Ontario Early Years Centres provide free drop-in times and preregistered programs for parents and caregivers with children aged 0- 6 years. There’s a variety of toys, creative activities, circle time and snacks for children. Tel: (416) 494-1579 ext 301 Website
Ages: 0- 6 years (accompanied by parents or caregivers)
Major Intersection: McNicoll Avenue & Don Mills Road
Address: 155 McNicoll Ave. Rm.106, North York, ON
Good to Know
- Family Time drop-in times (for 0-6 yrs) where kids can participate in fun & stimulating activities and parents can talk to Early Childhood Educators to discuss any concerns/questions they may have about their child.
- Time slots dedicated to specific age groups, e.g. Baby Gym Time 13 – 18 mos. where simple exercises are taught to parents to help babies develop motor skills.
- Preregistered (free) programs including Early Literacy for Babies ages 7- 12 mos. Call the OEYC for current preregistered programs.
- Drop-ins tend to fill up quickly (each centre has a maximum capacity) so try to come close to the start time to ensure you get a spot!
- Parts of this facility are socks only.
- There’s a kitchen area with a microwave, sink and fridge (for staff use but you can ask to store milk in the fridge). There are 3 high chairs and a small table with child-sized chairs.
- Sitting area right at the entrance for the “extra” grandparent/ parent (an adult must be with the child at all times).
- Washrooms have a standard baby change station that pulls down from the wall.
- Parking lot beside the building (free).
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!
Want to give your two cents?
Share your thoughts below with other parents, caregivers and management. Only the rating and your child's age are mandatory, the rest is up to you!
The staff is very friendly, but some days it can get really crowded. I used to go there every day with both the baby and the toddler and they both loved it!
Not so Much/ Suggestions for Improvement:
The infant area is very small.
There are a lot of toys in the second, larger room, stored and labelled in bins, along with an arts/crafts table, a play kitchen and costume area.
This OEYC is open late, unlike some other OEYC locations. Willowdale runs Family Time (0 – 6 yrs) from 4:30 – 6:30pm on Tuesdays and from 5:30 – 7:30pm on Thursdays. Also, on Tuesdays, they serve an evening snack and on Thursdays, they serve a light dinner.
The pre-registered programs don’t seem to fill up as quickly as the Don Valley OEYC, so if you are close to both, you may want to try registering here. I did several classes for babies 0 – 12 months, and all were well-run. The 1.5 hour long classes have half an hour of circle time, half an hour of snack,socializing and arts/craft time and then half an hour of more circle time.
Additional Ratings:
- Amenities: 3/5
- Value: 3.5/5
Activities We Did:
I took an first aid course at this Ontario Early Years Center during my maternity leave.
Good to Go!:
The course is free and the trainer was very knowledgeable. I learned a lot just in a couple hours.
Quick Tips for Others:
Please check if the baby sitting service is available if you are going to attend a class. Some of the classes (like the first aid) does not offer one due to the hands on exercises.
Additional Ratings:
- Amenities: 4/5
- Value: 4/5
Activities We Did:
In the big room: Alphabet foam puzzles, musical instruments, puzzles, arts & crafts table, drawing easel, Mr Potato head, play kitchen, dress up.
Good to Go!:
The arts & crafts table always has something cool and fun going on. The 3 sided easel allows many artists to create.
They have a nice selection of play toys at the back of the room, (but there isn’t allot of floor space to play).
They have a carpeted baby play section in the big room or if that’s too busy they have a second section next to the kitchen.
Tuesday (1:30-3:30pm) & Wednesday (9:30-11:30am) they have a lending library! You can get 1 kids book, 1 parenting book, 1 cd or dvd & 1 toy! Bring it back the next week (or renew over the phone and come back in 2 weeks).
Not so Much/ Suggestions for Improvement:
The playroom is a little on the small side.
Quick Tips for Others:
Free parking.
The big playroom is NOT a socks only room. So lot’s of people walk around with shoes & even barefoot.
Additional Ratings:
- Amenities: 3/5
- Value: 3/5
Good to Go!:
- They have high chairs which came in very handy for feeding my little one lunch towards the end of the drop-in.
- There’s a nice seating area (accommodates up to 6 people) at the entrance (beside the baby area) if you’re bringing another adult along.
- The big room looked like it had a lot of toys, books and arts and crafts.
Not so Much/ Suggestions for Improvement:
- The baby area is very tiny. You can fit 3 moms and 3 babies in there in a very tight squeeze just sitting still. They have some books, baby toys and some big soft “blocks” for climbing but there’s really no room for more than two babies to actually move around. If they got rid of the seating area right next to it they could expand the baby section.
- It’s a small kitchen so you might need to wait your turn to feed your child snacks/ lunch.
- I don’t see any drop-ins that are specifically geared for babies. There’s a Baby Gym Time for 13- 18 mos but that age group is really considered to be toddlers. There’s nothing for younger babies. I wouldn’t come here again with my baby until he’s toddling around and can go in the “big room”.
- Circle time and singing at the end of the drop-in was good but too crowded. I stood up at the back with another mom and held my baby so he could see what was going on.
- I missed a staff member coming up to me and chatting with me to see how my baby and I were doing. They usually do that at other Centres.
Quick Tips for Others:
If WIllowdale is close to you, I’d recommend going a bit further to the Toronto Don Valley East OEYC, if you have a baby. They have a lot of baby toys, a baby gym in the back room (if no Hearing Tests are being conducted that day), and the Centre is much bigger. You do however need to go early to ensure the drop-in doesn’t fill up before you get there!
Additional Ratings:
- Amenities: 3/5
- Value: 2/5