Millions of people come to Niagara Falls each and every year to experience the region’s breathtaking waterfalls, wide array of award-winning vineyards, and all-around fantastic entertainment offerings. During the holiday season, the cascades, the wine, and the entertainment are still available, but even more fun is added. The Winter Festival of Lights is also underway, and it’s one of the best holiday experiences that can be had in all of Canada.
Each year from late November until early January the tourist district of Niagara Falls, the Dufferin Islands, and parts of the Niagara parks are all aglow with millions of holiday lights twinkling amidst a three-mile-long route of illuminated displays. If you’re looking for a brand-new family holiday tradition that lets you visit Niagara each December, the WFOL definitely promises to be an experience your entire brood will love year in and year out.
Of course, there’s no reason to avoid trying to improve upon an already good thing. If you’re headed to the region for a holiday getaway, make the WFOL even more interesting and unforgettable by adding these three fun games into the mix.
A Scavenger Hunt
Whether you play a simple game of I Spy, while you drive through the WFOL, or you actually craft a genuine scavenger hunt that lets your entire family cut loose in Niagara Falls, a little friendly competition always enlivens a family vacation. Use smartphone cameras to document predetermined objects or people ranging from the world’s largest illuminated Canadian and U.S. flag display to a woman wearing a fur coat, or hide objects ahead of time in out of the way places, and give out clues for you’re the rest of your crew to try and hunt them down.
Ugly Holiday Sweater Competition
Whether you all go shopping at a thrift store or flea market before you embark on vacation, or you spend a day looking among the thrift stores and vintage shops we have here, challenge everyone in your family to find the ugliest holiday sweater they can. At a predetermined time — say dinner at a local, casual restaurant — have everyone go to the bathroom and switch into their sweaters. Then, have everyone rank the family sweaters by secret ballot to determine whose is the ugliest. Make sure you have a worthy prize for the winner!
The License Plate Game
A classic road trip game, the license plate game is a group quest to find as many license plates from as many places around the country and globe as possible. Because the WFOL is so well-attended by visitors from all over North America, your family could find cars from all over along the lighted display route. Bring along some lawn chairs, pack some blankets, fill your thermoses with hot cider or hot cocoa, and set yourselves up with a good view of the road in Queen Victoria Park. Over the course of a couple hours, see how many different license plates you can spy from around Canada and the U.S.
Niagara Falls’ Winter Festival of Lights is one of the highlights of Canada’s holiday season. Make it even more unforgettable for everyone in your family by including a bit of friendly competition.
