Disclosure: In any review for a product or service, products or compensation may have been provided to me to help facilitate my review. All opinions are my own and honest. I am disclosing this in accordance with FTC Guidelines. Please see “Disclose” and "Terms of Use" tabs for more information.
Once Winter has rolled around, there are fewer places on earth better than Toronto for getting your family into the holiday spirit. Every year, there are multiple seasonal events that are fantastic fun for kids and a darn good time for grown-ups too. Here are five of the best.
Holiday Parades
Every year, the Greater Toronto Area holds weekly Santa and Christmas-themed parades that are pure joy for little ones, featuring as they do, lights, music, floats, marching bands and a host of colorful characters—including the guest of honor, Santa Claus. The parades and events take place in 23 different locales, every Saturday, in and around Toronto, throughout November and into early December. The event not to be missed in 2013 is happening at The Junction Train Platform on December 7th between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Arrive early to meet Santa and his elves, enjoy story-time with Mrs. Claus and spend the rest of your day indulging in gift-shopping, craft workshops, or perhaps watching some seasonal dancing.
Cavalcade of Lights
The lighting of the tree in Nathan Phillips Square has been dazzling families for almost half a century now. These days, the focus isn’t only on the holiday tree though, thanks to the spectacular fireworks display, wide variety of family-friendly live music and ice skating rink dance party that all come with the event. A celebration of this magnitude may be a little overwhelming for younger children, but your pre-teens will be in heaven. In 2013, the Cavalcade of Lights is happening on November 30th, starting at 7 p.m.
Dagmar Ski Resort
One of the wonderful benefits of spending the holidays is Canada is the wealth of winter sports opportunities. Just minutes from Toronto is the hugely popular Dagmar Ski Resort, which prides itself on teaching kids to be as proficient on the slopes as possible. Indeed, this resort is particularly child-friendly because of the way their skiing and snowboarding lessons are broken up. There are skiing classes specifically for three to five-year-old kids—one they can do alone, and another where parents can tag along. There are also ski and snowboard classes for children aged six to 18, arranged according to age and ability, and families wanting some privacy can hire private instructors too. Put simply, Dagmar accommodates all levels of ability and all ages, providing fantastic bonding opportunities for all families.
Gardiner Museum’s Annual 12 Trees of Christmas
If you and your little ones are looking for inspiration in decorating your own tree, there’s no better place to get it than the Gardiner Museum’s 12 Trees of Christmas display. For a quarter century now, local Toronto artists have been tasked with designing the most beautiful tree their imagination can muster. The stunning results are on display at the Museum from late November into mid-December, before being donated to charitable organizations in and around Toronto. The annual event is hugely popular with kids and parents alike and a perfect way to get into the season of giving.
Toronto Zoo’s Annual Christmas Treats Trek
The day after Christmas can be quite the come down for kids. The day before was all gifts and food and delicious sweets and then… it’s over for another year. One way to ease your little ones back to normality is to take them to Toronto Zoo’s Christmas Treats Trek which has been giving children a seasonal look into what feeding time at the zoo involves, while also helping them navigate their way around the park’s array of animals, for the last 38 years. A perfect way to round off the holiday season.
Speak Your Mind