Easter Weekend at Centreville

We had nothing planned this Easter but it turned out to be an absolutely fantastic weekend filled with lots of things we love. Good food and friends started off the weekend (more on that tomorrow) and then Saturday saw us acting as if we were on vacation. You know how much I love days like that! You may recall us sharing all about Centreville last summer, well the folks there threw an Easter Eggstravaganza that was lots of fun. We were invited to check out the weekend long event and so we packed up the Little Monkey, Baby Boy and my parents and linked up with some friends for some Island fun.

From what I’ve gathered this isn’t an annual event, though I really hope it does happen again! Everything is weather contingent and this year we lucked out with the Island ferries opening for the season on Easter Weekend, which is why Centreville was able to throw this super duper fun event. Tickets for kids and adults were only $15 each and gave you access to a few rides (not all rides were open), a mini egg hunt through the park, plenty to do from bouncy castle fun to art stations and of course you had access to Far Enough Farm as always. Baby Boy was too young for any of the rides so I didn’t get a ticket for him but I did take him on the carousel and no one said anything. If only one parent was going on the rides I’d say that you only get tickets for the child and the one parent versus one for everyone. We got tickets for everyone except for my dad who we knew would be guarding our strollers on the side. Plenty of stroller space and no guarding required but of course we appreciated the extra pair of eyes on our belongings.

We lucked out with some sunshine but it did get windy at times. We totally didn’t realize that the sun was out in full force because the hubs and our friends got a bit of a burn. I guess those brown genes saved Baby Boy and Little Monkey from a burn (remember my sunscreen post? I need to follow my own advice). With four kids (two babies and two toddlers) we most definitely appreciated the extra help we had on hand. I highly recommend visiting the Island with grand parents as it ensures that everyone has a fab time 😉

The park was busy and there were line ups, most moved quickly (under 20 minutes) and the two toddlers (the girls are so cute aren’t they? I love seeing these two play together) had an amazing day. We chose the rides for them so they got to go on the Ferris Wheel, the antique Carousel and the Beasley Bear Ride. I asked the Little Monkey what she loved best and she said ” Playing with my friend and saying hi to the Easter Bunny”. I really liked that everything was spread out across the park, because this meant that no matter where you were, you got a chance to do and see things. We hit up two egg stations where they gave the kids and adults candy and stickers. We also met the Easter Bunny and Beasley Bear, clearly a highlight.

Our day ended by catching the last egg scramble. What’s that? Why a very cute setup where the little ones dug for chocolate! I heard lots of parents whine about this event but despite having stood in line for an hour we still loved it. There were two sections, one for those 6 and above (younger siblings did go in with the older ones) and one for those 6 and under. You could tell that the staff were very serious about their roles, they diligently hid the eggs under the hay and ensured that one parent went in with each kid. It was hard telling the parents that only the kids were to pick up the eggs, clearly my mom ignored that rule because the Little Monkey came out with quite the stash. The hubs quietly stole some from her bucket and shared it with others!

I’ll like to take a moment to remind parents to play nice in the sandbox. I witnessed many rude encounters over the weekend. It can be frustrating being out with tots in tow but taking out your anger on employees of the park is not the solution friends. Those guys are doing their jobs and they can’t make an exception for you. Things start on time, if your kid had to go to the toilet at the last minute, the game has to continue without them. Line ups can be long and last rides are that, the last ride. Don’t yell at them that you’ve been waiting not knowing. Be kind to those around you and please respect fellow parents and park employees.

It was a gorgeous day and it’s such a treat to have something like this in the city. Another reason we love Toronto! Between the ferry ride over, the sunshine and the fun filled activities, we truly felt like we were on vacation. Despite being exhausted we dined out at one of our faves, Bannock, and ended the night with a swim. Centreville opens on weekends in May and September but is open all week long from June to August. It’s the perfect park for toddlers in Toronto because there’s a good mix of everything from rides, grassy areas to run through, a farm and even a beach near by.

How was your Easter?