Not in your backyard, right?

Seen in Cabbagetown...
Want to know where? See my blog, now at torontofunplaces.com.

Enjoy!

Ripley's Aquarium photo gallery (Toronto Fun Places)

Not many people would normally venture south of the CN Tower unless they had to see a game or a show at the Rogers Centre. This is all changing now, thanks to the new Ripley's Aquarium. 

Planned to open this last summer, Ripley's Aquarium could only open its doors in October so by Christmas time, there was still a big hype around it (they've added over 500,000 visitors in three months). 

At night, the building itself looks a bit like an aquarium.

Managing the line-up

When visiting during Christmas time, I could see that they are still adjusting to such a huge success, which came with some logistical problems (line-up management and customer service in general) and maintenance (overuse of interactive displays causing some break downs). 

I would expect that attendance will slow down a bit in the coming months (which should leave them some time to come up with solutions) before catching up again next June for the summer tourism season.

Here are some of the pictures of our visit with our teenagers. We loved it! You can also read about my 5 tips to better enjoy the aquarium experience.

Light balls at the foot of the CN Tower

Royal Agricultural Winter Fair 2013

Wondering what's in it for your family at the Royal Winter Fair this year?
See my TOP-10 favourite things to do with kids on torontofunplaces.com.

The Winter Fair goes on until Sunday November 10th. It is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. (closes at 6 p.m. on Sunday).

CNE Tips for moms with animal lovers

Muskoka chair painted by Toronto student

Visiting the CNE with an animal lover?

You'll want to see:

• SuperDogs in Hall D in Direct Energy Centre (daily shows at 12:30, 3:30 and 6:30 p.m.). They recommend you arrive one hour earlier to get a seat!

• Cat Show at Café Soleil inside Direct Energy Centre. It features 125 cats in display and competition (August 24-25, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.).

• The Farm in the Better Living Centre on the west side.

• Reptilia, Birds of Pray and more in Kids World Park (on west end).

• Miniature Horses Competition in the Horse Palace (August 24-25

Other posts on the CNE:

CNE on torontofunplaces.com
CNE Tips for moms: About admission

CNE Tips for moms: About rides
CNE Tips for moms with artsy kids
CNE Tips for moms with big kids
CNE Tips for moms with girlie girls

CNE Tips for mom: About food

Horse Palace detail

Perfect timing for Franklin Children's Garden

Another gem on Toronto Islands

The young kids I've visited Toronto Islands with were always so content with Centreville Amusement Park that I never could drag them beyond. A few weeks ago, I finally had the chance to visit Franklin Children's Garden and I loved it!

As it turns out, Friday and Saturday August 16 & 17, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., will be a very good time to visit the place thanks to the first Teddy Bear Picnic to be held at Centreville Amusement Park. Following free activities at the amusement park (you still need to pay if you want to do the rides), Franklin and Beasley Bear will lead a parade over to the Children's Garden for storytelling and giveaways.

To Franklin Children's Garden
To get to the Garden, you have to walk past Centreville Amusement Park (near Centre Island ferry) and cross the bridge to go towards the fountains. To your right, you will eventually notice the cute splash pad (beyond the reflecting pool with fountains). 

I suggest you walk by it and reach the lovely entrance to the Children's Garden further west (promising the kids you'll return to enjoy the water fun once you've explored the Garden).

The site is peppered with bronze statues of characters from Franklin the Turtle (Kids Can Press beloved books for 6 to 7-year-old readers). They're part of the decor, enjoying the place as we do. Expect Franklin, Bear, Rabbit, a goose, a snail and a beaver.

 

 

I was impressed by the attention to landscaping and detail. The microcosm of Franklin Children's Garden encompasses a pine grove, a storytelling stage, a wetland with turtles, frogs and birds, a treehouse, a vine tunnel, the elevated Unilever Snail Trail and a cute hands-on gardening section (offering craft activities and watering opportunities daily from 1 to 5 p.m.). 

Kids 8 years and under were having a ball when I visited. The treehouse was very popular, and so was the elevated trail, from which we can see the beach. 

Water fun
Centre Beach, the beach just south of the Garden, is protected from the waves by a wall and perfect for young kids. Gibraltar Beach, less than 5 minutes west, on the right, is more secluded and, on a windy day, offers fun waves bigger kids will appreciate.

The pretty splash pad is located right by the playground structure just east of the Garden.

Facing Centre Beach

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Boy and dog: separated at birth?

Don't they look alike?

I just found this photo of my nephew Cedric and his cousin's dog, Chippie.  

