toronto | travelforkids

CN Tower - Rise to the heights (1, 815 feet, 553 meters) at the CN Tower, one of the world's man-made wonders. Street level, walk through the Observation Pre-Show display of historical building techniques. Zoom up to the Look Out Level: 1,136 ft above the street with the best view of the whole city. Kids, keep your eyes peeled, lightening strikes the tower during summer months more than any other spot in Toronto.

Next stop, one level down and probably kids' most popular spot: the Glass Floor, 256 feet of glass designed to "withstand the weight of 14 hippos." What kid can resist jumping around seemingly suspended 1,122 feet in the air?

Back down on the ground floor is the Ultimate Roller Coaster, a virtual reality ride through mountains and forests. For really little ones, try the tamer "Easy Glide."

Hungry after all that jumping and zooming around? Two restaurants at the top have spectacular views, a cafe on the ground floor has a kids' menu.

Union Station & PATH - At Union Station, there's access to the rail, subway, and PATH systems.

Getting around the city center is easy in all kinds of weather because of PATH, a 28 kilometer (17 miles) underground pedestrian walkway, running below street level from Union Station to Eaton Centre, with signs indicating streets above. Reach the PATH from any downtown subway station and many major buildings, including hotels and shopping centers. It's fun for kids to explore the subterranean world.

Hockey Hall of Fame (Brookfield Place) - Play Virtual Hockey at the Hockey Hall of Fame. Dedicated to Canada's favorite sport, kids will have a blast putting on masks & gloves to " play" against Wayne Gretzky or Mark Messier. Admission prices are a bit stiff, but it is a day pass with in-and-out privileges, and this really is a must-do for hockey fans. In the TSN Broadcast Zone try your skill at a play-by-play of famous games. The Bell Great Hall holds the holy grail of hockey: the Stanley Cup, along with other NHL trophies and other hockey memorabilia. Finally, walk through a replica of the Montreal Canadiens dressing room.

Theater - Toronto, like London and New York, has numbers of theaters and performances.

The Elgin & Winter Garden Theatre Centre - If your kids have never experienced a "grand" theater this magical place will knock them out. Downstairs the Elgin theater is a gilt and ornate plaster beauty with "royal boxes" where big shows are presented. The smaller Winter Garden upstairs gets its name from thousands of beech boughs and lanterns hanging from the ceiling and garden scenes on walls.

Eaton Centre offers a food court and several restaurants: an easy stop in the middle of doing 101 things in downtown Toronto. At the Hockey Hall of Fame you'll find a buffet with Italian, deli, Asian, etc. but much better than your typical mall food court.