Ideas for March Break Activities Around Toronto

From Nathalie

I took Middlest to see National Theatre Live’s production of Treasure Island recently, and I really like the idea of taking kids to see plays at the movie theatre.  While we sat in a Cineplex theatre in Toronto, we watched a live production of the play being staged in London, complete with a 20-minute intermission.  Of course, seeing the play in the theatre lacked some of the fun and sense of occasion that goes with a night at the theatre, but that informality is exactly what appealed to me with young kids.  We ate our popcorn and drank our drinks and it was all very relaxed.  I’d like my kids to see as much Shakespeare as possible before they encounter it at school, and for the price of a movie ticket, you really can’t go wrong.  King Lear is showing tomorrow, Shakespeare’s Globe on Screen will be showing Macbeth and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and I am dying to see Benedict Cumberbatch in Hamlet later this year.

And if it’s fine art that tickles your fancy, head over to the AGO, which has fabulous programming for kids to complement their latest exhibition of the work of Jean-Michel Basquiat.

From March 14-22,  join the AGO for one of nine creative days of exploring the amazing art of Basquiat. The whole family can enjoy beat boxing, dancing and drumming performances; interactive storytelling; art making; films and family-friendly tours of the Basquiat exhibition.  As with every new exhibit, the AGO also runs Family Sundays, from February 8-March 29.  Each week families are invited to explore a new aspect of Basquiat’s work through art-making and hands-on activities (1 – 4 p.m. in the Weston Family Learning Centre).  For a complete line-up of activities, visit www.ago.net/family-events.

If you are in Vaughan, you can hit three great destinations in one fun-filled day.  Start at LEGOLAND, where Carol, Beth-Anne and I took our boys a while back and loved it, then head over to Sky Zone Vaughan to bounce their sillies out.  It’s wall-to-wall-to-wall trampolines, and, yes, they can bounce off the walls.   You can pay to bounce for 30 minutes or in increments up to two hours.  There are special toddler times for the littlest ones, but generally, jumpers should be already walking and be able to follow the instructions of the staff.

And when you are done jumping, go chill with the cold-blooded creatures at Reptilia.  As Canada’s largest indoor reptile zoo, Reptilia boasts a collection of over 250 reptiles, amphibians and arachnids (!).  Reptilia is also taking the show on the road, and they will at Hillcrest Mall for March Break from March 19-21.    At Reptilia Live! there will be interactive meet-and-greet, and guests can get to see, hold and touch a variety of cold-blooded creatures and learn interesting and educational facts.

Show times are as follows:

[Thursday / Friday, March 19 and 20]

11:00 – 11:20 | Live animal show

11:20 – 12:00 | Meet and Greet

1:00 – 1:20 | Live animal show

1:20 – 2:00 | Meet and Greet

3:00 – 3:20 | Live animal show

3:20 – 4:00 | Meet and Gree

[Saturday, March 21]

12:30 – 12:50 | Live animal show

12:50 – 1:30 | Meet and Greet

2:00 – 2:20 | Live animal show

2:20 – 3:00 | Meet and Greet

If you go on the Thursday, look for Carol and Nathalie!  We’ll be there with some of our brood.

Toronto for Kids also has a great round-up of camps, shows and activities.  Check it out.

From Beth-Anne

The Young People’s Theatre is one of my favourite not-so hidden gems in the city. The productions are always top-notch and tailored for a younger audience. Over March Break the classic tale of Pinocchio takes the main stage and to enhance the experience theatre-goers can sign up for the Puppet Lab and learn from experts how to create their very own, unique puppet. Space is limited. For ticket and show information visit Young People’s Theatre.

