Let me start by stating that my family of 5 has never been on a family trip together. My husband and I have 3 sons aged 4, 2.5 and 1 (and my youngest JUST turned one the day that we arrived). When we were presented with the idea of visiting Sudbury, I thought this would be perfect. Only a 2 hour and 45-minute drive from our home in Severn Ontario, so if we needed to abort mission due to inconsolable children, it wouldn’t be too far of a trek. Well I have to say, I underestimated us. This trip was one of the best experiences I have had with my family thus far. Experiencing all these great attractions for the first time together as a family was truly a special experience. 

Attractions

When I told my friends and family that we were visiting Sudbury, almost everyone told me that we must go see Science North and Dynamic Earth. So first on the list was Science North, which had a ton of great features for our little ones. First, we walked into the Body Works exhibit that was all about the human body.

The boys loved the simulator that made their skeleton dance however they moved on the screen. They also loved learning about all of the different bones, and one of the staff there let them play a game where they guess where each organ goes in the body.

Next, it was on to the Toddler’s Treehouse area for some play time. This spot was especially great for my youngest, as he was able to stretch his legs and crawl around after being in the stroller for a while. There was a mini pirate ship, complete with windows to pretend to fish out of.

After this was the butterfly exhibit. This was a highlight for me especially. The butterflies were so beautiful, and I loved seeing the look on my kids faces when the butterflies almost landed on them.

The boys also got to meet Maple the porcupine and Kash and beaver in their habitats upstairs. My oldest learned the lifecycle of a butterfly, and the height predictor guessed that my guys are going to be giants!

      

Dynamic Earth was also mesmerizing for my guys. The big nickel was such a highlight for them, and they were so excited to compare it to a regular sized nickel, and get their stamps on their hand for admission.

We didn’t get to do the underground mining tour because someone (the baby) wouldn’t keep a hard hat on, but we had a blast seeing the educational exhibits inside. The boys favourite part by far was the outdoor play area that they had, complete with a kid sized big nickel and giant iron dinosaur.

My favourite attraction that we saw when we were in Sudbury was actually not on our itinerary at all. We had arrived early to Science North before it opened (that never happens with 3 kids), and so we went across the way to the Honourable James Jerome Sports Complex. The kids got to get some energy out at the park, and then we took a beautiful nature walk along the boardwalk.

Another highlight for all of us was Northern Exotics, which seems like a normal pet shop when you walk in, but they’ve got an awesome exotic animal exhibit in the back! We weren’t aware of this until we arrived, but most of their exhibits are animal drop-offs, rescues, and animals otherwise in need of a home. Their goal is to educate and create change so that animals such as these aren’t in need of rescue in the future. My kids were amazed by all the amazing reptiles and mammals there! We each held a huge snake (against my better judgement), and my boys learned what the difference between an alligator and a crocodile is. My middle guy was obsessed with the Chinese chicken that they had there, and he was able to pet it and hold it as well!

Now, we are frequent visitors of local play places in Barrie and Orillia, but I must say that Kids Ultimate Play Centre (or KUPP) in Sudbury was a whole other level. Not only did they have all the best play place attractions including a baby area, climbing structure, small trampoline and rock wall; the size of their slide was mesmerizing to my 4-year-old. We didn’t get a chance to do their laser tag, but next time when the boys are a bit older we will definitely be checking it out!

We were also able to visit Bell Park and Boardwalk for a twilight stroll before bedtime. The scenery was beautiful with a perfect backdrop for family photos and a photo of our Life With a Baby crew. My kids were very impressed with the size of the park, and my husband and I even shared a few romantic moments while the sun was setting (well…as romantic as you can get with three boys tagging along).

The Food

I have to say, I was more than impressed with the food options in Sudbury. Our favourite place to eat while we were in Sudbury was M.I.C. Canadian Eatery & Whisky Pub. We didn’t have the dine-in experience because we have three rambunctious children, so takeout is much easier. The Mac & Cheese balls were a huge hit with the kids. I ordered the Chicken Asiago Marsala (which is making my mouth water just typing it), and my husband got the biggest burger I’ve ever seen called the Moose Jaw Burger. There was so much great tasting food for such a great price that we actually ate the leftovers for dinner the following day!

     

The Hotel

My children’s favourite part of the entire trip had to be the hotel. The beautiful Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham Sudbury was nestled in this eccentric plaza featuring a toy shop, sports store, and modern looking coffee shop. When we walked in the sliding doors we were greeted by the message “Welcome to Sudbury”. The staff were extremely courteous and polite, and our kids were super impressed with the orange infused water in the lobby. So much that we spent a lot of time there throughout our stay sipping water and chatting about what our favourite experiences were. The breakfast was fantastic as well, and included in our stay. Fresh fruit, bakery items, and even hot breakfast items (including unlimited bacon!). Even now, about a month after returning from our trip, the boys ask me almost every day if we can go back to “the hotel”.

Final Thoughts

Overall, our trip to Sudbury was a fantastic time had for all. I have been to Sudbury before, but never with an itinerary quite like this. I would definitely suggest a family choose this spot as their next vacation, and we will most certainly be returning next summer.