The Children’s Discovery Centre Is Open!

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The Children’s Discovery Centre Is Open!

04/22/2015

Have you heard the exciting news? Toronto is getting a brand new Children’s Museum this May! The Children’s Discovery Centre is set to open on May 23, 2015. The 20,000 square foot building is located at 45 Strachan Avenue, next to Liberty Village.   This hands-on “museum” is a place where children six and under can play – at their own pace, in their own way – exploring these ten unique discovery zones. This is a five month pilot, hopefully moving to a permanent facility in the downtown core as early as 2016.

Check out the amazing themed zones:

  1. Mini-City:  a small scale “city”, complete with painted roads, street signs, tricycles, construction and a gravel pit.  Kids get active here!
  2. Art Hive:  crayons, clay, paint, easels, paper, squeegees.  Kids get messy here!
  3. Make Believe:  costumes, puppets, a stage, mirrors and mats.  Kids build characters and dance here!
  4. Boom Room:  drums, mallets, bongos, bells.  Kids make ‘music’ here, sometimes with household items!
  5. Pet Vet:  stethoscopes, doctor toys, lab coats, ‘x-rays’ and your own stuffed creatures.  Kids love animals and learn empathy here!
  6. Eat Street:  a mini-grocery store with shopping carts and produce PLUS mini-kitchens with stoves, pots, pans, aprons and utensils. Kids play with food here!
  7. Campground: rocks, logs, a canoe, magnifying glasses, tents and a ‘campfire’. Kids explore nature here!
  8. Imagination Station: kid-sized large foam blocks in amazing shapes that lock together.  Kids build and create here!
  9. Storyland: books, colours, pillows and nooks.  Kids learn words and listen here!
  10. First Discoveries: bright colours, soft textures, easy landings. The smallest kids crawl here!  Caregivers and parents share and connect here!

Check out some photos of The Children’s Discovery Centre from opening day!

Kids will get messy, be creative, and learn about the world and themselves, as each zone is thoughtfully designed by early childhood education professionals and parents.  It is different than the ROM and Ontario Science Centre in its focus and appeal for kids under six – like the KidSpark area of the Science Centre, but exponentially more.  It’s a local mom’s dream to create something for our youngest citizens…something to compliment all the condos!

You can now take our popular Mommy Connections Mom & Baby program at the centre stating June 18th!  Our weekly classes for moms with babies under 12 months provides a valuable learning opportunity as well as a fun way to bond with your child and other moms in a social environment.  Each week’s class features a discussion lead by a local parenting expert followed by a fun activity for mom and baby. This allows for a unique bonding opportunity with your little one while still fulfilling your need to obtain information and be social with other moms experiencing the same challenges, fears and excitement. There are weekly door prizes, a free swag bag valued at over $200 full of samples and discounts from local businesses, as well as a complimentary photo shoot of mom & baby. We’ll meet every Thursday from 11-12:30, and a 4 week session costs only $80!  More info here.  If you have an older child, check out our Travelling Tots program.

What makes this space even more special, is the story behind it’s development. Unlike Toronto’s other tourist attractions, Toronto’s Children’s Discovery Centre is a grassroots initiative. It’s not a charity, not government funded and not corporately backed.  It’s the brain child of a local business woman and mom, Jeanhy Shim.

The founder describes the Discovery Centre as “like the ultimate mash-up of the ROM, Ontario Science Centre, and Zoo for children 6 and under to play, explore, learn, create, get messy, dress-up and use their imaginations.”

We have an exclusive give-away, you could win a family pass (2 adults and 2 children) for The Children’s Discovery Centre!  To enter, simply comment below with the “zone” you think your child will be most excited to explore!  For additional chances to win, check out our rafflecopter contest here: a Rafflecopter giveaway

Contest closes Aug 7, 2015.  Winner will be selected at random and contacted via email.

0 Responses to “The Children’s Discovery Centre Is Open!”

  1. Shalimar says:

    I think my 7mth old would love the Boom Room. She loves anything she can shake and make noise with, and loves tapping and hitting things to make different sounds.

  2. Tara says:

    Hands down –
    Boom Room!

  3. Lu Baratti says:

    Mini City! But I’m sure he’ll also enjoy Storyland, he just loves books!

