Posted on

Infant Massage and Mama Meetup

Location:  TBD, Leslieville location though
Website: https://mamamobilemassage.com/upcomingevents/
Hours: Recurring (check website), Next date: Friday February 14th, 2018 10:30 am – 11:30 am
Cost: $40, RMT receipt if baby is covered under family insurance
Agea: Babies under 1 year

Mama mobile is hosting a meetup on the 18th, they’ve posted offering:

3 massage routines safely on baby:

1) Relaxation/sleep routine
2) Surviving colds routine
3) Constipation/colic routine

Also included:
Snacks/refreshments
Gift bag with safe oil for massage

Posted on

Little Tot’s Hair Shop

Location:  1926 Queen St E, Toronto, ON M4L 1H5 
Website: http://www.littletotshairshop.com
Hours:Monday to Friday: 10am to 6pm Saturday: 9am to 5pm Sunday: 10am to 5pm
Cost: I believe it was about $20

I have been cutting my son’s hair myself since he was born, and I confess it’s been cut quite badly. I finally decided it was time to take my son somewhere for a first professional haircut. Most kid’s shop have mixed reviews including this one but I did have an overall good experience and the ball pit was a huge hit. Continue reading “Little Tot’s Hair Shop”

Posted on

Mama Mobile Massage

Location:  Your House
Website: https://mamamobilemassage.com/
Hours: Flexible, including Saturdays
Cost: $113, no travel fees, RMT receipts

I recently had a great prenatal massage from mama mobile massage. Their business model is such a great concept and it’s something I want to do again when baby two comes along. I got a few massages in the year after Jacob was born, but it was often very stressful to schedule for the first 9 months or so since he was hard to predict and could be very fussy. Continue reading “Mama Mobile Massage”

Posted on

Bud’s Coffee Bar

Location:  11966 Queen St E, Toronto, ON M4L 1H8
Website: https://www.facebook.com/budscoffeebar
Hours: Sundays: 8am-6pm, 6:30am-7:00pm

Bud’s is a small boutique coffee shop with the advantage of having a small play space in the back with a chalk board and some toys. I stumbled upon this when I was taking my son for a haircut in the beaches and I’ve gone back since when I wanted a change of scenery.

There are so few things open Sundays and sometimes I just need a change of scenery and to get out of the house for a little bit. I think bud’s is perfect for that. They have good coffee and a small selection of pastries.

 

Posted on

Monarch Park Stadium Toddler Time

Location:  1 Parkmount Rd, Toronto
Website: http://www.monarchparkstadium.com/programs-events/toddler-playtime
Hours: Tuesday, Thursday 9am-noon, November 7, 2017 – April 19, 2018
Age: 0-5
Cost: $7, babies not walking are free

Throughout winter monarch park stadium is open for toddler time. While the stadium is heated when we went there it was -22 outside and the heaters could not keep up with the cold. It was quite chilly still inside probably a little above zero. My guess is it wouldn’t be so bad if it wasn’t such extreme cold though. I wished I had brought a mid-weight jacket.

Still despite the cold baby J loved it. There are tons of balls, ramps to climb, tunnels, and a bouncy castle, etc. He never wanted to go back to the changeroom area to warm up. Continue reading “Monarch Park Stadium Toddler Time”

Posted on

Allan Gardens Conservatory & Playground

Location: 19 Horticultural Ave
Website: City of Toronto Website
Hours: 10 am – 5 pm, 365 days/year

Allan Gardens is one of the best free attractions you can visit in Toronto. Every time I go I am amazed that it is free. It is also next to one of the best playgrounds in the city.

