Arts and Cultural Experiences Bucket List for Families

We only get so much time with our kids to help them learn and explore. That’s why I created this cultural experiences bucket list for families; so you can expose your kids to the arts through fun activities to do together.

Print it off and hang it on the fridge or another place where the whole family can see it. You could make it a goal to do one of each over the summer, during the winter, or the course of a year. Or just use it as a general guide for activity ideas.

Don’t feel pressured to do everything on this list. It’s possible you absolutely can’t find something in your area, or you just can’t afford it. That’s OK! I’m also going to include free resources to help you accomplish everything on this cultural experiences bucket list with your family too.

This list isn’t just for kids! If you’re an adult wanting to experience the arts and aren’t sure where to start, this list will get you going. Have fun!

Why I Created This Arts and Cultural Experiences Bucket List

I don’t know about you, but as a parent I always feel like I’m missing something or not doing enough. Of course, that isn’t really the case! But it’s nice to have a list of things to help me remember what’s important. I use bucket lists like this one to when we’re looking for something to do or planning activities – then whenever we do one of these arts or cultural experiences we can check it off.

Kids Need Cultural Experiences

I strongly believe that exposure to a wide variety of activities help make us more rounded people. That includes the arts! Unfortunately, if you didn’t grow up with this stuff you might not even think about trying these. Especially with your kids.

Even when you go, not every experience is for every person. This is true for adults as well as kids – so it’s possible your family won’t love everything on this list. That’s OK! Part of cultural experiences is trying new things and appreciating art. Even if it’s not really for you.

We Don’t Prioritize the Arts

I have met many adults who have never experienced several of these arts or cultural activities even once in their lives. While most people get the opportunity to visit a museum, fewer families take the time to visit an art gallery or see the ballet.

While I might have seen Giselle as a child and visited the Louvre as a teen, my partner has never been to the ballet or travelled. This wasn’t due to financial restrain (his family was a higher income than mine even), but priorities.

Arts and cultural experiences are often last after we worry about STEM, reading, writing, and physical activity. While these things are important, art and culture is important too.

Schools Are Doing Less Art and Cultural Experiences

With funding cuts and changes to the curriculum almost everywhere in North America we’re seeing less and less focus on arts and music. That means kids aren’t getting exposed to as much in school. Plus those staple field trips that would have normally forced us to see this museum or that gallery at least once are happening less often.

It’s up to families to make up the gap in education.

Fun Family or Couple Activities

Besides all the educational and developmental benefits for kids, these are, quite simply, fun activities to do as a family. Arts and cultural experiences are usually something all ages will enjoy – a hard thing when you have kids of multiple ages! Plus parents will have fun too.

If you don’t have kids (or if you want kid free activities) you can also use this list to make your very own cultural experience bucket list as a couple.

How to Access Arts and Culture

Whenever possible, do one of these arts experiences live. Absolutely nothing beats a live show! Especially when it comes to taking kids, who often appreciate something more when they’re doing it in person. The atmosphere of the theatre, the ambiance of the gallery, the act of getting ready are all a part of the experience.

If this is inaccessible to you, though, there is still immense value in taking part in arts and cultural activities in any way you can.

For Those With Disabilities

Many arts and cultural performances and venues are accessible for those who need extra assistance. If you’re unsure, reach out. A lot of activities on this arts and experiences bucket list are suitable for those who are deaf or hard of hearing and have mobility issues.

A couple of my children have neuraldivergencies, so we choose matinees when more children are generally present for shows and go during the daytime to galleries. If you’re worried about your children in one of these places, call ahead and speak with the staff – there may be programs or accommodations available.

Arts and Cultural Experiences on a Budget

While I do think arts and cultural activities are worth the splurge, if you’re really unable to afford them do to income there are a few ways to access these activities for low or no cost.

Look for Free or Discount Days

Many museums and art galleries have days where admission is totally free. These are often on culturally significant days – for example, the Human Rights Museum here in Winnipeg offered free admission for kids over spring break and free admission to veterans (and their families) over Remembrance Day.

I’ve seen free days from the museum, art gallery, and zoo in my area too.

