Indoor Playgrounds & Parent-and-Tot Drop-ins in Toronto

The City runs two useful things under names that do not obviously mean somewhere to take a toddler. Indoor Playground with Caregiver is a room set up with ride-on toys, soft climbers and mats, opened for under-sixes and whoever brought them. Recreation Fun and Play with Caregiver is the same idea on a gym floor, with balls, parachutes and more running. Both are walk-in, both skew heavily to weekday mornings, and nine o'clock is by far the most common start time. Two hours is the usual length. Flemingdon's Playground Paradise is the largest room in the system and the one people cross town for, Canoe Landing runs the most sessions downtown, and Ethennonnhawahstihnen' in North York is among the newest. The City also schedules leisure skate and shinny specifically for a child with a caregiver, which is the gentlest possible introduction to an arena; search the app for caregiver to find those alongside these.

Cost

The City publishes no drop-in fee for Indoor Playground or Recreation Fun and Play, and centres do not normally charge a caregiver who is accompanying a child. Everything is free at the City's free community recreation centres, though none of the centres currently running these is one of them, so check the posted rate at the front desk before you travel.

Where to find parent & tot drop-in in Toronto

Available at 8 City of Toronto centres.

• Canoe Landing Community Recreation Centre, 45 Fort York Blvd.
• Ethennonnhawahstihnen' Community Recreation Centre and Library, 100 Ethennonnhawahstihnen' Ln.
• Flemingdon Community Centre & Playground Paradise, 150 Grenoble Dr
• Parkway Forest Community Centre, 55 Forest Manor Rd
• Birchmount Community Centre, 93 Birchmount Rd
• Earl Bales Community Centre, 4169 Bathurst St
• Oriole Park - Toronto, 201 Oriole Pkwy
• Wells Hill Park, 145 Hilton Ave

Common questions

Do I stay with my child?

Yes. These are caregiver programs, so an adult stays for the whole session. That is the difference between these and a registered preschool class, where you sign up for a term and drop off.

What age are they for?

Generally under six, but the City publishes an age range on every session and centres vary. Check the range listed on the session before you travel.

Do I need to register?

No. Walk in during the posted hours. There is nothing to book and no term to commit to, which is the whole point of the format.

Does Indoor Playground run in winter?

Yes, and that is when it earns its keep. It runs year round indoors, so it covers exactly the November to March stretch when the parks are unusable.

Other activities

Pickleball Drop-in, Badminton Drop-in, Lane Swim, Aquafit, Skating Drop-in, Weight Room & Fitness Centre, Leisure Swim, Water Play, Yoga, Basketball Drop-in, Table Tennis, Volleyball Drop-in, Soccer Drop-in, Open Gym, Pilates, Indoor Walking & Running Track, Strength & Conditioning, Zumba & Dance Fitness, Older Adult Programs (55+), Tai Chi, FitnessTO, Youth Zone & Teen Programs, Social Clubs & Games

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