This weekend in Canada is Family Day, a mandatory holiday on Monday for all Canadians. We typically try to do something family related on this weekend. With it being winter, our choices of what to do are limited.
Last year, I was in Belize enjoying a wedding while K and J took on the Science Center in TO. This year, I wanted to check out the Science Center too, so we went, on Friday. Friday, the busiest day of the weekend at that place.
We left our house early in the morning armed with snacks and lots of car activities. K kept telling me that the car ride would take awhile, I definitely believed her as its in downtown TO, a good hour away depending on traffic.
We got there a little over 45 mins after they opened. It must have been everyone go to the Science Center day. Daycares, 7 buses full of kids, all kinds of cultural families were there. What in the hell did we get ourselves in to? I hate crowds. I hate chaos. Somehow we had found both of those things with this very expensive activity. Lucky us. I knew we should have gone to the Boat Show.
We started checking out all the levels, letting K warm up to the chaos. She gets a little shy and more reserved when there are kids running around like wild little people. She really wasn’t into anything or the fun for a good hr or so. At this time, I was still regretting the decision to pass up the Boat Show.
Each level (there are 6 in total) has a theme from Space, KidsSpark, The Living World, The Human Body etc. There was also a Da Vinci exhibit that we bought passes too. It turned out to be the coolest. I had no idea he invented lots of machines and animated things (lion, bird kite, pulley cart, etc.) I just thought he was known for his art, boy was I wrong. All of his inventions were on display and each display had a computer touch screen center that went along with it. Using the touch screen, you could assembly the invention just as he did thousands of years ago. K loved this part. She was so excited when she got the Lion to work. It was great seeing her fit all the pieces together, and get into so much she was afraid to click the wrong thing for fear of starting over. This was the best exhibit, no photos of this part though.
From there, we went through level 5, where the highlights were the rain forest with the waterfall bridge and the living animals. It was short lived and didn’t capture K’s interest for too long.There were lots of cool things for adults but K didn’t find it too great.
Level 4 was were she found her groove. It’s a KidsSpark level, where kids explore everything. Its more like a huge playground with water activities, climbing, art to be made, castles to conquer, etc. This is also where I discovered that parents just let their kids run wild like rabid animals. The parents were on their phones while their children growled and foamed at the mouth at other kids. It was pure torture. But K was in heaven and that’s all that mattered. She climbed the castle, with her knight in shining armor protecting her from the bad boys.
Then she made hand impressions on this board full of rubberized pegs that took the shape of whatever you pressed against it.
A little gymnastics on the balance beam while the rabid beasts roared at her (literally).
The we made bubbles.
We looked for nocturnal animals with flashlights in a dark cave with their eyes shining back at us.
After a long time at this level, we ventured on to the next level.
Where we found this.
A motion detected koi pond that was projected on the floor. The fish responded to the any motion that happened on the floor. So if you stepped on them, they disappeared. If you stomped to the right of them, the moved away. It was quite impressive and I hope I have convinced J to make something like this at home. Why you ask? Because it captivated K’s attention for the whole day. She could not get enough. And she kept asking to go back.
And then she found her past trip favorite, the snowflakes, which is based on the same idea as the fish in the pond.
By this time, most of the daycares and the crazy children left, which gave us much needed peace and relaxation as K played in the pond and on the snowflakes.
We took a lunch break. We ate food that make dorm food taste gourmet. It left a lot to be desired. But hey, can’t win them all. Next stop, the gift store, before heading home.
Several toys later, one last picture outside and we were off into 2hrs of stop and go traffic all the way home thanks to rush hour from the big city.
We all had a great time. We will go back, only when my memories of the rabid children and “I don’t care if my kid kills someone today, I’m taking a break” parents are much faded. Until then, I will keep nursing my nerves with some Black Jack.
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