A lot of places also offer discounts around holidays or memberships that are more affordable if you plan to be back more than once.

Find Public Arts and Culture Performances

This is another great free activity. Each summer, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet does ballet in the park, a totally free event where you can check out some amazing performances. Whether it’s a large event like that or a small performance by a local theatre troupe at an event, there are many ways to see live arts and culture for free.

Small and Local Art and Cultural Experiences

Many local museums and galleries are much more affordable than bigger ones. Yes, there is less there, but it can still be a fun family friendly arts and cultural experience especially if you have young kids. Not only that, these facilities are very much in need of your support so it goes a long way!

If you want to experience more cultures, look to your neighbourhood too. Are there any cultural centers that have open houses? Festivals that all are welcome to? Don’t be afraid to explore!

Try the Library

Another great resource is the local library. Ours, despite being in a very small town, introduces a lot of arts and culture to the community. Some examples have included poetry readings, craft workshops, and folks sharing travel photos and talking about their experiences.

If your library doesn’t offer these things (or you’re not sure) as the staff. As a former librarian, I know I’d love to hear from people about what they’d like to see offered. The best part is most of these are free for the library to host too.

Of course, the library is also a great place to get free books and other materials to learn more about arts and culture too.

Online Art and Culture Resources For at Home Experiences

There’s a variety of online resources to help you access arts and culture. If there’s one thing we can thank covid for, it’s making the world more accessible online. I’m going to include specific links under each arts and cultural experience bucket list item further down the page, but here’s some general ones that are great:

• Google Arts and Culture
• Walt Disney World Virtual Tour
• Smithsonian Online Exhibitions
• The Lincoln Center
• Sydney Opera House

I Can’t Find [Insert Arts and Cultural Experience Here] In My Area

Use the above or below resources to access online experiences, or change your plans a little bit. For example, if you can’t see the Nutcracker, can you see another ballet performance around Christmas time? What about watching a movie of the Nutcracker instead?

As someone who grew up in a rural more than 3 hours from major arts and cultural facilities, I know all too well how challenging it is to access the arts in some areas. Use what you have and try to make the best of things! Then if you do travel, pick your must-do items off the bucket list and experience those when you’re able to.

The Ultimate Arts and Cultural Experiences Bucket List

This is the bucket list of arts and cultural experiences you should do with your kids before they turn 18 so they have a great, well rounded childhood. It’s also a great general list of experiences that everyone should do at least once in their life, regardless of age.

See a Live Play or Theatre Performance

If you’ve never seen live theatre you’re really missing out. Even amateur performances can be a lot of fun, but bigger shows are downright amazing. A couple years ago I saw a twist on Cinderella at an outdoor theatre where the dresses magically transformed on stage.

They have options for all ages and sometimes you can even find these for free.

Visit an Art Gallery

I love art galleries. While you can definitely look at images online, it doesn’t compare to the experience of seeing things live and in person. The atmosphere is amazing and the collection is presented as a whole in a exhibition, so you see it in a new way.

Many art galleries also have staff available that will give tours or talk about pieces. Great for an educational activity!

Watch a Magician

You’re probably thinking… Really? A magician is an arts and cultural bucket list activity? It is! Magic is a long running performance art, and something I think everyone should experience once.

Whether it’s wowing kindergarteners with a kid-friendly performance or going to see David Blaine, there really isn’t anything quite like magic.

Eat a Cultural Food You’ve Never Tried

Even small towns usually have some kind of authentical cultural restaurant or food options to experience. See what’s in your area and choose a cultural’s food you’ve never tried before. Eat there as a family or order a variety of options take-out and try them all.

My daughter’s teacher brought in a bunch of snacks from India (her husband is from there) and it was a huge hit. Even though she didn’t like many of them it was an experience she talked about for days after.

See the Nutcracker at Christmas Time

The Nutcracker is possibly one of the most iconic ballet performances of all time. And for good reason – it’s interesting to watch, has great music, and is super family friendly. It’s also a Christmas story.

If you’re able, I strongly recommend everyone sees this ballet during the Christmas season at least once. It’s one of my favourite arts cultural experiences, and a great starting point if you’re new to watching ballet.

