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As I spend my Summer with my 2- and 4-year old daughters in Toronto, I’ve come to realize how many great outings there are for kids in the city. We’ve spent endless afternoons playing with the hose in our backyard and going to the local parks, but for those days that we need a little more adventure, my 5 favourite spots are:

1. Riverdale Farm. A great (and free!) destination for little kids and located in the heart of Toronto within historic Cabbagetown. Riverdale farm was the site of Toronto’s first zoo. You can tour the Farm’s scenic 7.5 acres along pathways through wooded areas, around ponds, and into butterfly-herb-flower-vegetable gardens. Cows, horses, donkey, sheep, goats, pigs, chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese, rabbits, and farm cats may be seen along the way in the barns and outdoor paddocks. There is a great picnic area just outside the farm’s doors that everyone is welcome to use. During the Summer, the farm hosts a Farmer’s Market every Tuesday from 3pm to 7pm.

2. Toronto Zoo. One of my family’s (year round) outings. This a gorgeous zoo, with all the usual attractions with over 5,000 animals, and is set in the beautiful Rouge Valley, with over 10km of walking trails. During Summer months, make sure to visit the Kids’ Zoo, a great interactive area for little kids, and the Splash Island (although this gets quite busy on warm days). The Season’s pass offers a great value if you plan on going at least twice during the year.

3. Centreville Amusement Park on Toronto’s Centre Island. Nestled in over 600 acres of parkland just across the harbour from the city, it offers over 30 rides and attractions for little kids – from antique carousel rides to pony rides to motor boats…and my little girl’s favourite, the mini train that circles around the amusement park. And just the ferry ride over to the island is a great experience on its own for most toddlers and little ones. There is no admission fee for Centreville, but all-day ride passes are available for the attractions.

4. The Toronto Beaches. This is another one of our favourites. We like to spend a few hours on the beach, playing on the sand and relaxing by the water. Once my little girls get bored, we stroll up to the playground at Kew Gardens (in my opinion, one of the best playgrounds I’ve seen in the city) or grab some lunch at Lick’s on Queen Street. Bring lots of beach toys and snacks and just relax on the beach; weekdays are your best bet to avoid the crowds.

5. And on a rainy day….the ROM. I like to visit the ROM during colder months, but on a rainy day in the Summer, this is a great destination for little kids. Once again, the Membership offers a great value if you plan on going more than twice during the year and you won’t feel guilty spending just an hour or two if that’s all your little ones can handle. My 4-year old daughter just loves the new dinosaur exhibit, while my 2-year old can’t get enough of the CIBC Discovery Gallery with lots of interactive activities for kids. Make sure to visit the new cafeteria as well, with great options for little ones (and yummy food for grown-ups!).

Enjoy the warm months while they’re here!

Maria

PerryWinkles Kids