February 21 is Family Day in Ontario and as a family-run business we know how important it is to celebrate the holiday with a fun activity. Whether you are looking to get out and enjoy the winter weather or stay cozy indoors, we’ve got you covered with our go-to ideas for a day of family fun!

For a day outdoors, we put together a list of family friendly activities to keep you busy enjoying the snow! For a budget-friendly winter classic, we suggest brushing off your skates and checking out your local outdoor rinks for some skating fun. Here you can find a full list of outdoor rinks: Kitchener Rinks, Waterloo Rinks, and Cambridge Rinks.

Just a short drive away, Storybook Gardens in London offers a Winter Skating Trail complete with a BeaverTail food truck! Another winter favourite activity is building a snow fort. Add a little extra magic to your snow fort by adding food colouring to your bricks for endless creative fun! Check out this fun example.

If you’re missing the days at the beach, try breaking out the sand toys and building some snow castles. Find some creative inspiration for your castles. After a day in the snow, make sure you warm up with some take out from a local restaurant like these ones that offer family meal deals.

If you’d prefer to stay toasty indoors, we have some tried and true favourites that will make your Family Day special while avoiding the snow. Why not take your typical movie day to a whole new level and make it extra special for the whole family? Try building a fort to watch a movie in, create a snack bar with popcorn and treats where everyone gets to choose their favourites, or try out a hot chocolate bar. Find some hot chocolate bar inspiration, and let everyone get creative in topping their cocoa with marshmallows, whipped cream, and sprinkles! After a fun movie day, why not get the whole family involved in a home cooked meal. One of our family favourites can be found below.

Whether you’re spending Family Day curled up with a mug of hot cocoa or building snow castles, we wish you a safe and happy Family Day weekend!

Recipe: Creamy Tuscan Chicken

Ingredients (for 4 servings):

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes halved
• 2 cups baby spinach
• ½ cup heavy cream
• ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan
• ½ cup chopped herbs (such as basil and parsley)
• Optional: Lemon wedges

Directions:

1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil. Season chicken with salt and pepper. When oil is simmering but not smoking, add the chicken and cook until golden brown, approximately 6 minutes. Flip and cook additional 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
2. Reduce heat to medium and add butter. When butter has melted, stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add cherry tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Cook until tomatoes are beginning to burst, then add spinach. Continue to cook until spinach is beginning to wilt.
3. Stir in heavy cream, Parmesan, and herbs to bring mixture to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and simmer until sauce is slightly reduced, approximately 3 minutes.
4. Return chicken to skillet and spoon sauce over chicken. Simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 4 more minutes.
5. Garnish with remaining herbs and lemon, if desired, before serving.
6. Serve over cooked pasta or with another side like mashed potatoes.

You can also make this recipe with salmon instead of chicken and it is equally delicious! Enjoy!

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Be Wise. Staebler Insurance is a general insurance broker specializing in auto insurance, home insurance, small business, and commercial insurance. Staebler brokers proudly serve Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, Guelph, Stratford, Listowel, Fergus, Elora, Wellington County, Perth County, Waterloo Region and southern Ontario. Get started with a free quote today.