Toronto is a great place to visit for families. It is a huge city with so many fun things to do. There is something for everyone! These are the best Toronto attractions to visit with kids.
I have visited Toronto more times than I can count, and I still have lots of things I’ve never discovered. Visiting Toronto with kids gives you a full week of family friendly activities. Here are five of my favorite places to visit in Toronto with kids as well as five we hope to visit soon.
5 of Our Favorite Toronto Attractions with Kids
1. Toronto Zoo
Toronto Zoo is the largest zoo in Canada. It has over 5000 animals and is a great place to spend a day with your family. Some of our favorite animals to see are Pandas, Komodo Dragon, and the babies. If you are lucky enough to plan a visit during spring you will see lots of baby animals. On our visit we saw baby polar bears. They were so cute.
The Toronto Zoo also has Splash Island the zoos Splash Park. My kids could have stayed all day. There were slides and sprayers. If we lived closer I would visit the splash park often. For a one day visit I would suggest visiting the animal exhibits and doing the splash park after lunch. The kids can run around and the parents can sit and watch. It’s perfect for an afternoon coffee break!!
Best Toronto Zoo Tips:
- Bring a stroller for young children. You will do a lot of walking.
- If you have a zoo membership to your local zoo see if they offer reciprocal discount. You can often save big.
- Look at the zoo map and have everyone pick one thing they don’t want to miss. Then plan it out.
- Pack a lunch and have a picnic inside the zoo.
- Visit the Panda exhibit first. This gets very busy.
- If visiting the splash park bring a change of clothes.
2. Canada’s Wonderland
I was so excited to take my kids to Canada’s Wonderland. First, I love theme parks. They are always my top thing to do on vacation. Second, this was my first theme park as a kid.
Every year my parents would take me and my siblings and now I was going to take my kids for the first time. My parents were joining us too! We bought our tickets for admission and parking online. This offered a small discount on both. Check Canada’s Wonderland for more information.
This theme park offers rides for adults and kids. Some of the thrill rides are extreme and are for older kids while other attractions are perfect for little ones. The last few summers they also had a Dinosaur Alive attraction. This was a walk through of animatronic dinosaurs. It also was an extra charge. We felt it was worth it because it was fun for the kids.
Best Canada’s Wonderland Tips:
- Arrive early. Try to park about 30 minutes before gates open.
- Consider Dinosaur Alive for a fun walk through with the kids.
- Ride First(Older Kids): Wonder Mountain’s Guardian(42 in.), Leviathan(54 in.)
- Best for Little Kids: Planet Snoopy
3. LEGOLAND Discovery Centre
This is located in the Vaughan Mills Mall which is a little North of Toronto. If you have never visited a LEGOLAND theme park this is a great place to start. LEGOLAND Discovery Centre has 2 rides, 4D shows, and a few kids play areas. It is a fun place to spend the morning.
Best LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Tips:
- Arrive early.
- Research discount tickets before you go. You can purchase your time and tickets online.
- Ride the Kingdom Quest Laser Ride first. This attraction will have the longest lines throughout the day.
- Visit on a weekday if possible.
- Plan your day around the 4D show times. When we visited they had 4 different shows on rotation and we saw them all.
4. Ontario Science Centre
The Ontario Science Centre is a great hands on science Centre. They have many interactive exhibits that my kids really liked. They enjoyed the KidSpark area. I would recommend planning a visit when there is a featured exhibit. We visited the day after one closed and we missed out.
Best Ontario Science Centre Tips:
- Arrive early.
- Look at the map and pick what exhibits are best for your family.
- If you have a local museum membership check to see if it offers reciprocal discounts.
5. Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is a must for any hockey fan. I was surprised how much there was to do and how much my family liked it. They have hockey memorabilia as well as interactive exhibits for the family. They also have the Stanley Cup…that you can touch!! That alone makes the visit well worth it.
Best Hockey Hall of Fame Tips:
- Arrive early.
- Check out the website and purchase tickets online.
- Don’t miss the Stanley Cup!
More Toronto Attractions:
- Toronto Island– Take a ferry to Toronto Island. Beautiful beaches, amusement parks, and lots of fun.
- CN Tower-At over 1,000 feet high you can enjoy the view from the observation deck or walk across the glass floor.
- Casa Loma– Explore a castle and the gorgeous grounds.
- Toronto Blue Jays -Catch a major league baseball game in the heart of the city.
- Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada– A great aquarium with lots to see and do.
There are a lot of Toronto attractions for families making Toronto, Canada a great place for a family vacation!
More Post You May Like to Inspire Family Ways to Connect:
- Awesome Weekend Getaways for Families
- 52 Ideas for Quality Family Time
- Experiencing the Maid of the Mist
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Leah has been traveling with her family of 5 since 2012 and sharing her expertise on planning family vacations and visiting theme parks since 2016. Leah has been featured in Visit Rochester, Undercover Tourist, and Home Publications. She has worked with brands like Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, Hersheypark, Toyota, and various Tourism boards and destinations. Leah creates family travel itineraries based on real trip experiences with her family. Her guides and tips help others plan great family vacations. Learn more about Leah and Five for the Road.
Thanks for reading! Hope you get to visit someday! It is a great place!
My parents have lived in Toronto for the last 8 years or so, and I love the city! It’s taken me until this past year to finally make it to the Hockey Hall of Fame – that place is huge! I remember going to Canada Wonderland when my sister and I were younger, and our fav was definitely the water park portion. Hope you guys had a blast!!
Thanks…we did!! It is a great city to visit and spend time in.
Great tips, I would love to visit one day. The splash park look a lot of fun. xx
It was great! I was so surprised when we first discovered it. I wish my zoo had it!
Great tips! I can’t wait to visit there one day!
Thank you! Hope you get a chance to see it.
I had NO idea there was a Legoland in Toronto!! Whaaat? Wish I had known that when we visited last year! Well, that’s on my list for next trip!
It’s a LEGOLAND Discovery Center. They are much smaller than the parks. They have a few rides/attractions. It is a good LEGOLAND fix if you are far from the parks. There are many of them through out the USA. You might find one close to you!
This place looks really awesome! Definitely saving this for future reference!
That’s great! I hope you can make it there someday.
The photos are amazing! I would love to visit Toronto someday!
Belle | One Awesome Momma
Thank you! It is worth a visit and it is close to Niagara Falls(1.5 hour drive). You could spend a week.
It really is great! My kids love it! Hope you get there soon!
Great post!! Toronto has so much fun to offer! We love the zoo so much! We haven’t gotten a chance to visit Lego land yet but hopefully we will soon!!
That is great! I love visiting. It has so much for everyone.
So cool! I’d love to visit Toronto one day, and I love that you have all of these places to go with families. My girls would get a kick out of having a splash pad at the zoo—they’d never want to leave!
It is a really awesome Splash Pad! When we first discovered it they loved it! Toronto is worth a visit for sure.