{"id":1007,"date":"2012-04-05T09:00:02","date_gmt":"2012-04-05T13:00:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mayahoodblog.com\/?p=1007"},"modified":"2012-04-06T13:08:38","modified_gmt":"2012-04-06T17:08:38","slug":"what-to-do-with-kids-in-toronto-guest-post","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mayahoodblog.com\/what-to-do-with-kids-in-toronto-guest-post\/","title":{"rendered":"What to do with Kids in Toronto! – Guest Post"},"content":{"rendered":"
Talk about a one-stop shop for all things going on in the city.\u00a0 Melanie, a mother of two, has created what I think is the best resource for all things parents and kids in Toronto.\u00a0 Her blog<\/a>, aptly named Melanie OTG (on the go), lists various places and activities that one can do with their kids on a daily basis.\u00a0 She rates each location \/ activity on a scale of 5 by activities, amenities and value and than gives an overall score.\u00a0 She has activities categorized by age, location and\u00a0type.\u00a0 She even lets others rate \/ review a place as part of her online Kids\u2019 OTG Activity Directory.\u00a0 Talk about making it easy for your average busy, stressed-out mom.\u00a0 I can’t say enough good things about her site and I’m so glad she agreed to do a guest post with me.\u00a0 We’re also running the Bizzy Bee Playcentre Giveaway together.\u00a0 Check out the contest details on my site <\/a>or on Melanie’s<\/a>\u00a0and enter to win.\u00a0\u00a0The contest closes this Friday!<\/p>\n ______________________________________________________________________________________<\/p>\n I\u2019m a mom with two children and as you may have guessed, I love<\/em> taking my little monsters out for fun things to do and provide them with opportunities to learn and explore a variety of activities. My aim for this post is to give you a broad range of ideas for things to do with your kids, young and old, in Toronto and the surrounding area throughout the year.<\/p>\n Some I\u2019ve been to and others I haven\u2019t. If myself or others have reviewed the place already, you can read the reviews by clicking on the links below. And if you have a baby, check out my post here<\/a> which is geared just<\/em> for babies (toddler post coming soon!), and my Fun for the Month<\/a> posts that feature my monthly activity picks!<\/p>\n As always, I\u2019d love to hear your thoughts on any of the places I\u2019ve mentioned below and if you have suggestions for other fun things your kids like to do! <\/em><\/p>\n A fun way to keep cool in the hot sun, children young and old will enjoy splash pads, wading pools and water parks! Toddlers can enjoy playing with smaller spray jets at splash pads like at Hendon Park<\/a><\/strong> in North York which has a separate pad just for toddlers, or Pottery Playground<\/a><\/strong> in Davisville which is fenced in so you don\u2019t need to worry about your little one making a run for it! Click here <\/a>for the City\u2019s full list of splash pads and wading pools (be forewarned that the water in splash pads is VERY <\/em>cold!!).<\/p>\n The Metro Toronto Zoo<\/a><\/strong> and Ontario Place<\/a><\/strong> also have smaller jets for youngsters although these places are expensive if your only goal is to entertain your little ones with water play. As your child grows older (and doesn\u2019t mind cold water being splashed in their faces), the Zoo and<\/strong> Ontario Place<\/strong> are better options with bigger splash pads than City-run ones, and climbing structures with smaller water slides. Ontario Place also has a few big water slides for older children. A better option for bigger children is Canada\u2019s Wonderland<\/a><\/strong> with more water slides, a wave pool and lazy river. In the summer I\u2019m planning on checking out Dolphin Bay in Wild Water Kingdom<\/a><\/strong> which has sprays, 7 slides, splash pads, interactive water toys and loveable characters for children 42\u2033 and under. And when your child is ready for it, you can\u2019t miss out on Wild Water Kingdom\u2019s 10 huge water slides (for children 42 or 48\u2033 or higher in height), a 1\/2 million gallon wave pool, a lazy river, mini golf and more!