A diverse, interesting city, Toronto is full of fun family activities. In fact, the official tourism site of Toronto notes that more people are catching on to this – with tourism rising three percent between 2009 and 2010.

Kid-Friendly Toronto Fun on a Budget

One of the fun things about Toronto is that it’s a fabulous place for couples, singles, and families alike. Because of all its cultural and family-oriented activities, Toronto is a great place to live with little ones, too.

But what if you’re on a budget? Well, for one thing, you can check out the travel credit cards for your family to ensure you’re getting all the rewards. Then add these fun, free kid-friendly Toronto activities, which are great for kids as well as adults, to your list of weekend to-dos.

Five Free and Fun Family Activities

1. Hike at Evergreen Brick Works

Evergreen Brick Works is a community environmental center in Toronto that focuses on showing visitors ways to live more sustainably. The community, located in the center of the Don Valley, engages visitors – especially kids – in a variety of ways. Get into nature on your trip to Toronto by taking a free nature or heritage hike at Evergreen Brick Works.

2. Visit the Lionel’s Farm Petting Zoo

Lionel’s Farm offers a huge variety of things to do. Although many of them can get quite pricey, the petting zoo is free. What kid doesn’t love experiencing animals up close and personal at a petting zoo? Take your family to the Lionel’s Farm Petting Zoo one afternoon for some free, wholesome fun.

3. Check out Harbourfront Centre

Toronto’s Harbourfront Centre is a great place to experience live music and lots of fun festivals – most with free admission – during the summer. Even if there isn’t something special going on, kids love to see the boats along the waterfront on Lake Ontario.

4. Take in some art at the Art Gallery of Ontario

Photo courtesy of Art Gallery of Ontario

While it’s not always free, the Art Gallery of Ontario does offer a free Wednesday night option between six and nine in the evening. Enjoy the over 36,000 works in this collection, and expose your children to beautiful art of all kinds at AGO.

5. Relax at Toronto Islands

The beautiful beaches of Toronto Islands feature great picnic areas for families. The Gibraltar Point Lighthouse has an interesting history that older kids love to learn about, and the islands feature several baseball diamonds, volleyball courts, and wading pools families love to enjoy as well. Do be aware that the beach on the west side of Hanlan’s Point is clothing optional.

As you can see, there are plenty of great cultural and nature-oriented things to do in Toronto without spending a dime. Sure, you’ll have to pay for parts of your excursion, but being able to fill in with things like these helps your family save money while enjoying kid-friendly Toronto.

Cassy Parker helps adventurous and budget-conscious moms over at CreditDonkey.  Swing by and check out more ideas on how families can save money on travel this summer.  Follow @CreditDonkey or visit Facebook.

The post Five Free and Fun Kid-Friendly Toronto Activities appeared first on Toronto Mom Now.

Raising my children and learning to be the best mom that I can be for them sure teaches me lessons about life every day.

Different Experiences

I revel in the warmth and sweetness of my kids while waking them up each morning. I nurture them, nourish them, play with them and listen to their chatter about nothing all day long to my heart’s content. I love the way my son’s face lights up when he see me coming home after a day at work. I keenly look forward to my baby girl’s giggles and laughter to cheer me up when the going gets tough occasionally. They both give me reasons enough to celebrate my life and I intend to enjoy every moment of it.

As a child, my life was completely different from the ones my kids are leading today. I was born and raised in India by a single parent, my dad. My mom left us when I was very little. Since my dad needed to be away at work most of the time, my brother and I had to live in boarding schools. Though I hated to be away from my dad and brother, I knew that there was no choice. I remember my impatience while waiting for my dad to visit me and take me out for a fun day at park or a picnic. The taste of the ice cream he bought for me then floods my tongue even now. At the end of the day when he finally drops me off at the school to take his leave, my heart breaks with sadness of separation all over again.

A Vow

With all its unfairness, the three of us continued to live apart well into my adult life with little or no chance of bonding or spending quality time together as a family. My friends have asked me later in life, how I dealt with homesickness, the scars of separation that were left in its wake. I thought about it for a while and realized that I never had homesickness because I had never known the comfort and security of home to be actually sick without it. All I had was a feeling or a sensation of something missing, a sort of brokenness in my soul. I vowed to myself the same day that I will never have my children go through what I had to go through.

