Ever wondered where Santa Clause spends his vacation?  Well come hang out with him at the Village du Pere Noël (Santa’s Village – 987, rue Morin) in Val David .  Located an hour from Montreal, I think this family-friendly attraction is guaranteed to be a hit with the kids (and even a few adults!).

One of the things I love the most about Santa’s Village is that there are so many activities to keep the children occupied and they are adapted to all ages.  You get zip lining, tobogganing, climbing the chimney wall, small boats, lunchtime entertainment, karting/biking track and many more.  Since there are so many things to do, I never felt like I was waiting very long for my nephew, who I accompanied to the village, to do an activity.

Of course the highlight for anyone visiting, is the visit to Santa’s house where children can get an early start at telling him what they would like for Christmas.  Since it’s summertime, Santa was wearing a more relaxed outfit which prompted my nephew to ask Santa  why he wasn’t wearing his usual red hat!  Santa’s house is complete with real reindeers in the yard and of course, his large red sled parked outside  which is the perfect photo opportunity!  My nephew really enjoyed the “ice house” which consists of a maze of mirrors and “ice blocks” and doing wall climbing since he loves to imitate his favourite superhero, Spiderman!

A central feature of the village is the large pool with a Christmas tree in the middle.  It provided us with some much needed shade on a hot summer day.  Next to the pool is a large splash park that was great for keeping us feeling cool and refreshed.  There is even an animal farm where you can feed the goats, sheeps, and ponies.

In terms of facilities there are plenty of picnic tables in shaded areas, bathrooms throughout the site, and changing rooms for getting children out of wet swimsuits.  If you did not bring your own food, there is a restaurant on-site with the usual fast food meals.  A gift shop also sells souvenirs and christmas-themed items.

It’s great family-friendly outing that I am sure the children will love.  With so many activities to chose from, they definitely won’t be bored and they will probably get to try something they haven’t done before like wall-climbing or zip-lining.  I loved the fact that village is so big and expansive so you never feel claustrophobic  and it isn’t chaotic.   It was my third time going with nephew and he is excited to return each year (he was 4 years old this time around).  It is also open in the winter where many of the installations are adapted for the cold winter.  For example the pool becomes an ice rink!

The entry fee is not cheap at 22$ per person (or 20$ if you are a grandparent), however in comparison with other parks or museums I felt it was comparable.  If you have a CAA card, then you are entitled to a 2$ discount on the admission.

For more information check out their website.