<\/p>\n Some provincial parks have wading pools like Bronte Creek<\/a><\/strong> in Oakville which features a 1.8 acre wading pool with lots of space for your little one to play in the shallow water, or your older children to swim around and play with their friends. No need to worry- there\u2019s lots of lifeguards on watch! There\u2019s also a sandy area close to the pool, and fast food easily accessible from the pool area. While you\u2019re there, be sure to check out their play barn (open year round) where your children can go down slides, crawl through tunnels, jump on big mats from above, sit on a tire swing, and scale up a rock climbing wall (main floor for 1- 5 year-olds and top floor for 5- 10 year-olds).<\/p>\n Another provincial park which comes highly recommended by a friend with children aged 8 and 10 years is Earl Rowe<\/a><\/strong> in Alliston. This park has a 1 acre pool with a shallow entry area for young children, two beaches, canoeing (you can rent canoes), and of course, camping! There\u2019s no wading pool or splash pad at Kelso Conservation Area<\/a> <\/strong>in Halton but it has a nice (but small) sandy beach area by the lake with a shallow area for younger children.<\/p>\n Wherever you decide to go, don\u2019t forget your water toys like pails, watering cans, floaties, noodles and inflatable balls for your children, sun hats and sunblock!<\/p>\n Take a stroll with baby and enjoy the fresh air at Centreville<\/a><\/strong> or even put baby on the carousel (on a stationary bench seat), or ride the miniature train. As your child reaches toddler age, they will be able to sit on a moving horse on the carousel, ride the twirling Tea Cups and Barrels of Fun, all accompanied by you (so you can join in the fun!), and even try the Touring Cars by themselves! This past summer I enjoyed taking my 2 1\/2 year old to Centreville<\/a><\/strong>.\u00a0 There are a total of about 15 rides catered to younger children and a small farm with horses, pigs, goats, sheep, baby chicks and turkeys, and bunnies (which by the way may soon be cut from City funding). Centre Island itself is a nice place to go for walks, rent bikes, and roller blade around the island. They also have playground equipment, sandy beaches, a wading pool and two splash pads.<\/p>\n Ontario Place<\/a><\/strong> in Toronto, Storybook Gardens<\/a><\/strong> in London, Planet Snoopy at Canada\u2019s Wonderland<\/a><\/strong> in Vaughan, and\u00a0 the family section at Marineland<\/strong><\/a> in Niagara Falls are other amusement parks that have rides for younger children. And as they grow older and want more exciting rides to make their stomachs drop, there\u2019s the rest of Marineland to explore and of course Canada\u2019s Wonderland for the ultimate scary rides! Read about my trips to Ontario Place here<\/a> and Marineland here<\/a>. Storybook Gardens and Canada\u2019s Wonderland are on my list for this summer!<\/p>\n Another favourite of Torontonians is the Canadian National Exhibition (C.N.E.)<\/a> <\/strong>which is open for a limited time in August and September. There are rides, lots of games, exhibits, concerts, ice skating shows, and older children can try Flowboarding if they don\u2019t mind getting wet! There\u2019s a dedicated area for kids including Kid\u2019s World of Sports, School of Magic, a circus, petting zoo, puppet parade, crafts centre, and kids shows. However you might want to wait until the children are past toddler age as it can get incredibly crowded and noisy.<\/p>\n Click here <\/a>for more Amusement Parks, Carnivals & Rides.<\/p>\n Indoor playgrounds are becoming more and more popular, especially in the winter time, during holidays, and when it\u2019s rainy or the sun is too hot for a little one in the summer time. They are typically for infants up to age 7 years and cost $0- 10 per child depending on age (under 1 year is sometimes free- check out All for Fun & Fun for All<\/a><\/strong> and Kids Fun City<\/a><\/strong>!) and many places offer multi-visit discounts and sibling discount rates.<\/p>\n These facilities vary in what activities they offer. You might find climbing structures with slides, a bouncy castle, ride-on cars, a ball pit, play houses, books, building blocks, puppets, dolls, train sets, dress up clothes, rock climbing wall, walkers, air hockey, foozball, and lots of toys! Some will have a dedicated baby section with swings, exersaucers, baby climbing structures and mats, toddler slides, and baby toys in an enclosed area so older children know to keep out. (Cautions: Most have limited baby equipment, all toys go in the mouth so your baby may get sick afterwards, and you may still need to kick older children out of the baby area when they take toys away from your baby!)