At the end of winter you may be daydreaming about warm days, a beach, or just not having to locate thirty-seven items of winter gear each morning or dress and undress a squirming child twice (or more) times per day.
We’re with you, but once the snow and cold are gone, they’re gone! And since the snow has just touched down here in Toronto, here are some of the fun winter activities you may miss.
1. Go skiing or snowboarding
If you haven’t gotten around to strapping on those skis yet, make the effort. It’s worth it for a fun day on the slopes or trails with the kids. Family memories in the making, and it’s great exercise.
Try our favourite Toronto cross-country ski (and snowshoe) destinations and check out these ski resorts near Toronto. Plus, there are two ski hills in the city: Earl Bales Park and Centennial Park.
2. Go sledding
Whoosh! You don’t need to wander far from home to get a thrill on a snowy hill. Sure, it takes more time to suit up than you’ll actually spend on the hills, and everyone will end up tired, wet, and cold. Which simply creates the perfect conditions for après-tobogganing cocoa.
Not sure where to go? Try one of these top-ten Toronto sledding hills.
3. Stay in your PJs all day
On those occasions when it’s too cold to fathom venturing outdoors, we say—don’t! Make pancakes, play a family board game, do some crafts, and cue up a movie and pop some popcorn.
4. Indulge in hot chocolate
Before you know it, sunny days will overtake our desire to hibernate and our justification for brewing up a rich cup of chocolatey cocoa with whipped cream. Enjoy it while you can! Our favourite hot chocolate spots in Toronto.
5. Hit the ice
Play some ice hockey with the kids or just glide on the ice for a while. There are rinks seemingly around every corner in every city. Here are some of the best family-friendly skating rinks in Toronto.
6. See a play or ice show
Winter is prime time for all types of theatre, including children’s productions. In Toronto, we are spoiled for choice with companies and venues like Solar Stage and the Young People’s Theatre and kids’ produtions at The Second City.
Ice shows, like Disney on Ice and all-star figure skating shows are on for a limited time. Take advantage!
7. Head to the sugar bush
The end of winter brings the beginning of maple syrup season. Maple syrup farms and festivals are in full swing, offering freshly made pancakes with real maple syrup, tours of the sugar bush, maple taffy and syrup-making demos.
Find the GTA’s top maple syrup farms and festivals.
8. Bake with the kids
Families who bake together…eat baked goods together! Sure, you could bake banana bread in July, but you’ll have to blast the a/c and it’s just not as satisfying as when the weather outside is frightful. Find recipe inspiration on our Cooking With Kids Pinterest page.
9. Make a snowman and/or have a snowball fight
You’ve got to do at least one of these at least once this winter! Kids will remember epic snowball battles and making that perfect snowman for years to come. Take photos and get ready to soothe bruised bodies and bruised egos!