I got married six years ago and moved here two Toronto. Today I have two children, Kevin who is three and Krista who is one. My husband is quite nice and together we make a great family. We have a house in suburbs and my husband and we work decent jobs to make a comfortable living. There is happiness, security and a sense of belonging – the three elements that robbed me off my own childhood. I got them back finally. Better late than never, right?

Observing and Finding Home

During our dinner time, some nights, I mentally detach myself from my being and observe the family I call mine from a distance.

I can tell Kevin is going to take at least one more hour to finish the food in his plate.

Krista is having so much fun in her high chair and the food lies neglected on the tray. But I will make sure that she finishes it so that I can reward her with a treat.

My husband, the calm one, is distracted at the moment. He shares his attention between the dinner and the news on TV. In between, he is urging Kevin to get on with his supper and prompting Krista to eat up her cereal.

This is comfort. This is Family. I learn that the strength of togetherness and undeniable power of love that we share between us will help us, not just to get through with life but to celebrate it as well. This realization has also helped me to erase the wounds from my past to some extent, and restore my faith in relationships and the purity of my roots, which I call Home.

Vinma Joseph is an insurance-obsessed Mom of two beautiful children. She also works full time as an Insurance Adviser (which explains her obsession). Her blog, A Momless Mom is a battlefield in which she portrays her struggles to balance her life with the responsibilities of parenthood and also as an occasional advocate of insurance needs for her wonderful readers. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

The post In Search of Home appeared first on Toronto Mom Now.

What to do in Toronto: Buy Local

The Leslieville Farmers’ Market is filled with a great variety of farmers. You will find everything; fruits, vegetables, meat, preserves, cheeses, baked goods and seafood. Such an incredible selection of fresh and healthy food. On this first outing of the season we picked up a little bit of everything.

You will also find music at the market. Each weekend a different band gets everyone dancing…especially the little ones. The Leslieville Market is shaded by beautiful old trees and they make the perfect spot to rest, snack and listen to some tunes. And don’t worry about packing a lunch, the market has a great selection of food to enjoy. Our family’s favourites are the fresh fish tacos…and the refreshing lemonade.

Farmers’ Market Tips

Are you planning a trip to the farmers’ market this weekend? Here are a few tips for making your visit enjoyable for the kids.

Head to the Leslieville Farmers’ Market site to find our more information about the market and what events are up and coming. Then stop by and visit – eating local is what to do in Toronto!

In Jen Farr’s “previous life” she was a mental health professional…in her current life she’s a stay-at-home mom with two beautifully adventurous kids. Jen shares everything that lands on their kitchen counter over on her blog, Kitchen Counter Chronicles. Swing by and learn how they are greening their lives; what they are crafting; what they are cooking and what they are reading. While you will often find the Jen and her girls inside the kitchen, you will also find them out getting their hands dirty, exploring and learning outdoors. Jen also tweets at @kcchronicles and can be found on Facebook and Pinterest.

The post What to do in Toronto: Leslieville Farmers’ Market appeared first on Toronto Mom Now.

Active Transportation

One of the areas that the report card highlights is active transportation, like walking, cycling, wheeling, rollerblading or skateboarding. Apparently we’re all spending too much time in the car, which is why the report card gave active transportation a D grade. But what can we do about it? Toronto Mom Now recently connected with Jennifer Cowie Bonne, CEO of Active Healthy Kids Canada, to find out.

Jennifer says that the report card answers the question, “How well are we doing as a country at helping kids find opportunities to be active?” She points out that 58% of parents say they walked to school as children, while only 28% of their kids do. As parents today we face a lot of challenges. Busy work schedules, safety concerns, and kids who attend school outside of walking or cycling distance conspire to make it much easier to hop in the car than lace up your runners. But Jennifer challenges us to re-consider our situations, saying, “Do a check to see whether your barriers to active transportation are real or perceived.”

Set a Habit

Maybe you really can’t walk to school every day. If that’s the situation, Jennifer suggests walking one or two days a week, or walking elsewhere. She points out that any one kilometer walk adds 15 minutes of activity to your day. Plus, walking is free. Kids’ activities can be expensive, and schedules can be difficult to juggle, but anyone who can find 15 or 20 minutes can go for a walk with their kids.

With summer on its way here in Toronto, this is a great time to set the habit of walking. You may not be walking to school, but consider where else you can head on two legs or two wheels. Jennifer says, “Kids’ activities will change all the time. Getting around under your own steam is a habit that will last a lifetime.” She also suggests building time for unstructured play into your children’s day, saying, “Not every minute needs to be scheduled.” Once kids get outside, they’ll naturally engage in active play.

