HawthorneVillager.com

HI,
My kids are just getting old enough that I am looking into a few places to go with them. Did you know the Toronto Zoo is $26 per person and parking is more?! African Lion Safari is $30pp?!
Even the indoor play centres in Milton are crazy. It cost me $15.80 last week for my two kids.
I love the farms in town but I was looking for something different.

Anyone else think this is insane? It doesn't help that the kids are free if Mommy and Daddy cost $60 plus parking!

I agree with you that attractions are really pricey these days. Not much you can do though.

We are going to try Martin's Fanatsy Island over in Buffalo next week. On Wednesdays, you can get a family of four into the park for 49 bucks. I have never been but it's worth a shot. Also, I can use this kiddie trip to bring back some good cheap beer.

Kelso: $130 for your entire family for one entire year
Halton Falls is included in the above price.

Included activities:

1) Beach
2) Waterfall
3) Grass
4) Last year free movies (did they do that this year?)

If you go 10 times in a year, for a family 4, that works out to $3/person. Slightly cheaper than the zoo or wonderland. Parking is free, and hardly any gas is used to get there.

Instead of the indoor play centre, try the outdoor play centre, it is free.

If you really want the indoor playcentre, Skedaddle offers a discount after 4pm or so during the week.

Museums are fairly low-priced, with many free days.

Remember, a large marketing budget does not necessarily mean that your kids will derive more enjoyment from the activity. Frankly, I find many of the big-name attractions to be terminally boring. Wonderland, for example, is an exercise of standing in line.

It was $60 per person when bought early in the year...

Now it's $79.99...


1 time visit is $55, but you pretty much always can get some sort of deal.

3 day advance e-ticket purchase s $40.99

Discover Milton had some discounted tickets.

http://www.hawthornevillager.com/phpbb/ ... ver+milton

I was just having the same conversation with my husband yesterday
we took a family of 5 to Marine Land last week
admission was $140.00
brought $300.00 left with 10 for timmies :s

now we are saving up for Wolf lodge....

Too expensive
any suggestions on places to take the kids that are fun and don't break the b bank?

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We just took our son to the Children's Museum in Waterloo.

Teachers are free, kids under 3 are free, and I paid $10 to get in.
Municipal parking was a whopping 3 dollars, so we spent $13 total for a half-day of fun.
The museum is designed for kids a little older, but my little guy had a good time anyway! It was nice to hop in the car and try something different...

http://www.thechildrensmuseum.ca/web/

My guess is most people from the GTA would expect more from something called a 'museum', but we just went with zero expectations and had a good time!

We like taking the kids to this place instead of Toronto Zoo:

http://www.twinvalleyzoo.com/index.html

Way less expensive, and less hassle to get too. Sure you are missing some really big animals like Elephants, Giraffes, etc, but the main ones are there.

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Please stop by my house to purchase tickets!
If you bring beer I will bbq! lol. It will be "dinner and a show" hahaha

Love it!!!!

That attraction sounds great!
On our way right now.

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I thought your neighbor would bring the booze and smokes...

My kids are little so anything that isn't local is too far to take them before nap time. We do kelso but I wanted something different---like the zoo or safari. I like the look of that zoo someone posted in Brantford but it's way to far for two kids under 2.5. I have tried google for coupons but nothing for the zoo and only $2 off at the safari.

We went last year with an 8 month old and a 2.5 year old and it was perfect sizing and the drive probably isn't much longer then the traffic you would hit going to Toronto. We enjoyed the Brantford Zoo

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probably delayed

not to be snarky at all....but if your kids are under 3 and free everywhere...just wait until you have to pay for them to go places!!!

With my crew....these outings are more than a mortgage payment....

I find the following work for us: (15, 6, 5, 2 and newborn)

- We did seasons passes for Wonderland..purchased at end of last season, we got to go remainder of last year and all of this year inclusive. We pack a lunch/picnic and a season parking pass and we are good to go.

- The zoo is actually a great deal.....I don't like the parking there...

- We really like hiking in Hilton Falls...again, pack a picnic, etc. for at the falls...it's fun

- Lowville Park is free and fun...great for kids that age...you can play in the river and they have a great play structure in the park.

- Splash Pads here are free and good for that age

- depending on bedtimes..you could do the drive in...they're free, adults pay...they watch the kiddie first movie, and hubby and you stay up and watch the second movie while they sleep

- Bronte park is great...pool, playbarn, trails, petting zoo

- Jays games are pretty cheap these days, and are fun with a Go Train ride into the city

- Someone mentioned Fantasy Island in Buffalo....not sure how "picky" you are...but it's kind of dirty..... We used to do Darien Lake for a weekend, it was a fun "almost camping" kind of trip...and though much cheaper than Wonderland...(you pay the same as one day at Wonderland and camp the entire weekend with full access to the park Fri, Sat and Sun) we found it was dirty as well and decided to do Wonderland again instead.

I have more...but those are at the top of my head right now.....

Jessica

We took the kids to a place called "Reptilia".

http://www.reptilia.org/default.aspx?page_id=1

It is near the Vaughn Mall off the 400

It is indoors, so good thing to do on a rainy day.

We had fun.



Ages - 0 to 3 Free
Ages - 4 to 12 $10
Ages - 13 to 64 $15
Ages - 65 plus $12

Taxes Extra


matteo

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Matteo
Phase 12, 36', Greensburg Elv-A,

MJ609

I think both your children would be free at the African Lion Safari. I think a yearly pass for you is very inexpensive too. They also have a nice wading pool/splash pad

You also may want to try La Salle Wading pool Park in Burlington, admission is $2.00 per child adults are free. Basiclly you bring a blanket and lunch and stay for the day, they have a splash pad and a shallow wading pool (water is no higher then your knee at the center of the pool) They also have a park that the children are able to leave and play then come back in. but you have to get a stamp before you leave the water area.
http://cms.burlington.ca/Page408.aspx

The book store in Milton offers lots of activities for the children and it free. You can also check with Milton's library, I'm sure they offer many programs again that are free. Usually the Town offers different programs for the children arts and crafts and play time a various sports centers. Rotary park has outdoor swimming and splash pad.
Not everything is expensive. You just have to shop around there is plenty of things to due with out breaking the bank. They are only 2 now wait till their 16 then you'll be getting a second mortgage... We have 18, 17, 12, 6 I have learned to go big on some occasions and play low in others.