When your kids are on March Break, the last thing you want to hear from them is, “I’m bored.”
To keep your children entertained throughout their school-free week, there are plenty of activities you can do whether you want to stay at home or venture out and explore Toronto. To keep you and yours happy over March Break, we’ve come up with a survival guide that ranges from cheap and cheerful to downright delightful.
In Toronto:
Get wild at the Toronto Zoo. Not only can you and your littles get acquainted with all the animals at the zoo, but during March Break, there is special Thomas & Friends-themed programming. The Special Events Centre will be transformed into Tidmouth Sheds with Thomas & Friends colouring sheets, live animal visitors and a live screening area featuring the latest season of the show. Don’t forget to take part in the scavenger-hunt journey through six different regions of the zoo.
Make it a sweet day at the Winter Marketplace at Sugar Beach. Take in a maple sugar demonstration and sample some maple-infused goodies! Plus, parents can head over to the Sugar Shack Bar Tent to warm up with some special winter drinks including mulled apple cider, craft beer and specialty hot chocolate.
Get artsy at the AGO. During March Break, the Art Gallery of Ontario is hosting nine days of drop-in fun, including Natalie Ferguson and Toby Gillies’s immersive art installation and family art-making experience: Secret Ingredient. Foodies of all ages will have the chance to create playful, faux sculptures of food, take family photographs and share cherished family recipes. Take a family tour and end your day with some delicious snacks from caféAGO.
At Home:
Whether you picked up some special syrup at the maple festival that you want to try or maybe you’re just craving a big stack of pancakes but make breakfast a family affair. Pour your batter into squeeze bottles and get everyone to make their own pancake in their design of choice! You can even host a competition: best pancake wins a prize!
Take it to the streets. Does your kid root for the Toronto Maple Leafs while you’re a die-hard Montreal Canadiens fan? Take the rivalry to the streets in a good old-fashioned family game of ball hockey (weather permitting, of course). You can don your favourite jersey or even paint your own sports-inspired T-shirts. Bonus points if you can get the whole neighbourhood in on the game!
Pamper yourself with a spa day at home. Winter, with its frigid, windy conditions can leave our skin feeling dry and rough. Couple that with the constant hand washing we all did to ward off seasonal viruses and I bet your hands and feet need some tender loving care. The good news? You don’t have to spend a bundle on a spa. You can make your very own hand and foot scrubs at home with ingredients you probably already have on-hand in your cupboards like sugar, lemon and vanilla. Check out some ideas here.
Get Ready For Summer:
March Break is a great time to prepare for the home stretch at school for your kids as well. But that means summer is just around the corner. This is a great time to get your summer organized (if you haven’t already) and ensure your kids are booked in for their summer activities.
Muskoka Woods registration opens in September and weeks have begun to fill up by March Break, so if you haven’t registered for your week yet, hop online and register your children for summer camp on the shores of beautiful Lake Rosseau. Prepare for registration by browsing Muskoka Woods’ activity choices with them.
When in doubt, just spend some time together. If the weather isn’t cooperating, break out the board games and make it a family game night. Take the dog on a family walk and make a scavenger hunt out of it. Pick a flick on Netflix, stay up late and eat your favourite snacks. March Break is just that — a break. So relax, spend time together and have fun.