Start Small

As for the safety concerns, Jennifer suggests starting small. Teach your kids about safety. Practice walking to and from school with your kids on weekends or evenings if you can’t do it on weekdays. Find others to walk with, so that your children aren’t alone. And get your school involved. Jennifer says, “Schools should consider implementation of safe walk-to-school travel plans and provide bike racks, and government strategies should ensure urban planning that supports safe communities for cycling and walking.”

How do you build active transportation into your life with kids? Please leave a reply and share your tips.

The post Get Healthy with Active Transportation appeared first on Toronto Mom Now.

Language and Learning Lab

The aim of the lab’s research is to gain a better understanding of how children learn and communicate, as well as how young kids learn about the world around them. They explore:

What to do in Toronto

They’re recruiting babies, toddlers and children up to age five. Graduate student and research assistant Yasmine Ghobrial says, “Currently, most of our studies are targeted for children ages 18 months to five years. However, if, children are a bit too young to participate, we will make a note to contact parents at the appropriate time. All of our studies are approximately 30-45 minutes and participants will also be reimbursed for either their parking expenses or their TTC fare to visit our lab.” Plus, you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing that you and your children are contributing to science.

If you’re interested in learning more, you can visit the Language and Learning Lab online at www.languageandlearninglab.com, or catch up with them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LanguageAndLearningLab. Advancing research: it’s what to do in Toronto.

The post What to do in Toronto: Help Advance Research appeared first on Toronto Mom Now.

Every once in a while, you come upon a store that is so inviting and charming that you just want to move in and live there in the hopes that the owners will adopt you. This is how I feel about Type Books, an independent Toronto bookstore with two locations, one on Queen Street West and one in Forest Hill Village. And really, who could resist this place after seeing that short film of what goes on in the store after dark?

I recently popped into the Forest Hill Village store on a cloudy day and my brain went into instant relaxation mode. Bookstores have that affect on me. This location is not all that big, but one could easily pass an hour and only scratch the surface of all there is to see. Owners Joanne and Samara meticulously choose and organize everything in the store. The results are both eye catching and interesting.

A Dream Come True

“We wanted a place that was inviting and beautiful and well curated, full of the books and gifts that we love.  We wanted a place with careful attentive service and a community vibe. We think of ourselves as a friendly neighbourhood bookshop with a little bit of everything,” says Joanne. “We have the most amazing customers, both young and old and a great gang of regulars that have been with us since the very beginning. We think (hope!) they love the welcoming space, the great service and the carefully chosen selection of books.”

Joanne and Samara met at the University of Toronto while working on their doctorates. “We often wondered what we would do once we finished if we didn’t pursue academia. The book store is our dream.” The Queen St. West location opened up in 2005 and the Forest Hill Village one followed three years later.

Where to Shop in Toronto for Summer Reads for Kids

Joanne and Samara are also Toronto moms. “We both have young kids. Samara’s are 4, 8 and 10 and mine are 6 and 11, so we take a special pride in our kids’ sections – our kids tend to tell us what to buy.”

Who better then, to offer all our Toronto Mom Now readers a fabulous summer reads list for kids?

“There are so many great summer reads that it’s hard to choose,” says Joanne, “but here it goes…”

For the Board Book Crowd: New Twists on Old Classics

“Little Miss Austen’s Sense and Sensibility and Little Master Melville’s Moby-Dick by Jennifer Adams and Alison Oliver. These are gorgeous, smart and fun.”

Picture Books

“We like Chris Rascha’s, Everyone Can Learn to Ride a Bike, Lemony Snickett’s The Dark and Melanie Watt’s Scaredy Squirrel Goes Camping.”

For the Under-Ten Set

“We’re recommending Heidi Heckelbeck Goes to Camp by Wanda Coven and Priscilla Burris and Sami’s Sleepaway Summer by Jenny Meyerhoff.”

For Tweens and Teens

“We love John Green’s, The Fault in Our Stars and Beauty Queens by Libba Bray.”

If you’re looking for a great summer read for yourself or your kids, you can see why Type Books is a great solution for where to shop in Toronto.

Type Books

www.typebooks.ca | Twitter
883 Queen Street West, Toronto, 416-366-8973
427 Spadina Road, Toronto, 416-487-8973

The post Where to Shop in Toronto: Type Books appeared first on Toronto Mom Now.

