You’ve got the youngsters at home and itching for some playtime, and there are a whole lot of events to keep them occupied on Family Day in Calgary.

The City of Calgary is offering free skating at a number of arenas throughout the city from 1 p.m. 2:30 p.m. The arenas include:

  • Murray Copot
  • Shouldice
  • Stew Hendry
  • Optimist
  • Jimmie Condon
  • Frank McCool

If ice isn’t your thing, there are free swimming sessions available from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Acadia, Inglewood, Killarney, Shouldice, and Thornhill Community Centres.

At the Olympic Oval, there will be free skating along with bouncy houses, face painting, and crafts.

That event runs from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. and admission is free with a donation to the Food Bank.

Heritage Park is running their Family Day Family Quest where families can work together to complete five hands on challenges.

The park is open from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Fort Calgary has a whole lot of events available for Family Day, and they’re all free.

The Fort Calgary Winter Carnival features games, crafts, a treasure hunt, face painting, theatre plays, cartoons, and movies in the Burnswest theatre.

There are also outdoor activities like maple syrup candy-making, as long as the weather accommodates.

Officials at Fort Calgary say that they expect large crowds for the event that runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., so they ask that families leave their strollers at home.

Cardel Place is also holding their Winter Carnival from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. with fun for the whole family.

Free activities include skating, balloons, and crafts.

Those who choose to pay admission to the facility can also enjoy a bouncy castle, family gym time, swimming, and climbing.

You can also take the kids to experience a magical storytelling experience at Festival Hall from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. for the Honens Storytellers.

Denise Clarke, associate artist of One Yellow Rabbit, will narrate Jean de Brunhoff’s Story of Babar set to the music of Francis Pouleric. Tickets are $10 for youth, $20 for adults.

Calgary Reads is also inviting families to join them for a Family Day screening of the Academy Award willing short film, ‘The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore’. Tickets are $5 and the show runs from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Globe Theatre.

In the evening, Canada Olympic Park is also celebrating Family Day by offering free skiing for parents who buy a youth or teen hill ticket between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m.

And, for the budding archaeologists in the family, the Royal Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller is offering free admission for Family Day as well as other activities for kids.

The museum, located about 140 km northeast of Calgary, is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.