Your going to keep your boys busy!!

Well this summer.. as usual we do andrew scenic.... farm for berry picking. lowville park......we doing Zoo this summer and then picnic.. trip to Us to visit family.....

Here is our list of to dos this year:

Marineland
Ontario Place
Centreville
Bronte Creek Pool
Lowville
Splashpads and more splashpads
Cottage

Splash pads
Bronte Pier - probably weekly, they also have a great park by the Lighthouse
Camping
Niagara Falls
camps- soccer and horse back riding camp
birthday parties
the ROM especially for my oldest
tons of playdates to keep my oldest busy
Bronte Park

We'll be doing lots of splash pads and parks for picnic lunches, playdates. I want to check out the Georgetown splashpads, I think, and Nelson park in burlington looks interesting, too. I need to renew my conservation area annual pass.

We'll go to Bronte Creek for a day at some point, and most likely African Lion Safari. We might consider the zoo for a day - my brother lives near the zoo so we'd probably combine it with a visit to him. Also I definitely want to get to the Royal Botanical Gardens in the next couple of weeks to check out the roses and the rock garden, although I'm hoping for slightly cooler weather for that. We're really lucky, my husband gets discounts at most Ontario attractions, which usually means he gets in free, so we only pay for me and the kids, and I always hunt up deals for us. Some places like the the RBG his pass will get us all in free! Which I didn't realize until AFTER we paid full price for the bugs exhibit.

camping (x2)
cottage (x3)
Hornby camp
Brantford Twin Valley Zoo
Halton Conservation Pass
Wasaga Beach day trip
Splash Pads
Bronte Creek
Marineland
Lowville

3boysnme - where do you peach pick (I'm assuming) in St. Catherines? I would love to try that!

They are already picked....all I know is there is a wave park nearby too....the peaches on the side of the road to the left of the highway are the best I ever tasted.

I have never been to lowville...tell me more.

We have a couple of vacations planned - one camping and one cottage. Other than that, it'll be parks, picnics, splash pads.....maybe a few "big ticket" trips like Wonderland or Centreville. Going to make the most of this summer!!

Thanks - I think I know the water park you are talking about, so I'm sure I can find the peaches!

Lowville park is BEAUTIFUL!!! (and free) Take Derry west and then turn left at the corner gas station (I forget the name of the street ... someone help me here) There blue provincial signs to mark the directions to the park. The park is at the bottom of the hill and on the left hand side. Your boys will love it there. Don't forget to bring nets and buckets to catch the critters in the river....oh and water shoes are good to remember too!

Neighbours pool
Beach - Port Stanley/turkey point ect.....
BMX Bike Park and maybe Track 2000
Splash Pad
Bruce Trail Hiking
Kelso and lots of it!
Bike Rides and lots of them!
Park and Splash Pads
Sibald Point Provincial Park

Summer Camp
Play dates
Going to the various conservation parks in Halton
Kelso Beach
Farmer's Market
All the various splash parks in Milton
Plan to check out the parks in Oakville, Burlington and Hamilton
May check out the High Park Zoo
Perhaps a trip to Edwards Gardens in Toronto
May take a boat ride at Toronto's Queen's Quay - I also need to find the schedule of events...in the activity centre for families
2 weeks of swimming lessons in a private outdoor pool in Mississauga...($55/week/child)
Great Wolf Lodge
We were going to go to Centreville for that 2 for 1 deal but with the strike we may not go for it again this year...
Lots of bike rides , ice cream trips and picnics
Hopefully, we will get down to Wasaga Beach this summer...we have never taken the girls...

Debra wrote:
Hopefully, we will get down to Wasaga Beach this summer...we have never taken the girls...

