Toddlers and little kids will enjoy the rides at the Centreville Amusement Park on Toronto Island, and they will have fun getting there as well. That's because the park is accessible only by ferry. The Toronto Island Ferry leaves every 15 minutes from the Harbourfront on Queen's Quay. The park features such favorites as a carousel, pony rides and a train. Older kids will enjoy the log flume ride, bumper cars and roller coaster. There are two restaurants in the park, as well as food vendors. Picnic sites are also scattered among the island. Parking for guests is available in three lots, all within a one-block radius of the Harbourfront. The park is open daily from June 5 to Sept. 6 and every weekend in May and September. The park opens at 10:30 a.m. and, depending upon the operational schedule, closes between 5 and 8 p.m.
Centreville Amusement Park
Toronto Island
Toronto, ON M5J 2G2
416-203-0405
centreisland.ca
Families with toddlers and teenagers will enjoy the rides at Canada's Wonderland in Vaughan, less than a half-hour north of Toronto. Children under age 6 will love Planet Snoopy, which consists of rides with a Peanuts theme, and older kids will enjoy the Fly, a roller coaster with a 50-foot drop. Teenagers and adults will relish the thrill of rides such as the Behemoth, the tallest and fastest coaster in Canada, and Flight Deck, a roller coaster/flight simulator. Thrill seekers can also explore Splash Works, a water park with water slides, wave pool and pipe flume. If you looking to escape the heat, lounge on a raft on the park's lazy river. Don't forget the live entertainment, which the park offers throughout the summer. Guests may bring bottled water into the park, but outside food is not permitted. There are plenty of dining options, such as a buffet restaurant and pizza vendors. The park is open daily from June 1 to Sept. 6 and every weekend in May, September and October. The park opens at 10 a.m. and closes between 5 and 10 p.m., depending on the schedule. Guest parking is available for a fee.
Canada's Wonderland
9580 Jane St.
Vaughan, Ontario L6A 1S6
905-832-7000
canadaswonderland.com
Just 20 minutes northeast of Toronto is the town of Scarborough, home of the Toronto Zoo. Kids of all ages will enjoy the zoo and its animals, which include western gray kangaroos, red pandas, Masai giraffes, grizzly bears and western lowland gorillas. Kids can interact with gentle sharks and horseshoe crabs at the Sharks at Stingray Bay Touch Tank, which is open from May 22 to Oct. 11 for a special admission fee. Don't forget to explore the Tundra Trek, which features polar bears and Arctic foxes and examines the impact of global warming. The zoo is also home to the seasonal Zellers Discovery Zone, which features an interactive children's zoo as well as a water park. There are plenty of dining options throughout the zoo, some of which are seasonal. The zoo is open year round, but some of the exhibits and attractions, such as camel rides, are seasonal. Guest parking is available for a fee.
Toronto Zoo
361A Old Finch Ave.
Scarborough, ON M1B 5K7
416-392-5900
torontozoo.com
