While elementary and secondary schools take their annual March Break from Monday, March 13 to Friday, March 17, the City of Toronto offers students and families many free and affordable activities beginning this weekend.
Drop-in programs
City community centres offer free or low-cost programs for all ages, such as swimming, skating, basketball, volleyball, floor and ball hockey. More information is on the City’s Recreation webpage.
Conservatories and greenhouses
Allan Gardens and Centennial Park conservatories will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. during March Break. Admission is free, and the conservatories are wheelchair accessible. While Allen Gardens is undergoing renovations, washrooms inside the conservatory are closed. Portable washrooms are available outside by the playground. More information is available on the City’s Conservatories webpage.
High Park animal display
Toronto’s oldest animal attraction, High Park animal display, has entertained people for 120 years and is open every day from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. High Park is closed to vehicle traffic on weekends and public holidays. More information is available on the City’s Zoos & Farms webpage.
Riverdale Farm
Visit a working farm in the centre of the city. Riverdale Farm is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and admission is free. More information is available on the City’s Zoos & Farms webpage.
Skating
Many outdoor artificial ice rinks are open throughout March Break, weather permitting. Before heading out, residents are encouraged to check the status of the rink on the City’s Drop-in Skating webpage.
All indoor leisure skating programs, including caregiver and tot, family skate and shinny, are free for all ages. Hockey helmets approved by the Canadian Standards Association are mandatory for children under six years of age. Schedules, locations and live rink status updates are available on the City’s Drop-in Skating webpage.
Skiing and snowboarding
Earl Bales Ski and Snowboard Centre will offer downhill leisure skiing and snowboarding, as well as lessons during March Break, weather dependent. More information is available on the City’s Downhill Skiing and Snowboard Centre webpage.
Swimming
City pools will offer free leisure swimming during March Break. People can dive in and find all the need-to-know information on the City’s Swim webpage.
Toronto Island Park
Just minutes away from downtown by ferry, Toronto Island Park is a great place to walk, cycle, explore and enjoy the city skyline. Information on the ferry schedule, fees and what to know about visiting Toronto Island in the winter is available on the City’s Toronto Island Park webpage.
Toronto Zoo
Residents can spend March Break discovering more than 3,500 animals while exploring more than 10 km of walking trails and four tropical pavilions. The Toronto Zoo is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. A complete list of March Break programming is available on the Toronto Zoo website.
The Terra Lumina night walk experience ends Sunday, April 9. There will be shows every night during March Break to provide additional opportunities for people to experience it before it closes. Information about show times and tickets is available on the Toronto Zoo website.
Toronto Public Library
Kids and teens can explore programs, workshops, books and more at a local branch or online during March Break. More information is available on the Toronto Public Library website.
Toronto History Museums
Toronto History Museums offer drop-in activities for the entire family from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on March 11 and 12 and March 15 to 19. Some activities may require pre-registration. More information is available on the Toronto History Museums webpage.
Fort York National Historic Site
Enjoy March Break at Fort York National Historic Site with outdoor activities and tours for all ages. Delve into cultural traditions from around the world with hands-on food, music and archaeology activities. Visitors can sample a cookie in the historic kitchen, participate in a pop-up music museum and investigate objects unearthed on site. More information is available on the City’s Fort York webpage.
Todmorden Mills
Todmorden Mills will offer crafts and vintage games in the Brewery, an art exhibit in the Papermill Gallery and nature bingo in the Wildflower Preserve. More information is available on the City’s Todmorden Mills webpage.
Mackenzie House
In this hands-on workshop, participants will design and print their own one word poster on the 1845 printing press using vintage wooden type from the Mackenzie House printshop collection. Pre-registration is required; register online.
Scarborough Museum
Families can try various games, learn more about local and global histories, and enjoy the sights and sounds of diverse musical traditions from Toronto, past and present. A yoga workshop showing how ancient wellness tools can help people reconnect will also be offered. Pre-registration is required for the yoga workshop. More information is available on the City’s Scarborough Museum webpage.
Montgomery’s Inn
Participants can test their observation skills with an all-ages scavenger hunt through the historic inn. Activity stations will offer opportunities for dressing up, taking selfies and playing games. More information is available on the City’s Montgomery’s Inn webpage.
Spadina Museum
Spadina Museum will offer an opportunity to engage with Black Histories in the Dis/Mantle exhibition tour and a drop-in identity quilt-making activity. A scavenger hunt and origami craft activity will be offered on March 18 and 19. More information is available on the City’s Spadina Museum webpage.
Colborne Lodge
March Break visitors to Colborne Lodge Coach House can view ice skates and ice harvesting equipment from the late 1800s and make a craft with fleece from the llamas at the High Park Zoo. More information is available on the City’s Colborne Lodge webpage.
Gibson House Museum
Visitors can dive into a multi-sensory experience of Toronto’s foodways through demonstrations and food activations or try their hand at games in the parlour and weaving in the Sustainable Studio. More information is available on the City’s Gibson House webpage.
More information about March Break activities at Toronto History Museums is available on the City’s Exhibits and Events webpage.
Guild Park & Gardens and Clark Centre for the Arts
Families can explore the sculptures in Guild Park & Gardens and visit the Clark Centre for the arts for free art exhibits, workshops, colouring activities and a scavenger hunt. More information is available on the City’s Clark Centre for the Arts webpage. More information is the City’s Clark Centre for the Arts webpage.
Cedar Ridge Creative Centre
Families can visit the Cedar Ridge Creative Centre, housed in a historic mansion, for a free art exhibition before enjoying the nearby trails to Morningside park. More information is available on the City’s Cedar Ridge Creative Centre webpage.
Vaccination options
Toronto Public Health (TPH) provides appointment and walk-in vaccination opportunities for individuals who are yet to be vaccinated or are eligible for a COVID-19 booster dose. Bivalent booster vaccines are available for anyone five years of age and older. Health cards are not required.
All TPH immunization clinics are open Tuesdays through Fridays from noon to 6 p.m. and on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Clinic locations. Details are available on the City’s COVI-19: City Immunization Clinics webpage.
TPH is also helping Toronto students catch up on lifesaving vaccines they may have missed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Parents and guardians of children from four to 17 years of age can book vaccinations for diphtheria, tetanus, polio, measles, mumps, rubella, meningococcal disease, pertussis (whooping cough) and varicella (chickenpox) at TPH immunization clinics. Ontario’s Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA) requires these nine children’s vaccines. Students in grades 7 to 12 can also continue to access vaccines for human papillomavirus, meningococcal and hepatitis B at these clinics. There is no fee for children to receive these vaccines, and a health card is not required.
Appointments are preferred, though walk-ins will be accommodated based on capacity. Appointments can be made online through the TPH appointment booking system.
Mobile clinics continue to offer COVID-19 vaccines for eligible residents ages five and older. Vaccines for children six months and older are also available at select mobile clinics. A health card is not required. Appointments are not necessary to visit a mobile clinic.
Quotes:
“This March Break, I encourage Toronto kids and families to take advantage of the programming we have across the city, including at recreation centres, community spaces, libraries, and musuems. I’m wishing all residents a fun and safe March Break.”
– Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie
Toronto is home to more than three million people whose diversity and experiences make this great city Canada’s leading economic engine and one of the world’s most diverse and livable cities. As the fourth largest city in North America, Toronto is a global leader in technology, finance, film, music, culture and innovation, and consistently places at the top of international rankings due to investments championed by its government, residents and businesses. For more information visit the City’s website or follow us on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.