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Planning a trip to Toronto, Ontario (Canada) with kids? We live in Mississauga, right next to Toronto, so the city is our big day out. Yes, we do have a summer in Toronto, and it is not always cold. It is only about 3 months of heat, but it is my favourite time of the year here. My favourite thing about Toronto is the diversity of the city and its multiculturalism.
This guide brings together the things to do in Toronto with kids that I share most, plus free ideas, rainy day ideas, how to get around and where to stay. If you want the short version, my Toronto city guide has the main sights on one page.
When is the best time to visit Toronto with kids?
May to September is the easiest time to visit, with pleasant weather and a lot of cultural festivals in the summer. Summer is also when the island ferries and Centreville run on their full schedule.
If you are coming at another time of year, every season has something. Fall brings the colours, apple picking and pumpkin patches, and winter brings outdoor skating and holiday markets. Toronto weather changes quickly, so pack layers whatever the month.
How do you get around Toronto with kids?
Toronto is a spread-out city, so it helps to group activities by area. You will often use a mix of public transit, walking and short car rides to get around. In the downtown core, the TTC (subway, streetcars and buses) works well, and most of the places in this guide are accessible by public transit. Uber and Lyft are available too. To go outside of downtown, I recommend renting a car.
A few things that help families, checked in October 2026:
- Kids 12 and under ride free on the TTC and on GO Transit trains and buses.
- The UP Express train connects Toronto Pearson airport to Union Station downtown in under 30 minutes, and children ride free. Check the age limit on the UP Express site before you go.
- If you would rather go straight to your hotel with car seats and bags, you can book an airport transfer with Kiwitaxi.
Flying out of Toronto Pearson? We stopped at the Maple Leaf Lounge on our way to New York and Abidjan, and the kids had a blast in the play area while we rested a bit and had some snacks. Here is more on airport lounges with kids.
What are the top things to do in Toronto with kids?
CN Tower, Ripley’s Aquarium and The Rec Room
These 3 sit together downtown, so you can group them in one day. The CN Tower gives you panoramic city views, and Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada is right next to it.
We spent an afternoon at The Rec Room in downtown Toronto, near the CN Tower, and we had so much fun. You load up a game card at the kiosk for arcade games, VR and even some physical games, and the more you play, the more tickets you win for prizes at the redemption counter. There is good food for a break between games, and our favourite games were the photobooth and the dancing one. It gets busier in the evenings, so go early if you want it less crowded.
Harbourfront and the waterfront
Harbourfront Centre has free cultural events, concerts and workshops by the lake, and the boardwalk runs along Lake Ontario right beside it.
The Ontario Science Centre on my old list closed its original building in 2024. A smaller temporary Ontario Science Centre opened at Harbourfront Centre in June 2026 while the new one is built at Ontario Place, so you can pair it with the waterfront on the same day.
Toronto Island
Take the ferry and enjoy the beaches, the bike paths and Centreville Amusement Park. The ferries leave from the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal at the foot of Bay Street on Queens Quay.
Plan this one for the warmer months. Centreville is seasonal and opens from spring to early fall, and from mid October to mid April only the Ward’s Island ferry runs, so check the City of Toronto ferry schedule before you go.
Toronto Zoo
The Toronto Zoo is one of the largest zoos in the world. It is in the east end of the city in Scarborough, far from downtown, so give it a full day and plan how you will get there, by car or by transit.
High Park
High Park is a large park with playgrounds, trails, a small zoo and big picnic areas. The High Park Zoo is free to walk through.
Casa Loma
Casa Loma is a majestic castle where you go back in time, and kids can explore the tunnels and towers.
Museums
The Royal Ontario Museum and the Art Gallery of Ontario are both on my list. Other families love the dinosaur galleries at the ROM, and both museums are indoors for a cold or rainy day.
Kensington Market and the Distillery District
Kensington Market is a colourful neighbourhood with food from around the world. The Distillery District is another one to walk, and if you visit in winter, other families love its holiday market.
Beaches in the city
Woodbine Beach is for swimming and relaxing on the sandy shores of Lake Ontario. The Scarborough Bluffs have beautiful cliffs and beaches about 30 minutes from downtown. If you have more time downtown, Sugar Beach on the waterfront is a small free beach with pink umbrellas, close to the other harbourfront stops.
Bigger days out: Canada’s Wonderland and LEGOLAND
Canada’s Wonderland has roller coasters and water slides. It is in Vaughan, north of the city, and it opens by season, so check the calendar first. LEGOLAND Discovery Centre is an indoor family experience inside the Vaughan Mills mall, also in Vaughan, so you can combine the 2 in one trip north.
