Things to do in Toronto with Tweens

Wondering what to do in Toronto with tweens? Toronto is our hometown and over the years we’ve told you how to spend a weekend in Toronto with young kids so obviously it’s time to tell you how to spend a weekend in Toronto with tweens. This moody age where they still love unique playgrounds (the one at Grange Park is our current fave) but also want to do thrilling activities, try new foods and get a taste of the bougie life, can be difficult because they mostly just want to be on their screens, but luckily Toronto has enough to entice tweens away from their devices and keep their whining to a minimum. It’s a fantastic city to explore with tweens in tow and create new memories as a family! 

 

Things to do in Toronto with Tweens

Toronto with tweens

I know your tweens probably don’t want to go to “boring museums” and will roll their eyes at every Toronto activity you suggest but trust me, many of the ideas below will get them moving and smiling once they’re at the destination. You know your child best so filter the below list of things to do in Toronto with tweens to suit your child’s mood and preference.

 

Take the Adrenaline Junkies to Toronto Theme Parks

Canada's wonderland with tweens

Akira and Apollo love theme parks, whether it be roller coasters or water slides, they are totally into it. For a full day experience I recommend Canada’s Wonderland because it has all sorts of rides especially for those who like those full throttle rollercoasters. They also have a summer waterpark that’s included with your entry fee but we are yet to make it there because the rides consume our entire day. I really like how Canada’s Wonderland isn’t just a summer activity-they have Halloween and Holiday programming so thrill seekers will be satisfied during the fall and early winter seasons too.

 

If you’re looking for more of a lazy summer vibe where parents can chill in a cabana and the tweens will amuse themselves by going on waterslides over and over and over…. then Wet’n’Wild is a great option. This waterpark is only open during the summer months but it does provide a full day of fun. 

Both of these are outside of the downtown core and you will need to either drive or Uber there. 

 

Vibrant Vibes: Festival Experiences for the Cultured Tween

Toronto festivals with tweens

If you have a tween who enjoys experiencing new things, then keep an eye out for the many Toronto festivals that take place. If you’re not local it can be hard to figure out what’s happening but this city website usually does a good job at telling us what’s happening when. These festivals usually have fun performances, street food and live music-and while most happen between spring and fall, there are winter ones too. They’re also great for shopping and people watching. There are many free ones like Indigenous Gatherings, Nuit Blanche, Do West Fest, Salsa on St. Clair, Pride etc but then there are some with a mix of paid and free stuff such as  during TIFF, NXNE, Hotdocs, Luminato etc. Oh and if you’re here towards the end of August/early September you MUST check out the CNE/”the EX”

 

Unique Toronto Dining Experiences for the Foodies

DINING in Toronto with tweens

Toronto’s food scene is truly amazing and yes it can get expensive trying to feed these tweens but it’s totally fun to see the tweens try new food. If there’s a specific  cuisine your child likes, then this Toronto food list might help you narrow down some options. However, I think every tween visiting Toronto will be impressed if you take them to Storm Crow Manor, Poop Cafe  (or the new Poopalicious) and jungle themed Selva where they also  have dome dining in the winter. Adventurous eaters might even enjoy Chotto Matte, another jungle themed restaurant. We haven’t dined in the dark at O Noir because one of our tweens is afraid of the dark, but if your kids are comfortable dining in the dark, visually impaired servers will serve you a full meal so you can experience a meal using all your senses except for sight! Oh and NBA fans should definitely swing by the NBA  Courtside restaurant. If you have a budding chef on your hands, they would definitely appreciate a meal at the student run Chefs’ House.

Eat with your hands at an Ethiopian restaurant or cook your own meal at Hot Pot or Korean BBQ restaurants-these are all tween approved meal options at ours! 

Also check out the awesome Toronto Happy Hours because there’s great deals to be enjoyed- drinks for parents and food for the tweens!

I will also mention that Toronto has some fabulous food halls for those tweens looking for a variety of choices. Unlike a food court, Food Halls offer a more elevated experience and most of them feature local chefs (offering a variety of cuisines) and non-chain offerings. Chefs Hall and Waterworks would be my picks for the tweens! 

 

Fancy Experiences for the Bougie Tweens

fancy Toronto with tweens

If you have kids visiting Toronto who appreciate the finer things in life then I have some fancy Toronto experiences that they may dig! Get those pinkies up and enjoy afternoon tea at the Shangri-La. They serve a special menu for those 12 and under and even have a mocktail on offer. They also do their best to cater to dietary needs and allergies. Absolutely cute and very posh! 

If they enjoy live music, take them to Casa Loma’s Symphony in the Gardens or Sunset Concerts in the summertime. Tweens will  get to sip a non- alcoholic beverage, roam around the Castle’s gardens and experience live performances. 

And for those tweens who love the bling, a visit to AniceJewellery will enable them to make custom jewellery, including permanent friendship bracelets in Toronto! 

For a day of true bonding, why not treat your tween to a mani-pedi at Her Majesty’s Pleasure? You can enjoy some cocktails and the tweens can have mocktails whilst getting your nails done. 

Whether it’s dining at the 360 restaurant at the CN Tower or one of the many Michelin Guide recommended and starred restaurants, there’s plenty of bougie dining experiences to be enjoyed with your tweens in Toronto. Don’t forget to head up to Aera and catch sunset from there-grab a mocktail for the tween and a cocktail for yourself! 

 

Shopping Experiences for Spendthrift Tweens 

tweens shopping in Toronto

If your tweens are like mine and love scoping out nick knacks, small gadgets, unique toys and the occasional outfit,  then walking around Queen West, the Well and Kensington Market will keep them amused. Queen West and Kensington Market have great street art for some cool photo ops too! All three have cool cafes and restaurants for a break from shopping.

