If you can’t make it to the North Pole this year, there’s plenty of fun going on in the city to keep the kids entertained during the winter break in Toronto. From outdoor excursions to keep them moving, to indoor activities that are sneakily educational, get them engaged and unplugged… at least for a little while.
Visit High Park
1873 Bloor St. W.
The crown jewel of Toronto parks, the kids could spend an entire day exploring one of the many trails, nature walks and play areas including the legendary Jamie Bell Adventure Playground. Plus, there’s a zoo which is open year-round, an ice skating rink and a tobogganing hill located at Howard Park and Parkside Drive.
Go on a Christmas trolley tour
248 Ontario St., Kingston
Take a day trip to Kingston during the week and hop aboard the Kingston Trolley Tours’ Christmas Light Tour. Join this 75-minute Christmas light viewing trolley tour and experience Kingston lit up for the holidays! It’s a perfectly festive family activity where you’ll carol along to Christmas classics as you travel throughout the city on a vintage red trolley. Tickets are available every day until Dec. 31.
Go tobogganing
Various locations
Bundle up and get ready for an epic adventure at one of the many hills around Toronto. There are plenty of kid-friendly slopes for every skill level, including the hills at Trinity Bellwoods (790 Queen St. W.), Withrow Park (725 Logan Ave.) and Bickford Parks and Christie Pits (400 Grace St. & 750 Bloor St. W.).
Get your glide on
Various locations
The skating season is in full-swing, so lace up and visit one of the number of rinks and trails peppered around the city. The Bentway (250 Fort York Blvd.), features a 220-metre loop just under the Gardiner Expressway. Lessons and refreshments are also available (yum, hot chocolate!), while the ice rink and skating trail at Dieppe Park (455 Cosburn Ave.) is a popular destination for beginners.
Tour a museum
Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queens Park
Explore the ancient worlds of Greece, Rome and Egypt, feast your eyes on rare and exquisite jewellery in the gem vault or get nose-to-nose with dinosaurs both big and small when you pay a visit to the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) this holiday season. It features more than 25 galleries for the little ones to check out, including an exciting sharks exhibition for kids fascinated by sea creatures.
Visit the castle
Casa Loma, 1 Austin Terrace
For your budding prince or princess, visit Toronto’s famous castle this winter break. Casa Loma’s Holiday Light Tour runs until Jan. 3 and will see the castle transformed into a dazzling spectacle of lights. Designed as a self-guided tour, guests can wander the property’s grounds including the gardens and tunnels, all while enjoying live performances and activities.
Peruse a market
The Distillery District, 55 Mill St.
Until Jan. 4, visit the historic Distillery District for Winter Village, a holiday market unlike any other in the city. Full of truly picture-perfect moments including a 55-foot Christmas tree decorated with more than 60,000 lights and the LOVE Locks wall, the market will also feature more than 16 cabins sure to please even the pickiest palette.
Take a hike
Various locations
Surprisingly, Toronto has a ton of hiking trails located around the city. Add a little snow, and the trails become more magical. Make sure to start small (1-2 km), layer up and don’t forget to pack the snacks. Tommy Thompson Park (1 Leslie St.) features 10 kilometres of paved trails for walking and cycling, while Cedarville Park (443 Arlington Ave.) is a huge urban green space to take in some nature in the heart of the city.
Smell some flowers
Allen Garden Conservatory, 19 Horticulture Ave.
Thousands of flowering plants and more than 30 varieties of poinsettia are on display at Allen Garden Conservatory. The indoor botanical garden also features five greenhouses including colourful blooms and lush plants from around the world.
Spark discovery
Ontario Science Centre pop-ups, Harbourfront Centre, 235 Queens Quay W. and CF Sherway Gardens, 25 The West Mall, Etobicoke
The Ontario Science Centre used to be the place parents would take their kids for a little bit of education and exploration during the winter break, until Ford decided to tear it all down. But the science centre lives on — head to the Harbourfront for KidSpark, a learn-through-play experience featuring a pretend vet clinic, nature area and construction and supermarket area. Or head to Sherway Gardens for Emett’s Dream Machines, featuring inventor Rowland Emett’s fantastical kinetic sculptures. There’s also, Survival: The Exhibition with its own adventure ropes course.
