Mini Vacation Guide: Family-Friendly Activities in Toronto, Ontario PLUS One Hidden Gem
- Danielle Mosser
- Feb 21, 2024
- 4 min read
Not all vacations have to be extravagant adventures of epic proportions. Sometimes, the smaller activities are the most fun and enjoyable for the whole family – which leads to opportunities for great memory making.
We just returned from an overnight family trip to Toronto, Ontario. Let’s explore some of the fun things and some challenges we faced along the way. Be sure to read to the end for a hidden gem of lasting memories!
Getting There
Coming from Southwestern Ontario, we decided to drive to Pearson International Airport, where they have a train service called the UP Express which runs from the airport to Union Station in approximately 25 minutes. Because we were only away for one night, we packed extremely light and each had a small backpack with our clothes and toiletries for lighter travelling.
This is our preferred route for travelling to downtown Toronto as we don’t have to worry about traffic, getting lost, or finding downtown parking. It’s just less stressful for us parents. The kids also love the novelty of riding on the train and looking out the windows as the scenery flies by. Arriving at Union Station, it’s easy to walk or take and Uber to a number of hotels from there.
Where We Ate
Located on Church Street, this is one of our favourite restaurants in Toronto. We love the experience of yakiniku (Japanese BBQ). It’s a fun and interactive culinary experience that the whole family can enjoy. Be sure to check out our blog (here) where we explore the magic of yakiniku.
Located near Yonge and Dundas Square, Jollibee is a Filipino fast-food chain with locations all over the globe. They are known for their fried chicken and spaghetti. This was our first time trying Jollibee and we were prepared to be let down from yet another fast food chain BUT we were actually surprised by how wonderful it was! The staff were very accommodating when our children were indecisive on what they wanted to try. The chicken was fresh and juicy with a delicious crispy batter. The spaghetti is very unique and was topped with cheese and sliced up hot dog. It tasted like childhood for us parents! We truly had a Jolly day at Jollibee and will return soon.
Where We Visited
No trip to downtown Toronto is complete without a trip to The Eaton Centre. Our sons really wanted to visit the Apple Store to toy with their newest tech releases. It was a nice and central place to be able to walk through in the winter to warm up for a bit when travelling between activities. We also enjoyed browsing through some of our favourite shops. Be sure to take pictures with the iconic art installation of Canada Geese which soar way up near the glass "sky" roof.
The Auto Show was being held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre while we were there. The kids were excited to go see all the different vehicles. It was fairly expensive to get in as with most of these types of events. The kids really enjoyed seeing the Tesla Cyber-Truck and had a blast sitting in the vehicles and pressing all of the buttons. They had exhibits and shops by Hot Wheels and Lego which the boys thought were neat to browse through as well. They seemed less interested in the vintage vehicles (you couldn’t sit in those), and as the morning went on, it got quite busy which made it difficult to stick together and harder to try the features of the vehicles because of the lines. Overall, we did have a good time. We encourage you to check out the events happening at the convention centres as there are quite often family-friendly events occurring including Comicons, etc.
We happened upon Little Canada by accident, and thought we’d try it out. It turned out to be an absolute hidden gem! It’s a museum which takes you through popular destinations in Canada and they are all built in miniature models. It’s really a unique and fun experience to marvel over the level of detail of the exhibits. As with similar attractions, the ticket price is a bit steep but it was a worthwhile experience because our sons really enjoyed it – and pointing out all of the places they’ve been in Canada and the sights they’ve seen. The one challenge they faced was that it was quite busy and people were not following the path, which made it difficult to keep the crowd moving through at a proper pace.
Getting Around
Our family prefers to walk as much as we can, so we walked everywhere we went. Walking allows for you to walk, talk, and explore the scenery better in our opinion. Oftentimes, in big cities, it's faster to walk because traffic can be a slow-moving nightmare - especially with high levels of construction. That said, there are plenty of Ubers and Taxis available, and we have made use of both services without issue in downtown Toronto before.
Toronto is such a wonderful city to visit year round. Its vibrant culture and variety of family-friendly activities and unique dining experiences is second-to-none! Next time you're in Toronto with your family, be sure to try some of these activities and restaurants. Let us know what other family-friendly hidden gems you've enjoyed in Toronto!
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