<\/p>\n Playgrounds located in the City tend to be smaller because the rent is higher while those on the outskirts have more room for your child to run around and have bigger and more climbing structures such as TimBUKtu Indoor PlayLand<\/a><\/strong> in North Etobicoke (free wi fi!), Busy Bodies<\/a><\/strong> in Oakville (lots of comfortable couches here!) and All for Fun & Fun for All<\/a><\/strong> in Scarborough (big wooden play structure with baby swings!). Some playgrounds offer that \u201csomething extra\u201d you may be looking for to keep your little one busy a bit longer such as Kidnetix<\/a><\/strong> near Yorkdale mall which has some arcade type games (extra $) and Monkey Magoos<\/a><\/strong> in Toronto (Kingston Road & Victoria Park) which always has free colouring for children. There\u2019s also Kids Fun City<\/a><\/strong> in North York that has mini golf, bowling, and a dance room (dark room with a disco ball where your child can shake their booty and run around and around and around and tire themselves out for a good nap!).<\/p>\n Most, if not all playgrounds offer birthday parties and many are offering programs such as music, arts and crafts activities, and sports for babies, toddlers and preschoolers. Bizzy Bee<\/a><\/strong> in Toronto (Queen Street & Woodbine) offers babysitting for 18 months & up while you shop during the day, and special babysitting evening\/ nights so you can have a nice dinner with your significant other, which is also available at Just Ducky<\/a><\/strong> in Toronto (Yonge & Lawrence). Balls of Fun<\/a><\/strong> in Mississauga offers summer camps and after-school programs.<\/p>\n Click here <\/a>for more Indoor Playgrounds.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n It\u2019s been a loooong time since I stepped foot in Playdium<\/a><\/strong>. Now they have over 200 interactive arcade and ticket redemption games, bumper cars (must be at least 5 years old) and batting cages (they also have seasonal outdoor activities including rock climbing, mini-golf, bungee trampoline, GO Kart rides, and Water Wars). Chuck E. Cheese<\/a><\/strong> is much smaller and has video games as well as simulator rides, a tube slide, and a few rides for little ones (similar to the cars and horse rides you see at the mall). The games space is divided into a Toddler Zone, Kiddie Area and Skill Games & Arcade.<\/p>\n If your child loves rides and it\u2019s rainy or in the wintertime, check out Fantasy Fair<\/a><\/strong>, an indoor amusement park at the Woodbine Shopping Centre in Etobicoke. They have 9 full sized family rides, a 3-level play village, midway games and arcade. If you have a toddler on your hands, you might want to know that 3 out of 9 rides do not allow children under 36\u2033 (even if accompanied by an adult). Check their site for free puppet and magic shows which are scheduled frequently.<\/p>\n In the wintertime you might also want to consider a family get-away to Great Wolf Lodge<\/a><\/strong> in Niagara Falls. You have to stay at the lodge to use the water park (pricey!), but if your children like water play, I hear it\u2019s a great place to go! Their indoor water park features a 4 story tree house, indoor and outdoor pools, lazy river, water basketball, tube slides, and a wave pool (0 depth entry). There are smaller slides and a separate area for small children with a zero depth entry to 1\u20196\u2033 depth pool. There\u2019s also an arcade, mini golf, kid spa, indoor activity centre for young children including crafts, parent free programs for children 4 years and up, evening story time, and a morning kid\u2019s show featuring animals singing about life in the forest.<\/p>\n Click here<\/a> for more Indoor Amusement.<\/p>\n <\/a>You can start as young as toddler age for picking your own blueberries and raspberries (the bushes are perfect height for youngsters and not back breaking for you like picking strawberries are!). At Andrew\u2019s Scenic Acres<\/a><\/strong> in Halton Hills you can pick a wide variety of fruits, vegetables and flowers from May to October. Most Pick Your Own farms also offer a children\u2019s play area, wagon rides, farm animals to see and maybe feed, and pony rides (extra cost).