We know that many tweens love the mall scene so spending a day at Yorkdale or the Eaton Centre will also be great options-especially when the weather outdoors isn’t to your liking. They’ll find everything from Drake’s OVO and Sephora to Ladurée between these malls. 

For something a bit different, head to the Distillery District where you can roam around the pedestrian only space. There’s stores with cool knick-knacks, many bakeries and buildings steeping with history. 

If you’re feeling generous and the tweens deserve some fancy things, then Milk Mile in glitzy Yorkville is where you’ll want to head to. It’s home to stores like Kith, Anthropology and all the designer wear! 

Here’s more ideas on things to do in Toronto! 

 

Walking Tours for the Curious Tweens

Toronto walking tours for tweens

Depending on your tween’s interest, there’s a variety of Toronto walking tours to choose from. We’re huge fans of spooky tales all year long so Haunted Walks is a favourite of ours. You can also partake in a free walking tour (it’s pay what you can of course) and go on a graffiti tour! 

There are so many food tours in Toronto – here’s a great one in Kensignton Market  , this one feeds you around downtown Toronto  and you can also be guided around St. Lawrence Market or Little Italy if you book with Tastes and Tales. We did a Go Tours breakfast tour at the Distillery District with our tweens recently and it was a solid mix of history and eating! 

If you prefer to do self-guided walking tours, the city website has many options to guide you and there’s a playlist featuring artists who have called each neighbourhood home. You could also roam around the waterfront area on a nice day and if it’s snowing, here’s our list of things to do in Toronto during the winter.

 

 

 

Toronto Escape Rooms for Tweens who Love a Challenge

Toronto escape rooms

There are dozens of escape rooms in downtown Toronto so finding one that will appeal to your tween should be easy. Our kids love a themed challenge so we try to participate as a family and it’s always fun. Looking Glass Adventures has some tween friendly ones, as does Secret City Adventures (escape room in a Castle anyone?). Art lovers will want to visit DayDream for their picturesque escape rooms while those who are Harry Potter or Star Wars fans will want to visit E-Exit

 

Live Entertainment in Toronto for Tweens

Toronto theatre for tweens

Yes we all know that Toronto hosts some amazing musical performances (I mean  Taylor Swift IS coming to Toronto!) but there’s plenty of live entertainment options for tweens beyond concerts. 

Musical loving tweens will definitely want to check out what’s playing at the Mirvish theatres (Life of Pi is a great option right now) and those who love murder mysteries, should explore Mysteriously Yours Dinner Theatre. Keep an eye out for Cirque du Soleil shows as well because they’re in Toronto a couple times a year! 

 

Unique Toronto Activities and Game Rooms

Toronto gaming bars for kids

We know tweens will balk at the idea of going to a museum (even though I bet they would enjoy a visit to the ROM and the Museum of Illusions) so I won’t mention them. Instead let me point you towards some unique activities for gamers and those looking for “something different”. Head to this splatter room to splash away on a canvas or each other and be sure to visit the Zed80 (before 8 p.m.) for unlimited arcade play time for $10. Got angry tweens, then Battle Grounds and their axe and knife throwing are solid options! 

Toronto has a board game cafe in nearly every neighbourhood and here are some of our faves : Twilight Cafe, Snakes and Lattes and the Guild House

From spring to fall, getting out on the water can be cool when you go “glow in the dark” kayaking – allow the tweens to control the music! 

For the environmentally conscious tweens, Arcadia Earth will definitely tickle their fancy. For those that like cute-sy and sensory rooms, the Bubble Planet is worth looking into.

And I know I said I wouldn’t recommend any Toronto museums for tweens BUT… check out iArts Museum because it’s all about the immersive Instagram-ey art and is nothing like a “boring museum”. 

No matter their age, I think a visit to the Toronto Islands is always a win and downtown Toronto has quite a few “claw arcades” for those looking to collect stuffies-OHYO and Octo Zone are both quite close to the Eaton Centre. 

 

Toronto Sports for the Sporty Tween

unique things to do in Toronto with tweens

For sport-addicted tweens Toronto has live games all year long between the Raptors, Blue Jays, Toronto FC and the Maple Leafs. If watching a game isn’t their thing they can try their hand at glow in the dark golf and pop into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Or how about bowling in downtown Toronto? Burn that energy off by going a bit east  and jumping it off at Skyzone (parents, there’s a brewery next door with games kids can also join in on!). 

No matter the season, Toronto is home to free outdoor activities –  you can rent Bike Shares as a family (bring your own helmets though), in the winter you can ice skate at rinks like Nathan Philips (skate rentals available) and in the summer you can rollerblade at spots like College Park (bring your own blades). You can also shoot hoops or  join in on a spontaneous game at David Crombie Park, under the Bentway and many more spots. Same goes for baseball diamonds at parks like High Park and Dufferin Grove.

 

As you can see, there’s fun things to do in Toronto with tweens. It all depends on the mood and budget. Speaking of budget, check out the Attractions Ontario page for coupons and Groupon usually has deals for select pop up events, attractions and other activities. 

If you have other ideas that would appeal to tweens in Toronto, let us know and we’ll test them out! 

 

Things to do in Toronto with tweens

  • Silvia
    September 20, 2024 at 10:13 am

    Thank you for the great ideas…. so many fun things to do in our beautiful city

    • Yashy
      September 21, 2024 at 1:31 pm

      Yes!!!! Our families are lucky to call Toronto our backyard!

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