Don’t celebrate Christmas? For a similar ballet in terms of music quality and scope, try Swan Lake instead.

Visit an Aquarium

We visited the Sydney aquarium when we were in Australia and it was so much fun with the kids. Us adults enjoyed it too! Unfortunately, not every city has an aquarium. Our zoo here has some aquatic areas, but not much sadly.

If you can get to an aquarium while your kids are little I strongly recommend it! Bonus points if you can find one that has a focus on the environment.

Attend an Indigenous Ceremony

Here in Canada truth and reconciliation are a big deal, but I know that the US and other parts of the world also are making an effort to support Indigenous groups. If there is an Indigenous community in your area, attending of their ceremonies are great cultural experiences for kids.

Often Indigenous folks are invited to larger celebrations, so that’s a great place to start if you’re not sure.

Tour a Historical Landmark

This is something you can find in almost any community. Whether it’s so-and-so first resident of the town’s shack or the White House, checking out historical landmarks makes for a great family friendly activity. A lot of time these are free or very inexpensive, too.

For an extra fun experience, look for tours or special days. For example, we have a prison that sometimes opens for free to visitors and there are actors!

Go to a Music Festival

Now you’re probably thinking that these places aren’t the most family friendly events, and I do get where you’re coming from. But I also think it’s important to expose kids to a variety of experiences. Some of my most treasured childhood memories have been at music festivals with my family.

It’s a good opportunity to expose kids to a variety of music and see some smaller talents There’s typically kid-friendly activities and sometimes even shows for kids too. To avoid the more adult stuff, visit during the day.

Visit a War Memorial or Museum

War is an important part of our history and I think it’s important that everyone, especially kids, learn about the good and the bad sides of it. War memorials are a great way to contextualize what happened. Some are even interactive, which means kids (and adults too) will find this cultural experience uniquely impactful.

Most communities have some kind of war memorial. If there isn’t one, attend a service for Remembrance Day or Veteran’s Day instead.

Further reading: The True Story of the WWI Christmas Truce

Attend a Symphony Orchestra Concert

Orchestra is great because there are so many ways to experience it besides just listening to a typical orchestra.

Here are just some examples: Family friendly events where they play live music to children’s performances, live orchestra score played to movies, free symphony performances in the park, and video game themed symphonies.

Take a Trip to a Museum

I think this one is pretty self explanatory. If you have more than one museum in your area, try and check out all of them at some point! You’d be amazed how much you can learn from those little, specific museums – plus they always appreciate getting support from the community.

Check out a Children’s Museum

I wanted to include this separately from museums because I think a children’s museum is a unique experience. Usually they’re geared at the under 10 crowd and super interactive. Ours, for example, has a giant lasagne that kids can climb up and a colourful slide to go down.

Children’s museums also usually have exhibits so be sure to check those out when you go.

View a Human Rights Exhibition or Museum

We are lucky here in Winnipeg to have the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in our city, but there are so many ways to familiarize yourself with these issues regardless of where you live. This one will be very location dependent, but some ideas are Juneteenth celebrations, landmarks for human rights related historical events, and local talks.

While this stuff is more geared towards older children, I believe it’s never too early to expose kids to social justice.

Try a Pottery Workshop

There are so many arts and crafts activities that you can try with your kids or as a family, but I think pottery is especially important to put on this cultural experience bucket list. Why? Because it’s one of those things we typically don’t have access to.

While your children might get the chance to paint or draw, pottery is not something that’s easily accessed at school or home. It’s messy, fun, and kids will love creating something unique.

Check Out the Library for Cultural Books and Activities

I love my local library. Of course I am a bit biased since I used to work there, but still. It’s a great resource for all kinds of unique experiences with arts and cultural that are both local and (usually) free.

You can also look for books to learn about other cultures as a family. This can include information, travel guides, cookbooks, and craft/activity books. Some are geared for kids too! As the librarian for help if you need it.

Finally, your library might also have online resources so check for that too.