  4. Ingrid L says:

    My son would be all about the Imagination Station while my daughter could spend hours on Eat Street.
    We had the fortune to spend a day at the Children’s Museum in Phoenix recently. It was amazing in that it was challenging for kids physically, creatively, artistically and intellectually. My kids LOVED it.
    So very excited this is coming to Toronto!

  5. Michelle says:

    Mini city!

  6. Leona says:

    My 2.5yo would definitely love the Mini-city zone! He goes bonkers for anything transportation and construction related. I’m so excited about this museum! Loved the children’s museums we’ve visited in Florida and Ottawa.

  7. Kerri Bejaoui says:

    I have 2 children. A very active 18 month year old, and an imaginative 4 year old. They love to play together and typically enjoy similar things but I feel my boy will like the Mini city Zone and my daughter would enjoy the Pet vet zone .
    Looking forward to exploring.

  8. Nina says:

    My baby definitely belongs in the First Discoveries zone.

  9. Jen says:

    My 4 year old will be in love with Pet Vet and my 2 year old will be all over Eat Street. Very excited to check it out!!

  10. Krystyna Ardanaz says:

    I think my 19 month old will really like the imagination station. This place sounds great! Looking forward to exploring it!

  11. Stephanie says:

    I know my kids would love the mini city and grocery store. Cool idea!

  12. Kim says:

    So exciting. We have had a blast at the children’s museums we have visited in other cities. My daughter will love the first discoveries room and my son will love the boom room

  13. Alex-Anne says:

    I anticipate that the imagination station and pet vet will be my daughters favorite but they all sound fun. I can’t wait to take my girl!

  14. Claire-Lise says:

    My little guy would go crazy for the mini-city!

  15. Anita says:

    I have 2 kids. One is 14months and the other one is 4. They will definitely love Pet vet zone & Mini City. I love seeing them exploring and playing together. Can’t wait to visit the children’s discovery centre!

  16. Brianna mccrae says:

    This place looks wonderful! My 14month old is going to love it – particularly the art hive and campground.
    Looking forward to our first visit!

  17. Kirsti says:

    Hands down eat street will be Stellas fave!!! I’m so excited for this place.

  18. Beth says:

    Tough to decide, but I think my 2yo will never want to leave the Art Hive unless we start at Eat Street and we’d be there for the day! My 4yo will love the Imagination Station and Campground.

  19. Kelly Dhillon says:

    Story land! 🙂

  20. Debbie says:

    My 5YO is sure to put on a show in the Make Believe Zone 🙂

  21. Melissa says:

    My almost 2 year old will be locked into storeyland for sure. Pillows & books are 2 of her most favourite things in life.

  22. Sandra Gutierrez says:

    Pet Vet.

  23. Aimee says:

    My 3.5 year old will LOVE eat street!

  24. Rika Tokue says:

    It’ll be a tough choice between Boom Room and Imagination Station for my boys. SO excited for this!!

  25. Angela says:

    Imagination Station and First Discoveries for my two little ones!

  26. Melanie Boucher says:

    Hands down the campground station would be my 4.5 yrs old boy’s favorite! I’m so excited about this new attraction! We have a children’s museum in Laval (Qc) where I am from and my LO always asks to go back! This will be so much fun!!

  27. Jaimee Andama says:

    My 2yo daughter would love the art hive and my 1yo son the boom room

  28. Ashley Maharaj says:

    My daughter and her two friends would love the “Eat Street” zone!! Little shoppers that love to cook at home would really enjoy being like mommy and getting all the items needed for a yummy-in-the-tummy dinner 🙂 I would love to check this out; sounds AMAZING!! Only problem is we are 3 adults and 3 kids and I have NO IDEA how much it would cost to get in if I were to go on opening day.

  29. Megan says:

    For the last 22 months I have wondered how a city this awesome doesn’t have an awesome children’s museum. I’m sooooo excited! My son will be all about the mini-city!

  30. Heather Bernknopf says:

    My 7 month old little man is all about making noise. The Boom Room would be his heaven!

  31. Louise says:

    Boom Room all the way!!!!

