Toronto with Kids: 10 Best Things to Do (2026 Family Guide)

10 Best Things to Do in Toronto with Kids

These ten stops form the core of a Toronto itinerary with kids, mixing paid headline attractions with free neighborhood spots. Each entry notes the best age group and how it handles a stroller.

• Ripley's Aquarium of Canada
  • Located at 288 Bremner Blvd, right next to the CN Tower, Ripley's Aquarium of Canada anchors a downtown day near Union Station.
  • The underwater tunnel's moving walkway carries you past sharks and jellyfish. A hands-on play area near the exit lets younger kids climb and crawl among sea-creature displays.
  • Best for toddlers and school-age kids; visit early morning or late in the day to avoid the biggest crowds.
• CN Tower
  • Get ticket and timing details in our CN Tower guide before you commit to a visit.
  • The main trade-off is the view versus the wait: the observation deck and glass floor draw the longest lines in summer.
  • Best for school-age kids and teens; toddlers can find the height and the glass floor overwhelming.
• Royal Ontario Museum and Ontario Science Centre
  • The ROM and Science Centre guide covers both stops for one trip.
  • At the ROM, the CIBC Discovery Gallery gives kids a hands-on natural history space built for smaller hands.
  • The Ontario Science Centre's original Don Mills building closed in 2024. Its exhibits now run as pop-ups and interim displays around the city, so check the official site for current locations before you plan a visit.
• Toronto Islands
  • Reach the islands using the Toronto Islands ferry guide for current dock and schedule details.
  • Ferries leave from the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal downtown, with a water taxi as a faster paid alternative when ferry lines build up.
  • Best for toddlers and school-age kids; the islands' beaches and open paths give kids room to run after a morning of museum lines.
• Riverdale Farm
  • This free, working farm sits in Cabbagetown, a short trip from downtown attractions.
  • Wide, level paths make it one of the easiest stroller routes in the city, unlike the narrow sidewalks of Kensington Market.
  • Best for toddlers; budget about an hour to see the barns and farm animals up close.
• High Park
  • This downtown-adjacent park has the Jamie Bell Adventure Playground and a zoo area for younger kids.
  • Paved main paths handle strollers well, though some trails narrow farther from the entrances.
  • Best for toddlers and school-age kids; confirm current zoo hours before you build a morning around it.
• Grange Park Playground
  • The playground sits behind the Art Gallery of Ontario, with slides, swings, and climbing structures grouped by age, plus a separate toddler area.
  • Thor Espresso Bar is a few minutes' walk away for a coffee stop while kids run around.
  • Best for toddlers; pair it with a short Chinatown walk for lunch afterward.
• Allan Gardens Conservatory
  • Located at 19 Horticultural Ave, this free indoor greenhouse sits in gardens dating to 1858, with a landmark Palm House dome from 1910, and works as a rainy-day or winter fallback.
  • Turtle ponds and tropical plants under the glass dome hold younger kids' attention for a half-hour visit.
  • A playground sits just outside the conservatory; stay close to the entrance and playground rather than wandering the surrounding blocks.
• Little Canada
  • Located at 10 Dundas St E near Yonge-Dundas Square, this indoor miniature-Canada exhibit is a lower-crowd alternative to the bigger attractions.
  • Little Toronto, Little Niagara, Little Ottawa, and Little Quebec run moving trains and cycle through day-to-night lighting roughly every 15 minutes.
  • Best for school-age kids; it works well as a rainy-day or winter indoor stop.
• St. Lawrence Market
  • This market is a fast, kid-friendly lunch stop with multiple food stalls under one roof.
  • It's closed on Sundays and Mondays; confirm the current schedule on the market's site before you plan a visit.
  • The pedestrian-only Distillery District is a short trip away, with cobblestone streets wide enough for side-by-side strollers.

Cost and Tickets: What to Budget For

Toronto doesn't have one bundled discount pass confirmed in current sources, so check combo-ticket options directly on the CN Tower and Ripley's Aquarium official sites before booking. A joint ticket for both attractions is typically priced lower than buying single admission to each separately. Children 12 and under ride the TTC for $0 under the transit system's standard child fare policy, though it's worth confirming this hasn't changed before your trip. Free stops across the city, including Riverdale Farm, Allan Gardens Conservatory, and High Park, help offset the cost of paid, big-ticket attractions like the CN Tower and Ripley's Aquarium.

Getting Around: TTC, Strollers, and Elevators

Toronto's subway, streetcar, and bus network runs under the TTC. A few rules make a real difference once you're traveling with kids.

• TTC fares: kids 12 and under ride free; adults pay the standard adult fare, loaded onto a PRESTO card or contactless payment.
• Accessibility: several core downtown stations have ramps and step-free entrances; check the TTC's accessibility page station-by-station, since elevators occasionally go offline for maintenance.
• Streetcars: convenient for east-west neighborhood hops, but weekday rush-hour crowds make boarding with a double stroller slow.

Stroller Factor: Which Neighborhoods Work with Wheels

Not every part of Toronto handles a stroller the same way. Use this as a quick reference before you plan a walking route with kids.

Where to Stay with Kids

Where a family trip is based changes how much time gets spent on transit versus at the attractions themselves.

When to Visit: Summer Festivals vs. Winter Indoor Days

Summer brings outdoor festivals and easy island access, along with the biggest crowds at the CN Tower, Ripley's Aquarium, and the ferry dock. Winter shifts the balance toward indoor attractions, which matters for planning around a toddler's nap schedule or a rainy afternoon.

• Allan Gardens Conservatory: free indoor greenhouse, open year-round regardless of weather.
• Little Canada: indoor miniature-Canada exhibit, ticketed, unaffected by weather.
• Ontario Science Centre pop-ups: interim locations since the Don Mills building closed in 2024; check the official site for current venues.
• Sprouts Growing Bodies & Minds: an indoor play center that was relocating to 388 Carlaw Ave with a planned fall 2026 reopening; confirm it has reopened before building a day around it.

Common Mistakes to Avoid with Kids in Toronto

A few planning mistakes account for most of the frustration families report after a Toronto trip with young kids.

• Stacking the CN Tower and Ripley's Aquarium in one afternoon
  • Wait times at both attractions compound quickly. Budget a half-day for each, or split them across two days.
• Underestimating the Toronto Islands ferry line
  • In summer, the line at the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal can run over an hour. A water taxi gets you there faster for a higher fare.
• Riding streetcars at rush hour with a double stroller
  • Boarding is slow and crowded on a full streetcar. Time transit trips outside the weekday rush hours where possible.

Kensington Market with Kids: Food and Stroller Strategy

Kensington Market works best as a short food-focused stop for school-age children and teens. The neighborhood has no single central attraction, so plan a simple route instead of wandering every side street.

Start at Bellevue Square Park, then walk south along Augusta Avenue toward Kensington Avenue. Families can sample baked goods at Wanda’s Pie in the Sky or browse the produce shops along the route. Seven Lives serves tacos on Kensington Avenue, but its limited space can make eating with toddlers difficult.

Sidewalks are narrow, uneven, and often crowded by storefront displays. A compact stroller or baby carrier is easier than a double stroller. Visit before the lunch rush when walking and ordering food are simpler.

• Best age group: school-age children and teens interested in food and street art.
• Transit: use the College or Spadina streetcar and walk into the neighborhood.
• Nearby pairing: continue east to Chinatown or south to Grange Park Playground.