Toronto looks manageable on a map until you’re standing at a subway station with two tired children and a stroller, trying to work out whether the next attraction is a ten-minute walk or a twenty-minute transit ride. A little planning around where you stay and how you move around solves most of what makes a first family trip here harder than it needs to be.
This is a collaborative post.
Choose a base that keeps your days short, not just central
Booking a hotel in Toronto near Union Station or the waterfront puts you within a short walk or one transit ride of the CN Tower, Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada, and the ferry terminal for the Toronto Islands, which means fewer long treks with small legs at the end of a long day. The Distillery District, a car-free stretch of cobblestone streets and restored Victorian warehouses, is a calmer option if you’d rather avoid the busiest tourist strip altogether, though it sits a bit further from the core.
Ripley’s Aquarium works well precisely because it’s forgiving
Set at the base of the CN Tower, Ripley’s has a walk-through tunnel where sharks and rays pass overhead from every side, along with touch tanks and enough indoor space to fill half a day regardless of the weather outside. It’s busiest around March break, Christmas, and peak summer, so aiming for a weekday morning avoids the worst of the crowds.
The Toronto Islands give you a beach day without leaving the city
A ferry from the Jack Layton Terminal, a short walk from Union Station, takes about 15 minutes and puts you on Centre Island, home to Centreville Amusement Park. Running since 1967, it has more than 30 rides scaled for younger children, including an antique carousel and a log flume, and the whole island is car-free, which takes a surprising amount of the usual vigilance out of a family day out. Tickets and the current ferry schedule are worth checking the night before, since summer weekends can mean a wait at the terminal.
Kensington Market turns a walk into an activity in itself
The neighbourhood’s colourful buildings, street art, and mix of Jamaican, Vietnamese, and Portuguese food stalls give children something to look at every few steps, which matters more for keeping a family trip moving than any single attraction does. On the last Sunday of each month through summer, the market closes to cars entirely, which is worth timing a visit around if your dates line up.
Winter changes the plan, but not the possibilities
If you’re travelling outside the warmer months, the Distillery District runs a Christmas market through the winter season with a Ferris wheel and festive food stalls, and Evergreen Brick Works, a former quarry turned public green space in the Don Valley, offers ice skating in a converted factory building with an open roof. Both give a full afternoon out that doesn’t depend on the weather cooperating.
Getting around matters more than any single attraction
Toronto’s downtown subway and streetcar network covers most family-friendly attractions without needing a car, and children aged 12 and under ride the UP Express train from Pearson Airport for free, which takes some pressure off the arrival day specifically. If you’re looking for a slower first afternoon before diving into the big attractions, downloadable Canada colouring pages tied to Toronto’s skyline can buy you a quiet half hour at a café while everyone gets their bearings.
A realistic pace beats an ambitious one
The families who enjoy Toronto most tend to be the ones who pick two or three anchor activities a day rather than trying to see everything within walking distance of the hotel. Leave room for a slow morning, and the trip stops feeling like a checklist.
We hope you like this article, do subscribe to our newsletter if you do, using the details on this page. We have a few other ideas for travel for families, so why not take a look?
Our things to do with kids in.... series
We have a whole series of articles talking about the best things to do in various locations across the globe. Here are some more examples for you.
Samoa: Things to do with families
This isn't the first destination that you think of for families, but this is one of our most popular articles. Check it out.
Denmark: Things to do with kids
Denmark is a wonderful country - and its great for kids as. well. Check out some of our ideas here.
Lisbon: Best things to do with kids
Lisbon in Portugal is one of our favourite cities, and believe it or not, there are loads of things for the kids to enjoy there as well.
Bridgetown, Barbados: Best things to do with kids
We've spent so much wonderful time in Barbados, why not check out what WE think is important for the kids to check out in this wonderful location.
Take care, and we hope you enjoy all our travel articles, and ideas, and want to come back for more suggestions too.
Helen
Helen Neale
Helen is a mum to two, social media consultant, website editor and a qualified counsellor with experience of working with both children and adults. She is a registered member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapists, with her own private practise. She also freelances with her local Mind organisation. Since giving up being a business analyst when juggling travel, work and kids proved too complicated, she founded KiddyCharts so she could be with her kids, use those grey cells at the same time, and supplement her counselling income. KiddyCharts has reach of over 680k across socials and the site. The site works with big family brands to help promote their services, as well as offering free resources to parents of kids under 10. She is a specialist counsellor for neurodivergent individuals and brings this expertise to her resources and the site. She is also an ADHDer herself. KiddyCharts gives 51%+ profits to charities, focused on supporting mental health and a community in Tanzania Helen has also worked as a digital marketing consultant (IDM qualified) with various organisations, including Channel Mum, Truprint, Talk to Mums, and Micro Scooters. She loves to be creative in the brand campaigns she works on. Get in touch TODAY!