Get ready for a breathe-easy staycation
Playing tourist in your own city with the kids can be stress-less and affordable
March Break staycation: three words that can cause even the most intrepid parent to hyperventilate. Here’s a six-day plan to keep the entire family entertained without ever leaving the GTA. Day 1: Hit the slopes. For just $29.95, Grade 4 and 5 students can enjoy a SnowPass, which gives them three visits to each of 150+ Canadian ski areas (32 in Ontario alone) all winter long. Visit snowpass.ca to sign up. Or head to Centennial Park or Earl Bales ski and snowboard centres for a ski holiday right in the city. A day pass is $33 for all ages. Visit toronto.ca/parks. Day 2: Feed your brain. The Ontario Science Centre has tons of learning-oriented activities running between March 14 and 22. Check out reptiles up close with Safari Jeff, visit the amazing Brain: The Inside Story exhibit or enjoy the perennially popular, hair-raising electricity demo. These and many more activities are free for members or with general admission (adult, $22; youth age13 to 17, $16; child age 3 to 12, $13; child age 2 or under, free). Visit ontariosciencecentre.ca. Day 3: Have a sweet day. The Sugarbush Maple Syrup Festival is in full swing over March Break. Three GTA conservation areas — Kortright in Woodbridge, Bruce’s Mill in Stouffville, and Terra Cotta in Halton Hills — serve up maple syrup–themed activities for the whole family. Learn how the sweet stuff is made and sample the results. Prices and times vary by location (advance tickets may be required). Visit maplesyrupfest.com. Day 4: Go back in time. From March16 to 22, use your investigative powers for Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Tricky Thief at Black Creek Pioneer Village. Find clues throughout the village, question the villagers and create your own dis- guise. It’s free for members or with regular admission (adult, $15; child age 5 to 14, $11; child age 4 or under, free). Visit blackcreek.ca. Or head to the Markham Museum from March 14 to 21 for an afternoon of old-fashioned blacksmithing, printing, and pottery and textile making. Activities are free with regular admission (family pass, $16; adult, $6; child age 2 to12, $4). Visit markhammuseum.ca. Day 5: Play hard. YMCA of Greater Toronto has plenty of healthy, active fun on tap for families, including swimming, yoga and sports. Not a YMCA member? Until March15, visit 5ways.ymcagta.org to get a free five-visit pass. Or buy a day pass; daily drop-in fees vary from $7 to $15 per person. For activity schedules at your local branch, visit ymcagta.org. Day 6: Warm up. At the Toronto Zoo, visit six toasty indoor tropical pavilions then help build enrichment items for the animals (such as snack boxes for pandas).
The zoo’s March Break Enrichment Extravaganza program runs from March 14 to 22. Activities are free for members and included in regular admission (adult, $23; child age 3 to 12, $14; child age 2 or under, free). Visit torontozoo.com.