Family Day (February 19th, 2018) is fast approaching! With so many events happening on Family Day, it can overwhelming to pick what to do. As a result, we picked the 10 best family friendly events happening in Toronto on Family Day Weekend. Our list includes everything from skating lessons to fire breathing dragons so there should something for everyone.
1. Family Fun Fest
As Toronto’s largest inflatable display, Family Fun Fest has an attraction for everyone. The Fun Fest runs every year for three days to provide endless hours of entertainment on Family Day weekend. Overtaking two studios at Downsview Park, the Family Fun Fest offers an arcade, carnival games, and a huge selection of jumping castles and indoor rides. They also host three interactive live shows including a live DJ, a clown, and an exotic petting zoo. Family Fun Fest is the perfect family themed festival and has been voted one of Toronto’s best Family Day activities three years in a row.
2. Tiff Kids Presents: digiPlaySpace
This interactive technology based exhibit aims to demonstrate the positives and creative advantages of using technology. The digiPlaySpace , hosted in the Tiff Bell Lightbox, encourages dancing, drawing, coding, and many other creative based skillls. It features over 21 exhibits from 12 different countries that all embrace technology in a different way. Some of the displays include the Sketch Aquarium (an interactive display that projects the drawings you have made on the wall), the Kaleidoscope (a heat based exhibit that allows your body heat to transform the canvas into a rainbow), and Connecting! Train Blocks ( a live and action digital display that with the movement of blocks creates a town right before your eyes). But these are only some of the projects that will allows kids and adults to explore the world of technology in several fun and creative ways!
3. Fort York Family Day
Open all year round, Fort York offers a special admission price on Family Day-completely free. This Family Day promotion also expands into their programming as they have a winter themed exhibit, a selfie centre, and take away crafts all happening in the Visitor’s Centre. Fort York is a great resource to teach kids about the War of 1812 through authentic soldiers’ barracks, mess hall, and a historic kitchen that offers fresh baking samples and hot chocolate to visitors.
4. COLOUR-Full at the Art Gallery of Ontario
One of the most important parts of art is colour and the AGO plans to celebrate it on February 19. Their activities for the day include an all ages dance party, learning how to paint without paint, a bubble wrap play room, experimenting with light and shadow, and other music based activities.
5. Winter Family Games at Casa Loma
In honour of the Olympics and Family Day, Casa Loma has decided to run a family centric olympic inspired event from Fenbruary 17 to the 19th. This event is meant to include interactive sports experiences for the whole family. For the less atheletic, there is the opportunity to watch several different sporting events and there will be meet and greets with several great Canadian athletes. This is definitely the perfect event for a sports loving family on Family Day weekend.
6. Winter Rouge
Winter Rouge happens annually in Scarborough at Rouge Urban National Park on Sunday, February 18. There are plenty of fun winter themed activities for all levels of experience. Participants can learn to curl with the Toronto Curling Association, play hockey, learn how to make S’mores from Parks Canada, go snow shoeing, participate in Snowga (yoga in the snow), or go on a bird watching tour led by expert tour guides.
7. Montgomery’s Inn
Every year on Family Day, Montgomery’s Inn hosts a traditional Irish Ceilidh for all to enjoy. The Ceilidh features Irish reel dancing workshops led by professional Irish dancers, traditional Canadian treats being prepared fresh in the kitchen, French Lumberjack dancing tutorials, and an in house Irish fiddler. All of these things make for a pretty lively Family Day so be sure to check it out.
8. Family Funday: One World at the Royal Ontario Museum
The ROM has planned for a jam-packed, fun filled weekend of activities to celebrate Family Day, Every day is divided into a different theme. Saturday features Story Time, Henna, and the Licking Heights High School Choir. Sunday focuses on the Lunar New Year, celebrating Chinese culture with fortune telling, tea tasting, and learning about the pen and brush in Chinese writing. Monday hosts musical guests with opera acts, ballerinas, and flash mobs taking over the ROM for the day. CBC Kids is also hosting a few kid friendly activities. WIth so much going on at the ROM on Family Day, it is one of the stops you can check out multiple times throughout the weekend.
9. Harbourfront Centre
Photo by @harbourfrontcentre
Photo by @sha_rocknroll
If you’re looking to go skating on Family Day, look no further than the Harbourfront Centre. They’re hosting free skating lessons but also have a schedule skate with a live DJ. For the non-skaters, there is an outdoor fireside lounge, a craft area, and ice sculpture making demonstrations throughout the day.
10. Toronto Light Fest
Running until March 4, the Toronto Light Fest aims to spread a bit of light and magic in the Distillery District during this cold winter season. The Light Fest features light based exhibits from artists all over the world. It runs from Sundown to 10pm every night and is the perfect way to end a great family day. Some of this year’s stand out exhibits include a fire breathing dragon, a nightly laser show, and a giant peace sign.
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