#SimplyCool family to-dos

Not sure how to entertain the whole fam bam when snowflakes start to fly? Greater Grand Forks has gotcha covered with lots of options for keeping the kid in all of us amused.

For grand times in the great outdoors, load up your sled or cross-country skis and head to the The Greenway. While our scenic trail system offers more than 20 miles of groomed paths, I find Lincoln Drive Park is the best spot for gliding down a hill or through the snow. It will also play host to Greenway Ski Day on February 1, which is a free annual event filled with lots of outdoor fun ‘n games plus contests and a chili feed. Located Downtown on the corner of DeMers Avenue and 3rd Street, Town Square Ice Rink is an awesome place to take a flying camel spin or enjoy a pick-up hockey game. If you don’t mind a 17-mile drive east on Highway 2, the picturesque Turtle River State Park boasts options for sledding, skiing, snowshoeing and ice fishing.

If the weather is a little bit too chilly, even for us hearty Up North folk, just take it inside! Canad Inns Destination Centre features a tropical themed water park and arcade for both guests and non-guests. Likewise, Choice Health & Fitness offers an amazing water park and pool area, in addition to basketball and tennis courts, topnotch workout equipment, a variety of classes and more. First Season Community Center has indoor playground equipment and other child friendly things to occupy the day, while everyone can jump around at Northern Air Family Fun Center complete with trampoline park, inflatables, 30 game arcade and Hologate virtual reality. Maybe your girl or boy wants to be the next Monique Lamoureux or Jonathan Toews? The magnificent Ralph Engelstad Arena, home to championship University of North Dakota Hockey, offers weekday guided tours at 1:30 p.m. that will take your future Olympic stars throughout the entire $100+ million, 400,000 square-foot facility. The whole clan will want to explore the Cabela’s store in East Grand Forks. It features a 10,000-gallon aquarium filled with indigenous fish, a trout stream and many wild game mounts. Scheels in Columbia Mall should also be on your “good times found here” list. Along with offering stylish, quality sportswear and gear, their in-store cafe serves up delicious homemade fudge, ice cream, sandwiches, soups and more. For the non-shoppers, Scheels provides cool to-dos that include a multi-sports simulator, mini bowling alley and bubble hockey game.

Whether it’s at a quaint local park or in the region’s most heralded arena, Grand Forks and East Grand Forks give you plenty of options for some SimplyGrand family fun! Additional information on these and many other activities and events may be found at VisitGrandForks.com. We also invite you to follow Visit Grand Forks on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.