WRITTEN BY
Nathalie Prezeau, author of Toronto Fun Places

Not as psyched about back to school time as the parent in Staples’ hilarious ad? It may be because you’re realizing summer swooshed by once again and you never got to take your kids to one of the big-ticket attractions they begged you to. Well, there’s still some fun to be had after Labour Day. It’s not over till it’s over!

Here’s a list of major attractions normally associated with the summer, which are open beyond Labour Day. You probably won’t save on the regular admission cost but you can expect fewer visitors and cooler weather, all contributing to a more pleasant outing.

Marineland
We prefer to attend Marineland during the fall. There’s lots of walking involved to enjoy the spread of activities, animals and shows throughout the site. The park is virtually shadowless. On days when the sun is blaring, it’s enough to melt most kids’ enthousiasm. On the other hand, when the temperature gets below 20 degrees, young visitors will climb up to the Sky Screamer like young mountain goats. Note that all the regular activities are offered in the fall.
Hours: Open from September 6 to October 11, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (doors close at 5 p.m. but attractions operate until nightfall).
Admission: $40/10 years and over, $33/5-9 years old, FREE for kids 4 years and under (tax not included). Try to grab a promotional brochure of the area available in most attractions in Niagara. They normally include discount coupons.

Canada’s Wonderland
Wonderland’s water park is now closed, which solves the usual dilemma of finding the time to do it all in one day. The other “dry� attractions remain open until the end of the season, weather permitting. Note that the regular admission does not include access to the Halloween Haunt event (held in October and recommended for kids 13 and over).
Hours: Closed on September 12, then, open Saturdays and Sundays until end of October (from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. in September, and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in October). Note that the park has different opening hours for its Halloween Haunt event.
Admission: During the fall weekends, the admission is down to $29.95 (tax not included). This does not include admission to their Halloween Haunt.

Ontario Place
If the weather gets really warm in September, note that the waterpark within Ontario Place will remain open until the end of their season.
Hours: Still open on September 12-13 and 19-20 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (the waterpark opens at 11 a.m.).
Admission: You’ll save up to $3.50 per person by ordering online, which means admission cost is $30/6-64 years old, $16/4-5 years old and 65 and over, FREE for kids 3 years and under, $104/family of four ages 6-64 (tax not included).

Centreville Amusement Park
The strike cheated us of a whole month of fun at the Centreville Amusement Park but we can still enjoy it on the weekends until the end of September.
Hours: Open on September 12-13 and 19-20, from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., and on September 26-27, from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. (weather permitting).
Admission: $29.50/over 48 inches, $21/4 years and under, $90/family of four (tax not included). The ferry is $6.50/adult, $3/kids, FREE for 2 years and under.

In her personal yet practical 480-page guidebook, author Nathalie Prezeau describes hundreds of outings in and around the GTA she tested with her family and friends over the past twelve years. The 4th edition is out! It includes a new chapter on things to do with the kids around the 69 subway stations in Toronto, as well as exciting city walks to play the tourist in Toronto. Available in the Travel Section of GTA bookstores as well as Mastermind Educational Toys stores and currently at Costco. Visit www.torontofunplaces.com to learn more. 

I had the enjoyable opportunity to take a sneak peek at Canada’s Wonderland for the 2009 season this past weekend in beautiful weather.

The hit of the day for my kids was the all new Marty’s Party production at Playhouse Theatre (included in Park admission). The description given to the show by Canada’s Wonderland is the following:

Join us at Putz Headquarters where the wacky inventions of boy genius Marty and the outrageous outfit sof Fiona the fashion queen take over the Kidzville Playhouse. Be prepared for the unexpected in this fast fun and hilarious show. This is one Party your shouldn’t miss! Fun for all ages!

The entire audience, young and old were laughing. And even as we left the park, my kids were asking questions about how ‘those inventions worked’.

Marty’s Party will run Spring and Fall Weekends, with daily performances from June 20 to Labour Day (showtimes: 12:30, 1:30, 3:00, 4:30, 6:00).

Find details about Canada’s Wonderland and their special pricing on Season’s Passes at www.canadaswonderland.com. The season officially opens on Sunday, May 3. 

WRITTEN BY
Nathalie Prézeau, author of Toronto Fun Places

If you’ve not been to the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) since the completion of its ambitious renovation, aren’t you in for a surprise! The different layout definitely offers a whole new experience and a real take on contemporary art but the big question in every parent’s mind remains: What’s in it for my kids? I took two eleven-year-olds along with me to get reacquainted with the AGO.

