Free fun in the city

I don't know why I hadn't heard about this playground before, but in High Park there is a community-build playground called the Jamie Bell Adventure Playground that is truly amazing. Here is a picture:

For anyone thinking about making a trip to Toronto with kids, the playground, and the rest of High Park, is a must. ReRe liked it so much, we went on both Saturday and Sunday. It has areas for smaller and bigger kids, and very innovative, yet low-tech, activities to try. But if you are thinking of going by car, get there early. At 9am, there is no trouble finding parking. At 11am, the nearest parking lot is full. We've only taken advantage of a very small portion of High Park (including the small zoo) but we still have not made it to the splash pad or onto the trackless train ride.

We also made it to Afrofest again this year, but for us it is turning more into just an opportunity for a family picnic, rather than a chance to really listen to the music. It is very different from other music festivals, which is both good and bad. It is good in that it is free, there aren't all those barriers up to keep out the non-payers, there is a great children's area, and it is just so free-flowing and fun. On the other hand, there is no schedule published ahead of time, so you don't know when or where you will see certain performers, and it is getting busier and busier every year, so when we are with ReRe we tend to stay on the fringes. But it is still a wonderful place to go, and it's so much fun to see our little guy running and dancing to the beats.  

And could we fit in any more free fun in one weekend? Hard to believe, but yes. This is going to sound strange, but Dixie Outlet Mall is a great place to go for free fun with a toddler, since they let you use their car strollers for free (other nearby malls charge $5) and they always seem to have coupons around for free stuff - like this weekend, you could get a free cup of coffee at Cinnabon (not for the toddler), and a free popcicle (ok for the toddler) at Sears. Posh, this mall is not, and no where near as chic as saying you spent the day at High Park, but on a rainy day, it is awesome.