO Party 11am–12pm 📍Manotick Branch (family program, drop-in) Ottawa Public Library

Puppet Party! 2pm 📍Centennial Branch (ages 7–12, make puppets + act out silly scenes, registration required) Ottawa Public Library

Monster Mash 2pm 📍Manotick Branch (ages 4–8, make your own monster, registration required) Ottawa Public Library

LEGO® Block Party 2:30pm 📍Emerald Plaza Branch (family program, drop-in) Ottawa Public Library

Saturday STEM Club 3pm 📍Main Branch (ages 7+, hands-on STEAM, drop-in) Ottawa Public Library

Fall Crafts / Bricolages d’automne 10:30am 📍Beaverbrook Branch (family fall crafts, drop-in) Ottawa Public Library

Blabey Bonanza: Storytime & Craft 10:30am 📍Ruth E. Dickinson Branch (bilingual family program featuring Pig the Pug, Thelma the Unicorn and The Bad Guys, drop-in) Ottawa Public Library

Family STEM Playground 2pm 📍Ruth E. Dickinson Branch (ages 4+, build, test and create together, drop-in) Ottawa Public Library

And then I’d finish the section with:

📍 These are just a few highlights! Ottawa Public Library has free storytimes, baby programs, crafts, LEGO, STEM activities and more happening at branches across the city all week. Check what’s happening at your nearest branch.

SEE ALL OTTAWA PUBLIC LIBRARY EVENTS

This week, we're celebrating spooky season while supporting local talent!

We're giving away a copy of Spooky Stories to Tell in the Dark for Kids by Ottawa-based author Basilia Vasileios

👻 A fun addition to your family's Halloween reading collection, perfect for cozy October evenings and spooky storytime!

To enter this week's giveaway:

🎃 Follow @ottawaparents on Instagram or Facebook

📚 Follow @basiliavas

🧡 Like our Week 2 giveaway post

👻 Leave a comment to enter!

⭐ Ottawa Parents Supporters are automatically entered into every Halloween Friday giveaway — no additional entry required!

🎁 A new giveaway drops every Friday until Halloween!