Festive activities for downtown Toronto Toddlers

Now that the Little Monkey is stumbling speed walking everywhere like a drunken sailor we have to take her out atleast once a day. For her sanity and ours! This means that I’m always on the look out for fun events in the city that we can pop by for a couple hours on the weekends. Preferably events that won’t get us a stink eye when the little one wobbles over and stares intently at strangers waiting for a smile or a pat on the head!

If you’re in the Toronto area be sure to check these events out in the next couple of weeks! Click the titles of each event to find out more details.

Story time with Santa at the Eaton Centre : I know ! I know… you’re picturing line ups and whiny kids. Moms shoving and elbowing their way through to get in front of a cranky Santa. Then paying $20 for a picture where the kid’s not even looking at the camera. Well.. this one is nothing like that. Check out the pictures if you don’t believe me! Finding the spot is a bit tricky if you don’t know where you’re going .. be sure to find the entrance to the lift that will take you to the 27th floor (shhh.. it’s near Sears and across from the Mercato!).

There’s screens and decor to keep the kids aesthetically entertained before Santa comes out to read a story. We were a bit late getting there but walked in just as the happy Santa started reading. On arrival you’re greeted by a friendly face who tells you where the free coat check is before she directs you to the stroller parking room with a view. Next up you visit another room filled with cookies, juice and water… also free. There’s a throne situation in this room that just begs for family pictures to be taken and then you walk into a room filled with comfy Polar Bear  and Walrus ‘loungers’ . Kids are happy as can be and the parents (yes even those nursing hangovers after an over indulgent night out!) are able to chill, stress free.

Story time starts at 2 p.m and the story itself probably last about 15 minutes. Just the perfect amount of time. Next up you get to take pictures in a civilized manner (you were given a number when you walked in) and parents can take the pictures themselves (for free) vs. having a professional photographer click a photo of a crying child. All this is free and lasts about 45 minutes and Santa’s little helper gives every kid a gift (ours was a story book). All in all such a civilized experience and it doesn’t hurt the bank at all. Next up we had to go find a burger and a Steam Whistle to nurse our hangovers. If you’re trying to get a spot on a booked up day, be sure to call the help line because the friendly staff are more than happy to squeeze you in (there’s lots of no shows from what I saw!). The story sessions take place Saturday and Sunday up to Christmas.

One of a Kind Show : I’ve been meaning  to visit this show for years and I finally made it out. We left the hubs at home to enjoy his football and the Little Monkey and I accompanied my mom and a friend of mine on this adventure.

It took us about 2 hours to walk through the entire room and let me tell you… it can get overwhelming. Aisle after aisle of food, fashion, trinkets and ceramics. With french fries fueling our bellies we spent the two hours perusing wares and sampling chocolate, wild salmon and foie gras. Definitely not a bad way to spend an afternoon but take into account a walking toddler who wanted nothing to do with her stroller (there’s plenty of stroller space between the aisles). Thankfully she was drawn to the clothing stores which were manned by friendly designers and grandmothers eager to entertain her and offer her a smile in return to her belly exposing tactics. While I didn’t buy too many things, it’s a great place to find something for foodies and artsy peeps on your holiday shopping list.

Everyone seemed to accept credit cards which is a good thing given the price of most items (they’re hand crafted so totally worth every penny). Lots of baby items in the mix too, clothes, hoodies, toys and nursery decor caught my eyes. We zoomed by quite a few stalls and this was the only way we managed to cover the entire show in the two hour span but ideally you’d want more time to peruse and perhaps even drop your little one at the free daycare on site (for those aged 2 and over). The show goes from November 22nd to December 2nd. Get your comfy walking shoes on and watch that toddler near the ceramic stalls!

I’m hoping to check the following events out in the next couple of weeks…

Christmas Market at the Distillery District : From Novermber 30th to December 16th the Distillery district will be transformed in a way that will remind me of the Christmas Market we were at last December in London. I’m super excited to spend an afternoon here with the Little Monkey visiting Santa, eating our way through the many stalls and exploring the fairy tale forest maze ( I KNOW!!!). Not to worry.. I also plan to make a return visit with our friends to do a pub crawl through the beer gardens and restaurants at the Distillery District (stay tuned!).

Harbourfront Centre : I try my best to hangout at the Harbourfront Centre during the summer but rarely make it out there is the cold cold winters. This year however,  plan to swing by for the Winterfest activities  Santa’s workshop at the the Queen’s Quay has arts and crafts for all ages apparently and then there’s the Santa cruise (still debating on this one but it might just be fun!). I still haven’t wrapped my head around all the activities on offer but I do plan to by the time Christmas rolls around!