CNE 2013- Day 2 (Let's Go Back to the Ex)!

     In my many mom-misadventures, I have often miscalculated the "best" day to do things by not checking the weather forecast and today was no different. After promising the kids another day at the exhibition and knowing today was the last possible day we could go before leaving for California, I awoke to a massive rainstorm. Still the optimist in me said to go anyways. Unfortunately, the planning mom voice in my head never said to pack rain gear. 

     By the time we arrived at the exhibition it was pouring so I made a last minute decision to head up to Dufferin Mall quickly and grab some rain gear. On my way back from Dundas and Dufferin, I decided to drive past all the "local traffic only" signs that appear when heading south on Dufferin towards the exhibition and found a private parking lot that is $20 per day and a stone's throw from the Dufferin gates. Perfect for today's weather and if you are heading to the exhibition and only intending to see the kids' activities. 

    My last CNE post provided most of the nitty-gritty information for this year's exhibition and in this post I wanted to go more in-depth into some of the workshops you will find in Kids' World Park. The workshops are all included in your daily admission to the exhibition and tomorrow (August 27, 2013) kids get in free until 3 p.m. As I previously reviewed the Pizza Nova pizza making workshop, it will not be included here. 

Under the Little Top Circus Workshop

Will watching the juggling demonstration.

     The circus workshop was by far Will and Charlie's favourite exhibition activity.  The workshop runs 7 times a day and all times are posted here. We arrived for the 10:30 am workshop and due to the weather, we were the only participants. To say the least, the kids got more than individual attention. The workshop is run by actual circus performers who have no affiliation with local circus schools. This is great as there is no pressure to buy anything or register for a class somewhere and you can tell these people just really want to share their love of the circus with children. 

     Charlie was immediately drawn to the aerialist who within seconds had the kids on a mat doing incredible tricks. To be honest, my kids would have stayed with this woman the entire day if I had let them. She was kind and funny and had a wonderful way of connecting with kids. 

Will trying out a circus trick

     After visiting the aerialist, the kids were taught how to properly walk on a tightrope by two other instructors. They both at this point would gladly have run away from home and joined the circus. The people working this workshop are funny and know how to technically teach children to do these things. 

Learning to walk the tightrope

     Next the kids were taught balance and persistence as they got to try to balance spinning disks on sticks.  

Learning balance tricks at circus school

     After the above activities, we went into the pre-school zone which is led by a very kind yoga teacher. This zone has its own tightrope, a tumbling mat, a balance beam and a dress-up box. It also have baby toys so parents have somewhere to sit with younger children during the workshop where the babies can stretch out on a mat and play. 

The dress-up chest 

     The yoga teacher immediately had the kids laughing hysterically and was incredibly engaging. She taught them to do somersaults down a ramp and jump through hoops and then played dress-up with them. When Charlie chose to be a witch, she got into the role playing and begged Charlie not to make her a frog. Within minutes, she was hopping around like a frog and the kids were loving it. 

Charlie had a lot of fun playing dress-up

     I cannot recommend this workshop enough. Having passed by it on our first day and seeing the kids inside laughing and playing, I knew it would be worth it to return and I was not disappointed. Now I only need to stop worrying about the kids running away to join the circus. 

Art Studio 

Art Studio

     The Art Studio was our next stop after circus school and if I am being honest, it wasn't very much fun. The studio has five stations including beading, play-doh, something called fibre arts which no one explained to us, sculptures and painting. The kids were immediately asked if they wanted to make necklaces and were given pipe cleaners and big beads. Strangely, they were also given tiny beads that didn't fit on anything and both were quite confused. Although they had fun doing this, it was something we could have done at home. The people working in this workshop barely interacted with the kids and, after making the necklaces, the kids were bored and wanted to leave. The other stations looked interesting but even when I was asking questions about them no one seemed interested in showing us how to do them. If you are running low on time, this is the workshop to skip. 

Kids making necklaces at the Art Studio

Make Music Workshop

The iPad station where kids can try out different music apps.

