Your guide to activities and fun things to do with your preschoolers, toddlers and kids in toronto, CN

What's Going on in Toronto This Weekend

by Katie

August 13, 2009

August 13th

Watch Me Grow Family Garden Drop-In Program (High Park Children's Garden, Colburne Lodge, High Park)

Each Thursday in August at the High Park Children's Garden kids can plant, water, and harvest the garden and prepare fresh snacks from their efforts. There will also be crafts and snacks. Caregivers must supervise kids for this is a drop-in program (no registration required). Call 416 338 5055 for more information.

August 14th

Meet and Greet with Elmo (Ontario Place)

Yes, that's right, the red guy will be available to shake hands with and for a photo op at Ontario Place. He will be appearing daily starting on the 14th through to Sunday the 16th. Call 416 314 9900 for more information.

Movies under the Stars (Downsview Park, 35 Carl Hall Rd)

Come to enjoy a movie in the great outdoors (rain or shine) in Downsview Park. This week is Horton Hears a Who (a fav of Gigi). The movie starts around 9pm (sunset)

All Weekend

ZOO-ZA-PA-LOOZA (Toronto Zoo)

Waterslide Theatre at the Toronto Zoo will have a special animal show, singers, and all sorts of entertainment all day long. The event runs between 9am and 6:30pm and is included in the price of zoo admission. Visit their site or call 416 392 5929 for more information.

FREE WEEKENDS at City of Toronto Historic Sites

Free admission on Saturday and Sundays for the remainder of August at Toronto Historic Sites, so go check out the programs and events at Colborne Lodge, Fort York, Gibson House, Mackenzie House, Montgomery's Inn, Scarborough Historical Museum, Spadina Museum, and Todmorden Mills. Depending on location there may be music, drama, crafts, and snacks for all the family to enjoy.

The Sound of Music is in the Air (Yorkville Park, Cumberland and Bellair Streets)

As part of the The Sound of Music is in the Air series of musical acts, this weekend strollers and shoppers in the Bloor-Yorkville area this weekend shoppers can enjoy Plakaso (August 15) and Donald Guinn Trio (August 16).

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What's Going on in Toronto This Weekend

by Katie

June 25, 2009

This weekend looks like it might be hot and maybe sticky in places - not to mention a tad fragrant from the garbage strike. Since the majority of water features & parks are closed, I'm not sure exactly how we are going to stay cool but we will find a way. Our agenda may include a trip for ice cream at Dutch Dreams, or a playdate at Dufferin Grove (I was there today with Mamalooper and No Mother Earth) - because the shade of that park makes for hours of comfortable playing.There are also some other things going on around town (and just outside) that we may check out:

The CN Tower is having a Birthday!

The CN Tower is turning thirty-three -- wow, really? It doesn't look a day over 20 -- and for the special day on Saturday the tower will be red and white (have a look for it before bedtime).

Cobourg Highland Games Festival

Why not escape the city and the garbage and strikes and head to Cobourg to experience over 100 pipers, dancers, and Celtic traditions of all kinds at the Cobourg Highland Festival. There will be games going on all day (every see a man toss a telephone pole or a cannon ball -- IN A KILT? Here's your chance). Everyone can be Scottish for the day, just stay clear of the hagus.

Summer Music In the Garden at Harbourfront Centre

Starting today and every Thursday at 7pm / Sundays at 4pm there will be a free performance of classical music and dance all summer long. The music and dance take place in the garden that was designed by Yo Yo Ma and Julie Moir Messervy. Concert admission is free and all performances are weather-permitting. For more information on the concert series visit Harbourfrontcentre.com

Summer Reading Club Kick-off

At many branches around the city, the TD Summer Reading Club is starting this week and the theme is Agent 009. Check the Toronto Public Library branch nearest you for registration dates to pick up your reading club super sleuth kit.   Gerrad/Ashdale (1432 Gerrad St. E) will be be signing up all day Saturday and Long Branch Library (3500 Lakeshore Blvd W) will be having a kick-off on Saturday between 2 and 3pm.

image: flickr ajschu  Read more...

What's Going on in Toronto This Weekend

by Katie

June 04, 2009

This weekend there are quite a few things going on around town and I'll be hosting one of the events (warning: self-promotion ahead) so if you are free on Saturday...

I'm hosting a BlogHer Toronto get together this Saturday morning at the Don Mills Brickworks between 10 and 12pm (see full details here) and we'd love any blog-hers to join in. It's family friendly -- I'll be bringing Gigi -- and we will be hanging out, enjoying the sunshine and farmer's market. I'll bring the coffee, you just bring your beautiful blogging self. Let me know here if you can make it.

