the long days of summer
Filed Under Events | August 10, 2010
Back to school shopping may have started but don’t worry, there’s still plenty of summer left! From fun farms, to musicals, to canoe rides, to bat caves, to a skating Snoopy, Toronto is filled with activities that last all summer long, and are sure to keep the kids entertained.
Watch Me Grow – High Park Children’s Garden
July 8th – September 9th, 10am – 12 pm, High Park Children’s Garden, south end of Colborne Lodge Drive, Toronto
A drop-in program where kids can get their hands dirty by helping care for the vegetables and flowers, search for insects, and enjoy stories, nature crafts, games and more. Kids must have adult accompaniment: www.toronto.ca
Pedestrian Sundays in Kensington Market
May 30th – October 31st, last Sunday of each month, 12 pm – 7 pm, Kensington Market, Toronto
Get outdoors for Pedestrian Sunday, where the streets of Kensington Market will be swarmed with smiles, buzzing with activity, and bursting with activities for the whole family: www.pskensington.ca
Free Weekends at Toronto’s Historic Sites
Saturday & Sunday, July 3rd – August 29th, various locations, Toronto
Enjoy free programming at sites such as Colborne Lodge, Fort York, Mackenzie House, and Gibson House Museum, with music, drama, crafts for kids, and heritage recipes to taste: www.toronto.ca/culture/museums/freeweekends.htm
Kidsummer
July 1st – August 31st, Daily events throughout GTA
Enjoy family time with the kids! Experience educational, entertaining and interactive activities, such as cooking and film workshops, farm visits, and major attraction visits. See website for events calendar: www.kidsummer.com
The Sharks at Stingray Bay
May 22nd – October 11th, 9:30 am – 6:30 pm, Toronto Zoo
Kids will love interacting with these incredible creatures and learning all about them with special keeper talks. This special event features Bamboo and Nurse Sharks, as well as Cownose and Southern Stingrays, and Horseshoe Crabs: www.torontozoo.com
The Warrior Emperor and China’s Terracotta Army
June 26th – December 31st, 2011, Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queen’s Park, Toronto
A unique opportunity to see one of the greatest archaeological finds in history! This is the first time the Terracotta Army has appeared in Canada: rom.on.ca
Free Weekends July & August!
Saturday, July 3rd – Sunday, August 29th, various Historic Sites throughout Toronto
Enjoy free activities at historic sites such as Fort York, Mackenzie House, Montgomery’s Inn, and Scarborough Museum this summer, featuring music, drama, crafts, and other fun for the entire family: toronto.ca
Riverdale Farm
Open daily, 9 am – 5 pm, 201 Winchester Street, Toronto
Located right in the heart of the city, families can tour the Farm’s scenic 7.5 acres and see cows, horses, donkey, sheep, goats, pigs, chickens, geese, rabbits, and farm cats along the way – oh my: toronto.ca
Harry Potter: The Exhibition
April 9th – August, 22nd, Ontario Science Centre, 770 Don Mills Road, Toronto
Step into a world of magic and wizardry and immerse yourself in all things Harry Potter with this interactive exhibition. Try on the Sorting Hat™, play a game of Quidditch™, and try to pull a Mandrake from its pot: www.ontariosciencecentre.ca
National Film Board Weekend Workshops & Screenings
Saturdays in July & August, schedule varies according to age, National Film Board, 150 John St, Toronto
Drop-in animation workshops and screenings for the whole family! Children watch NFB animated movies and then participate in a hands-on animation workshop: www.onf-nfb.gc.ca
Pinkalicious The Musical
July 3rd – September 19th, Saturday & Sunday, 1 pm, Al Green Theatre at the Miles Nadal JCC, 750 Spadina at Bloor Street, Toronto
Based on the New Times Best Selling book ‘PINKALICIOUS’ by Elizabeth Kann and Victoria Kann. Pinkalicious can’t stop eating pink cupcakes despite warnings from her parents. But when her hue goes too far, only Pinkalicious can figure out a way to get out of this predicament: www.pinkaliciousthemusical.com
Canoe Rides in the Natrel Pond
May 22nd – September 6th, Weekdays 5 pm – 8 pm, Weekends 11 am – 8 pm, Harbourfront Natrel Pond, Lower Simcoe Street & Queens Quay West, Toronto
Row, row, row your boat! Bring the kids to enjoy a canoe ride on the Natrel Pond all summer long. Life jacket rental included in canoe ride price: www.harbourfrontcentre.com
Weekend Family Fun at Bata Shoe Museum
Saturdays 11 am – 4 pm, Sundays 12 pm – 4 pm, Bata Shoe Museum, 327 Bloor Street West, Toronto
Kids will get a kick out of the Bata Shoe Museum with mini-clog painting, trying on shoes, and going on a shoe hunt in the galleries: www.batashoemuseum.ca
Serengeti Bush Camp
June 26th – September 1st, Toronto Zoo, 361A Old Finch Avenue, Toronto
A family sleepover at the Toronto Zoo! Camp the night in the African Savanna for a fun night you won’t soon forget: www.torontozoo.com
Canadian Stage TD Dream in High Park
June 25th – September 5th, Tuesday – Sunday, 8 pm (gates open at 6pm), High Park Ampitheatre, Toronto
Watch Romeo & Juliet in High Park’s open-air theatre. Bring a picnic, relax on the hill with your family, and enjoy an evening of great theatre: www.canadianstage.com
Science of Flight
August 6th – September 5th, various showtimes, Great Hall, Level 2, Ontario Science Centre, 770 Don Mills Road, Toronto
Live, free-flight demonstrations of birds, such as the golden eagle, harris hawk, great horned owl, peregrine falcon and more: ontariosciencecentre.ca
The ROM’s Bat Cave
Special exhibit, open year round, Royal Ontario Museum, Level 2, Philosopher’s Walk Wing, 100 Queen’s Park, Toronto
Kids will love discovering the real stories behind these mysterious creatures of the night. Highlights include an audio-visual show that explores cave formation, how bats use echolocation and a dramatization of bats in flight: www.rom.on.ca
Farther Afield:
Chudleigh’s Entertainment Farm
July 1st – December 24th, Open 7 days a week, 10 am – 5 pm, Chudleigh’s Entertainment Farm, 9528 Hwy 25, Milton
Chudleigh’s had pick your own fruit, a children’s entertainment area, a retail store, a fully licensed restaurant and exciting events: www.chudleighs.com
Snoopy Rocks On Ice
June 26th – September 6th, showtimes vary, Canada’s Wonderland, 9740 Jane Street, Maple
The world’s favourite beagle plays host from atop his doghouse while Lucy, Linus and Charlie Brown rock the ice in Wonderland Theatre. Cool off this summer with great tunes, costumes, sizzling skating and all the fun of the Peanuts gang: www.canadaswonderland.com
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[...] It’s a busy weekend in the city with a ton of outdoor activities to enjoy with the family. From street festivals, to learning more about the food we eat, to thrilling wakeboarding shows, to getting up close and personal with reptiles at the Zoo, there’s something for everyone! Why not print the list and let the kids choose this weekend? And don’t forget our handy list of ongoing summer fun. [...]