A view of the Fairmont Royal York in downtown Toronto. (Courtesy Fairmont Hotels & Resorts)

Hands-on March Break fun at children's museums Top family trips for March Break Top 10 children's museums 10 places to see before you’re 10

A sure-bet recipe for March break fun for the whole family is to let others do the cooking and cleaning during a short getaway.

Pack up and leave the drudgery behind!

FAIRMONT MARCH DEALS

At all Fairmont properties, kids age five and under eat free from the children's menu; kids 12 and under eat for half price off the adult menu.

Families can laze in style at Montreal's Queen Elizabeth. Book the Rosy Cheeks and Warm Heart package and enjoy luxury after a day of exciting attractions, including the Biosphere, the Biodome and the Montreal Science Centre. Rates start from $199 per night plus 50% off a second night or second room until March 31.

Let the snow fall at Chateau Montebello, Fairmont's historic cedar log cabin between Ottawa and Montreal. Active families can burn off some energy with swimming, skating or on the cross-country ski trails. School Break special rates start at $189 per night for two-night stays, Sundays to Thursdays through March 14.

Or indulge in a night or two at Toronto's Fairmont Royal York. Do some museum, attraction or theatre-hopping, then return to your downtown room for an overnight stay. Rates start at $229 per night for four, including a $30 food and beverage credit and valet parking. Available March 8-16.

For details on these and other Fairmont deals, contact fairmont.com or 1-800-441-1414.

LAKESIDE LUXURY

Briars Resort on Ontario's Lake Simcoe has overnight March Break packages that include sleigh rides, family yoga and a night hike in the forest. Activities, three meals daily and use of facilities are included in packages. Prices start at $119 per person for adults with reduced rates for kids. A limited number of "suite deals" are also available, which include a room for two adults and a connecting room for children at no extra charge. See briars.ca.

WINTER IN MUSKOKA

For a home away from home, head to Cedar Grove Lodge on Peninsula Lake near Huntsville and Algonquin Park. Accommodation is in one of 19 unique lakeside log cabins with home-cooked meals and housekeeping included. Skating, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and downhill skiing are available nearby. See cedargrove.on.ca.