Also on Saturday, Bunch is hosting a free family block party at Yonge-Dundas Square as part of the Luminato Festival!. Here are the details:

Family Dance Party: Luminato Edition

Date: Saturday, June 6

Time: 11 AM - 2 PM

Place: Yonge-Dundas Square (1 Dundas St. E)

Hosted by MC Abdominal with DJ Fase.

Children are invited to make banners for the next weekend's closing events of Luminato. Sounds like fun, so I think we'll try to do both.

Also going on this weekend:

Mackenzie House (82 Bond Street)

This Saturday, the entire family is invited for an afternoon of Kids Krafts at the home of Toronto's first mayor William Lyon Mackenzie. Children can participate in historically based activities and make a craft between noon and 4:30pm. Call 416 392 6915 for more information.

Harbourfront Centre

Luminato presents Red Sky Performance: Tono. Tono is a form of dance that links the Indiginous cultures of Canada, Mongolia, and China. Performances on Saturday at 4pm and 8pm and on Sunday at 4pm. For more information visit the Luminato website.

Nathan Phillips Square

Walk Now for Autism is a short 3km family-friendly walk taking place this Sunday to raise money for autisim research and awareness. There will be games, activites and entertainment for all ages. The walk starts at 10am at Nathan Phillips Square but festivities begin at 8:30 am.

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What's Going on in Toronto This Weekend

by Katie

April 30, 2009

There are many things to do this weekend and the weather looks like it will cooperate perciptation wise (now that I've said that, it will rain both days). If we don't hit any parks this weekend, I'll be sorely disappointed but I think we will all be happy campers if we hit at least one of the activities below this weekend. Happy first weekend in May!

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What's Going On This Weekend In Toronto

by Katie

April 16, 2009

Riverdale Farm is hosting an Earth Week event. This Saturday morning, between 9:30 and 11:30, the Buildings & Grounds Committee and volunteers are planting two hundred trees and shrubs on the property. Gigi and I were just there today and I just love that this farm is right in the heart of the city for everyone to enjoy.

Also going on this weekend is Sprockets, The TIFF For Children.  Movies this weekend start at 10 am and end late afternoon. At the Canada Square location there will be additional activities available for film patrons; hands-on stations including make-up and Green Screens are there to inspire junior film makers and stars. Schedule information (including recommended age groups for viewing) and ticket purchase can be all done online.  Festival runs until April 24th.

And not this weekend but coming up on April 28th, 29th, and 30th, is Dora The Explorer: Search for the City of Lost Toys at the Canon Theatre and I'm sure this is going to be a popular show. Because it's Dora, live and in person which may make my child's head explode. And of course Dora will be appearing with Boots, Swiper and I sense Tico might drop by (oh and Benny because it’s not a party until Benny arrives.) While it pains me to be so familiar and fluent in Dorology, I can concede that this spunky, yet annoyingly perky, and goody two-shoes girl is a better role model than many of the other commercial offerings out there. I may draw the line at dressing my child in Dora gear from head to toe, but I do have a soft spot for her show. In fact, I’ve learned more Spanish since becoming a parent than any courses I took in school.  For ticket information on the show visit the Ticket King website.
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This Weekend in Toronto: Young People's Concert The Melodic Life

by Katie

April 02, 2009

This Saturday, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra presents The Melodic Life as part of the Young People's Concert series.  This series is a fantastic way to introduce children to the symphony. Each concert is aimed at children aged 5 to 12 and based on my experience, the one-hour performance is just the right length for the intended audience. The concerts each feature a different guest conductor and other artists, plus a musical piece or theme selected to completely entertain and engage children.

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99 Things To Do With My Daughter Before She Grows Up

by Katie

March 02, 2009

Way back when I started blogging for Savvy Source Toronto, I started a list of 100 things to do with my daughter in Toronto before she got too old to want to spend a weekend or evening with me. You just know that any day now she's going to figure out I'm not cool at all and ditch me for her friends.  So before that time comes, I've got to get cracking at this list.  The first thing I've done is update it.

I decided to break the activities into categories like Classes, Touristy, Festivals to be all organized (which for me is a major accomplishment these days).  Some a bit closer to the five and up age categories but it's nice to have this be a reminder.  Maybe I should print this off and put it on the fridge for those days when we are all saying "there's nothing to do."  In Toronto, there is always something to do.  I think my favourite category in here is the Farms for City Kids, we hit a few last year and had a blast.  Gigi loved the hayrides, I loved the fresh produce, and we both loved the animals.  Nothing beats escaping the city, even if it is only for a couple of hours.