Can you feel that? Summer is on its way, and with it, many Toronto families are brushing off their barbecues and getting ready to grill. But how healthy are those hamburgers and hot dogs, anyway? And how tasty are the better-for-you alternatives? We all know that organic food is great for you, but no one wants to sacrifice taste. To get tips to make your summer grilling healthy and delicious, we connected with Christine Curtin of DonateNaturally.com.

Talking Organic Grilling with Christine Curtin

With barbecue season coming up, what health pitfalls should Toronto moms be aware of?
Using cuts of meat that are high in fat can be problematic. Also, some meat contains fillers and by products. Some of the barbecue sauces and marinades are filled with sugars, sodium and other artificial ingredients that can be harmful to your health.

How can you make your barbecue cuisine better for everyone, without compromising taste?
Choose organic fruits and vegetables to add to your grilled meals. For example, making shish kebabs mixed with your favourite fruits and veggies as well as organic, grain-fed beef is a delicious, healthy option. Use the leanest cuts of beef and pork and trim any visible fat before cooking. When grilling lean meat, use lower-fat marinades with acid ingredients to help break down the tough fibers. Marinades add lots of flavour, too. Choose sauces and marinades that are low in sodium and contain natural, organic ingredients – or, better yet, make your own!

When we’re reading labels and buying hot dogs or hamburgers, what should we be looking for?
Life Choices Hot Dogs and Grandview Farms Homemade Angus burgers are lean, and low in saturated fat. They use only prime cuts of beef with no added hormones, fillers or by-products. The animals are vegetable grain fed and raised without antibiotics. The products are gluten-free, and peanut-free.

Do you have any secrets for the perfect barbecue?
Don’t be afraid to experiment with new BBQ recipes using delicious, natural ingredients! Organic fruits and veggies as well as organic, grain fed meat simply tastes better!

What about you? Do you have any tips for healthy and delicious grilling this summer?

This article was sponsored by DonateNaturally.com. DonateNaturally.com delivers all of your favourite natural and organic products. You can get organic glass bottled milk, bread and eggs as well as many other items right to your door delivered free of charge! These are groceries you already purchase somewhere else on a weekly basis anyway, so why not shift the money you already spend at the large corporate stores over to the institutions that need it the most? You save time, your family eats well, and you take pride in knowing you have made a big difference. Donate Naturally.com donates 10% of the value of your order to the cause of your choice! Whether it is your child’s school, a large charity or your local hospital, we write the cheque and your charity reaps the rewards. You are not charged an additional 10% on top of your order, and items are competitively priced. Fundraise while you shop! Get 10% off your order – and get your summer off to a healthy and delicious start – if you use coupon code BBQ10.

The post Barbecuing the Smarter (Organic) Way appeared first on Toronto Mom Now.

Mom Blogger Eligibility

Not just anyone is eligible to be named one of Toronto’s Top 30 Mom Bloggers. Here are the details on who you can nominate:

Contest Timeline

Here’s how this is going to go down:

Grand Prize

We really want to honour all of our Top 30 Toronto Mom Bloggers. However, only one can be our top overall mom blogger. In addition to bragging rights, which are priceless, the winner of that title will receive a grand prize worth $650 including:

Nominate Your Favourite Toronto Mom Blogger

Now, what are you waiting for? Start nominating!

The post 2013 Top 30 Toronto Mom Blogger Nominations appeared first on Toronto Mom Now.

After what seemed like a particularly long and brutal winter, spring is finally here and many of us in Toronto feel like we’re coming out of a long period of hibernation. This often means that we’ve spent too much time on the couch and too little time being active. Even when the weather cooperates, it’s difficult for most people to carve out time for exercise, and this is particularly true for parents. Keeping active, however, doesn’t have to be complicated, and it can and should, ideally involve the kids. The best way to get them on the path to a healthy lifestyle is to model one, after all.

Family Fitness for all Ages

If you have an infant and/or toddler, there are many gyms and fitness facilities in Toronto that offer childcare. Community centres like the Miles Nadal JCC, Wallace Emerson, and The West End YMCA are a few of my favorite recreation facilities that will mind your little ones while you get fit.

If you have preschoolers to pre-teens, why not get your kids moving with you at the same time? Fit Fix and Fit Fix Junior offer a wide variety of fitness classes and training for children and adults. Krudar Muai Thai in Kensington Market holds a Muai Thai class for children every Saturday while simultaneously running both spinning and boot camp classes for grown-ups.