We lost that dog when she was visiting in Toronto last year! We taped posters with her photo throughout the neighbourhood late at night. On the next day, someone had found her and made the long distance call to reach my brother on the Montreal's phone number on her tag.

I've never been more proud to be a Torontonian!

By the way, a good place to visit with a small dog is Pawsway Toronto just west of Harbourfront Centre. You can't miss it with the giant dog and cat by its entrance. (Update from Summer 2013: They've temporarily removed the sculptures due to construction.)

You're allowed to enter the discovery centre with your pet. It's an unusual sight to see an animal at a museum. They even have "oops stations" with a mop to clean up after your pet's mess. Too cute. And in their Purina's Animal Hall of Fame, you'll be able to read about amazing stories of cats and dogs who saved their masters. Very touching.

Then, you can enjoy a stroll along the waterfront. 

For butterfly lovers (Part 3)

A cliff hanger... in Scarborough Bluffs

This is Part 3 of a summer long project (in four parts) inspired by Flight of the Butterflies, currently playing at the Ontario Science Centre’s until Labour Day weekend!

The Imax movie Flight of the Butterflies opens with a scene filmed up the cliffs off Scarborough Bluffs. 

I’ve explored the area thoroughly when doing research for my guide Toronto Fun Places and recognized Scarborough Bluffs Park. Your kids might like to visit this location “from the movie” during the summer. 

I’ve often seen monarchs frolicking at the end of the summer in this park.

Also read:

For butterfly lovers (Part 1)

(About the movie)

For butterfly lovers (Part 2)

(About butterfly gardens)

For butterfly lovers (Part 4)

(About butterfly tagging at the end of the summer)

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For butterfly lovers (Part 2)

About butterfly gardens

This is Part 2 of a summer long project (in four parts) inspired by Flight of Butterflies currently playing at the Ontario Science Centre’s until Labour Day weekend! 

One stroke of genius in Flight of Butterflies, the Imax movie about the monarchs migration, was to present a colourful butterfly garden set in Toronto’s suburbs as a most welcome stop for the tired travelling butterflies. 

I had underestimated the value of such gardens, filled with milkweed and nectar flowers, in the life cycle of monarchs. Now I think differently and it seems to me that after seeing the movie, many kids will want to help their parents create such a garden in the family backyard or the community garden. 

Don’t wait too long to see Flight of the Butterflies if you want to have time to plant!

Montreal’s Botanical Garden offers an excellent online resource to start such a garden.

Also read:

For butterfly lovers (Part 1)
(About the movie)

For butterfly lovers (Part 3)

(Scarborough Bluffs)

For butterfly lovers (Part 4)

(About butterfly tagging at the end of the summer!)

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For butterfly lovers (Part 4)

About butterfly tagging at the end of the summer!

This is Part 4 of a summer long project (in four parts) inspired by Flight of Butterflies, currently playing at the Ontario Science Centre’s until Labour Day weekend! 

If you've not seen the film yet, there's still time before Presqu'ile Provincial Park's annual Monarchs and Migrants Weekend (Saturday and Sunday on Labour Day weekend), hopefully your summer’s grand finale. 

After you’ve seen the movie and got the kids all excited about monarchs and the idea of holding a butterfly in their hands, tell them that you know exactly the place and time when they’ll be able to try this themselves and help with the research (now running under the name Monarch Watch).

The year we showed up for the Monarchs and Migrants Weekend was declared a bad one because it was so windy. Well, if this was a bad year, I wonder what a good year would look like! There were plenty of them in the bushes around the light house and everyone present got the chance to tag a butterfly. 

Spoiler alert! 

One very interesting thing we learned about monarchs migration in the Imax movie is that the butterflies we tag at the end of the summer are not the same as the fragile insects who would leave orange dust on my fingers when I tried to touch them in the summers of my youth.

Those born at the end of the summer are “super butterflies”, very sturdy, with strong feet sticking to our hands. They live longer. So don't worry, these butterflies won’t get hurt from being handled by your little scientists. All they need to de is listen to the instructions from the volunteers on site!

Also read:

For butterfly lovers (Part 1)

(About the movie)

For butterfly lovers (Part 2)

(About butterfly gardens)

For butterfly lovers (Part 3)

(Scarborough Bluffs)

Note that weather allowing, volunteers also bag migrant birds during the Monarchs and Migrants Weekend.

While you're there

We brought a picnic (there were many spots by the water). We walked on the long boardwalk through the marsh. We did a trail through a forest in another part of the park (see the Presqu'ile Provincial Park link on my website). 

I saw many families riding their bike through the forest (there's a bike lane painted on the road).

On our way back, we drove through Kingston Highway and stopped to by some apples along Highway 2.

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