family activities in lindsay

There is something about flying a kite that brings out the inner child in us all. Running through a field in eager anticipation of getting the kite to fly is an uplifting experience.

When we woke to a rather windy morning, my older son excitedly asked if he could fly his kite. After realizing that it was broken, I took a quick trip to the dollar store to purchase two new kites, which cost under $4. If you are feeling extra creative, you could make your own kite, but we just wanted to get outside!

We decided to go to Elgin Park in Lindsay. Early this summer the playground underwent a much-appreciated upgrade. Our boys now fondly refer to this park as “the red park”. There is also a splash pad here, as well as a couple picnic tables, changeroom, and washrooms. But most importantly, for flying our kites, there is a big open field. There is some parking just off Angeline street to access the park.

Flying the kites required some coordinated effort: knowing exactly which direction to run, when to release more string, and when to slow down and let the wind take over. I loved seeing the pure joy and pride on their faces when they were able to get their kite into the sky. Today reminded me that creating experiences and lasting memories with our children does not have to be extravagant or expensive.

After flying our kites, we took a minutes walk down Angeline street to enjoy some of our favourite Kawartha Dairy ice cream at This is Bliss. Fresh FueLL is also at this location, which has recently relocated here from Kent St. They serve healthy smoothies and lunches, as well as North Ward coffee, which is a new favourite of ours. The ice cream shop is in a separate building outside, which is handy, particularly during a pandemic. We walked back to the park to enjoy our ice cream under a tree in the shade.

After we had some time to rest and cool down, they were ready to have some fun at the playground, and get wet in the splash pad. All in all, it was a fun day outside, which lead to a great nights sleep!

Kawartha Lakes is home to many beautiful trails, including the Victoria Rail Trail, which spans 85 km from Lindsay to Haliburton. I’ve added a couple maps of the trail here and h ere if you want to know where exactly you can find it. My family loves to go biking on this trail, and I love that we can enjoy a ride without having to worry about traffic.

We often like to start our bike ride at the opening in the trail near Cedar Valley Trailer Park in Lindsay. This is where the trail switches from a dirt path to a paved path. This time, we decided to drive to the Lindsay locks and have lunch at Tastee Shack, which is right across the street from the locks. We’ve been wanting to eat here for a while now, and it did not disappoint! My husband is from Nova Scotia, so of course we had to try their donair poutine. We also had their Tastee Shack Burger. This was probably the best burger that I have ever eaten. It is made with their ‘special sauce’ and it is topped with an onion ring. It’s making me hungry just thinking about it! This is definitely one of those unassuming treasures that we always hope to discover. We will definitely be making more “pit stops” here.

The trail continues on here by the water, and just near the entrance is the Rock Snake that Lauren mentioned in her post about our visit to the beach. See that post here. The boys wanted to add to the snake with the rocks that they painted and collected at the beach. We couldn’t believe how big the snake had grown since our last visit. It is so long, it has actually started to wrap back around!

The trail from here to the recently opened Logie Street Park is a great length for young kids to bike. It’s about 2.5km and took us about 10 minutes. It is beautiful by the water, and the kids love running across the small bridge that we pass along the way, and wave to the boats as they pass under us.

Once we arrived at Logie Street Park, the kids wanted to cool off in the splash pad. If you haven’t had a chance to check out this park yet, it truly has something for kids of all ages! There are several play structures with rubber turf, a sandpit area with a wooden ship, zipline, lots of structures to twirl in and climb on, and fun slides that go from the top of the hill down to the main play area. Logie Street Park is on Sturgeon River, and there is a dock here. So whether you get here by car, bike, or boat, you really can have an amazing day here with your family!

Tag: family activities in lindsay

Let’s Go Fly a Kite

Family Fun in Lindsay