\u00a0 Cost varies from none to $10 pp including adults. Although Chudleigh\u2019s<\/a><\/strong> (Halton Hills) is on the expensive side and only offers apple picking in the fall, I really like their play area featuring big slides in hay (be sure to wear long pants!), a hay maze, sand pit with toy trucks, \u201chorse\u201d swings, and a relatively good sized animal area which is home to deer, goats, bunnies, horses, alpacas, chickens, ducks, turkeys, and a peacock.<\/p>\n In the fall when Halloween is just around the corner, many farms will offer pumpkin patches where you can pick your own pumpkins and additional themed activities such as a Pumplin Cannon Show and a gently Haunted Forest for younger children. Check out Whittamore\u2019s<\/a><\/strong> in Markham or Forsythe Family Farms<\/a><\/strong> also in Markham. Southbrook Pumpkin Patch<\/a><\/strong> puts on a mini carnival including a children\u2019s play area (with a toddler slide, ride-on toys and other play equipment), mini ferris wheel, bouncy castle, big inflatable slide, swings, and more.<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve never been, Riverdale Farm<\/a><\/strong> is a fantastic place to take the kids to see farm animals and it\u2019s currently free to get in! They have pigs, goats, sheep, chickens, cows, and a donkey. While you\u2019re there you can check out Cabbagetown Regent Park Museum and a farmer\u2019s market in the summertime. They also offer camps, special events at Halloween and Christmas time, and children\u2019s preregistered activities throughout the year.<\/p>\n Click here <\/a>for more Animal & Pick Your Own Farms.<\/p>\n <\/a>There are many museums, galleries and historic sites in and around Toronto. The big ones are of course the Royal Ontario Museum<\/a><\/strong> (ROM) and Art Gallery of Ontario<\/a><\/strong> (AGO) in downtown Toronto. At the ROM<\/strong>, kids can see dinosaur, coral reef, bat cave exhibits, an Egyptian coffin and mummy and lots more. They also offer preregistered children\u2019s programs on Saturday mornings for ages 5- 14 years, and programs for mom and baby\/ tot (0- 4 years) during the week. You do need to be on the ball about booking these programs though. They sell out fast!<\/p>\n The AGO <\/strong>is home to the Weston Family Learning Centre which offers an art-making and creative play activities drop-in from as young as you\u2019d like to bring & up, open during the week and on weekends. There are Family Sundays<\/strong> offered monthly where children get to participate in different activities such as making \u201csimply wacky cameras\u201d and pinhole cameras, exploring art making all about the sky, and creating objects using found, recycled and re-made materials.<\/p>\n Check out the Bata Shoe Museum<\/a><\/strong> and the Toronto Railway Heritage Centre<\/a><\/strong> in downtown Toronto for something different! One of my readers highly recommends the Toronto Railway Heritage Centre<\/strong> where you can enjoy a trip on the half-kilometre miniature railway through Roundhouse Park, sit down to a computer-simulated ride in an the cab of an actual diesel locomotive, and take a ride on the operational 120-foot long turntable.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve always wanted to check out the Bata Shoe Museum <\/strong>as I walked past it on the way to classes (a long, long time ago!). They have hands-on demonstrations and tours of the museum available on select dates, and Weekend Family Fun programming that may include painting a mini clog, trying on shoes, treasure hunts in the galleries, and arts and crafts.<\/p>\n Do keep an eye out for special events happening at City run museums and historic sites such as Markham Museum<\/a>\u2018s<\/strong> Halloween Scaryfest where kids can go trick or treating, and many holiday drop-in and preregistered programs that are more affordable than places like Casa Loma<\/a>!