     After the art studio, we headed next door to the Make Music workshop and we were back to having a lot of fun. The kids immediately were greeted by the people at the workshop and given a lot of options for making music. The workshop has a lot of instruments and microphones as well as a station of iPads with a ton of music apps. This was another workshop we could have spent a lot of time in and from what I could tell, we would have been welcome to stay as long as we wished. The staff here are fun and will play any song your child requests if they have it. Will and Charlie really enjoyed making music with the other children and while each child sang, the others all were playing drums on the floor in front of them. I would strongly recommend visiting this workshop with kids of all ages. 

Will and Charlie performing at the workshop

Professor Wick's School of Magic & Illusion

Professor Wick's magic show

     Our final workshop of the day was the magic workshop which is split into two sections: a magic show and an illusion display. The kids were not interested in the illusion display but I quite enjoyed it.

Example of illusion display

     Make sure to stay for the magic show as it is quite entertaining. Professor Wick and his assistants were good at giving the kids a lot of opportunities to volunteer and picking a lot of different kids out of the audience. Will and Charlie were chosen for a magic trick and they both are still wondering how Charlie as the wizard made the trick happen. Charlie quite simply was in awe of the fact that she somehow performed a magic trick with no magic know-how whatsoever.

Will and Charlie were blown away when she successfully performed a magic trick.

     The only downfall to the magic workshop is that Professor Wick is selling magic supplies during the show such as wands and props. It isn't by any means a sales presentation but I did wish he had mentioned it less during the show and perhaps just at the end. Otherwise this workshop is a lot of fun and filled with laughs and some amazing tricks.

Other fun things

     After the workshops, we avoided the rides and wandered around the park a little. The weather was terrible and a storm was headed our way so we made a quick visit to the Reptilia Cruiser and then headed to the face painting tent. The Reptilia staff members are really great to talk to and have a lot of neat information to share. They also bring out different reptiles for your kids to meet. It is clear that the snakes are quite used to meeting children and the Reptilia staff treat the reptiles with a lot of respect. Snake lovers or not, I would recommend visiting the trailer which is located in Kids' World Park.

Reptilia Cruiser

    By the time we had met the snakes and had lunch, the sky was looking very ominous again and we decided it was probably time to head to the car. On the way out we noticed the face painting tent had no line and decided to stop at get a caricature done of the kids. Will and Charlie loved chatting with the artist and we ended up with an incredible free souvenir of our time at the exhibition. Definitely check this tent out which is located in the centre of Kids' world.

Charlie decided on an arm butterfly painting to match her shirt at the free face painting tent.

Our souvenir caricature of Will and Charlie at the exhibition.

     As the artist wrapped up our drawing in cellophane, we heard the familiar rumble of thunder and decided it was time to call it a day. The Canadian National Exhibition runs at Exhibition Place in Toronto until September 2, 2013.

**Solo Mom Takes Flight received free day passes from the Canadian National Exhibition. This in no way influenced the opinions expressed in this blog.

     

CNE 2013- Let's go to the Ex!

   

     While all the news sources in town were concentrating on the demise of the Kronut Burger, the kids and I took the opportunity to tour the relatively quiet CNE. We visited the day after people got sick and besides some visitors eyeing the food vendors with caution, nothing was amiss and we had a great time.

     Most people I've discussed this visit with have asked why I would ever go to the CNE alone with two kids but the answer is simple, there is a ton of fun stuff to do. Like most people, I used to view the CNE as nothing more than a midway with rides and deep fried foods. I have visited in the past and haven't been truly blown away by anything. I'm glad to report this year was quite different. 

     If you are only planning on heading to the Kid's activities, I recommend parking in Lot 5 or 6 off of Lakeshore which gives you direct access to the Saskatchewan Gate (sometimes called Dufferin Gate) and the kids areas. The map found here displays those areas clearly. This allows you to by-pass the remainder of the exhibition and only attend the kids activities if that is your plan. The only downfall is that you will need to cross the entire exhibition if you want to attend the Superdogs show which is in the Direct Energy Centre and quite a lot of fun for kids. The easiest way to get from one side to the other is by shuttle which runs daily and stops at many locations within the exhibition. You can also rent a wagon if you are desperate for $10 but be prepared to pay a steep $50 refundable deposit. 

     While your exploring the exhibition, keep an eye out for the baby care centres that are spread across the exhibition. They are a good place to breastfeed and get out of the sun.

