17 Fun Family Day Events in Toronto

It's almost upon us—a lovely treat of a long weekend that focuses entirely on family—no presents, rituals or special cooking required. So unplug from the devices, turn Netflix off, and spend the whole day, weekend or even month together taking in some new experiences. The usual attractions will have great programming, of course, but we wanted to offer you some great new ideas and events that you otherwise might not have stumbled upon. So get out there and get exploring!

NBA All-Star is coming to the Tdot, bringing with it skills competitions, Slam Dunk contests, Rising Star Challenges, and All-Star practice. So much fun even for those of us who don't play basketball.

If the kids like bouncy castles and other inflatable games and rides (and a lot of kids do), they'll have a ball at Family Day Fest. Arcades, fun foods and carnival games make it like the Ex, only in winter.

The hilarious comedy troupe Second City presents Super Dude and Doctor Rude, a sketch suitable for kids aged 4-14. With the tagline: ‘In a world where kids make the rules, super-villains won't know what hit them,' expect this musical to contain plenty of secret hideouts, jokes, and yes, selfies.

The Hockey Hall of Fame is offering a great deal this Family Day: 4 kids under the age of 13 get in free with one adult admission. So let's head down and see the Cup, take part in some cool simulations, and immerse ourselves in hockey lore.

In addition to skating at the Natrel Centre, check out a snowglobe brought to life complete with an indoor skater. Get a puck signed by Wendell Clark, or hang out in the Play zone, Chill Out Zone, or Lego zone. Yup, pretty much spend the whole day there.

Loads of free onsite activities and some wonderful short films make TIFF the place to be on Family Day. We can't wait to see the film adaptation of the Molly Moon series, and the Land Before Time is always a favourite.

In celebration of Family Day, the Robin Hood team will be at Evergreen Brick Works to try to achieve the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title for the largest cookie mosaic in support of We Bake for Change, an initiative of WE Day. Kids will be invited to take turns placing cookies on the mosaic, and there will be cookies and hot chocolate for all. Be sure to take a selfie by the mosaic!

Embrace the Canadian winter for a fun-filled day of indoor and outdoor activities. Enjoy a 5K snowshoe trek (snowshoes provided!), mini snowboarding, arts and crafts, snow stencilling and more. Plus, it's a great opportunity to teach your kids about giving back—it all benefits the Canadian Cancer Society. Good to know: This event also comes to Milton on February 21.

It's all about making and creating as a family in the style of artist Sarah Cale. We'll get to create a 20”x30” mixed media canvas to bring home (don't worry—there will be art educators on hand to help create something marvellous).

Fans of Anne of Green Gables will be excited to see a one-room schoolhouse and practise writing on a slate or with a steel nib pen. There will be stories, crafts, and a book bank to receive donations of new or gently used books to go to children in high needs areas.

It's like the Markham Fair indoors, minus all the agricultural fun stuff but with a lot of rides, stage shows and activities. There's a building area with blocks, newspapers and sand, inflatables galore, and a swag bag. Princesses, mini yoga sessions, and a petting zoo. How much fun can one event offer? Answer—a lot.

Body zorbing (yes, where you're encased in a giant beach ball-like structure). Arctic golf. Ice carving, snow tubing, and so much more. Bonus: it's free.

Learn about ice fishing, participate in the family hockey shootout, and enjoy skating, curling and cross country skiing at Island Lake Conservation area. Enjoy hot chocolate and a roasted hot dog after all that great outdoor activity!

We're pretty excited that the Dufflebag Theatre is presenting one of our all-time favourites: Beauty and the Beast. The kiddos are always captivated by live shows (and so are we) and we love the price point and coziness of a smaller setting.

It's an indoor fair for all ages and all interests. From magicians to henna, Superdogs to science shows there's a full spectrum of fun activities on offer. Plus, there's fair food. Delish.

If the family has not yet spent the day at Crawford Lake, go now. Based on a traditional Iroquois Village, the conservation area features a longhouse and recreation of Iroquois games, crafts and storytelling.

It's like inflatable city PLUS magic shows PLUS exotic critters PLUS great vendors—we don't know how we're going to cram it all into one day. The kids will have an absolute blast trying over 30 different inflatable rides and learning about science and animals as well.