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

Visiting the National & Provincial Parks with Preschoolers

by Katie

June 15, 2009

What is your favourite national park to visit with the kids? Have you ever camped with a preschooler? How can a parent make visiting a park or heritage site fun and interesting for the young ones? Parks Canada has some great resources in the online Teacher Resource Centre. There are fact sheets, ideas for activities, and print-outs like crossword puzzles for older children.

Our destination this summer is Kejimkujik National Park in Nova Scotia. I've been camping there more times than I can remember and can't wait to share it with Gigi this year. Since I've always done back country camping (mostly canoeing and portages), we will adjust our itinerary to suit an almost four year old. Using the site, I was able to figure out what sites would be most suitable for our family and activities she can participate in while there.

We also plan on spending time in Algonquin Provincial Park this summer which will be a first for both Gigi and me. If it hadn't been for their website, I would have never known about the theatre and art centre in The Algonquin Room. Also, we might have to plan our trip around one of the Public Wolf Howls because howling with/at the wolves sounds very Dr. Doolittle.

So how about you? Will you be visiting any of the many magnificent parks in your province this year?

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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...

Toronto-centric kids books

by Katie

November 25, 2008

What better way to learn about Toronto than to read some kid-friendly books dedicated to the city. Toronto is a massive city, full of interesting places, natural wonders, and of course: hockey. Here are my top five picks for Toronto-centric kid books: The Lobster Kids' Guide to Exploring Toronto (Kids' City Explorer Series) is a Toronto Guide written for kids (okay,okay - parents are allowed  Read more...