     You can purchase tickets to the exhibition at the parking lot entrance or at any gate and online. Children 5-12 are admitted for $12 while general admission is $16. Also if you look around the entrances to the ex, we found coupons with the maps that offered free kid's passes. 

    Once we arrived we immediately headed to the Farm. The Farm is open daily from 10 am until 10 pm and the cost is included in the daily admission fee. In past years, I remember the farm having a petting zoo. This year it doesn't. Otherwise, it is a lot of fun. Will and Charlie immediately headed to a section of the farm where they were able to role play the life of a farmer. They were given buckets and seeds that they planted and did other tasks such as picking up eggs and apples and then took a tractor to the market to sell their goods. They absolutely love it and there were lots of people working and engaging with them. 

Will planting seeds at the farm

Kids taking turns milking a (fake) cow

Picking apples in the orchard

Charlie had a little trouble with her tractor

Each farmer was rewarded with a colouring book and ribbon

     Once you make it through farmer training, there is a lot more stuff to do. Make sure to try the horse racing as well as the tractor pull. There are also real animals including cows, pigs, turkeys and llamas and a fishing demonstration where your kids can try to catch real fish. We had a great time in this section and its a don't miss for anyone headed to the ex with kids. 

The horse race was a lot of fun.

Will trying out horse riding

     After the farm, the kids were hungry so we headed towards the Kiddie Midway and stopped in at Tiny Tom's donuts which are completely peanut free. Most of the food vendors at the CNE that we spoke to were very aware of food allergies and able to tells us what was safe for kids with peanut allergies. After our snack, it was off to the rides.

     Looking back I wish we had skipped this portion of the CNE. Rides at the CNE are quite expensive and not very good. Every ride we found required at least 4 coupons which is $5 per ride. We bought 44 coupons for $44 which meant the kids went on about 4 rides each and we had tickets left over that didn't add up to another ride. Any adult wishing to ride with younger children must also pay the full price. You can purchase a ride-all-day bracelet for $38 each but I would probably skip the rides all together and concentrate on the other aspects of the CNE. Its a good idea to check the height requirements before purchasing a bracelet or tickets because they are much stricter than other local amusement parks like Centreville or Canada's Wonderland and you may find your children are not tall enough for a lot of the rides. 

Charlie riding in the back of a pick- up truck

Will on the motorcycle ride

     Another word of caution if you do head to the Kiddie Midway--the restraints and seatbelts are incredibly easy for children to open. While the kids were ridding on the motorcycle ride, it had to be stopped because a child had unclipped the belt. The other kids then all did the same thinking the ride was over. If you have a child that is a little younger this could be quite dangerous and unlike other amusement parks, the restraints do not need a key to the be opened and can be opened at any time so stay close to the ride that your child is on. 

     After the Midway we headed over to Kids' World Park which is attached to the Midway. At this point, I realized how much other stuff there was to do and really regretted wasting time at the Midway. The Kids' World Park has a playground, dress-up station and face-painting in the middle of it. The face painting is really incredible and surprisingly included in the daily admission cost. There is a also a fun caricature drawing station that is also included for no extra cost. 

    Across from the face painting there is a main stage featuring shows throughout the day including Thomas the train, Barney the Dinosaur as well as many live acts. We caught the My Little Pony show and the kids loved it. 

My Litte Pony show at the CNE

     After the show, we explored the Kidstreet Interactive Zone located next to the stage and were blown away by the activities which are all available at no extra cost. This was really the highlight of the CNE for us.  We first attended the Pizza Nova Kid's Pizza Making Workshop. This fills up quickly and its worth checking the daily times and showing up a little early. Here a chef teaches your kids to prepare pizza dough and it is quite fun. There is a brief advertising video for Pizza Nova but once it is over, you will be glad you tried it. If you can, get a seat in the middle table as it is much easier for kids to follow along from there. Once the demonstration is over, kids are rewarded with a certificate and free slice of pizza as well as a gift bag.

Kids preparing pizza dough at the workshop

Tossing the dough was the highlight of the workshop

     After the pizza making workshop, we were all exhausted and it was hot. The three of us decided we would need another day at the exhibition to check out the remainder of Kids' World. The kids are particularly excited to try the circus workshop, music room, art studio and magic lessons.  We are headed back tomorrow and I will post a follow-up blog soon. Until then I highly recommend checking out the exhibition if you can. It runs until September 2! 

