Cooking party at your home
from $385 for 8 kids · 2 hours, ages 4–15
The federal budget tabled on November 5, 2026 proposes to make admission to Canada’s national museums free year-round, permanently, for children and youth under 25. Seven of those museums are in Ottawa and Gatineau. The budget sets the money aside but gives no start date: Canadian Heritage will make the final decision, CP24 reports. For Ottawa families, the practical questions are what changes now, what to expect by the PA days and March Break 2027, and how to turn a museum visit into a cooking day.
A cooking camp for March Break
Cookiddoo camp days run 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. for ages 7 to 13, up to 11 kids, with lunch and snacks the children cook themselves. Ask us which days are open.
Ask about camp daysWhat Budget 2026 says about museums
Chapter 4 of Budget 2026 puts it in one sentence: “Budget 2026 also proposes to permanently make admission to Canada’s national museums free year-round for children and youth under 25.” The other numbers in the same section:
- $46.3 million over five years, starting in 2026–27, and $11.5 million a year after that, for the national museums and the National Battlefields Commission to cover free admission.
- Budget 2026 also proposes to renew the Canada Strong Pass for another summer, with $76 million in 2027–28, and to expand discounted access to Indigenous-led museums and cultural centres.
- After the first pass, visits to Parks Canada sites rose 13%, national museum attendance by an average of 15%, and VIA Rail ridership by 6.5%.
The measure is a budget proposal. According to CP24, the budget does not say exactly when free admission becomes permanent, and the final decision rests with Canadian Heritage. The summer 2026 Canada Strong Pass ran from June 19 to September 7.
The seven national museums in Ottawa and Gatineau
CP24 lists these as the national museums in the capital region where under-25s will get in free:
- Canada Agriculture and Food Museum, Ottawa
- Canada Aviation and Space Museum, Ottawa
- Canada Science and Technology Museum, Ottawa
- Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa
- Canadian War Museum, Ottawa
- National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa
- Canadian Museum of History, Gatineau
Until Canadian Heritage sets a date, regular admission applies. As an example, the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum listed these fees on November 7, 2026: youth 3 to 17, $12.75; children 2 and under, free; a family of up to six people with no more than two adults, $42.50; admission free every day from 4 to 5 p.m. Check each museum’s own page before you go.
Dates to plan around this school year
School dates come from the OCSB calendar, the OCDSB calendar and Ontario’s school year calendar:
| Date | Who is off school | Museum note |
|---|---|---|
| Fri, Nov 20, 2026 | OCDSB elementary (K–8); OCSB all grades | Regular admission |
| Mon, Nov 23, 2026 | OCDSB elementary and secondary | The Agriculture and Food Museum is closed Mondays and Tuesdays |
| Dec 21, 2026 – Jan 1, 2027 | Winter break, all Ontario schools | The Agriculture and Food Museum closes Dec 25 and 26 |
| Fri, Jan 29, 2027 | OCSB all grades (PD day) | Check whether free admission has started |
| Mar 15–19, 2027 | March Break, all Ontario schools | Check whether free admission has started |
For a full week of ideas, see our guide to March Break in Ottawa; for the November long weekend, PA days on November 20 and 23; for December, winter break camps in Ottawa.
A museum day and a cooking day
For a food-themed outing, the Agriculture and Food Museum is the obvious first stop. It is a working farm with animal barns, and its Demonstration Kitchen runs daily fall demonstrations through November, from baking with harvest produce to seasonal snacks. It is open Wednesday to Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at 901 Prince of Wales Drive.
The next day, let your child cook with what they saw: apples, grains, eggs, milk. A simple plan that works for most families:
- At the museum, ask your child to pick one ingredient to cook with at home.
- Choose one recipe together and write the shopping list in your child’s words.
- Let your child measure, mix and decorate; an adult handles the knife, the oven and the stove.
- Take a photo of the finished dish and the museum ticket for a family scrapbook.
For a full day with a group, our cooking camps include a March Break theme: ages 7 to 13, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., up to 11 children, lunch and snacks they prepare themselves, in a nut-free kitchen. Spots are limited, so ask early which March Break days are open.
Plan March Break 2027 with a cooking camp
Send your child’s age and the days you need. We confirm open days, the menu and the price.
Ask about camp days +1 (613) 710-0554What Ottawa parents say
4.629 reviews on GoogleWe visited Cookidoo off-site class and my kids had the greatest time ever! They made chocolate cookies from scratch!
The cooking instructor was patient, kind and did an amazing job teaching the children (ages 4 to 8) and they enjoyed learning to make pizza as well as eating it.
The cooking class was fun, engaging, and organized for the kids. The instructors were patient, enthusiastic, and made every child feel included.
Cooking party at your home
from $385 for 8 kids · 2 hours, ages 4–15