Let’s face it, while remaining indoors during this weird time has its benefits, sometimes things can get a little monotonous and boring. And if you have a child, the need to shake things up and provide some variety to the days for their benefit (and yours) is more important than ever.
But no need to fret, because Old Town Toronto has you covered with a number of activities designed to educate, spark creativity, and above all be fun for your little one (with a local OTT twist)!
1. Get Creative With Young People’s Theatre
Since 1966 Young People’s Theatre has been offering innovative and fun programming for the children of Toronto, so it comes as no surprise at all that the YPT’s Education & Participation team have developed the ‘Inside With Imagination’ program, a selection of fun activities that spark creativity from the comfort of your own home! This free programming includes video drama activities for elementary school levels and a special storytelling event in which author Andri Snær Magnason reads from his award-winning children’s novel, The Story of the Blue Planet. If your child is a little too old for those, YPT has them covered with additional video drama activities for grades 9-12.
2. Bake Bread With George Street Diner
One of the most rewarding collaborations you can do with your child is to prepare a meal. After all, they learn an essential skill and in the end you get something delicious that you made yourself! And because it’s currently super trendy, we can’t help but suggest the fun experience of baking your own bread! Though don’t worry about looking up recipes or finding flour because the George Street Diner is offering kits of their Farrelly’s Famous Irish Soda Bread (a bread so famous it has its own Facebook page)! Each kit comes with the ingredients needed to make your very own batch of this iconic bread along with easy to follow instructions. And to make it a more interactive and fun experience, you can follow along with how to prepare the bread with George Street Diner’s owner Ash Farrelly!
To get a hold of the Farrelly’s Famous Irish Soda Bread mix, reach out to Farrellyssoda@gmail.com
3. Create Edible Art With Food From St. Lawrence Market
Who says you can’t play with your food? Okay, well sometimes it’s allowed and creating art made to be eaten can be a deliciously fun activity. And of course what better way to provide the young artist’s materials than with some delicious foods from our very own St. Lawrence Market? Now providing options for delivery or curbside pickup, the shops within the Market are still the source for everything you need. A sausage from Di Liso’s Fine Meats or pork belly bacon from Whitehouse Meats can be used with eggs from Sunrise Egg Farm to create the classic smiley-faced breakfast. For something a little fancier, Chris’ Cheesemongers can provide enough different cheese to create a delicious landscape, Kozlik’s Mustard or Breedon’s Maple Syrup can act as paint, or the various fruits and vegetables from Thames River Melons market boxes can be used to make a sculpture. Your plate is their canvas!
4. Learn an Instrument with Mint Music
If your young one has their sights on being the next Eric Clapton or Joan Jett, they’re going to need to practice and get a little help through lessons. With that Mint Music/The Toronto Guitar School can help them out with online group or individual lessons on a wide range of instruments from guitar and violin to bass and harmonica. All lessons are led by a ‘Mötley Crüe’ of professional musicians focused on helping your child learn more about one of the oldest creative outlets in the world.
5. Get Fit WIth OBF Gyms
Your kid’s Animal Crossing character may be running around and planting trees, but that physical activity doesn’t pass on to them. With that, OBF Gyms’ online features make for excellent exercise from home! Join in to schedule live zoom workouts, gain access to their health tracking app, and create your own routines with the help of OBF’s entire video library showing how each and every exercise is done! While there’s no kid-specific programming available, the tools available will allow you to create custom workouts with your child to get them moving! You can reach OBF through email at info@obfgyms.com or via their Facebook page.
Optimal Body Fitness from Optimal Body Fitness on Vimeo.
