Looking for free things to do with kids in Toronto this summer? We’ve got you covered.
1. Summer Festivals
The festival season is nonstop in summer in the GTA. Some annual highlights include the FringeKids Festival, Caribbean Carnival, and the Toronto Food Festival.
Check our Toronto & GTA events listings for new events every week and sign up for the Help! Events newsletter to get upcoming family-friendly events delivered to you each week.
2. Splash Pads and Wading Pools
For a quick cool-down on a hot summer day, head to your local splash pad or wading pool. The City of Toronto maintains a list and map of all the splash pads and wading pools in the city with opening hours. Check our our list of the 10 best splash pads and wading pools in the city for some special spots worth a detour this summer.
3. Swimming Pools
Some of the best pools in the city are free for drop-in leisure swimming. Some of the best outdoor pools for kids (water slides! mushroom fountains! kiddie pools!) are the Alex Duff Memorial Pool in Christie Pits, High Park outdoor pool, and Riverdale Park outdoor pool.
Two cool indoor pools worth a mention: the Regent Park Aquatic Centre renovated in 2012, which has a mushroom waterfall for kids and a two-story slide; and the Centennial Recreation Centre pool in Scarborough for its twisty tube slide.
4. Beaches
One of the many advantages of living in Toronto? Our Lake Ontario waterfront, with many beaches to choose from.
Our favourite beaches for kids and families are Kew-Balmy Beach and Woodbine Beach in The Beaches neighbourhood for swimming and sand sports and strolling or biking the boardwalk; Bluffer’s Park Beach adjacent to the Scarborough Bluffs for swimming, sand sports, scenery, and picnicking; Sunnyside Beach on Toronto’s west end for beachcombing, sand sports, and biking the waterfront trail; and the beaches on the Toronto Islands for all of the above.
5. Toronto Maple Leafs Baseball
Toronto’s semi-pro baseball team, the other Toronto Maple Leafs, play home games May through July at Christie Pits Park. Every home game is free, with seating on bleachers and a grassy hill. Games are pretty low-key, with a hot-dog truck usually parking beside the diamond. With a playground adjacent, it’s the perfect kid-friendly sporting event.
6. Harbourfront Centre Events
The Harbourfront Centre has free events for families every Sunday, including crafts and drumming workshops, as well as cultural festivals, live music, and free movies throughout the summer.
7. Farms and Zoos
Yes, Toronto has free farms and zoos! Try Riverdale Farm in Cabbagetown to for communing with cows and pigs; Far Enough Farm, a petting farm on the Toronto Islands, to visit with 40+ species of barnyard animals and exotic birds year-round; and the High Park Zoo to see llamas, bison, and emus. In summer you can feed the llamas on weekends between 11:30 and 2 pm.
8. Movies Under the Stars
Free outdoor summer movies are one of the highlights of summer in the city. There are many options in Toronto, but not all are family-friendly. We’ve found all the free, family-friendly outdoor movies this summer in Toronto. Pull up your lawn chair, pack your popcorn, and enjoy!
9. Pan Am Ontario Celebration Zone
The Pan Am games are the talk of the town this summer, but we are just as excited about the free Ontario Celebration Zone: a family-friendly attraction throughout the games (July 10–August 16) with animal attractions, sporting events, and performances just for kids.
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Find fun things to do all year-round with our list of Attractions & Family Outings in our Toronto & GTA online directory.
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