**Solo Mom Takes Flight received free day passes from the Canadian National Exhibition. This in no way influenced the opinions expressed in this blog.

The Toronto Zoo

Usually when I review attractions or hotels, it is my first or second time visiting them. Before completing this review, I can attest I may have visited the zoo more than some volunteers who work there. Frankly, I love the Toronto Zoo and whether visiting with or without children I am sure you will too.

Let's begin with whether or not you should visit alone with your children. The answer is yes. No matter which time of year that you go, the zoo is an easy solo trip. The zoo is huge and there are many indoor and outdoor pavilions. It is easy to be caught up in a crowd in some areas like the children's zoo or the panda exhibit but in general there is enough space that you and your kids will feel comfortable and you will be able to tackle it alone. Also, there is a large amount of zoo staff everywhere. The people in the restaurant are incredibly helpful and anyone in a Toronto Zoo shirt will help you with anything you need.

The zoo is 710 acres of land divided into seven geographic areas and over 10 km of walking trails. Be prepared that depending on the age of your children, you won't likely visit every region. The regions are: Indo-Malaya, Africa, the Americas, Australasia, Eurasia, the Canadian Domain and the Tundra Trek. The zoo also has a Giant Panda exhibit as well as one of the best splash pads in Toronto.

Due to the fact that we live in Toronto and are lucky enough to be members of the zoo, my general game plan is to allow the kids to pick one area of the zoo to visit that day. If its splash pad season, we always finish with a visit to make sure they are truly exhausted when we leave.

My favourite areas of the zoo are Africa and the Tundra Trek. Firstly, they are both incredibly accessible. Whether you bring a stroller or wagon or rent one, these areas are easy to get to and quite walkable. They also bring the most bang for your buck meaning you will see more animals in an easier to handle space than the rest of the zoo.  You will also see the bigger and more recognizable animals like elephants, giraffes, lions and polar bears by visiting these two sections. My best advice when visiting these two spots is to go left when you enter the zoo through Indo-Malaya which has an incredible orangutan exhibit. The reason I recommend going this way is that you need to walk up a hill but if you go to Africa first the kids won't notice because the hill is studded with exhibits like tigers and bats. If you visit the Tundra trek first, the hill up to Africa is much steeper and has no animals on it.  For easy reference check this zoo map.

The alternative to this is to take the Zoomobile. The Zoomobile is a tram ride that will get you around the zoo in a shaded vehicle. There are four stops on the way. The Main station which is at the zoo entrance, Domain Hill, Africa and the Americas. Whether or not you need to, you should ride the Zoomobile once. It is $8 a ride for the entire day or $28.00 for four all day ride passes. Kids under 3 are free as are members. The Zoomobile will get you quickly between some of the areas giving you a little more time to explore. The drivers tell bad jokes but are generally quite knowledgeable and it is the one place you will learn a lot about the zoo. The zoo also now travels through a few exhibits where the animals roam free. It is very exciting for the kids and often you need to wait a little while for a horse or something that resembles a bison to move out of the way of the vehicle.

There are a few important things to note about the Zoomobile. The first being that you cannot bring a wagon on it. I am pretty sure you can leave your wagon unattended at the stations but unless you are getting on and off at the same station, you will eventually need to go get it. When riding the Zoomobile alone with my two, I simply sit in the middle of them and have never had a problem. I was able to ride solo even with a toddler and infant. The zoo staff will wait for you and help you with anything you need.

An important warning about the Toronto Zoo is visiting the Canadian Domain. I know it sounds like fun to see all these Canadian animals but the domain is actually at the bottom of a very steep hill. It is very hard to climb the hill pushing anything or carrying your complaining children. Don't say I didn't warn you.

This blog wouldn't be complete without me telling you about the best kept zoo secret- Bush Camp. Bush Camp is an incredible chance to spend the night camping out at the zoo. We were able to participate in Bush Camp last summer and we all remember it fondly. The Bush Camp staff made it an incredible adventure even though it was raining heavily and we really get an inside look at the zoo. We also get to spend a night camping out as a family and if as light sleepers, we were able to hear some of the animals who are active at night like the lions. Also all food is provided so it is much easier than camping and there is a huge bonfire at night with stories and crafts to keep your kids entertained. This was a wonderful experience for us and one we will surely do again.