<\/p>\n The City of Toronto Historic Museums, Art Gallery of Ontario, Bata Shoe Museum, and Royal Ontario Museum are part of the Toronto Public Library\u2019s Museum and Arts Pass (MAP)<\/strong> which allows you and your family (2 adults and up to 4 children) to get in for free! Details available here<\/a>. Note that there are limited quantities, you must have a valid adult Toronto Public Library card, and you may have to line-up or participate in a draw in order to obtain a MAP. Call your local library<\/a> for details!<\/p>\n Click here<\/a> for more Museums, Galleries, and Historic Sites.<\/p>\n <\/a>If your children are old enough to know not to escape from the tent and go wandering off while you are soundly sleeping, why not take them camping?! Bronte Creek<\/a><\/strong>, Darlington<\/a><\/strong>, Sibbald Point<\/a><\/strong> and Earl Rowe<\/a><\/strong> are all located within 100 kms of Toronto. You can hike and swim and all except Bronte Creek offer canoeing.<\/p>\n Bronte Creek<\/a><\/strong> in Oakville has 144 campsites with electrical service, there\u2019s flush toilets, showers, and a park store selling fast food. There are 6 easy, barrier free hiking trails ranging from 15 minutes to an hour. They also have summer programs including Tyke Hikes designed especially for kids between 2 and 7 year of age (older kids welcome) and you can Learn the Basics of using a Hand-held GPS Unit to Navigate for kids 7 and up. Click here<\/a> to check their current events. Bronte Creek<\/strong> also has a 1.8 acre wading pool (small extra cost), sand play area next to the pool, small farm area\u00a0 including goats, chickens, pigs, peacocks, bunnies, and a kids\u2019 play barn for ages 1 to 10 years. There\u2019s no lake or beach in this park but the wading pool is amazing.<\/p>\n Darlington<\/a><\/strong> in Bowmanville hs 315 camp sites (135 have electrical service), showers, flush toilets, laundromat, play area, canoes for rent, and a parks store that sells groceries, camping supplies and snacks. There are four trails classified as easy to moderate and 30 mins to an hour in length, and a sandy beach.<\/p>\n Earl Rowe<\/a><\/strong> in Alliston has both a one-acre pool (extra cost) and a man-made lake and beach. There are 400 campsites (183 have electrical service), flush toilets, showers, laundromat, canoeing and paddleboats for rent, a Park\u2019s store selling groceries and camping supplies and snacks. There are 5 trails- easy to moderate, that will take approximately 10 minutes to 3 hours to hike depending on the trail.<\/p>\n Click here <\/a>for the official site for Provincial Parks in Ontario including a park locator.<\/p>\n <\/a>OEYC\u2019s <\/strong>are for parents and caregivers with children aged 0 \u2013 6 years. They offer free<\/em><\/strong> drop-in and preregistered programs, and have many locations across Ontario. Drop-in times and programs vary at each Centre. Normally each main site will be the biggest and it\u2019s satellite locations smaller. Activities such as circle time (music) and arts and crafts\u00a0 are usually offered and programs may include storytime, Mother Goose songs for babies, pre-reading and math concepts. Most Centres maintain a calendar on their website so you can easily see what\u2019s going on. Here are some favourite Centres of my readers (you can click on the links to see reviews): Don Valley East Ontario Early Years Centre<\/a>, Trinity Presbyterian Church\u00a0 satellite<\/a>, and Parkway Forest satellite<\/a> all in North York.<\/p>\n TDSB Parenting and Family Literacy Centres<\/a><\/strong> also offer free<\/strong><\/em> drop-ins Toronto for parents and caregivers with children aged 0- 6 years. \u201cThey offer a fun, play-based program to support children\u2019s early learning and development and a place for parents to learn and connect with each other. Each Centre has a schedule which includes music and story time, <\/em>snack time, art activities, sand and water play, dramatic play, grossmotor play, puzzles and <\/em>a time to use simple and inexpensive learning materials which can be replicated at home,<\/em>and are designed to develop literacy and numeracy concepts necessary for kindergarten entry\u201d.<\/em> There are a total of 76 Centres that are free to the community. Hours vary by site and no preregistration is required.