Realm of the Fairies - Urban Hiking in Magwood Park

Last week we ended our self quarantine and are now able to get out for daily exercise in our neighbourhood provided we practice social distancing in the face of COVID-19.  Thankfully there are a lot of great places in our neighbourhood to stretch our legs, including a short trail that my friend E told me about near Jane and St. John's road in Magwood Park.

The special thing about this trail is that kids from all over the neighbourhood have made fairy houses and distributed them in tree branches and the wooded area to help bring some magic to this stressful and challenging time.

Today we explored the trail together and Molly added her own house to the collection of Fairy Magic along this short urban trail in the west end of Toronto.

A colourful fairy house nestled in the base of a tree.

This is an easy trail that is off of Pasadena Gardens, just outside of the more crowded ravine adjacent paved path.  You could probably even take a large wheeled stroller on this path if you wanted to.  We walked the short trail about 2.5 times while looking for fairy homes, giving us a half hour walk on the trail.

The kids followed all of our rules to keep safe and germ free 1) No touching any of the fairy homes (even if the wind had knocked them over) and 2) if you pass anyone on the trail move over to one side to give them plenty of room to get by. We only saw three other families on the trail at the same time as us and everyone was behaving as they should keeping a wide distance, save for one family who decided to let their dogs off leash.


Molly brought and hung her own fairy home in a tree for other people to spot and enjoy on the trail. Spring is officially here as purple flowers had begun to pop up along the trail.  We will be back in a couple of weeks to explore more, see how many other fairy homes have been added, and to add another home to the collection.  Today we counted more than 40 fairy homes!

Molly's Fairy Home

Along the path

Spotting our first set of fairy homes 

This one was Molly & my favourite one because of it's nature inspired aesthetic

 If you decide to visit Magwood park make sure to practice social distancing and avoid crowds.  Stay healthy and active everyone!

Lego House - Our Trip to Lego Land

As a part of our ongoing quest to experience more and acquire less items, we gifted Jack an experience gift this Christmas.  We're going to continue to practice this type of gifting with the kids more often because it was such a success.  When we asked Molly if she wanted to join us for a day at Lego Land or a pyjama party with her aunt K, she chose her girlie day.  Everyone was happy and we were able to enjoy some one on one time with Mr. Jack.

Here are 10 tips for A Successful Trip to Lego Land Vaughn 

A High Five for Merlin 2.0

1. Check for coupons or book your tickets ahead to save money.  We were able to get discount tickets through Groupon that also got Jack a free Nexo Knights figurine.  Total cost for the three of us worked out to around $60 with the two coupons.  Regular admission for kids 3 and over and adults is $24, so be sure to clip your coupons.
2. Read the fine print on the coupons or have the proper coupon app loaded onto your phone.  For whatever reason one of our tickets didn't print and we had to pay full price for one admission for one of us.
3. Let your child lead you.  There was a really cool looking playground, but Jack wasn't interested in going in because adults weren't permitted and he didn't want to go solo.  He didn't feel like he was missing out, so we checked back in before we left to make sure there wasn't anything else he wanted to do.

   

   Hanging out with daddy on one of the rides

4. Wait until lunch time to go on the Knight ride or when the lines appear shortest.  You pass by the knight ride when you first enter, so many people are tempted to line up right away, even if they arrive with a huge crowd.  We waited until a lot of people were eating lunch to line up and only spent twenty minutes waiting
5. You can bring your own food it you want to save a bit of cash, but if you don't want to bother, food prices are pretty reasonable.  We were able to get cheese pizza, chocolate milk, ice tea, a hot dog, a grilled cheese sandwich, and a bag of chips for $16.12.
   
   

   

   Practicing some shoddy architecture at the Earth Quake Table

6. The earthquake table is a lot of fun.  Be prepared to be way more excited about it than your child is.
7. Your child may not appreciate the beauty of the same Lego sculptures as you do, but make sure you take a minute to really look at the artistic craftsmanship of some of the Master Builder's art.
8. The Lego "Movie" is totally worth the wait, and is 4D, meaning they blow air at you and shoot you with pretend kragle!  Lining up about 10-15 minutes before show time should guarantee you a spot on most days.
   
   
   

   

   3D Glasses on and Ready to go!

9. Cold weather, no problem. There are some coat racks for free use with the honour system.  So put your valuables in your pockets and enjoy walking around without having to hold bulky gear.
10. Be prepared to exit through the gift shop and temper your child's expectations accordingly.  We had a no buying toys in January rule that we made an exception for jut at Lego Land.  Jackie knew this and spent some of is saved up allowance on a Lego Key Chain and a couple of mini figs.  

