Any tips for Niagara Falls with a almost 3 and 6 year old?

[lnitti]

Will I need a stroller, or is my Beco good enough? Will the 6 year old be able to walk a mile or so? or will she get tired and need the stroller too?

Any recommendations for things to do or not to do? or restaurants?

[chamomeleon]

We took a family trip to Niagara Falls last year when my son was 4. He loved it! For us, it was part of a longer trip with several stops, so we only spent one full day there, which - in my opinion - was enough. It's VERY touristy, but if you're prepared for that and take it for what it is, it's a lot of fun.

The answers to many of your questions will surely depend on your children and their own abilities and whatnot, but I'll do my best to help!

The main tourist "strip" of Niagara Falls is on a slope, so I personally would favor the Beco over a stroller. Also, there are a lot of souvenir shops and "Ripley's Believe It Or Not"-type places that are fairly crowded and might not be too stroller friendly. I don't know if strollers are allowed on the boat tours or any of those types of attractions but I would guess maybe not?

My son didn't have a problem walking from our hotel down to the Falls by himself. We may have had to carry him part of the way back (uphill), but we had been in the car for 8 hours the day before and he probably was tired that day. Again, it depends on your child. It will also depend on how much walking you do when you get down there, i.e. are you planning to do the boat tour, or walk the paths under the falls?

Since we were only there for a day, we chose just a couple of attractions to do - we did the Maid of the Mist boat ride and the Sky Wheel. I wasn't sure if my little one would like the boat ride, but he LOVED it! It's very calm until they drive you right into the middle of the Falls, and then it's a little bit tippy and VERY wet. He was practically screaming with excitement. Definitely recommended. The Sky Wheel was cool too - just a giant Ferris wheel basically, but you can see the Falls from the top. We did that the first night and the boat ride the day after.

Have a great time!

[verde]

DH and I took our 4.75 y/o DD to Niagara Falls this past June. We camped in a lovely campground about 10 miles from the falls. We had a great time. Like the previous poster said, the Maid of the Mist is a lot of fun. DD had no problem doing the walking. She still talks about the yummy frozen yogurt we got as a treat as well. Enjoy!

[Paeta16]

Canadian or American side?

We took DD (2 at the time) to Marineland (Canadian) last summer and that involved A TONNE of walking so we rented a stroller for her and her cousin. Now at 3+ she could walk the Falls area by herself ...so a mile or more but DH takes her out walking for that length each evening with the dog...and I'll be honest it took her awhile to work up to that distance.

Guess I'm not much help. Sorry.

ETA: Marineland was a great day-trip for DD and she loved the rides and marine animals. She has been obsessed with marine mammals since she was 1 y.o. though and that obsession is ongoing. I guess depending on your kids and what they're into that is a good excursion. There are a tonne of museums/shops on Clifton Hill (again, Canadian side) and I bet your 6 y.o. would love some of those. How's your back in the BECO...b/c a lot of the non-falls area walking is a very steep hill. There is also a butterfly conservatory/garden in the area and some good hikes down to the river as you move farther away from the Falls....if you plan to do the hikes then a stroller is impossible but it wouldn't hurt to have it as a back-up in your car for afterwards. As far as "restaurants" go, we usually have a nice picnic in the area since there are so many parks.

[Joyster]

We went to Niagara Falls (Canadian side) I think at the end of May with a 4.5 and 2.5 year old. It's never been a destination spot for me to stay for a while, since we live about 1.5 hours away and just make day trips, but I'm pregnant and wanted to stay close to home, but give the boys something fun. There were some hills, but my 4.5 had no problems. I think we brought a stroller for the 2.5 year old, but he didn't need it.

They had a great time. There are a couple of water parks, one at Great Wolf Lodge another near the casino. They LOVED that. They are pretty expensive though, try to pick up some coupons in the hotel. We went to the aviary, which was okay, but kinda stinky/dirty.

They loved Block (Lego) city on Clifton Hill (the strip), it's small (really, just one large room with lots of Lego creations in the middle), but they spent a good 45 minutes looking at all the features and didn't want to leave. If you go early, it won't be crowded. The staff there were amazing in helping the kids find all the characters in the scenes. They even brought the pregnant lady a chair to sit on while the boys explored.

We were going to Build a Bear, but my oldest got sick. They did have fun at the fudge place and the Ferris Wheel. There is also a mini putt with dinosaurs just up the hill across from the Tim Hortons near the Ferris Wheel. They loooooved that, but they're dinosaur freaks. I think I'd try to get a pass for the strip and do a bunch of things there on one day, because it does get pricey.

They were a little young for Maid of the Mist and my youngest probably would not enjoy, so we didn't go. My oldest wanted to hit Marineland, but we gently explained to him our ethical objections to it and we're not huge animal rights people, it's just that bad in their animal treatment. I went one time and I felt so wrong.

In town, there are lots of themed chain restaurants. We HAD to go to the Rainforest cafe, which the boys loved. We did find some chain restaurants outside the downtown that weren't as deep fried or noisy.

If you're coming by car, I really recommend going to explore some of the spots outside the city, it's a bit slower pace which will be a nice balance compared to the busyness of the city.

There are some gorgeous drives out to Niagara by the Lake if your kids nap in the car or if you just want a few moments off your feet. Cute little boutiques and I'm sure plenty of farmers markets and vineyards. *G* If you want something fresh and non-kitschy to eat, I'd recommend going out there.

One of my favourite places was the Botanical Gardens (about 20 minutes outside of Niagara falls), there is a butterfly preserve there, that we didn't go, because I'm terrified of bugs. But we went for a horse drawn carriage ride through the gardens and the kids LOVED it. The tour guide was fantastic and really engaged my sons, it was also nice to sit down and do something quiet for a bit. There are also lots of gorgeous natural areas just outside the falls and playgrounds in and outside of the city for the kids to run, go to a farmer's market, grab some fresh stuff and you're set for a picnic.