It’s that time of year again… the days left for school are rapidly dwindling. My family, like many families, is around most of the summer. That leaves the age old question: “what to do?” to keep your kids’ (and therefore your) sanity intact. What makes a ‘vacation’ a ‘vacation’? – relaxation, exploration and fun! As I am in a new school environment this year, I took the opportunity for some input and new ideas from some of the families at school. While we have our favourites, I am looking forward to trying some of these new things out too!
What would you do with your kids on a Toronto staycation?
1) Mini-beach vacation – I am lucky enough to live a short bike ride away from the beach, and take advantage of it LOTS. But even if you are coming from across town, it’s always a great destination for the family. Simply bring your beach blanket and a picnic, some sand toys, a Frisbee or such, and you can feel like you are somewhere more exotic than your hometown. I’m not sure what it is, but kids always seem to like either/both digging massive holes in the sand and throwing rocks in the water. My own sons, from toddlerdom to tweenage, have found both tasks riveting. The bonus? Mom and/or Dad can lie back in the warm sand while kids are happy and occupied.
2) Touring parks, splash pads, and pools – Does anyone out there know how many parks, splash pads or pools Toronto has? I’m afraid I don’t have the answer, but I know there are LOTS! Why not look up on the Toronto website some new parks, and make a list. Try something new. I know the same park over and over can get a bit dull for all, and while it’s sometimes hard to get further afield, it’s easy enough to do the rounds of neighbourhood parks. Why not make a mini picnic of it, with some friends? Among parks recommended were: Dufferin Grove (which has lots of neat events on the go, check out their website www.dufferinpark.ca), Sherwood Park, Withrow Park (check out Dusk Dances), High Park (which offers the summer classic – Dream in High Park). And while you are checking out these new places, why not keep a family journal, logging your adventures?
3) Historic and Cultural Toronto – Our city has a lot to offer when it comes to history and culture. Besides the obvious AGO, Science Centre and ROM (check out their websites for new exhibits and activities over the summer), there are many smaller museums worth checking out: Bata Shoe Museum, Powerplant, and Hockey Hall of Fame to mention but a few. Visiting one of the many festivals held in the many neighbourhoods of Toronto through the summer is another great way to spend the day. There are the big name events such as Beaches Jazz Festival, Taste of the Danforth, Caribana and Buskerfest, but many neighbourhoods have something to offer over the summer. Why not pick something random and check it out? History is in abundance in Toronto, how familiar are you or your family with Toronto’s past? Take in a day at Blackcreek Pioneer Village (which if you really want to make a long day of it, continue on to McMichael Gallery, and enjoy the art and landscape), or check out places like The Distillery District, the Brickworks & Todmorden Mills, St. Lawrence Market and area – again to mention but a few. Another neat glimpse of history is through a cemetery stroll. Both the Nacropolis and St. James’ Cemetery have some noteworthy names in them, and make a great day combined with Riverdale Farm, and a stroll through Cabbagetown. The lights of Broadway aren’t too far either, with a selection of family friendly shows in the offering, as well as Cirque du Soleil returning, Toronto easily competes with big theatre towns such as New York or London.
4) Adventure – Toronto doesn’t lack in adventure possibilities, for the beginning adventurer and expert alike. The Glen Stewart Ravine is where I grew my love of wilderness. Some of the back trails have been blocked off to allow for regeneration, but it is still a picturesque stroll through the woods, and nicely follows a hot day at the beach lazing about. Again, High Park is a Toronto classic, offering exploration of different sorts. The Humber Valley also offers some great trails, dotted with playgrounds to break it up for the wee ones. Rouge Valley is only slightly further abroad, and if you want to go further, there are many conservation areas within a short drive of Toronto, among the favourites are Crawford Lake, Rattlesnake Point, and Bronte Creek. The great thing about these conservation areas is they offer everything from swimming, to cycling, to fishing, to hiking and so on, and many have specialty areas, such as Crawford Lake’s Aboriginal Centre. I also recommend checking out the P.I.N.E. Project for some of the activities they put on, in and around the city. Both myself and my children have loved what we’ve attended and are signed up for more events. And for people whose sense of adventure means stomach churning fun, there is always Canada’s Wonderland, Centreville, Ontario Place and the Ex (the last two weeks of August). Many stores offer discount passes, or they can be found online. Or maybe adventure means setting yourself up for a bit of a challenge: a biking destination that is further than you’ve gone before – great spots include the Cherry Beach/Leslie Spit Lighthouse, The CN Tower, the Humber River Pedestrian Bridge, the Docks, or down to catch the ferry over to Centre Island. The great thing about the ferry ride over to Centre Island is that you really get the feeling you ARE leaving the city! The lighthouse is a great boat watching spot, or you can reuse the city’s demolition to create sculptures. At the CN Tower, you can simply touch the base and feel small. The bridge offers a great skyline shot of Toronto, and the CN Tower. At the Docks you can take in all kinds of excitement, from Go-Karts, mini-putt, beach volleyball, and more. (I also recommend taking in one of their drive-in movies to relive the ‘olden days’, but you’ll need your car for that!)
5) Enjoy Family time – One of the greatest lessons I learned this past year while vacationing in Germany ironically, was how to enjoy vacation time simply by hanging out with family and friends, without the crammed agenda. Taking some time to be together is one of the best things about vacation, and when you don’t have a huge agenda of items to tick off in x-time frame, you have the benefit of enjoying one another all the more. Why not play twister in the sprinkler? Set up your tent in the backyard? Make a fort indoors on a rainy day? Bake some yummy treats together? Have a party for one of your stuffed animals? Or just sit around and talk, about your dreams (old and new), about what you like best about each other, about what scares you. Trust me, kids love making these connections – another thing I learned this year by hanging around my children’s school, is how much kids like to talk given the chance. They also like to hear their history – of you, of your parents, grandparents, and so on – where everyone met, lived, did, etc. All this chatting can be under the stars, in your tent, or fort… use your imagination and have fun! While attending an afternoon with the P.I.N.E. Project, I was told to act as much like my children as possible… sometimes it is good for us all to do this.
So whatever your reason is for staycationing this summer, enjoy the great city we live in, and most important, each other!
Just some of the website links:
www.toronto.com
www.toronto.ca
www.dufferinpark.ca
www.duskdances.ca
www.thedistillerydistrict.com
www.centreisland.ca
www.pineproject.org
www.trca.on.ca
www.conservationhalton.on.ca
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