Here are some tips I have accumulated from visiting the zoo that hopefully will be helpful:

1. Parking: Zoo parking is $10. It is in the middle of nowhere so you essentially need to park. There are free parking lots that you can sometimes enter by turning right at the entrance. Look for overflow parking signs. 
2. Overflow parking: The zoo can get busy and sometimes you will be directed into overflow parking. If you can't walk that far and are alone with young children, I recommend talking to the parking guy. Also most traffic comes into the zoo from the same way (off the highway) and follows all the zoo signs up one hill to the entrance. If you are following signs to the main entrance and it is backed up, you can usually drive to the drop off area and turn around. Now head back to the entrance and most of the time, you will find this back way isn't blocked off and you will be welcomed into the closer parking. There simply is so little traffic coming from this way, that this tip usually works. 
3. Splash Pad: The splash pad is incredible. It is huge and to this day I can't find a single way anyone could drown in it. There are big change rooms and lots of lockers. The people at the gate only count numbers and unlike Chucky Cheese, they won't be able to stop your children from leaving without you. When we attend and I am outnumbered, I make a simple rule that both my kids must stay together and provide a meet-up spot. I generally follow them around but on most days its not busy and they can easily be seen. 
4. Food and drink: The food at the zoo is terrible. There is very little about it that it appetizing and if you must eat and don't want pizza, I would suggest the Peacock Cafe at the front entrance. That being said, the zoo will let you bring in any food you want to the zoo as well as beverages and coolers. This will save you a lot of money. We bring bottled water and sandwiches and then usually buy a treat like a Beavertail or ice cream. If you haven't had one, you must try a Beavertail. They are a Canadian delicacy. 
5. Zoo volunteers and zoo keepers: The zoo volunteers and zoo keepers are incredibly friendly and will answer any animal questions. The zoo has had an ongoing battle with sending away their elephants and the zoo staff will openly talk about it and discuss where the process is. The zoo seems to have a very open door policy and if you are uncomfortable about something or want to know more, they would love to hear from you. 
6. Rouge Valley: The zoo is in the middle of the Rouge Valley which is a beautiful stretch of parkland in Toronto. You will often see animals within the zoo that come from the valley. Keep an eye out for wild deer, raccoons, and groundhogs. 

I hope this blog post inspires some of my readers to visit this incredible zoo. It really is a wonderful place whether you visit in the crowds of summer or the complete dead of winter. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment! 

Canada's Wonderland Waterpark

    Recently the kids and I ventured back to Canada's Wonderland recently on what can only be described as the hottest day to ever exist ever. Ever.

    I was slightly hesitant to head to Splashworks but frankly I needed a splashpad/pool situation that I could also get wet in. 

    So we were off. It was remarkably easy to get to the waterpark from the main entrance but I would suggest depending on your child's age that you bring a wagon or stroller. By the time we were done swimming my kids were slightly exhausted. I had opted to rent a stroller which cost me approximately $20 but did make the day a lot easier. Stroller rentals are to the left by the blue lockers at the entrance to the park. 

    When you enter Splashworks there is a kids area near the lockers that features a small pool and 5 small slides. We spent quite a bit of time there. We made the mistake of not venturing beyond this spot for quite a while and in the end discovered an entire other section for smaller kids behind it that we didn't have time to explore. This section had its own splashpad and bigger slides. 

     A few notes on doing this solo with kids. First don't venture into the lazy river unless one of your children can safely fit into the tube. My five year old didn't exactly fit and without help we would not have made it through the river. Also you need to be on tubes the whole time so make sure your kids aren't too young as its hard to get out of the river if they are unhappy. The same warning applies to the large wave pool. It is essentially packed with people and although your kids must wear life jackets, I would definitely work on a buddy system and not venture in outnumbered. 

    The good news is there is still a lot your kids can do including an incredibly fun water play place with a giant tilting bucket and lots of tubes and water guns attached to it that they can independently operate. 

    My final note was that I watched the life guarding carefully in the kids section and was very impressed which made the situation much less stressful. All in all we had a great day and I would return with my two kids any day and feel that even outnumbered we would have a great time.