  32. Nadia says:

    Difficult to say, they all sound so awesome! If I had to choose one…eat st

  33. Carolyn says:

    Mini city and grocery store for sure.

  34. Nadia says:

    This sounds amazing! I’m so excited to bring my 3 kids!

  35. Dana says:

    The mini city! So excited about this!

  36. Michelle says:

    My little guy will love mini-city and my daughter will head straight for Pet Vet. I believe however that when the two of them get to the Boom Room magic will happen! We are so excited to check this out and I am secretly hoping that it stays in West end!

  37. Melanie says:

    My 4yo would love all the zones! I think her favorite would be Eat Street. Cant wait to bring her.

  38. jennifer anderson says:

    Both my girls will love the boom room, pet vet and eat street. Super excited that there will be one close to home. Can not wait!

  39. Shem says:

    Love the idea – Eat St & Art Hive for my 2 kids

  40. naaz samji says:

    Imagination station! He will love investigating everything!

  41. Lori says:

    Eat Street will be a must for my 2.5 year old!

  42. Brianna Davies says:

    My daughter will be all over Eat Street and my little guy will love Boom Room! So excited for the discovery center to open!

  43. Stephanie says:

    my 14 month old would love Eat Street or the Art Hive. She loves creating and getting messy. I’m looking into getting a group together for the parents Playdate party. Love the idea of a centre focused on the little ones and I hope to bring my girl here to play.

  44. Corina says:

    Hands down my 20 month old will love the Boom Room! …and I’ll probably enjoy eat street hahaha

  45. Sharon says:

    My nearly 2 yr old will LOvE the mini city but also pet vet and story areas!! It’ll be a tough choice, they all look awesome!!

  46. Jess Rivett says:

    I think I would love the Boom boom and art hive rooms 🙂

  47. Stevie Baker says:

    I think Pet Vet is where my almost 2 year old would want to hang out. She looooves animals!

  48. Dawn says:

    I think my girls would love the campsite. I may have a hard time getting them to leave!

  49. marissa says:

    In the absence of a padded room…oh what would be B’s have, not mine. Had love the camping! He’s obsessed with camping right now. I can’t wait for this place to open!!

  50. krystal says:

    I think my 2 year old will love the boom room too but seriously all the rooms look amazing!

  51. Sylwia says:

    Mini City

  52. Cara says:

    My son will love Eat Street!

  53. Jillian says:

    Story land will likely be the favourite with us. Mini city sounds like a lot of fun as well 🙂

  54. Cara says:

    my daughter would love the blocks in imagination station but I think she would love eat street just as much. We will have to go and see which is her favourite.

  55. Patricia says:

    my son would love Eat street! I would love it too! Lol!

  56. Rose says:

    All the zones sound really cool! My 2 and a half year old would love the Mini-City for sure!!

  57. Shawna says:

    eat street. I have a born shopper even at 18 months!

  58. Stacy says:

    First discoveries or eat street!

  59. Natalya says:

    Mini city

  60. Cecilia Mendez says:

    Pet Vet hands down!

  61. Maria says:

    My little ones 4 years old and 2.5 years old would LOVE the Eat Street Zone!
    This is an amazing addition for kids….looking forward to exploring it!

  62. leticia carias says:

    I would like to win this passes because i am pretty sure my two kids Rodrigo y Daniela, will enjoy this place. They are 3 years old and 20 months Old. They love to explore, play and discovery new Ways to create and imagine things.

    Rodrigo, Daniela, Nelson y Leticia

  63. Lil says:

    Pet Vet!!!!!

  64. Tenesha says:

    imagination station for my mini astronaut.

  65. Carolyn says:

    eat street for sure!

  66. Sandra Gutierrez says:

    Pet Vet

  67. Naomi Ives Peak says:

    Eat Street all the way! (Oh wait, maybe that’s me not my daughter;)

  68. Jodi says:

    My girls will like the pet vet and imagination station!

  69. Emy Osborne says:

    Boom Room! Anything that makes noise for my kid!

  70. Julie O'Toole says:

    G – age 6 – would love mini-city zone. Hopefully they have first responders (fire, police & paramedic) stations.
    Z – age 6 – would love the Eat Street zone. She loves to play grocery store and restaurant.
    H – 9 months – would love the Boom Room. She loves to rock out 😉

  71. Leigh says:

    Definitely the campground for our little camper!!!

