KidsOutAndAbout Weekly Newsletter |
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Fri, Jun 5: Shrek Jr. the Musical - Crane Creations Theatre Company
Thu, Jun 11: LaSalle Strawberry Festival
Sat, Jun 13: Father's Day on the Farm's - Pingle’s Farm Market Sat, Jun 13: Rosedale Art Fair
Thu, Jun 18: LUZIA Cirque Du Soleil Toronto
Fri, Jun 19: TD Toronto Jazz Fest 2026
Fri, Jun 19: Fairbank Summerfest 2026
Fri, Jun 26: ICFF and Lavazza IncluCity Festival 2026
Sun, Jun 28: Power Kids: Picture Gardens
Mon, Jun 29: Monday Movie Night at Horseshoe Valley
Wed, Jul 1: Power Kids: July 1st Drop-in
Fri, Jul 3: Taste of Lawrence 2026
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Dear KidsOutAndAbout readers: "The best thing about your newsletter," said a reader who met me in person at an event last June, "is the sheer number of things to do, and the fact that they're just packed in there, all in one handy place." "Thanks!" I said. I may have glowed a little. "And the worst thing about your newsletter," she continued, "is the guilt trip. I know
you don't mean to lay that on us. We can't do it all, so it means we read about so much we can't do. Especially in summer." She was right, in one sense, of course. June and July are the most packed months of the calendar: Kids are out of school, families are ready for fun, and our communities respond. Each local organization gets to post its own events on our calendar for free, and many are featured in this newsletter, so what's happening is right there in front of
you. But I get it! And I hereby remove the guilt. Ego te absolvo. Of course, good families try to expose their kids to great things, but no one has the time, money, or energy to do it all. This stuff needs to be spread out over a childhood, not packed into a single summer, much less a single weekend. So make a family bucket list for Summer 2026. An easy way to do that is to take our annual survey of the Top 20 Places to Take Kids, which is open through June 20; it has dozens of places to have fun this summer, even though you only vote for your top 3! And you should also use our 50 Ways to Love Your Summer article for ideas that require zero technology, zero travel, and zero dollars. Above all, go easy! Remember, summer is no time for grades! The only prize is the summer that's right for your family.
—Debra Ross, publisher of KidsOutAndAbout.com, co-author of The Eclipse Effect: How to Seize Extraordinary Moments to Build Strong Communities
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KidsOutAndAbout.com: Discover more. Do more. Connect more. If you like my publisher's column, you can easily scroll through past columns in the "Notes from Deb" section of our site. |
Please click through to our 2026 survey to vote for your top 3 places to take kids... it will be used to compile our 2026 Top 20 Places to Take Kids in the GTA. Voting is live through June 20; believe me, winning a place on the Top 20 list matters to the people who create
amazing family-friendly experiences. Take 3 minutes to choose your favorites as your way of saying thank you... and use the list to build your summer bucket list at the same time! You have my personal and fervent thanks for your participation! —Deb |
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Looking for Summer fun? Our Summer Camps keep kids active, engaged, and entertained with exciting daily activities including sports and games, crafts and baking, Pixel Games, VR, Fun Zone and so much more! The Summer is packed with even more adventure, featuring weekly field trips every Wednesday, plus swimming and outdoor play every Tuesday and Thursday for the ultimate camp experience! Weekly registration is available as well as 3 and 4 day options. https://activekidszone.com/summer-camp
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Create your own TV shows and Podcasts in professional multi set studios! Learn the basics of anchoring, hosting and reporting. Plus experience the key behind the scenes roles of producer, director and camera operator along the way. Gain confidence in a fun, hands on way and build new skills with a super supportive team. Friday’s Showcase allows families to watch it all happen in person. The program runs Mon-Fri., 9am–3pm, throughout July and August. For ages 12 plus. Send a message to reserve a spot or visit our website to register: https://yourtickettotheshow.com/ Space is limited to 20 spots per week
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Join Met Radio for fun and radio-making at our Kids Radio Camp! Campers will get a chance to record in Met Radio’s studios and will end the week with a live studio broadcast. They will learn how to produce radio spots, conduct interviews, DJ, record music live in-studio and write scripts for radio. This hands-on week of radio will focus on having our older campers in the studio where they’ll gain practical skills in recording techniques and editing. Full day camps run for 8-12 year olds July 6 to 10 and August 4 to 7.
