The Little Paper

January has arrived, bringing with it a New Year and two burning questions, will you be outdoors or indoors?

Heading Outside

Wax up your skis and snowboards, dust of your toboggans and sharpen your skates, there’s tons to do. Just be sure to follow Active Kids Club’s advice…“there is no bad weather, only bad clothing”.
The Club hosts a network of free outdoor playgroups which meet once a week for several hours of unfettered fun; click here if you’re interested in joining and here for their how to dress for winter tips.

Once you’re bundled, try this simple art activity, using spray bottles filled with water coloured by food dyes paint a masterpiece in the snow.

Moving Indoors

Time to warm up? Toronto has a bumper crop of indoor activities. The Toronto District School Board and Ontario Early Year Centres operate free drop-ins for your wee ones on a weekly basis, as do Toronto Parks and Recreation Centres with their indoor gym playtimes. Check The Little Paper’s weekly guide for days and times.

In addition, there are numerous indoor playgrounds that offer daily play and activities for a fee.

The West End

Try the Junction’s High Park Family Fun Place, a fully equipped play space with special events, circle times and Friday night movies. Noodle Kaboodles in Roncesvalles has various pay per activity stations where kids can create a stuffed teddy bear, paint ceramics or glam it up at their spa with activities such as create your own lip-gloss or sugar scrub. Other indoor playgrounds include The Busy Genie in Etobicoke and Y Not Play in Bloor West.

Central

Just Ducky Yonge Kids has an indoor playground with soft play sensory mats, a ball pit for babies and a jungle gym and play kitchen for the 1-5year-old set. Amazon Downtown is filled with climbers and slides as well as imagination stations with costumes and puppets.

The East End

lil' bean n' green is a cozy café in Leslieville where parents can nurse a cup of coffee while kids play in the nearby play space. On the Danforth, It's Playtime offers drop-off childcare. In the Beach, Bizzy Bee features arts and crafts, an infant zone, play structures and construction play. On Kingston Rd, near Victoria Park, Monkey Magoo's boasts a slew of activities including a pirate ship play structure, craft tables, play houses and an air hockey table.

Happy New Year to all, twelve whole months of fun and adventure await.