Go here. Have fun. Win summer. (Feature photo via Flickr)
Summer in #The6ix is special. Sure, it’s magical here year round, but there’s something particularly awesome about those few months when the sun is out, the weather is hot and the days are long.
This summer, get out and play with the family in our own back yard. From go-carting at the fastest track in town to picnicking at Port Credit, there’s no shortage of highly amusing things to do on a sunny afternoon with your family in the Greater Toronto Area.
Here are 8 amazing ways to spend an afternoon with the fam in the GTA.
Sail Away to Toronto Centre Island
Toronto Island is one of those places that the locals often forget about. Don’t be that local. The ferry water taxi from the city is fun in itself, and there’s plenty to amuse the kids on the island, like bike rentals, an amusement park with some little rides, a great view to watch the planes land at Billy Bishop, and even some nature.
Go Ape at the Toronto Zoo
Do you like animals? Doesn’t matter, because your kids LOVE them. So, you’re going to the zoo. Luckily, it’s pretty fun there, even for people who don’t still gain immense pleasure from making animal noises. The Zoo has some seriously cute cubs and calf this summer, so be sure to seek them out.
Ice, ice, panda Jia Panpan was introduced to ice for the first time as a form of enrichment #TOPandaCubs A video posted by Toronto Zoo (@thetorontozoo) on
Go Catch Pokemon with Pokemon Go
Wait, wait, wait, hear us out. Remember how much your kids LOVED the zoo? Well, they LOVE Pokemon Go more. You can fight it if you want, or you can embrace it and probably get some quality time (and maybe a new app addiction) out of it. Tell the kids you’re going out Catching (or whatever they call it), and pile them into the Lexus for a tour of the area’s best Pokemon Go hotspots. Then just sit back and wait for your Dad of the Year Award—it’s coming all right.
Drive Like a Kid at 401 Mini-Indy Go-Karts
If your kids are all grown up then take them and your Lexus to Canadian Tire Motorsports Track. If they’re still too young for that, then take them to 401 Mini-Indy Go-Karts near Pearson Airport and teach them about braking before the turn, finding the apex and doing handbrake turns—you know, the fundamentals. Plus, you know you want to go Go Karting.
Picnic in Port Credit
Here’s one you can knock off on a weeknight. Make a basket friendly dinner and take it to the Harbour Front at Port Credit after work instead of hunkering down in front of the TV. Relax on the blanket and watch the lake go by while the kids tear around.
Catch A Movie at Garden Square
We know how old we’re going to sound here, but we’re going to say it anyway: when did going to the movies get so expensive? Especially if you have a thing for popcorn—who doesn’t? The movie in the park at Garden Square (sponsored in part, as it so happens, by Policaro Automotive), which happens most Thursdays and Saturdays throughout summer. Don’t forget to bring something with a little back support to sit in. The kids can sit on the ground, but you shouldn’t.
Get Sandy at Cobourg Beach
It’s a bit of a drive, but luckily you’ve got an awesome car. Go get some sand in between those toes. It feels good, and so what if you track a bit of it back into the Lexus. Shameless plug: you know our Lexus detailing package is the best you can get, right?