Fun things to do this Family Day Weekend
Looking for fun things to do with the family this Family Day weekend? Whether you want to go out or stay in, there are plenty of family friendly events taking place both online and around the GTA. From virtual tours to outdoor attractions, there’s something for everyone!
In-person things to do
Image Credit: Child's Life
- Family Day Weekend at Celebration Square
Grab your skates and head to Celebration Square to enjoy some winter fun on Mississauga's largest outdoor skating rink with the family. Celebration Square will be bringing the winter vibes with food trucks and heated lounges. Don’t forget to snap a family picture at the Ontario Parasport Games and Ontario Summer Games photo stations located around the Square so you can cherish the fun memories with your family later.
- Visit the Fragments of Epic Memory exhibit at the AGO
Enjoy a fun afternoon with the family while also celebrating Black History Month at the Fragments of Epic Memory exhibit at the AGO. This exhibit features more than 200 photographs from the AGO's Montgomery Collection of Caribbean Photographs alongside paintings, sculpture, and video works by modern and contemporary Caribbean artists. As the first exhibition organized by the AGO’s new Department of Arts of Global Africa and the Diaspora, Fragments of Epic Memory invites viewers to experience the histories of the Caribbean and its diaspora.
- Go skating at The Bentway
The Bentway Skate Trail is a unique 220-metre figure-eight loop in downtown Toronto. The family can enjoy skating under the lights and warm up after with a hot beverage. This year, The Bentway has also been offering special events, including a winter art exhibition by Inuvialuk artist Maureen Gruben.
- Play a Round of Indoor Virtual Golf at EZ Golf Canada
- Check out the Winter Stations installations along the Toronto waterfront
Bringing temporary winter art installations to the Toronto beaches, Winter Stations is a single-stage international design competition held annually in the city. The theme for this year’s exhibition is resilience. Minto Communities is a proud sponsor of Winter Stations!
- Explore more than 80,000 years of Earth’s history at Planet Ice: Mysteries of the Ice Ages
Head to the Ontario Science Centre to experience Planet Ice: Mysteries of the Ice Ages, an exhibition about the important role ice has played in Earth’s history. At the exhibition, you and the family will adventure through time while learning about animal adaptations and lost lands. Presented by the Canadian Museum of Nature, the exhibit features more than 100 real specimens, models and artifacts, including animal fossils, ancient human tools,, and more.
- Get cozy at Island of Warmth
Island of Warmth is an interactive light installation taking place at Yonge-Dundas Square. People are invited to gather around this installation, which features more than 150 incandescent light bulbs resembling a large campfire. The installation is brought to life by sensors and music composed for the occasion.
- Create snow sculptures at Oakville Galleries
On Saturday, Oakville Galleries is offering free programming for families in Gairloch Gardens. During this Family Day Snow Sculptures Workshop you’ll walk around the garden for inspiration then create your very own snow artwork.
Virtual things to do
Image Credit: Bata Shoe Museum
- Take a virtual tour of the Art Gallery of Ontario
The AGO offers virtual programs for kids free of charge, courtesy of The Michael Young Family Foundation. Sign up and tune into the one on Monday February 21st for a live, interactive session with an AGO Art Educator that weaves art and wellness in with a creative activity. Three versions of the conversation are scheduled during the day catered to different age groups. The family can also enjoy more specific interactive sessions that explore topics such as the creative process, Indigenous art and artists, and art of Africa and the African diaspora.
- Check out the Bata Shoe Museum’s online exhibitions
The Bata Shoe Museum is an iconic museum in Toronto displaying shoes from all around the world, while looking at their history and cultural significance. The Bata Shoe Museum offers different exhibitions online that will take you to all four corners of the world.
- Check out ArtVenture Online through The McMichael Canadian Art Collection
The McMichael Canadian Art Collection is offering online activities through ArtVenture Online, a platform featuring art activities, tutorials, and videos. The programming, which is accessible for different age groups, allows you to explore Canadian art. The whole family can have a fun and educational time participating in the step-by-step art activities.
- Get up close to the bizarre with Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Outside the Odditorium platform
With Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Outside the Odditorium platform, you can get up close with the world’s strange and unusual online and learn weird true facts. Watch q&as with researchers, editors, and illustrators, and tune into video series to be amazed. They also offer downloadable educational activities, lessons, and crafts.
- Explore the Royal Ontario Museum’s online collection
The ROM is home to a world-class collection of 13 million artworks, cultural objects, and natural history specimens, some of which can be viewed online. They are always adding new objects to the online collection so you’ll never be bored. You can also do a 360° virtual walkthrough of the museum.
- Watch Via Kanana, an exciting dance show presented by the Harbourfront Centre
In collaboration with contemporary choreographer Gregory Maqoma, Via Kanana Dance is presenting Via Kanana, an electrifying work based on a popular dance of street and protest of South Africa. The Harbourfront Centre will be streaming a digital broadcast of the South African dance company’s piece until March. A short documentary about Via Kanana will be played before the performance.
- Browse through the Lrikulau online gallery
Lrikulau is a virtual gallery a part of LunarFest GTA telling the story of Lrikulau, which is the Formosan Clouded Leopard in the Rukai language. This sacred animal is believed to have led ancestors to the village of Kucapungane, but hasn’t been seen since. You and the family can join the search for Lrikulau on this online gallery that features works by Rukai artist Pacake Taugadhu.
- Watch a film on the Museum of Contemporary Art’s online platform Shift Key
Shift Key is MOCA Toronto’s online platform featuring video offerings for free. Supported by Scotiabank, MOCA has invited curators to share artworks on the platform. Videos are posted for a period of one month then archived on the platform using images and texts.
- Enjoy a digital concert by the Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra
Presented by Tafelmusik, The Gull, the Raccoon, and the Last Maple is a digital concert the whole family can enjoy. With music composed by Abigail Richardson-Schulte and the story by Alexis Diamond, this concert is environmentally themed and addresses the need to take action in the face of climate change.