For older children, The Heart of Robin Hood is a great bet! I have been a patron of Mirvish Productions for many years and The Heart of Robin Hood easily makes my top 5 list. The real story of Robin Hood may surprise you – Maid Marion is no shrinking violet, Robin’s not as generous as you may have believed and Friar Tuck . . . poor Friar Tuck. The original music is guaranteed to have your feet moving but it’s the transformation of the theatre into Sherwood Forest that is truly remarkable. If you’re looking into introduce theatre to your tweens or teens, this is the show to attend but hurry, the run ends on March 29. For tickets and show information visit Mirvish Productions.

For the dancers, The National Ballet of Canada’s Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland, looks simply magical. I have not yet seen it but judging how much the boys enjoyed The Nutcracker, it appears it would be a hit. The costumes and the staging are receiving rave reviews and the sneak peeks shown on the website justify why. On stage March 14-29. For tickets and show information visit The National Ballet of Canada.

From Carol

It will still be wintry, but hopefully just a notch or two higher on the temperature scale, which means perfect timing for skating.  I love outdoor skating whenever we can get it, and Toronto boasts both Nathan Philips Square and the Natrel rink down at at Harbourfront are wonderful urban settings for gliding on city ice.

Or head over to the Brickworks for a smaller, more intimate outdoor skating experience on their public rink, and then head over to one of their drop-in programs for kids over March Break.  Paper mache boat building, both for individual boats and a collective boat, caught my eye.  Suggested donation $5.

Boats make me think of not winter, and I’m feeling ready to move on to our next season with Canada Blooms, our largest flower and garden festival. The many events and workshops fall over March Break, and offer opportunities for children to get their hands dirty getting ready to garden.  Kids will also be able to take home vegetables and flowers to start their own gardens at home.

For a unique cultural experience, the Aga Khan Museum offers stunning exhibits and collections that explore Muslim civilizations – head over on the Wednesday of March Break to enjoy and explore for free between 4 to 8pm.

Do you have any favourite suggestions for the March break?  Please share them!

Advertisement

Toronto Staycation – A March Break Round-up

For those living in Ontario, next week marks the start of March Break and parents everywhere will scramble to entertain their children.  Some children will go to day camp or maybe a babysitter to while away the time before school resumes.  The lucky will escape the dreary winter weather and head for sunny skies. Everyone else will be passing off a “staycation” as the next best thing to Disneyland.

One of the greatest perks about living in Toronto is that it is an incredibly family friendly city.  Activities abound and cater to a variety of interests and more importantly price points!  Toronto is chock-full of things to do for free and on a limited budget.

If you live in Toronto bookmark this post and use it as your March Break go-to-guide and if you don’t, well, bookmark it anyway and be sure to refer to it when you visit the city.

For the Thespian

Toronto has a theatre community that rivals London and New York.  Children’s theatre is no exception.  Whether it is a show-stopping musical of the highest caliber (Mirvish’s The Wizard of Oz) or something lower key, you will not be disappointed.

The Cat in The Hat – Young People’s Theatre

Magnificent Munsch – The Solar Stage

Stinky Kids The Musical, Pinkalicious, Freckleface Strawberry The Musical – Lower Ossington Theatre

The Elves, A Shoemaker and His Wife – The Little Red Theatre

The Berenstain Bears Live!, Potted Potter – The Living Arts Centre

Scooby-Doo Live! – The Sony Centre

For the Screen Junky

Perhaps you have a Spielberg wannabe on your hands and only the silver screen will do.  While the Cineplex and Famous Players are sure to have crowd pleasers, why not try suggesting something on the indie side?  Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) has all sorts for kids.  The weekend of March 16 & 17^th, TIFF will offer FREE screenings of The Magicians, Lotte and the Moonstone Secret and Elenor’s Secret.

If video games and media is your child’s thing, consider a visit to digiPlayspace where kids get hands-on experience where technology and art meet.

For the Naturist

It’s time to harvest the maple syrup and surrounding the city there are many conversation areas that host demonstrations, wagon rides, and other family-friendly activities (especially for the littlest ones).  A word of caution, some of these wooded areas can be quite muddy so be sure to dress appropriately and if outerwear does get caked in mud, Carol has the easiest way to get those garments clean without even bringing them into the house!  Many of these areas are free or have a minimal cost making it the perfect way to spend a day outdoors.