  72. Jennifer says:

    Graeme would LOVE the Boom Room and Eat Street!! Making noise and food – his two favourite things!

  73. May says:

    I think my little one is going to enjoy storyland and mini-city.

  74. Sandra says:

    Zoe loves music so she would absolutely love the Boom Room!

  75. Stephanie says:

    my daughters will live eat street!

  76. Rebecca says:

    This looks so incredible, my son will love all of it! But even at 11 months old he is crazy for animals, so I think he will like the Pet Vet the best

  77. Judy says:

    my 5 month old son would love make believe! hope this place sticks around…would love more to do w the wee one in the city.

  78. Jennifer says:

    I’m pretty sure my kids will love every zone, but I am guessing they will love the campground the best!

  79. Jennifer says:

    My three year old will LOVE the mini city and my fourteen month old will love whatever his sister loves!

  80. MG says:

    My 4 Year old would love the Mini City or Camp Ground!!
    Boom Room for my 2 year old for sure!
    They all sound fun though!

  81. JJC says:

    DS would love Mini City and my DD would love the Pet Vet. Everything sounds fun and I’m so excited that Toronto finally has a Children’s Museum of its own in the city!

  82. Beth says:

    We think our daughter will love the most Eat Street and Boom Room!

  83. Olga says:

    my 2.5 years old will love “the big city” area and to play with food/at the grocery

  84. Nicole says:

    I can’t wait to take my little ones here! Even though one is 3 and the other just turned 1, I think they both will have a blast in the Boom Room, and their daddy will too!

  85. Danielle says:

    Mini City!!! Was hard to choose though, so many great options.

  86. Krystyna says:

    Boom Room for sure!! I feel like my 20 month old is trying to turn our place into a boom room sometimes 🙂

  87. Heather says:

    Mini-city or pet vet

  88. Crystal says:

    My little one would love exploring the campground!

  89. Rachel Hines says:

    my little guy and I are really excited to check out the discovery centre!

  90. Alicia Flaherty says:

    Both my girls (3 1/2 and 2) would love the pet vet. They adore animals and are ready really into caretaking right now! Looks great.

  91. Maja M. P. says:

    Eat Street for my little guy for sure:)

  92. Jeannine says:

    With 3 kids under six, these passes would be amazing?
    My daughter (5) would love the pet vet station, while my 2 year old son would spend all day at mini city and the 9 month old would like the reading nook or whatever his older siblings were doing.

  93. Jennifer says:

    My Crazy 3 year old would LOVE the Mini City! Anyplace he can go fast (tricycle) and make a mess (construction play!!!) is SURE to be a hit!!

  94. Christina says:

    Oh, my little guy would love all the zones, although I think his favourite will be the Art Hive where he can just go wild with colourful paint!

  95. Christina Stone says:

    My 3 year old would love them all, but especially the mini city and boom boom.

  96. Julie says:

    Mini city

  97. Marierose says:

    I think it’s a toss up between story land and the mini city!

  98. Shannon Osborne says:

    We went today and were there close to 5 hours. Favourites were Eat Street, and the Pet Vet but the kids loved them all. Great addition to the city!

  99. June says:

    Imagination Station for both my boys ! 🙂 Can’t wait to check it out!

  100. melanie says:

    My 2 year old would love to visit the mini city!

  101. jenny says:

    Pet vet for my daughter

  102. Mary says:

    My two daughters would love playing in the camp ground!

  103. Dimitra tsanos says:

    Eat street! 2 visits and they love it in there!

  104. Ilana says:

    I imagine my little one will enjoy getting messy in the Art Hive.

  105. Kristen says:

    My kids would love to play in the mini-city! They’re both construction fanatics.

  106. janet butler says:

    The Mini City!

  107. Jennifer Lo says:

    Imagination station looks cool!

  108. Kaydee says:

    My nieces and nephew would the Pet Vet & Campground. I’m always looking for something new and exciting for them to do when they come to visit their Aunt in the city!

  109. Carol N says:

    My daughter and her friends will LOVE make-believe!! We can’t wait to visit in early fall.

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