Inspecting Lego Yoda

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There's A Hole In My Bucket: Summer Bucket List

The minions really loved knocking items off of bucket lists since we started the project this winter, and continued it into spring.  I'm happy to report that we're getting better at knocking things off of our list and actually managed to complete 18 out of 30 items on our spring bucket list (much better than the 14 we managed on our winter bucket list!   Bucket lists have inspired us to book activities, appreciate what each season has to offer and get out and move, even when we were tempted to just curl up and binge on some Netflix.  Since some of the items are still doable for summer we moved a few from spring over to our summer bucket list that we worked on collectively as a family last night.

This list is designed to get us out there and enjoy everything that summer has to offer; I'm hoping that we keep improving our records and eventually complete all the check marks.

Feel free to steal ideas from our list, and if you have any must see / must do suggestions please let us know so we can keep adding to our own list.  I'll be adding check marks and writing posts as we cross stuff off our list.

Climbing a log on a Father's Day Hike at Tiffany Falls

1. Go and see Despicable Me In Theatres✔
2. Go to a Drive In Movie✔
3. Explore three new playgrounds or parks✔✔✔
4. Fly a kite✔
5. Try using a scooter
6. Ride our bikes (learn to ride a bike)
7. Complete a nature themed scavenger hunt✔
8. Go on three hikes✔
9. Make Toronto beautiful with a park clean up day
10. Have an outdoor garden tea party
11. Go canoeing ✔
12. Have a picnic in the park✔
13. Celebrate Molly & Jack's 6th Birthday✔
14. Visit the ocean✔
15. Collect sea shells✔
    
    

    

    Molly climbing a tree stump on a hike

16. Say hello to a French person in French in Quebec✔
17. Go to the cottage✔
18. Go to Black Creek Pioneer Village
19. Eat food from our garden✔
20. Try new recipes for food from our garden✔
21. Make our own ice cream sundaes
22. Enjoy the sun and lay on the ground to watch the sun and the clouds
23. Make a flower crown out of wild flowers
24. Go to Santa's Village✔
25. Jump in muddy puddles✔
26. Go to a baseball game with daddy✔
27. Go to an outdoor flea market or craft market✔
28. Visit a farm✔
29. Try three new splash pads✔✔✔
30. Read all of the Captain Underpants books (Read 1-10)
31. Read all of the Ivy and Bean books✔
32. Read all of the Bad Guys books✔
33. Read all of the Princess & Black Book Series✔ 
34. Go to Canada's Wonderland✔

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The Whole World Is Our Playground: Playground Review Lora Hill Park

I can't believe it's been six months since we explored a new playground, and we couldn't wait for spring to come so we could start exploring again.  That's why we have visits to three new  on our seasonal bucket list.

We were headed to Oakville for some Easter Egg hunting with the cousins and grandparents and decided we should enjoy the weather and blow off some steam first.  Lora Hill was en route to the highway and had received solid online reviews from other people in the area so we decided to go and check it out.

My park review disclaimer: If you don't live in the area I hope you enjoy the pics and can use some of the ideas to inspire and explore in your own city. If you have any recommendations for great playgrounds (or new criteria I haven't thought of) please post a comment on this post or email me at multiplemomstrosity @ gmail.com .

Big slides at Lora Hill Park

Park Name:

Lora Hill Park

Islington and Norseman (36 Fernalroy Avenue)

Parking:

There is free street parking on the streets around the park, with more available on weekends.  The park is a 17 minute walk from Islington subway station.

Theme of Park:

Modern playground with something for people of any age. 

Ground Coverage:

The playground is surrounded by grass and has sand around the majority of the equipment.

The mini climber and slide designed for kids 18 months to 5 years old

Variety of Equipment for different ages:

This playground caters to everyone.  Not only are there two different main play structure areas, one for little kids and one for bigger kids, but there is also a tennis court right beside the playground so older kids or adults with kids who are big enough to play more independently could take in a game while the little ones play.

Best Parts of the Park:

The set up of this park is great.  Everyone has been considered.  It is easy to supervise kids in multiple structures, even from the tennis courts which are excellently maintained.  There are trees all around to provide shade coverage in hot summer months.  There are covered areas for the sandboxes and some covered benches so a sprinkle of rain, or parent who wants a shady retreat can sit without a sunburn.  There are also some picnic benches.

Racing up "the mountain" to the big kid structure

Downfalls:

There are a number of abandoned toys in this park in bad repair.  Molly wanted to ride in a toy car, but two of its wheels were missing and it tipped over, this could be particularly dangerous for little ones who aren't going to watch for sharp edges on broken plastic etc.

Racing to the top of the triangle climber

Overall Rating:

I would rate this playground a 4.5 out of 5.  Chris and I really want to go back to try a game of tennis while the kids play.  Molly's favourite item in the park was the triangle climber that we all raced up and down several times.  Jack loved the big slides.  I have to admit these are the tallest slides I've ever seen at a park, and they were pretty cool, aside from a bit of static.  We will definitely return!

To view my playground review of the playground with the boat (Vermont Square) click here.

