TDSB Parent & Family Literacy Centres are free for parents & caregivers with children 0- 6 years old. Scheduled activities take place during the day including free play, snack, gym/ outdoor time (on certain days), circle time with music and a story. Tel: (416) 395-2610 Website
Ages: 0- 6 years with caregiver.
Major Intersection: Van Horne Avenue & Don Mills Road
Address: 90 Kingslake Rd, North York, ON
If you make an inquiry, please mention that you saw this listing on the Melanie On-The-Go / Kids On-The-Go website. Thank you!
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Pros:
-Lots of activities (water table, sand box, painting, craft table, circle time with storybook and singing, etc). The kids splash around in the water alot at the water table, so you might want to bring a change of clothes for your child if you want to participate.
-Free light snack (apple slices, cucumber, cheerios, crackers with cream cheese, and apple juice on the day I went)
-Helpful staff member named Maria. She checked if I was new to the centre and explained where everything was.
-Kids bathroom is nearby across the hall. Low sink so they can wash their own hands.
Cons:
-Free parking, but it’s across the street. Since the entrance is in the back of the school (Door marked #2), it can be a bit of a walk if you can’t find parking nearby.
-Very crowded. There were about 40 people there including kids and parents. There was really no room to push the activity walker toy. No real seating. You could stand or sit on the kiddie chairs. Floor is too dirty to sit on since it is not a socks only facility.
-No change table, but there was a change mat available. You have to take poopie diapers away with you. They will allow you to throw wet diapers in their garbage.
-Infant area is very small, but there are a number of toys for infants, and it’s a bit enclosed so enfants are somewhat protected from running toddlers
Activities We Did: We did:
water play, puzzles, sorting games, reading books, built pretend Easter baskets, circle time.
Good to Go!:
They have lot’s of fun and VERY educational toys for toddler and pre-schoolers to play with!
Tonz of really cool puzzles and many educational toys I haven’t seen at any other centre.
The sand sensory box is big, so 4 to 6 kids can play in it at the same time.
The water sensory box is very small and 4 kids can play in it – but it’s crowded.
Washrooms dedicated to the centre is across the hall – super easy to get to!
Lot’s of space to hang your coat and park your stroller in the hallway.
Not so Much/ Suggestions for Improvement:
The centre is extremely busy! There where over 40 kids + caregivers there. I asked the staff if it was like this every day and she said YES!
Circle time was hit & miss (the kids all behaved very well, but some parents stood or sat so close that other children had to bend over backwards to see the lady leading the circle time and it wasn’t fun for them at all.)
Snack was provided (fruits, crackers & cheese) but there was not enough seating for all the children to sit.
When I asked (out of curiosity) if they had a changing table was I was told they didn’t have one, so to use the top of a toy cubby; out in the open for all to see – eek! Not to mention that it’s not safe.
I’m quite sure they when over the allowed number of people for Fire & Safety Code.
Quick Tips for Others:
To sum it up: we would return for the variety of educational toys, but we would go from 11:30 to 1:00 when it’s not so crowded.
If your child doesn’t like being in a crowded room, I would visit a different location.
Free parking on the street, across from the school’s main entrance.
Additional Ratings:
- Amenities: 5/5
- Value: 5/5
Activities We Did:
Lots of toys and activity centers (water, sand, Easter-themed arts/crafts) for older children but a pretty small area for infants. There was snack time at 11am, with circle time afterwards (songs, stories, puppets).
It was a very busy place with lots of kids, staffed by only 1 person who does a great job of managing behaviour, especially when it is inappropriate. I’d recommend it for toddlers, not for infants.
Additional Ratings:
- Amenities: 3.5/5
- Value: 3.5/5