The 600-foot-long glass and wood new facade is truly impressive, standing like a huge Noah’s ark along Dundas Street. We went straight to the Concourse Level because I was curious to see what they had done with the Off the Wall! room (now presented as the Hands On Centre on their map). I was first disappointed by the space, which lacks the whimsical feeling of its old version, but my real troopers quickly got into an origami craft offered by one of the nice staff members while I observed the families engaged in different activities.

Some were digging their child out of a pile of wide cushions, others were initiating their little guy to the joy of erasing chalk scribblings off the wide black wall. One had his body lined on a huge paper roll, others were stacking an eclectic selection of objects on a pole. We spent some time creating a crazy costume for my daughter with a wild assortment of pieces of fabric mounted with velcro and zippers. Forty minutes later, we headed for the rest of the museum.

Modern art is now wonderfully showcased at the AGO and I really enjoyed discovering it with my 11-year-old daughter and her friend. I must say that it is hard, even for the adults, to refrain from touching the displays so I can imagine how frustrating it must be for younger children not to touch the over 50 cardboard tires on the floor lying next to a giant 2-metre-wide scarf over 70 metres long, in the Contemporary on Level 1.

We walked straight to the back of the building as we passed the admission gate to see if the Grange house was still open (it is), and were stunned by the modern installation The Index, in the atrium by the historic building. What a sight! As slick and cold as a glossy picture from a high-end fashion magazine, an angular grotto made of mirrors awaited, with real stuffed animals in its nooks and crannies, and with bird-men overlooking werewolves torn in pieces by fragments of mirrors… I don’t recommend this section for kids under 10 but my two buddies were literally fascinated by this work of art. (You can easily avoid it by using the central staircase to access the upper floors.)

We chose to take the elevators to go directly to Level 5, saving the gorgeous wooden staircase to access the lower floors afterwards. On the 5th floor, you’ve got to see the hyper-realistic gigantic stretched bust made of silicone and hair by Evan Perry, the three totems made out of golf bags or the full room entirely covered with the letters AIDS in primary colours rated “Awesome!� by my pre-teens. They spent a while making giant shadows in front of a huge landscape projected on the wall.

Level 4 is where you’ll find the art that truly pushed our limits, mostly from the 1960s: a bathroom sink on a canvas, a series of five squares painted white with visible masking tape marks, an intriguing piece from John Lennon’s widow Yoko Ono called Forget it, giant stamps and ink pads to print activist messages, a pile of rocks on a mirror… Try to explain that one to a 4-year old! Something you won’t have to explain to a preschooler is the Thomson Collection of 130 ship models in the gallery 007 at the Concourse Level.

Don’t miss the extraordinary Galleria Italia located within the splendid ark on Level 2. It features fascinating woodwork from Giuseppe Penone, blending perfectly with the architecture.

If the goal of contemporary art is to give us a fresh take at the world around us, it’s mission accomplished for the AGO! When we reached one of the rooms featuring classic artworks, my exhausted young companions prudently checked with me while pointing at a well-designed bench: “Is it artwork or an actual seat?�

TIPS

• Closed on Mondays, the museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (it closes at 8:30 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays). Admission is $18/adult, $10/6-17 years, $45/family of 2 adults and up to 5 children 17 years and under. FREE for children 5 and under and FREE on Wednesdays from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Check http://www.ago.net/ for more information.
• AGO is located within a 10-minute walk distance from subway station St. Patrick, on the yellow line. Otherwise, there’s an underground parking lot offering a flat rate of $5.50 on the weekends on McCaul Street, south of Dundas.
• The AGOKids section of the museum’s gift shop includes an amazing selection of art activity books and fun items. I noticed colouring books on famous paintings, on graffiti, activity pads on different artists, “Stories-you-can-finish� books, “exhibit-your-own-art� pre-framed pads, “Chalk-a-doodle� placemats, 3-D drawing pads and more.
• The main snack bar is located on the Concourse Level, below the fancier restaurant FRANK. It is relatively small but offers a good selection of healthy food, great coffee and a vast choice of juices. I noticed home-style macaroni and cheese, grilled cheese sandwiches for $4 and apple yogurt parfait for $3, that should please most kids. There’s another smaller snack bar on Level 5.

In her personal yet practical 480-page guidebook, author Nathalie Prezeau describes hundreds of outings in and around the GTA she tested with her family and friends over the past twelve years. The 4th edition is out! It includes a new chapter on things to do with the kids around the 69 subway stations in Toronto, as well as exciting city walks to play the tourist in Toronto. Available in the Travel Section of GTA bookstores as well as Mastermind Educational Toys stores. Visit www.torontofunplaces.com to learn more.

© Nathalie Prézeau 2009