If you have teens, find an activity you all enjoy make it quality time. If conventional fitness activities don’t appeal, how about badminton, martial arts, paddle boarding or roller derby?

Take a Walk!

When it comes to family fitness a gym, fancy equipment and scheduled classes are not essential: the city is full of outdoor spaces to get fit too! Simply taking a walk with the added resistance of a stroller, wagon or baby carrier is great exercise for moms and dads. If you regularly take your kids to the park and then watch while they play, you are missing out on a prime opportunity to get active. Why not jog around the playground, do burpees and jumping jacks, or bring a skipping rope or hula hoop (one of the latest fitness crazes!)? The whole family can have fun while getting fit together.

Parks are also great, safe places for walking, running or cycling as a family and there are so many wonderful options in Toronto: Withrow and Riverdale parks in the East End, Cedarvale, Christie Pits, and Trinity Bellwoods in the West, and, of course, High Park.

Walking in Circles … or Not

Tracks, in particular, are perfect spots for everyone to exercise: kids can cycle or scooter without the danger of cars nearby, and parents can walk or jog while keeping a close eye on their little ones. In our area, Earlscourt park, located just south of the Joseph Picinnini Community Centre, has a beautiful outdoor track, but maybe your kids’ school has one you can use that’s right at your doorstep.

If going around and around in circles is not your idea of fun, than enjoy exploring nature instead: Toronto has fabulous waterfront and ravine trails, the Beach boardwalk, and the unique Evergreen Brickworks lands to walk or hike.

Leave Your Car in the Garage

One of the best ways to build exercise into your life is to leave your car in the garage as much as possible. Walk or ride bicycles to school, work, daycare or the grocery store instead. Even if your kids are small, there are now a myriad of options for allowing them to safely ride on your bicycle. Not only is cycling great exercise, it’s an inexpensive and environmentally friendly mode of transportation too!

If it’s your kids who need a wee bit of motivation to get moving, offer them an incentive to get on their bikes or walk to the park: a picnic lunch on the grass, a visit to see the animals at the High Park Zoo, or a dip in one of the many splash pads around the city. Another strategy that works with my kids is to include their friends. Offer to pick up a friend or two on the way to the park and turn it into a playdate. Remember, fitness should be a family affair!

What are your favourite ways to build family fitness into your life and routine?

Erica Berman is a mother of two, psychotherapist, fitness instructor and personal trainer. She cycles to work whenever possible.

The post Family Fitness in Toronto appeared first on Toronto Mom Now.

Locally Made Kids Fashion

Kid Culture’s owner Clare Raman says, “Our goal is to provide our customers with a unique, fun, and inspired shopping experience. We are proud to carry products that are constructed with top quality fabric and made with attention to detail. We also have eco-friendly options with garments crafted from organic cotton, re-purposed fabrics and bamboo. We work closely with the designers and many will accommodate custom orders. We welcome your suggestions, too. If you don’t see something you’re looking for then let us know!”

Clare opened Kid Culture after the birth of her second child. She shares, “I have always been a crafter. I wanted to offer something great and handmade, to start kids off on the right foot, appreciating something special and unique.” She wants everything in the shop to be made locally. Fabrics are sourced locally, and the clothing is sewn locally as well. The shop has a dozen designers from their immediate neighbourhood of the Junction, Roncesvalles and High Park. The rest are all from Ontario, and one his from New Brunswick.

Where to Shop in Toronto

If this sounds like your idea of where to shop in Toronto for the wee ones in your life, you’ll be glad to know that Kid Culture is holding their grand re-opening this weekend. The store has moved to a bigger, brighter and better location, with new space for workshops and story time. The re-opening is happening on Saturday, June 1, 2013. You’ll find giveaways, discounts and fun. At 10:30am you can participate in a song and story. At 11:00 there will be (paid) workshops where you can learn about heat transferring from paper to cloth. And from 12:30-2:30pm Diana Nazareth Photography will be running a photo booth.

Following their grand re-opening, Kid Culture will be holding regular story times and workshops. To find out more about those, visit them online, or stop by their store. And to find out more about this solution for where to shop in Toronto for kids clothes you can feel good about, check out this video on Vimeo.

Kid Culture

Blog | Twitter | Facebook
3124 Dundas Street West, 416-859-9006

The post Where to Shop in Toronto: Kid Culture appeared first on Toronto Mom Now.