The gardens are a series of greenhouses with different displays each season. Walking through the gardens takes about 45 minutes if you go at a leisurely pace. We have visited many time since baby J was born and try and go once a season to see the changing displays. It is very stroller accessible. J has enjoyed looking at the plants but in most previous visits he did fall asleep in the stroller. It wasn’t until our most recent visit, at 14 months, when he really seemed to love it. He ran through the greenhouse fascinated and didn’t want to sit in the stroller for a minute. While I had to watch him a bit to make sure he didn’t damage any plants he never made too many tries. He loved watching the waterwheel by the turtles. Continue reading “Allan Gardens Conservatory & Playground”

Posted on

Toronto Yoga Mamas

Location: 1402 Queen St E
Website: http://www.torontoyogamamas.com/

Toronto Yoga Mamas offers such a wide variety of services to mothers and moms to be. I’ve attended a number of different ones including pre-natal yoga, mom & baby yoga, crawlers yoga, monthly mom groups, and I’ve also used their wellness services such as massage. They also have a cute boutique with curated items. They offer so many different services as well that I haven’t tried. Continue reading “Toronto Yoga Mamas”

Posted on

Jimmie Simpson Gym Time

Location: 870 Queen Street East
Website: Toronto Parks Website
Regular Hours: Varies but usually 3pm to 6pm Monday, Wednesday, Friday (check above link under drop-in programs listed as Recreation Fun and Play with Caregiver)
Ages: Under 5

The Jimmie Simpson Rec center offers a drop in play time for babies under 5. It is one of the few free activities offered in the afternoon, it is usually offered October – April. There are no staff like a drop in center, it’s basically free play with a variety of toys in an open gym. There are a great assortment of toys to play with and it’s great for a moving baby/toddler. There is no registration you just walk in and can use a variety of toys while you are there. There are slides, lots of push toys, ride-on toys, and climbing structures.

Sometimes the gym isn’t available a small room is used instead. This can be very loud due to echoes which may be overwhelming for some children who are sensitive to noise. If this is a major concern you can call ahead and check.

Continue reading “Jimmie Simpson Gym Time”

Posted on

Sprouts

Location: 183 Carlaw Ave. (Carlaw and Queen)
Website: http://www.sproutskids.ca/
Regular Hours: Monday–Friday 9am – 6pm, Saturday-Sunday 9am – 4pm
Ages: 0-6 years
Cost: First visit free, 6 visits for $66.50 or monthly pass

I love sprouts it’s very clean with great toys and play structures for toddlers. There are great amenities such as a kitchenette, coffee, sippy cups, and a vending machine with baby food if you forgot yours. Most importantly it is one of the only indoor play spaces in the area that is open on weekends and afternoons. I usually like to take Jacob to the park in the afternoon but if the weather is horrid it’s an excellent place to go. Especially before Jacob was walking I was very hesitant to take him to the park if it was wet since he would crawl through all the much. Sometimes I take him out if it’s wet now but it’s still good to have a place to go in the afternoon if the weather if bad. I highly recommend getting the 6 pass which is what we buy. I find I use it about 3 times a month on average. Continue reading “Sprouts”

Posted on

Mini-Nastics Song Circle

Location: 836 Danforth Ave.
Website: https://www.mini-nastics.com/music-class.html
Regular Hours: Wednesday & Friday 12pm-1pm
Ages: Mostly under 2 years but open to older children
Cost: $5

Mini-Nastics is usually a bit further north than I usually wander but in this case it’s definitely worth it. They provide such an excellent value for 5 dollars. They offer an excellent song circle which includes keyboards and guitar. My son was very entertained by the keyboard. After the song circle, which is about 30 minutes, there is free play in the gymnasium. This includes a trampoline and lots of things to climb if you have a little mover. I love that it is a drop-in too since it’s so hard to plan/commit to things with Jacob. Continue reading “Mini-Nastics Song Circle”

Posted on

Baby Swimming at Regent Park

There are a number of rec centers that offer swimming lessons for babies and toddlers for free or at low cost in Toronto. You can search for them here on the city of Toronto website. Even though it’s not the closest though I prefer to go to the newly renovated Regent Park pool for both lessons and drop in swim. You can see the programs currently offered at Regent Park here. Continue reading “Baby Swimming at Regent Park”

Posted on

Riverdale Farm

Website: City Website
Hours: Open all day for visiting the farm but recreation drop in is saturday 9:00-3:30

Riverdale farm is an awesome place to take your little ones for a day trip. There are lots of animals to see and you can pet some of them (sheeps/goat) when they go by the fence. There is a mix of indoor and outdoor animals.

There are also some programs for younger children. From 9:30-3:30 on Saturdays they offer drop in play with Caregiver and there is a registered program on weekdays. Continue reading “Riverdale Farm”