Staying in Oakville for a wedding, and have 4-5 hours on a Saturday to entertain 6 and 8 year old boys. Was thinking of taking the family to Toronto, but wanted doper suggestions.
Not much time to explore the city. How about lunch at the CN tower revolving restaurant? (bring bag of money)
I thought of that. The menu is pretty up-scale for lunch, and we have a wedding that night. It is a tough call, as we do not want to wear out the kids too much. Going to the top of the CN Tower is an option, but it is a quick $100 for a great view.
I worked in Oakville for a year. Married, no kids, one dog. There’s nothing aside from the commercial crap. Take 'em to the CN tower down town, eat at the Old Spaghetti Factory, browse Eaton Center or Square One, and convince them that they had a good time. Lots of natural stuff to do in the greater area, but consider it’s a concentrated city/metro-area, and that’s all you get; rat-like life.
The Royal Ontario Museum is very good.
Moving to IMHO.
Colibri
General Questions Moderator
A second vote for the Ontario Science Centre.
Also consider the Toronto Zoo. http://www.torontozoo.com/
In Oakville, Lions Valley Park is a nice place for a picnic where the kids can splash about in the creek (Highway 5 and 16 Mile Creek) or explore paths.
Hilton Falls and Rattlesnake Point are nice places for short hikes on the Escarpment (Hilton Falls is on the north side of the 401 just past Milton; Rattlesnake Point is a few kilometers south of there).
Toronto Island Park (downtown Toronto, then across on the ferry) is terrific for kids http://www.torontozoo.com/
Also consider Ontario Place (just before downtown, on the Lake by the Exhibition) http://www.ontarioplace.com/
Concerning my previous post, there is a possibility the Lions Valley Park may be closed due to bridge construction, so best check first.
Coronation Park in Oakville is a nice place for a picnic where kids can splash about down at the lake (Lakeshore just east of Third Line).
For the kids that age, I think the Science Centre is a great choice. Lots of hands on stuff to play with and cool thing to see. It was alway a favorite stop of mine when I came to TO as a kid. However, it is usually quite crowded.
The Science Centre! It’s the most fun. I can’t wait until my kid’s old enough to enjoy it.
ETA: The museum’s still under construction, so it’s less interesting than usual. Go for the Science Centre.
Tough call, as there isn’t really much to do with kids in Oakville especially for that kind of timing. The time you’ve got is the tough factor.
Toronto Islands seems to be the best bet, as you get a ferry ride and a great view of the city. There is a small amusement park on the island, but nice for a stroll about. (You want the Centreville ferry)
Walking about Eaton Center and downtown T.O. is another option.
I would suggest that the Zoo is too time consuming to make much of go of it. It is about a 45 minute drive and the zoo is really spread out and needs a lot of time to cover.
The Science Center is great and the kids will love it. You may have a tough time getting them to leave. Make sure you are dressed comfortably.