Debra: just wanted to make a suggestion. I went to Wasaga a few years ago and man what a waste of a day. Wasaga is not what it was years ago. With the fire they had a few years back the main strip is nothing. The beach is sooo small now because of the parking it's just like going to Lake ontario with better water quality. They have so commercialized it with walmart, etc...the new housing where poeple live and are not cottages anymore...ugh

I wanted to suggest to you Sauble. It's awesome there. Clean water....LOADS of beach, you can still even drive your car on the beach in certian areas and the main strip is walkable and lots to see. I also love Sauble falls. You can swim there too.

I know we'll be heading there this summer - sauble that is -P.S. Oh and the tiniest church is on the way - we are not church people, but its great to go in and see it and write you name in the book to say you were there - I think it's still there. Anyone know?

OH yeah and if you are staying over a night or two you can drive into Tobermory and go on the Chichiman boat and tour Flower pot Island...or go on the glass bottom boat rides.....

Thanks MommyG, I so appreciate this tip...I have heard a lot of great things about Sauble! Since not being originally from Ontario, I forget about all these amazing beach spots! My DH is not much is a lake person...he will not swim in a lake...the movie "Jaws" really warped his perception of swimming in an open body of water...darn, I love to swim in lakes, love it! Hopefully, I can get my girls to be strong swimmers someday and they will thoroughly enjoy lake swimming as I do! I will definitely replace Wasaga idea to Sauble Beach...the church sounds so cool too!


I came across this other link of things to do with the family and kids this summer...

http://www.theparentlink.ca/familyandkidsevents/index.php?s=100&set=go&cal_date=2007-07-01

Sauble beach is beautiful. We spent a week there last summer. I highly recommend it!
It is, after all, rated the #1 beach in Ontario.

We were in Wasaga a few years back and will go again this year. A bunch of us tend to go up together and we avoid the main beach. We go to a more secluded spot where the kids can run around more and it is not as busy.

The problem with Sauble is that it is sooo far to drive( about 3 1/2 hrs) for a one-dayer. If you plan on staying overnight for a weekend or so, then it is VERY worth it.

WonderMom wrote:
the ROM especially for my oldest

I was thinking the exact same thing! I really want to fit that in.

-We are swimming at Cedar Springs
-Kids have Way of The Woods Camp
-They are also spending one week at "Camp Grandma", my MIL's up North.
-We are travelling further up North for a week to visit DH's Dad.
-Heading out to my parent's country house in Gananoque to spend a week with Mom and my Sister and all the kids.

As for me... I have a feeling that my sole job this summer will be to wipe up Freezie juice from the floor and wash towels and bathing suits!

*Sigh* I want Duckie's life.

Because of the new puppy, this summer will be "light" for us. DH is working all summer anyway so I view it as a write off!

I hope to possibly make it to African Lion Safari once she is house trained since I have a couple of friends who offered to babysit...other than that, we will be doing a few trips to Lowville hopefully and maybe Kelso beach.

It is definitely not an exciting summer that we have planned but as long as the kids are outside, they are happy anyway...thankfully they are easy to please

HeidiHo wrote:*Sigh* I want Duckie's life.

You can have it! Go ahead, visit my MIL! And spend a week in the Northen Hinterlands of Ontario where the Black Flys are the size of a small car!

Lynne wrote:Because of the new puppy, this summer will be "light" for us. DH is working all summer anyway so I view it as a write off!

I hope to possibly make it to African Lion Safari once she is house trained since I have a couple of friends who offered to babysit...other than that, we will be doing a few trips to Lowville hopefully and maybe Kelso beach.

It is definitely not an exciting summer that we have planned but as long as the kids are outside, they are happy anyway...thankfully they are easy to please

My son has always called African Lion's Safari "A Frikin' Lion Safari". I know, classy.

I " BELIEVE ' that the ROM has reduced admission friday nights after 4.... we've done this a few times and the kids love it. We grab a hot dog on the street and take the train down, the whole thing is an adventure for them.

Day Trips to Wonderland, Zoo, The Falls., Parks and African Lion Safari.

Then we have my DD's Birthday Party, and also My DH he will be 35 so I am having a party for him. DD has summer camp for 1 week.