Toronto With Kids: 12 Cool, Fun Things to Do

Conveniently located at the bottom of the CN Tower in the heart of Toronto’s entertainment district, Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada is home to 16,000 of the city’s most beautiful and exotic inhabitants. With over 12,500 square meters (135,000 square feet) of interactive underwater exhibits, the aquarium features North America’s longest underwater viewing tunnel with more than 5.7 million liters of water and over 100 interactive demonstrations and exhibits. Acquaint yourself with giant lobsters, jellyfish, sharks, stingrays and wildly colorful fish from fresh and salt waters around the world – and get up close with the Touch Tank gallery.

Watch concerts, dance performances, author readings, films and an array of kids’ shows every weekend and on evenings throughout the week at the Harbourfront Centre. There’s also a range of craft and design, as well as sailing and powerboating courses, suitable for all the family. The waterfront is home to canoe and kayak centre, a music garden and a souvenir shop created by artists-in-residence, which sells a range of one-off gifts. The Harbourfront Centre is open year round and is located on the shores of Lake Ontario.

Toronto is a foodie paradise, and spending a day at one of its many food festivals is a great way to experience its culinary diversity. Winterlicious – a premier prix-fixe food event – is a popular choice during the colder months while its sister festival, Summerlicious, invites you to try the city’s best restaurants at affordable prices during summer. Popular past events include Taco Fest Toronto, Food Truck Fest, Toronto Pizza Fest and vegan festival – Toronto Vegandale Food and Drink Festival.

Casa Loma is one of the top tourist attractions in Toronto. Fortunately, the majestic castle is open to weddings. Wedding parties can use three of the main floor rooms, which include The Great Hall, The Library, and The Conservatory. The Conservatory’s stunning stained-glass ceiling and marble and greenery touches combine to make one of the prettiest wedding venues. Take photos from The Terrace in Casa Loma, which overlooks the gardens, or in the impressive gardens themselves.
Constructed in the early 1900s as a residence for Canadian soldier and financier, Sir Henry Mill Pellatt, Casa Loma is a gothic revival-style mansion that caused him to lose his millions. The 98-room castle, now one of Toronto’s major landmarks, invites visitors to experience the elegance and splendor of the Edwardian era while admiring its well-kept grounds and magnificent setting, with impressive views of the city. A multimedia audio guide and viewing of a Sir Henry Pellatt documentary are included in the ticket cost. A cafe and gift shop are located on the castle’s lower level.

Niagara Falls, just a 90-minute drive from the city, is a great day trip from Toronto. Take the family right to the heart of the action on a Maid of the Mist boat tour experience or Journey Behind the Falls tour, or soar to the top of the Skylon Tower for unobstructed views of the falls and the surrounding area from above. Other popular family attractions here include two indoor water parks, the Niagara Skywheel and Bird Kingdom – a multilevel rainforest home to hundreds of tropical birds.

Toronto Zoo is the largest zoo in Canada. With award-winning exhibits representing species from around the world – you can come face-to-face with creatures from all over the globe. One of the major attractions is the Giant Panda Experience, hosting Canada’s only panda cubs, which opened in 2013. Toronto Zoo, the largest in Canada with more than 5,000 animals, is always a thrill for the little ones. Award-winning exhibits display a wide variety of global species, found in the African savannah, the Great Barrier Reef and the Arctic. Those who want to experience everything can stay the night at the Wild Tails family campsite. Enjoy dinner with an evening of zoo exploration, and after-hours access to the African savannah and Canadian domain regions, before sleeping under the stars.

Kids will love taking the short ferry ride from Queen’s Quay Terminal in Downtown Toronto to multiple interconnected islands, located approximately 0.6mi (1km) offshore. Explore the Toronto Islands by foot, or you can rent bikes, kayaks or canoes. There’s also a boating marina, various nature paths and large grassy fields for picnics. Don’t leave without visiting Centreville Theme Park – home to a range of fun-filled rides and a petting farm, where you can interact with 40 different species of farmyard animals and exotic birds.

Just north of Toronto, Black Creek Pioneer Village is a dynamic, open-air, historical experience for visitors of all ages. Especially fun for children, the site recreates village life in 1860s Ontario, offering theatrical re-enactments, artisan demonstrations and historical interpreters in full regalia. Encounter a range of 19th-century artefacts as you step inside heritage buildings including a general store, a church, a water-powered gristmill and a one-room schoolhouse. Kids can get up close with a range of animals in the village farm.

Overlooking the Don Valley about 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) northeast of Toronto, the Ontario Science Centre offers engaging and interactive exhibits for families. From the hair-raising electrical ball to the steamy Rain Forest simulation, visitors can enjoy first-hand discoveries with recent technological innovations, telecommunications, optics, biology, physics, space travel, and meteorology, and more. Also, check out the on-site IMAX® Dome Films experience.

No summer is complete without a visit to Canada’s Wonderland. Located in Vaughan, just outside of Toronto, this is amusement park has 70 rides, including the legendary Behemoth and Vortex coasters, as well as a fun and refreshing 20-acre Splash Works water park. For kids, there’s Planet Snoopy and KidZville, offering a series of brand-new kid-friendly themed rides.

During summer, there’s no better place to beat the heat than at Kidstown Water Park in Scarborough. The only water park operated by the City of Toronto, it offers free aquatic activities for young children including a tipping bucket, spray rings, squirting aquatic animals and a wading pool. With a large grassy area to picnic on, Kidstown is open from mid-June until the Sunday of Labour Day weekend. Hours for leisure swim times vary, so check the website before visiting.

You might not know it, but Toronto is home to lots of beaches, offering the perfect escape from the busy city on a hot day. Among its most visited spots are Sunnyside, Woodbine, Cherry and Kew beaches, all of which are easy to access and have lifeguards on duty throughout the summer. Bluffer’s Beach – a long, sandy stretch at the foot of the Scarborough Bluffs – has great views as well as hiking trails, bike paths and picnic areas.