We'll be moving to Halifax from Ontario over the summer. DS (4yo) is hesitant to leave our current home, but is excited about seeing the ocean. Hopefully we'll be coming for a visit to find a place to live and get to know the city before we move. Is there any big "Need-to-do" type things that would help him get excited about coming to the area? I was thinking whale watching...checking out the public library and parks (though we're not sure exactly where we'll be settling yet). Is there a good place to watch ships come in?....are there children's museums? any other ideas?

Hi eirual! When are you guys coming for a visit? Not sure if he's ever seen Theodore Tugboat on TV before (or if it's even still shown??), but there's a tour on Theodore in the Harbour that starts in June. Info is here:

http://theodoretugboat.ca/

The same company also runs the Harbour Hopper, which is a bus tour of the city that then turns into a boat and goes into the Harbour! Info here:

http://harbourhopper.com

Also depending on when you come I recommend going to Peggy's Cove - great fun jumping over the rocks, especially if he's excited about the ocean. Also of course the beach!

If the weather isn't great then the Discovery Centre downtown is great fun:

http://www.discoverycentre.ns.ca/

That's a bit to get you started! Oh, and if you buy an ABC Family Card for $10 you get 25% off a family pass or adult pass to Theodore Tugboat and the Harbour Hopper, plus a free child's admission with an adult admission to the Discovery Centre (plus lots of other great deals) - depending on how many people in your family etc it'd probably save you money even just on your visit!

Hope that helps! Any other questions, just ask!

Wow, that's great, thanks so much!

We're hoping to get out there for an initial visit around May or June...maybe July, but hopefully sooner rather than later.

THe Museum of Natural History and the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic are both fun. THey are part of the Nova Scotia Museum. A ferry ride is another way to get a boat ride on the harbour, and is less time consuming and expensive than the harbour hopper if you are short of time.

Great idea, he'd love a ferry ride! We'll look into the museums as well