If you want to book some of these ahead, you can look for Toronto tours and attractions on Viator.
A 3 day Toronto itinerary with kids
Because Toronto is so spread out, here is one way to group the places above by area, so each day stays in one part of the city. Swap the days around for the weather.
- Day 1, downtown and the waterfront: the CN Tower and Ripley’s Aquarium in the morning, The Rec Room or the temporary Ontario Science Centre at Harbourfront in the afternoon, then the boardwalk and Sugar Beach before dinner.
- Day 2, the island or the museums: in the warmer months, take the ferry to Toronto Island for the beaches, the bike paths and Centreville. In the colder months, spend the day at the ROM, then Casa Loma, with lunch in Kensington Market.
- Day 3, animals and parks: a full day at the Toronto Zoo in Scarborough, or a park day with High Park and its zoo in the west end and Riverdale Farm in Cabbagetown.
With more days, add Canada’s Wonderland and LEGOLAND Discovery Centre in Vaughan, or one of the day trips below.
What are the free things to do in Toronto with kids?
Plenty of family stops in Toronto are free. These were checked in October 2026:
- The High Park Zoo and the playgrounds in High Park.
- Riverdale Farm, a free working farm with animals in Cabbagetown, run by the City of Toronto.
- Free events, concerts and workshops at Harbourfront Centre.
- The city beaches: Woodbine Beach, Sugar Beach and the Scarborough Bluffs.
- Trillium Park at Ontario Place, a park on the lake that is open while the rest of Ontario Place is rebuilt.
- A photo with the Toronto sign at Nathan Phillips Square, which becomes a skating rink in winter.
- A walk through Kensington Market and the Distillery District.
What can you do in Toronto with kids on a rainy day?
When the weather turns, go indoors downtown. Ripley’s Aquarium, The Rec Room, the ROM, the Art Gallery of Ontario, the temporary Ontario Science Centre at Harbourfront and Casa Loma are all inside, and LEGOLAND Discovery Centre is an indoor option north of the city. For shopping and a warm break, the Eaton Centre is Toronto’s largest shopping mall.
What to do in Toronto with toddlers
Other families with little ones love the animals at Riverdale Farm and the High Park Zoo, the playgrounds in High Park, the rides at Centreville in summer and the soft play area at LEGOLAND Discovery Centre. Toronto is spread out, so group your day by area. If you are still deciding what to bring, here is my take on stroller or baby carrier for travel.
Toronto with kids by season
Summer is my favourite, with the island, the beaches, the festivals and the waterfront all open. In the fall we make the most of the season with apple picking, pumpkin patches, family walks and little day trips around the GTA, and here are my fall ideas in Ontario with kids. In winter, other families love skating at Nathan Phillips Square and the holiday market in the Distillery District, and the museums and indoor attractions keep everyone warm.
Day trips from Toronto with kids
- Niagara Falls is about a 1 hour 30 minute drive from Toronto. Here are my tips for visiting Niagara Falls.
- Safari Niagara is just 1 hour from Toronto and 15 minutes from Niagara Falls, with lions, giraffes, zebras and lemurs.
- Blue Mountain Village is just 2 hours from Toronto, stroller friendly and walkable. Here is my family guide to Blue Mountain Village.
- For a longer stay, here are my favourite family cottage spots in Ontario.
Where to stay in Toronto with kids
Consider staying in downtown Toronto, Yorkville, The Beaches or the Entertainment District, so the main sights are close. If you do not mind driving, Mississauga is a nice family neighbourhood, and it is where we live. For longer stays, an apartment can give you more space.
You can search hotels in downtown Toronto on Booking.com, or compare on Hotels.com.
Practical tips for Toronto, Canada
- Taxes are added at checkout, so you will pay more than the price you see.
- Canada uses Type A and Type B plugs, the same as the USA.
- Download offline maps to get around easily.
- Most places have free WiFi, but if you are visiting from abroad and want data the whole time, an eSIM is easy. Airalo has been my go-to eSIM for travelling.
- If you also want to catch a game, Toronto has the Raptors for basketball, the Blue Jays for baseball and the Maple Leafs for hockey.
First time in the country? Here is my first-time visitor’s guide to Canada.
What I pack for trips like this
The things I actually use are in my Amazon store: my packing essentials list and my electronic must-haves for travel list.
If you are planning Toronto, my pre-travel checklist is the list I run before every trip, and it is free. You can get it here.
Planning Toronto with your kids? Send me a message on Instagram and tell me when you are going.