Purple Woods

Kortright Centre

Bruce’s Mill

Riverdale Farm

Bronte Creek

Evergreen Brick Works (does not have a maple syrup shack)

For the Budding David Copperfield

While the hand may be quicker than the eye, these programs are guaranteed to keep little eyes (and bums!) captive.  Mark Lewis’s Magic Show can be seen at Lower Ossington Theatre while Casa Loma is hosting breakfast with Houdini March 14-16.  Get tickets fast – they are disappearing!

For the Hockey Fanatic

Skaters can enjoy the many FREE skating rinks around the city including the Natrel Rink at Harborfront, The Evergreen Brick Works and the kid-friendly loop at The Shops at Don Mills.  For deeper pockets, The Hockey Hall of Fame never fails to impress young Wickenheisers and Crosbys.

For the Lego-Junky

Indigo Kids has all sorts of activities running throughout the week at 11 a.m. but Wednesday’s Lego theme would be a hit with our boys.  Not every location is offering these activities so be sure to check before making any promises.

Vaughn Mills is home to the newest Legoland Discovery Centre and while tickets are $18 for those over 2, I can’t promise that you won’t need to dig a bit deeper at the gift shop.

Do you wonder how little pieces of plastic can be so expensive?

The Heavy Hitters

Toronto is also home to a variety of Internationally acclaimed museums and attractions, including (but not limited to):

The C.N. Tower

The Royal Ontario Museum

Art Gallery of Ontario

The Ontario Science Centre

References

Still stumped?  Check these tried, tested and true websites:

Savvy Mom

Toronto 4 Kids

Help We’ve Got Kids

After compiling this list, I have to say that I am looking forward to spending some time in the city.  What are your plans for March Break?

The Neverending Story

March Break on Stage!

On Saturday, we went to see The Neverending Story at the Young People’s Theatre in Toronto.  Based on a novel by Michael Ende, and adapted for the stage by David Craig, the play is about a boy and a book and how the characters in the book need the boy to help save them from the Nothing.  The Nothing is a nihilistic force that threatens to destroy all of the stories in Fantastica, where the book is set, but really, it’s the threat of a world without imagination, a world in which children are forbidden to dream, where they are told that stories do not matter.

So far, so up my alley.  The star of the show, I have to say, is the mechanical aspect: costumes and scenery.  There are curtains on stage that are characters in their own right, and the costumes were a delight to behold.  The layers and texture and energy of the costumes added so much to the performances.

The part of the (real world) boy Bastian is played by Natasha Greenblat, and she stole my heart and the show.  Bastian has recently lost his mother, his father’s grief debilitates him, and Bastian is bullied at school to such an extent that he hides in the school attic.  I felt that the other actors hammed it up a bit much, as if thinking that an audience full of children needed that element of attention-grabbing exaggeration.  She, on the other hand, played her part to perfection, never condescending to her young audience.  The message of the play is that books need readers to keep them alive, and that they, in turn, will enrich readers’ lives, and I found that she delivered this message with wonderful grace.

The best part of seeing a performance at the Young People’s Theatre is that there is a Q&A period after the performance.  Children can ask the actors about any aspect of the play and its production.  One child asked, “Is the play real?” and the actor who answered her did so with such respect.  He pointed out that they were actors and the play was a story but that it was a story about real things like grief and bullying and the importance of the imagination.  He told the audience that imagination and the escape that books offer can be the best way to deny bullies power over us.  I think it’s wonderful to have an actor explain that clearly, simply, and with as much passion as he did.

Tickets are a very reasonable $10-$20, about the cost of a movie, and the theatre is such a wonderful part of the arts available to children in the city.  Special show times are on for March Break.