Watch a Foreign Film

Movies are made differently in different parts of the world. While many people think foreign films are something artsy and strange, chances are you’ve already seen a number of foreign made movies in your life. Anime movies from Studio Ghibli are from Japan, Parasite was Korean, and Leon the Professional from France.

Ideally, watch these subbed with kids who can read. It will add to the experience and help them appreciate media that isn’t in their first language.

See an Opera

I didn’t take my kids but I did see Barber of Seville the night before we were heading to Disneyland with the kids. Loved the performance, but that was a mistake. While that one might not be great for kids, there are plenty of kid friendly operas out there to try.

The biggest issue with opera is that it’s usually in Italian or French and presented with supertitles. Honestly, though, you don’t need to know what they’re saying to enjoy the performance. In fact, these digital supertitles are a new invention!

Attend a Dance Performance

Whether it’s ballet, tap, or a cultural performance experiencing dance live is a great gift for your family. If you have a preference, now’s a great time to share that with your kids. You can also find performances that are super kid friendly. For example, we saw Angelina Ballerina at the Sydney Opera House with my daughter when she was small and she loved it.

If you can’t access professional dancers in your area, consider checking out local dance recital or competition. Children and teens work hard all year practicing and it’s a great way to support your local community.

Watch a Musical Live

I absolutely love musicals and so do my kids. My 14 year old actually just asked me to take her to see Come from Away. There are so many family friendly productions out there that will keep all ages entertained. This is something I grew up doing – even Grease and West Side Story held my attention as a kid. If you like to listen to the songs from musicals you’ll get so much more out of seeing it live.

For those who can’t attend a big performance, there are many places that have outdoor ones for cheap or free. If you absolutely can’t find one, try watching a classic film instead.

Go to the Zoo

There’s a lot of controversies with zoos, but in many places they’re becoming more responsible. Our zoo stewards the arctic including polar bears (there’s actually a TV show about it on CBC) so I feel good about visiting. There’s plenty there for kids and adults to do!

Zoos are one of my favourite family friendly places because you can make everyone in your group happy. Plus my rambunctious kids get to run around outside.

Look to your zoo’s programming to see if there’s any unique cultural experiences that tie in with the zoo, too. For example, ours has a lot of Indigenous-focused activities from the north since its focus is polar bear conservation.

Experience Poetry

Either with a poetry writing workshop or poetry reading. Even in small communities poetry is everywhere. Try the local library or check out events in your area. If you’re near a major city, you’ll have even more opportunities to find poetry reading or workshops. If you can’t find anything – do it yourself at home!

I actually won opera tickets once from a poetry contest so I’m a big believer in putting yourself out there.

Watch the Circus

I would never have considered this to be arts and culture and I actually attended. There is something spectacular about the circus and it’s absolutely a performance children should take in at least once during their childhood.

Take care to find one that fits your values – ours didn’t include animal performances.

See a Concert

This is another one that will change based on your kids’ ages, but a concert is definitely a arts and cultural experience! I’ve had so much fun taking my kids to a variety of concerts over the years, including one from Yo Gabba Gabba when my daughter was four.

As kids get older, concerts are a great bonding experience especially when you go and enjoy the music they like with them.

Watch a Skating Performance

Like dance, skating is another unique activity that a lot of people don’t always get to see. At least not in the way that makes it unique! If you haven’t already, check out a family friendly performance. My kids love Disney on Ice, but there are other cool shows out there too.

If you can’t go to a big show, check out your local skating club’s skating carnival at the end of the year.

Hunt Down Local Cultural Landmarks

This is one of our favourite family activities. With gas prices so high, it’s also a super fun way to play tourist in our own area without having to travel.

Look around nearby communities for cultural activities and monuments. We try and take pictures at them whenever we visit different communities for hockey. Keep an eye out for events, too!

Travel the World

This is, of course, the best way you can expose your family to unique arts and cultural experiences. It’s also last on this list because it’s not always accessible – at the very least, not in usual ways. Something I do find, though, is that even small trips to neighbouring cities or staycations can have an impact on kids.

You can also travel the world using online resources. There’s a bunch already listed in this bucket list of cultural experiences and even more out there online if you look.