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Spend your afternoon at the Bata Shoe Museum on the first Friday of Pride Month enjoying a special storytime presentation with Toronto-based Storyteller Jeffrey Canton. For more than three decades, Jeffrey has shared folk and fairytales as well as original stories that dig deep into the strata of Toronto’s history as well as, with a little soft-shoe and a gay show tune or two, his own queer past. Stick around for a guided tour of our exhibitions to learn about footwear through the ages and around the world.
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Known for its bold curation of Toronto’s people, places, and stories, this iconic summer festival will once again transform the city’s identity through the aptly titled theme of PLAY. This year’s theme asks us to consider how a festival can truly PLAY its city. Encounter experiences that evoke child’s play using imagination and whimsy; stories that spotlight justice and reconciliation by boldly addressing equal play; and explore the uncertainty of shifting dynamics, the need to win and the imbalance of power play. This year’s programme spans a broad array of conversations designed to inspire, challenge and uplift.
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The 2026 imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival, takes place June 2-7, 2026. Explore the 2026 Festival! Watch the trailer, read the Curatorial Vision, view the schedule, and book your tickets now for the world’s largest presentation of Indigenous film and media arts. As the largest presenter of Indigenous screen content, we invite audiences everywhere to join us at the annual imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival, where we feature artistic and industry programming. We are proud to showcase Film + Video, Digital + Interactive, and Audio works created by Indigenous artists (including directors, producers, writers, and designers) at all levels of experience, from all over the world.
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Arcadia Earth is a multi-sensory journey that combines creative art installations and exciting technology to inspire visitors to take action towards a more sustainable future. This immersive experience showcases the beauty of our planet and the impact of human actions on the environment. Our goal is to inspire visitors to be part of the solution for creating a better world.
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Downtown Milton SummerFest is happening on Saturday, June 6th! Hosted by the Downtown Milton Business Improvement Area, with support from the Town of Milton, the event features local businesses and vendors, live entertainment, family fun and more! Main St. will be closed for the event.
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Visitors love to have their picture taken with our costumed historical interpreters, but these fashions are so much more than a pretty picture. The clothing helps to enhance the stories that we tell about the early settlers and how time evolved over 200 years. Just by looking at someone’s clothing a person may be able to determine social status, wealth, occupation and so much more.
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On Saturdays at the Second City, it’s the kids’ turn to run the world! In this high-energy and fast-paced sketch and improv show, kids give all the ideas and even get the chance to get onstage!
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Explore exhibitions and connect over self-guided art projects that inspire creativity. Do-it-yourself studio time activities change every month. May's theme: Get inspired by an object in Spotlight: Selections from the Museum Collection and create artwork using shapes and patterns.
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This season of Family Open Studios is inspired by the imaginative, materially rich practice of Celina Eceiza, whose work combines colour, texture, movement, and abstraction to create dreamlike, atmospheric environments. Through playful experimentation with form and pattern, Celina’s installations invite viewers into spaces shaped by gestures, local sites, re-use, and intuitive making.
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Join Curious George, the inquisitive, lovable monkey-star of books, movies and the award-winning PBS television show in a fun musical that's perfect for kids!
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Join us for our 1‑day family workshops, where children and their adult caregivers will explore artists and artworks in our collection and gather inspiration to create back in the studio. This season, we’ll be experimenting with watercolour and collage, giving families the chance to play with colour, texture, and layering while making art together.
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Register now for KinderNotes in the Fall - a weekly early years music education class for Junior- and Senior-Kindergarten aged children. Kids sing, move, and play rhythm games with experienced instructors who love to make music-learning fun. Choose from Monday, Wednesday or Friday early evening classes.
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Click here to discover Birthday party locations in the Toronto area. From Arcades to Ziplines our Big List will help you think outside the box and plan the party of your kids' dreams! KidsOutAndAbout has dozens of ideas!
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The KidsOutAndAbout annual guide to summer camps in the Toronto area is back! You can search by date, age, or categories like day/overnight, sports, drama, music, theatre, arts & crafts, technology, robotics, horseback riding, preschool, & more. Our
guide puts summer fun right at your fingertips!
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The Toronto Area's Pick-Your-Own Fruit Listed below are farms in and near Toronto that offer pick your own fruits, berries, and vegetables. And... to make the most of your experience, check out our
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Wishing you and your family health and happiness,
Debra Ross
Publisher, KidsOutAndAbout.com
Mom of Madison and Ella |
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