We recently decided to take advantage of the free admission on Thursday nights at the Canadian Canoe Museum in Peterborough, Ontario. We are parked near by with our RV and were wondering what we could do that evening after we drove for a week-end of camping.
This unique museum can be taking at you own pace and offers an out-of-the-ordinary view of Canada’s history as seen from a canoe.
This upcoming year as part of our homeschool we will be studying explorers and I thought that visiting this museum would be a great addition to our upcoming learning experience in September.
At the entrance of the museum we could take a some pictures with a setting especially made for the museum. (Note: I played with a photo app to make it a bit more antique.)
The museum had an interesting search and find sheet for the kids to do while visiting. My kids had a kick in trying to find everything on the list in order to get a free pin that they could pick and choose at the end. Some items were easy to find while others not so much – like the red wings on a canoe… My sweet daughter went to the main desk to ask where it was and we were just next to it. Here’s a hint if you go visit: they are not bird wings drawn on a canoe…
The kids had a blast at the puppet theater where they were able to play with Canada’s wildlife creatures. We also sat in a wigwam and enjoyed a fire at the same time. My daughter dressed up as a voyageur using a Hudson Bay Company capotes. And we learned quite of bit of the history of canoe, how a canoe is birth and so much more.
In a special section, the kids discovered how the canoes at the museum were taken care of as well as talked with an artisan who was making something special for the museum.
At the end the kids were able to use a training machine to learn to do competitive kayaking.
There is also a section in the museum where the kids can do miniature canoes. We didn’t do the crafts on site but I grabbed a few of them to make at home. However, they were fully equipped with scissors and glue for the kids to make them at the museum. If you can’t visit this museum – no worries because the three hands-on crafts are available to download on their website as well. Click here to download the Nuu-Chah-Nulth Dugout Canoe, the Sanikiluarmiut Kayak and the Ojibway Bark Canoe. I strongly suggest that you print it on cardboard so that the craft is more sturdy.
In all, we had a great time walking through the museum and learning more about how canoes are part of our heritage and history. The Canadian Canoe Museum is worth discovering whether you are homeschooler or not.
The Canadian Canoe Museum is located at 910 Monaghan Road, Peterborough, Ontario. The museum is open daily except for December 25 and 25, January 1 and 2. Note that the museum closes at 2:00 pm on December 24th. Hours of operation are Monday to Wednesday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, Thursday from 10:00am to 8:00pm, Friday and Saturday from 10:00 am to 5:00pm and Sunday from noon to 5:00pm. Admissions are 10.50$ for adults, 8.25$ for seniors (65+), 8.25$ for students ages 5-17, kids under 5 are free. If you have a family (up to 2 adults and 4 children ages 5-17) the price will be 25.00$
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