<\/p>\n I recently found out about the Growing Up Health Downtown<\/a><\/strong> initiative that again offers free programs for parents and caregivers with children aged 0- 6 years. They offer parent relief, a variety of workshops, community kitchens as well as fitness and post-natal programs for moms and their babies. We deliver school readiness programs, reading circles and drop-ins for caregivers with their children. See below for a list of programs offered<\/em>. There are 8 participating locations in the downtown Toronto area including Harbourfront Community Centre<\/strong> (Queens Quay West & Bathurst), St. Christopher House<\/strong> (Dundas St W & Ossington), Dixon Hall<\/strong> (Queen St E & River), Family Service Toronto<\/strong> (Gerrard St E & Church), University Settlement Recreation Centre<\/strong> (Dundas St W & University), WoodGreen Community Services<\/strong> (Queen St E & Pape Ave), Davenport-Perth Neighbourhood Centre<\/strong> (Davenport & Lansdowne), and The 519 Church Street Community Centre <\/strong>(Church & Wellesley St E).<\/p>\n Click here for more OEYC\u2019s<\/a>, TDSB Family & Literacy Centres<\/a> and GUHD programs<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/a>The Metro Toronto Zoo<\/a> in Scarborough is the largest zoo in Canada. The zoo is home to over 5,000 animals representing over 500 species, and has over 10 kms of walking trails. They also have a 2 acre water play area, a kid\u2019s zoo, carousel, pony and camel rides. You can time your visit to make sure you arrive to hear zookeepers give informative talks about Komodo dragons or see them feed animals like elephants, cheetahs, lions, otters and\u00a0 orangutans. If you\u2019re planning on visiting more than 3 times, it\u2019s probably worth looking into a membership.<\/p>\n In Etobicoke there\u2019s the much smaller but free High Park zoo<\/a> that is run by the City and houses bison, deer, llamas, peacocks, cattle, sheep, and more. It\u2019s a favourite of locals and while you\u2019re there be sure to check out Jamie Bell Adventure playground, a wading pool, outdoor pool,30-minute scenic ride on a trackless train (operating seasonally), Colborne Lodge historic museum, ice rink, and Grenadier cafe that serves up delicious breakfast for a very reasonable price. (Unfortunately this zoo may be closing soon. Read more here<\/a> about a petition you can sign to save High Park zoo.<\/p>\n If you are willing to drive a bit further out of the City, there\u2019s Bowmanville Zoo<\/a>, Marineland <\/a>in Niagara Falls and the African Lion Safari<\/a> in Hamilton.<\/p>\n Click here<\/a> for more Zoos & Aquariums.<\/p>\n <\/a>The Toronto Public Library<\/a><\/strong> has programs for infants up to 5 years where songs are sung, stories are read, and rhymes are told! You can click here <\/a>to see what programs they offer and available times. Some Ontario Early Years Centres<\/a><\/strong> also offer storytelling programs including Don Valley East OEYC<\/strong>\u2018s<\/a> Storytime and More program (18 months- 5 years), which focuses on a specific children\u2019s story each week. The story is enhanced through dramatic and creative activities where children are encouraged to participate. <\/em>Toronto Community Centres<\/a><\/strong> also have programs that focus on story telling. For example StoryBook Adventures for 3- 6 year olds where children explore a variety of children\u2019s stories and discuss plot, characters and setting, and create crafts and special projects based on each story.<\/em><\/p>\n1. Water Fun in Splash Pads<\/a>, Wading Pools<\/a>, Water Parks<\/a>, Provincial Parks<\/a><\/strong><\/h2>\n
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2. Amusement Parks, Carnivals & Rides<\/a><\/strong><\/h2>\n
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3. Indoor Playgrounds<\/a><\/strong><\/h2>\n
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4. Indoor Amusement<\/a><\/strong><\/h2>\n
5. Animal & Pick Your Own Farms<\/a><\/strong><\/h2>\n
6. Museums, Galleries & Historic Sites<\/a><\/strong><\/h2>\n
7. Provincial Parks & Conservation Areas<\/a>: Camping, Canoeing, Hiking<\/strong><\/h2>\n
8. Ontario Early Years Centres (OEYC)<\/a>, Toronto District School Board (TDSB) Parenting & Family Literacy Centres<\/a> & Growing Up Healthy Downtown (GUHD) Programs<\/a><\/strong><\/h2>\n
9. Zoos & Aquariums<\/a><\/strong><\/h2>\n
10. Theatre, Shows<\/a> & <\/strong>Story Time<\/a><\/strong><\/h2>\n