To view my playground review of Pricefield Road Playground click here.

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Dookie - Our visit to Toronto's Poop Themed Cafe

Potty humour is a pretty big staple in the life of five year olds, and since the minions are generally polite little kids we let them away with giggling at things like giant sloppy raspberry kisses that sound like farts.  Jack has been a big fan of happy faces and emojis for some time now.  His two all-time favourite emojis are a giant Happy Face with hearts for eyes and pie-eyed grin who Jack gives a voice that sounds vaguely like something out of Cheech and Chong (named Romeo) and a smiling pile of poop (who Jack named Klum).  

When I heard that they opened a Poop Cafe and ice cream shop in Toronto at Christie and Bloor I knew both kids (Jack in particular) would get a real kick out of a cafe built around his buddy Klum. We added the poop cafe to our winter bucket list and surprised the minions with a visit there for ice cream yesterday afternoon and it was a huge hit.

First off, most of the seats are real toilets. 

There's also a display toilet but the front door so you can sit or squat while you wait for your table.

The seats have blocks when you lift up the lid so you don't fall in (Jack checked)

Kids are encouraged to try on a poop themed mask

It's called a "doo-doo head" mask, but us grown-ups know it's really a s$*t head mask

This is how my coffee came, in a giant toilet bowl mug

Poop shaped waffles are $3 each and come plain or filled with nutella goodness

We ordered the oreo ice cream sundae to share.  It was more than enough for the four of us and a big hit.

The kids had a blast and have asked if we can go back again.  I'll probably tie it to a spring or summer visit to Christie Pitts park since a cold toilet bowl full of ice cream seems like the perfect top off to a day at the park.  The food was reasonable, particularly if you're willing to share.  Our trip cost us just under $25 with tax and tip in, and was well worth the expense.  Molly says her favourite part was the nutella filled waffle, while Jack says his favourite part was the toilet bowl ice cream.  The added touches of poop emoji art, poop shaped pillows, and urinal shaped water glasses kept everything on theme without being a gross-out experience.  All the same I was a little surprised they didn't offer soft serve ice cream, but that might have crossed the cute to disgusting line.  This is a great experience for kids, adults, and anyone who likes ice cream or novelty. 

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The Whole World is Our Playground: Wychwood Barns Playground Review

It was really hot outside this weekend and we wanted to take the kids out to a playground with a splash pad, so we decided to head to Christie and St. Clair to check out Wychwood Barns.

My park review disclaimer: If you don't live in the area I hope you enjoy the pics and can use some of the ideas to inspire and explore in your own city. If you have any recommendations for great playgrounds (or new criteria I haven't thought of) please post a comment on this post or email me at multiplemomstrosity @ gmail,com .

Park Name:

Wychwood Barns

76 Wychwood Ave, Toronto, ON M6G 4C6 (Christie and St. Clair)

Parking:

This park has a lot of local street parking and is also steps away from the 126 bus out of Christie Station or the St. Clair Streetcar line.

Theme of Park:

An artistic mix of urban agriculture and play in the city. 

Ground Coverage:

Primarily cement and sand with a sprinkling of trees and planters.

The canoe herb garden

Variety of Equipment for different ages:

This playground is a toddler and preschoolers dream.  There are small structures and a splash pad that sprays (no wading pool).  There are swings, small climbers, and a big sandbox with a tap in the middle for making castles and mud pies, all without the worry of big kids taking over the equipment from the toddlers.

Best Parts of the Park:

This playground is clearly a big part of the local community.  On Saturdays parents can enjoy a farmer's market in addition to playing, this also makes snacking easy.  The connection to Artscapes has the area aspiring to be a cultural hub, so there art galleries open within Wychwood Barns, so people can take a break from play and check out an exhibit if they like.  The splash pad is great for little ones who want to run through the sprinkler gauntlet, operate a spray gun, and jump in puddles around the floor sprayers.  There is a washroom available for kid use.

Toddler sized play structure, ideal for tiny hands and feet

Downfalls:

There is very little shade cover.  The sandbox and one or two highly coveted benches are the only reprieve from the summer scorch, so bring your sunscreen and a hat. This park is really good for kids five and under, but older kids would get bored quickly, particularly if you attended on a day when there weren't the distractions of the farmers market.  

Ready, aim...

Overall Rating:

I would rate this park a 3 out of 5.  I'm glad we caught this playground this year, before Molly and Jack are too old to enjoy it, but I don't think I'd be back unless I was local or was also going with my primary activity centring around the farmer's market and/or to see an exhibit.  Don't get me wrong, if you're nearby and you have a little one who loves to splash and jump in puddles, this is a great spot for them to visit free from worry of the dangers of a wading pool!  The kids had a good time, Molly said her favourite part was building castles in the sand and Jack said the best part was spraying daddy with the splash pad water shooter/ laser. 

To find 10 more free splash pads around the city to beat the heat click here


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