Always, always, always call ahead
It only takes a few seconds to call a place to avoid disappointing the kids, not to mention wasting your precious time and energy.
It's part of life. Businesses close permanently, owners rent their place for private functions, schedules change, stores get replaced by condos...
About food and drinks!
Don't rely on food outlets: long line-ups, outrageous prices or simply a lack of outlets are always a possibility. Have snacks and drinks handy.
The best attraction will be lost on children if they are hungry, as a good friend who paid for expensive tickets to the Lion King musical discovered. The line-up to buy snacks was too long for her to get food for her hungry boys during intermission. They spent the second half of the show focusing on their empty stomachs!
About line-ups
In very popular attractions, try to have snack time coincide with time wasted in line-ups. Pens and paper will also grab kids' attention for a few more minutes.
Wherever possible, when with another adult, I wait in a line-up (with a good book) while the kids are supervised in an adjacent attraction. Generally speaking, Sundays are busier than Saturdays and arriving before 11 am or after 3 pm is always a bonus. Weekdays are obviously less crowded than weekends so I have been known to take my child out of school for some special time in deserted museums...
About friends
Anywhere our kids go is always more fun with friends their own age.
First of all, it entertains them on the way to the attraction. Plus, the parent of the child we are borrowing is forever grateful. I often "trade" my daughter for my friend's older son. My son plays with him; she plays with his younger brother. The next time, it's the other way around. It's a win-win scenario.
About age groups
I strongly recommend one adult per age group during an outing.
The children's interest and/or physical capability varies widely depending on the age. Nothing kills the enthusiasm of a parent like having to choose between frustrating the oldest by spending too much time in a kiddies attraction or running after the smaller ones as the bigger siblings stay too long at their point of interest. The "trading" scenario mentioned above in the "About friends" section comes in very handy in this situation.
About time
How much time do you have? A whole day? A few hours?
Calling the attraction to find out about their driving time estimate to your home is always a good idea. Generally, add some time because they tend to minimize their estimate in order to attract us.
Some great attractions require only one hour to visit but it would take you over an hour to get there. Combining them with the visit to another attraction would justify the ride. When calling the main attraction you want to see in a specific area, ask about nearby attractions. Always, ALWAYS, call a place before you go! Opening hours can change on you at any moment because of a new administration, sick staff or any other reason.
About weather
Is it rainy? Too cold? Too hot? Might be a good time for an indoor activity.
But first, ask yourself if the kids need to spend some energy, in which case museums should be given a lower priority than indoor playgrounds (except for the Sport room at the Ontario Science Centre).
After a rain, some outdoor attractions are quite muddy, which prevents the use of a stroller. Whenever there's a chance of mud, bring extra clothes for the kids. You will appreciate a clean set of clothes on your way back (in the car or the public transit). Don't forget plastic bags to store the dirty laundry!
When the weather is really hot, don't forget to take bathing suits! I have often found a wading pool or a swimming hole in unsuspected places, a very frustrating fact when you are not equipped properly. Be aware that during the summer, some lakes might not be safe to swim in after a rainfall.
Special interest
When a child shows an interest in something specific, it is a good time to plan an outing accordingly.
After my 2-year-old son had requested we read and sing "The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round" for the hundredth time, I decided it was time to take him on his first bus ride which led to a GO Train experience.
When my daughter turned 3, she became fascinated with cows. It prompted us to spend a night at a milk farm offering bed and breakfast. Mind you, she was scared to death when she came face to face with the real thing so maybe this is not such a good example, but you get the idea!
No car?
There are enough car-less outings around the subway stations to fill your family time without filling a tank!
In Toronto Fun Places' new chapter What's around the subway stations, you'll find the description of everything I have noticed interesting to kids, within a 10-minute walk from each subway station in Toronto: movie theatres, ravines, pools, playgrounds, rivers, mini golf, restaurants, fun stores, intriguing sightings and more.
Visitors from out of town?
Time to play the tourist in Toronto with your visitors and discover the city's nooks and crannies.
There's an energy about big cities and Toronto is no exception. In the new colour section Urban Strolls in Toronto Fun Places, you'll find five fun strolls to explore the city, plus a waterfront stroll around Harbourfront Centre on pp. 26-27 and a few other suggestions in the Multicultural outings subsection under the ARTS & CULTURE chapter.
Here comes the predictable plug for our guide Toronto Fun Places!
Of course, Toronto Fun Places was conceived to address all of these concerns.
For each description in the 12 categories of outings in our 480-page guide, you will find:
- Tips section from a mother's point of view
- Driving time estimates from downtown Toronto to the attraction
- Nearby attractions section with driving time estimates from the main attraction
- Location index by name of city
- Exhaustive index with key words
- Symbols for indoor activity, high energy attraction, seasonal activities (fall colour, Halloween, Christmas, March Break, Easter), stroller accessible sites, public transportation access and birthday party packages available
- Calendar of events
