Toronto visit with young child
 

I am going to be in Toronto next weekend with my children and grand daughter, who is 4 years old. I am looking for things to do for my grand daughter. We will be staying downtown at the Comfort Suites City Center. Any ideas are welcome. The other "kids" are twenty-somethings, and ideas for them are also welcome.
Thanks,
Grand-Dad to Toronto!

Will you have the use of a car to get around? If so, my suggestions will be a little different than if not.

Royal Ontario Museum is a perennial favourite and the new exhibit, Eternal Egypt, opened today (I think).

Art gallery of Ontario - on SUndays has Family Day which has arts and crafts for children.

Bata Show Museum is something unique although a 4 year old is probably young.

Although some people think it is getting dated, the Ontario Science centre is still pretty good in my mind and your grandchild can run around. You can get there by subway/bus - Eglinton East bus from Eglinton subway station.

Casa Loma always appeals to children.

A great bargain is the TTC Day Pass on Sundays for $7.75 which allows up to 2 adults and 4 children (under 18) to ride on the transit system all day.

The National Film Board office at Richmond Street West and John Street has, on Saturday mornings/early afternoon (I'll try to check the times and add the info in a couple of days) fmovies for kids from 3 to 6 years old.

Even little kids like the St. Lawrence Market on Saturday mornings, where there's lots of snacks kids like, and live lobsters and different kinds of cheese, and usually live entertainment of differenty types.

You could also ask her to keep her eyes open for statues and pictures of animals; there are life-size cows beside the Toronto Domintion Tower of the Toronto Dominion Center in the financial district, but as you move around, you'll see signs and billboards and window displays with animals. Kids like that.

On the way to the NFB, pause at the parking lot of CITY-TV , on Queen Street East between University Avenue and John Street, to look at the truck driving out of the wall, up in the sky.

Kids like that, too.

In the Yokkville area, north of Bloor Street West, between Bay and Avenue Road (close to the Royal Ontario Museum) there's a park on Cumberland Avenue with a giant rock kids can climb.

There's a playground in Grange Park, immediately south of the Art Gallery of Ontario (go down McCaul Street for a blcok from Dundas beside the Art Gallery, and turn west on the little side steet for a short block, and you are there.)

Swiss Chalet ReEstaurants are very kid friendly, with good food (mostly chicken) for grownups.

Next weekend is supposed to be chilly; maybe not all that comfortable to go to the harbour, but kids like harbourfront, too.

BAK

If it's the Comfort Suites on Jarvis I recall a great pool that my daughter enjoyed. She also liked riding the subway.

Can't Sit Still is the name of the National Film Board workshops for little kids, from 3-5 years old.

The workshops are Saturday mornings, from 10:30 to Noon, and cost $5 per kid. Adult needs to stay, for free.

The National Film Board office is at John Street and Richmond Street West.

From the Comfort Suites, put the kid in a stroller and walk east on Dundas to Yonge Street, to the Eaton Center.

Walk inside through the Eaton Center to the south end, at Queen Street, and out the door.

Turn right/west and walk west on Queen Street a few blocks, past University Avenue (extra wide) St. Patrick, McCaul, some other streets, until you see an old, almost sqaure building with a CITY-TV sign.

Show the kid the truck driving out the wall facing the parking lot.

Keep walking on Queen to the next intersection, which is John Street. Turn left/south and walk one block to the NFB on the corner of Richmond.

Or get in a cab and ask the driver to take you to Chapters and John and Richmond. Drivers will know where this is. Chapters is a big book store across the street from the NFB.

After the NFB,, go to Starbucks in Chapters for a $1 kid's hot chocolate.

BAK

Thank you all for the great suggestions. We will have access to a car, so if there are options that take us out of the downtown area they would be a consideration also.