Weekend Guide: Winter Carnival Madness! • The Big Bad Wolf! • Gros Biscuit!

St. Rose en Blanc winter festival in Laval, courtesy of Vincent Girard.

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Friday, Feb. 3.

Feb. 3 to 20: Winterlude in Ottawa, featuring fireworks, ice sculpting, snowflake village with tons of kids activities, skating on the Rideau Canal and more.

7 p.m. Le Grand méchant loup, a show for age 6 to 12, offering a different side to the story of the big bad wolf, in French at East Community Centre, 9665 Gouin Blvd. W., Pierrefonds. Free, passes required. 514-624-1100. Watch a video clip.

Movie opening: Big Miracle, starring Drew Barrymore and John Krasinsky, recommended for age 8+. See Montreal showtimes.

Saturday, Feb. 4.

Feb. 4., 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.: Festhiver in Brossard, featuring zip lines, rock concert for kids, snowshoeing, sledding, skating and more and Centre de plen air, 6015 Chemin des Prairies, Brossard. Free.

Feb. 4 to 12 (weekends): St. Rose en Blanc, Laval’s biggest winter carnival, featuring ice sculpting, pedal go karts, ice fishing, dog sledding and more, plus many activities that require registration, at 345 St. Rose Blvd.

Noon to 4 p.m.: Family Skate Day in Pointe Claire, featuring inflatables, children’s games on the small rink, skills competition on the big rink, plus hot chocolate, at Hermitage Park, 400 Hermitage St., Pointe Claire.

2 p.m.: Gros Biscuit!, a show for age 3 to 8 inspired by the world of Robert Munsch, by storyteller Renée Robitaille, in French at Maison de la culture Plateau Mont-Royal, 465 Mont-Royal Ave. E., 514-872-2266. Free, passes required.

3 p.m. Le Grand méchant loup, a show for age 6 to 12, offering a different side to the story of the big bad wolf, in French at Prévost Auditorium, 7355 Christophe-Colombe. Free, passes required. 514-872-6131. Watch a video clip.

Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 4 and 5

Montreal Pond Hockey Festival, featuring 4 by 4 hockey tournaments between recreational teams, and a 15,000 square-foot skating area for recreational skating, on Lac St. Louis in Lachine. See schedule.

Feb. 4 and 5.: Animal winter carnival at the Ecomuseum, featuring animal olympics, owl encounters, ice sculpting and other special activities.

Feb. 4  and 5: La Fête des neiges, the annual winter carnival at Parc Jean Drapeau, featuring many free outdoor activities including Akropark, acrobatic shows, hockey, giant foosball, kicksledding and more. For a fee, there is also dog sledding, sleigh rides and a zip line. Also at Park Jean Drapeau (for a fee), you can visit the new snow village.

Feb. 4 and 5 at 11 a.m.: Carnaval Glisse et Glacc, featuring sledding, skating, pony rides and wagon rides family shows, grilled sausages, roasted marshmallows and more, at Ile des Moulins, in Terrbonne.

1 to 4 p.m. Montreal Museum of Fine Arts drop-in family art workshop, focusing on still life with watercolours. Children can try using the art materials provided, with bilingual guidance from museum staff. Free. More info.

2 p.m. Valentine’s Day mouse workshop: Make a mouse Valentine’s greeting at Musée des Maîtres et Artisans du Quebec in St. Laurent. Registration required. Cost: $14 per family. More info.

Sunday, Feb. 5

Feb. 5, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.: St. Lazare Family festival in Les Cèdres, featuring guided snowshoeing and cross-country skiing, tubing, ice rink, go-karts and flavours market, at Base de plein air Les Cèdres.

Feb. 5, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.: Winter Carnival in Hampstead: carriage-rides, dog-sledding, taffy on the snow, hockey, kicksleds, ice sculpture, plus indoor activities including magic show, face painting, balloon sculpture, crepes and hot chocolate, at Hampstead Park, 30 Lyncroft.

Feb. 5, 11 a.m.: Côte St. Luc Winter Carnival, featuring pancake breakfast, kids’ zone at Samuel Moskovitz Arena, inflatables, carriage rides, skating on Centennial lake and snowshoeing at Pierre Elliott Trudeau Park.

Feb. 5, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Winter festival in Outremont at St. Viateur Park, on Bloomfield Ave., between Bernard and St. Viateur Sts., featuring little ones’ corner, Akropark, giant puppets, face-painting, musical show, carriage rides, skating, soup, taffy on the snow, hot dogs and pancakes.

11:30 a.m., 1 p.m., 2:30 p.m. Les géants et les petits: A workshop on small organisms and large animals, for all ages, with a craft, in French, at McGill University’s Redpath Museum. Registration required. Cost: $7 per child. 514-398-4092.

1:30 p.m.: Petite Jacinthe en vacances avec Victor, a musical and acrobatic show for age 3 to 10, about a trip to the zoo, at Complex Culturel Guy Descary, 2901 St. Joseph Blvd., Lachine. 514 634-3471, Local 302. Watch a video clip.

1 to 4 p.m.: Winter fun in Boucherville, featuring skating, sledding, music, a mascot and hot chocolate (bring your own mug) outside Pierre Laporte Sports Centre, 460 Chemin du Lac. Event runs every Sunday until Feb. 26. More info.

Ongoing Montreal family events

Jan. 27 to Feb. 12: Winter Carnival in Quebec City: The annual winter blowout featuring an international ice sculpting contest, snow village for kids, sledding, ice rafting, many outdoor games, parades and more.

From Jan. 6: The Snow Village at Parc Jean Drapeau, featuring an ice hotel, maze and slide. Free for children 5 and under; $8.50 for children 6 to 12; $15 for students and seniors; $17 for adults 18 and over; $40 for a family pass for 2 adults and 3 children. Village is open 9 a.m. to midnight Sunday to Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 3 a.m. Thursday to Saturday. Tip: Skip on-site lineups by getting tickets online.

Jan. 14 to Feb. 26, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.: Winter carnival at Granby Zoo, featuring ice sculpting from 1 to 4 p.m., and fire-breathing performances 12:30, 1:30, 2:30 and 3:30 p.m., plus the opportunity to see many of the animals in a winter environment. More information.

Dec. 17 to Feb. 5: Winter activities at the Biodome, including a play called What’s that Egg?, featuring many animals, plus a rescue centre area for kids to help the animals, with mini-kitchen for preparing animals’ meals. See show schedule and get more info.

Dec. 17 to March 11: Mount Royal’s skating rink is open, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday to Thursday, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. More info.

Nov. 24 to March 11, 2012: Toys 2, an interactive exhibition of Toys at McCord Museum. Based on the success of last year’s exhibit, the museum has put together a new show, with free educational activity workshops.  More info.

Oct. 20 to March 11, 2012: Dinosaurs Unearthed, an exhibition of life-sized, animatronic dinosaurs with some interactive elements, including a self-guided tour for elementary-age children, at the Montreal Science Centre in Old Montreal. Adults $11.50, children age 4 to 12, $8.50, family $36.50.  More information.

10 a.m. to 10 p.m.: The Old Port outdoor skating rink is open. More info.

10:30 a.m. to noon: Tiny tots mornings at the Atrium indoor skating rink on Saturdays and Sundays. Families with children age 12 and under are invited to skate with the Atrium’s mascot, and try the mini hockey area. Guided tour of the Atrium skating rink.