1. National Ballet of Canada (Art, Film, & Drama)
2. Art Gallery of Ontario
3. Solar Stage Children's Theatre
4. Lorraine Kimsa Theatre for Young People
5. National Film Board Mediatheque
6. CN Tower (Be a Toronto Tourist)
7. Centre Island
8. Ride the entire subway system
9. Canada's Wonderland
10. Hockey Hall of Fame
11. Medieval Times
12. Ontario Place
13. Honest Ed's
14. Kensington Market
15. Toronto School of Circus Arts (Art/Pottery/Circus Classes)
16. Glitter Pie Art Studio
17. Art Garage Inc.
18. Messy Hands Art Studio
19. Avenue Road Art School
20. Academy of Artisans
21. Cedar Ridge Creative Centre
22. Gardiner Museum Pottery Classes
23. Andrews Scenic Acres (Farms for City Kids)
24. Chudleigh's Apple Farm
25. Downey's Farm Market and Winery
26. Forsythe Family Farms
27. Whittamore's Berry Farm
28. Black Creek Pioneer Village
29. Taste of the Danforth (Festivals and Special Events)
30. Word on the Street
31. Nuit Blanche
32. Festival of South Asia
33. Sleepover at Toronto Zoo Serengeti Bush Camp
34. Sleepover at the ROM
35. Sleepover at the Ontario Science Centre
36. Sprockets TIFF for Children
37. bunch family parties
38. March Break Spring Fling at the Rogers Centre 
39. Royal Ontario Museum (Museums)
40. The Ontario Science Centre
41. Riverdale Farm
42. Todmorden Mills Heritage Museum and Arts Centre
43. Bata Shoe Museum
44. Campbell House Museum
45. Casa Loma
46. Crawford Lake (reconstructed Iroquoian Village)
47. Gibson House Museum
48. Fort York
49. Markham Museum
50. Toronto Botanical Gardens
51. Toronto's First Post Office Museum
52. Blue Jays game (Support the Home Team)
53. Toronto Maple Leafs Game
54. Toronto FC Game
55. Toronto Zoo (Animals and Zoos)
56. Bowmanville Zoo
57. High Park Zoo
58. Humber Arboretum  - Centre for Urban Ecology
59. Jungle Cat World Zoological Park
60. Mountsberg Wildlife Centre
61. Animals with Whimz
62. Richmond Hill Wave Pool
63. YogaBuds (Anything Active)
64. The Yoga Sanctuary
65. Plunge aquatic centre (Collingwood)

Obviously if you have made it down this far, you've figured out that I haven't made it to 99 yet.  I'm still working on it and am totally open to suggestions (help a girl out, would ya?).  Read more...

Classic Christmas: The Nutcracker

by Katie

December 18, 2008

The first year I lived in Toronto, I was fortunate enough to be invited to the National Ballet of Canada's performance of The Nutcracker . Even though I knew the story, it's hard to beat the magic of The National Ballet performance. As soon as Gigi is mature enough to make it through a performance, I will take her because I know she will love the story. The evening that I attended, there were  Read more...

What's going on in Toronto this weekend

by Katie

December 05, 2008

At ROMKids Weekend on both Saturday and Sunday there will be lots of fun for the budding palaeologists and dinosaur lovers in your life. Gordo and Gertie, the dinosaur baby mascots of the ROM will be on hand to meet the kids (I hope they are herbivores) and the Dino Dig will be open from 10 to 5pm both days and is included in the price of admission. Kids can try their hand at digging for bones  Read more...

What's going on this weekend in Toronto

by Katie

November 28, 2008

How can it be the last weekend in November already? HOW? Well there is no denying that the city is in full Holiday swing now. If you have time between shopping all the pre-Christmas sales this weekend here are a few things that are going on around the city: At Montgomery's Inn (4709 Dundas Street West) is a Gingerbread House workshop . This is a hands-on workshop where you build your own  Read more...

Nuit Blanche for the family

by Katie

October 03, 2008

This weekend in Toronto, it's all about contemporary art. Scotia Bank Nuit Blanche starts at 6:52 pm this Saturday and goes all night. Warmly embraced by the city after it's debut in 2006, this free, all-night celebration of contemporary art has now become an annual event in Toronto. I'm proud to live in a city that hosts this kind of amazing (and free) showcase for artists and performers.  Read more...

What's going on this weekend in Toronto

by Katie

August 01, 2008

CARIBANA ! I can never resist saying the word Caribana without using lots of gusto. This weekend is the Caribana Parade on Saturday and the De Caribana Lime Island Party at Olympic Island on Sunday . Both are all day events (10am to 6pm) with the parade starting at Exhibition Place and travelling west on Lakeshore Blvd. The De Caribana Lime Island Party will include a food competition, which  Read more...