Canada with kids

[Horispondle]

Can anyone help me plan a trip to Canada with a 9yo and 5yo? I don't know where to start! I lived in Toronto briefly but would be great to hear recommendations from someone who's been for a holiday with younger children! TIA

We drove through the rockies from Calgary to Vancouver with an 8 year old. Best holiday ever. Emerald lake, lake Louise, Whistler - zip wires and white water rafting, ice field parkway, Vancouver island, whale watching, bikes around Vancouver and the aquarium.

I've only been to a few places in the east, my daughter was 7 then.

We've been to Montreal, walking around the city, some museums and a Cirque du Soleil show.
In Ottawa walking around as well (as I guess you mainly do in city trips ;)) and we did a sight seeing tour with a boat, which was really nice. I really liked Ottaway because it's so nice and calm - a change from busy Montreal and NYC, which we visited before.
Then Toronto - I assume you don't need tips for that. I bought sight seeing bus ticktes, which was really nice. It was in the summer and very hot, so sitting in the top level ov a dubble decker bus with no roof and driving around was great. I think we had the ticket for several days, so we'd just jump on and off as we pleased. Some museums (can't remember which ones, ecept for some castle that's been build resembling much older medieval castles in Europe) and we went to that island.
The last stop in Canada was the Niagara falls. We went on a speed boat ride on the river - that was the absolute highlight of our trip, I highly recommend it ;)

We stayed in Sechelt, Vancouver, rockies and Golden over 3 weeks and flew in to Van and left from calgary. booked our accommodation well in advance and had 5 - 6 days in each place. I felt it was the only way really to see everything that we wanted and have a variety of places to stay.

We did Toronto and then cabin in the Muskoka Lakes region with a 3 year old, amazing chilled out holiday, we had the best time! Exploring little lakeside towns, visiting farmers markets, swimming in the lakes, etc etc. Highly recommended!

Watching as keen to do the same!

I’ve toured a little around Canada. Montreal was a real treat, lots of things to do for children and adults (museums, lovely parks).

Niagra falls is a must imo. Only for a night or two but it’s a real treat and the streets are so energetic. If you drive up from Toronto to Niagra falls there are lots of lovely vineyards to stop by at to have a glass of wine and some really lovely food. Walk down towards the rapids - you have to see it to believe it.

You know all about Toronto - one of my favourite places ever. I love the people, the art and the vibe.

Ontario is also lovely, the lakes are out of this world. I got to spend a day at the lakes with a picnic and was in heaven. The water was so clear and clean.

I’m excited for you OP, I’d love to go back to Canada.

Like you, I lived in Toronto for a bit - have been back a number of times since with DC. You’ll already know much of what there is to do & in terms of what my DC have liked - Centre Island and getting the ferry over, going to the Beach (depending on when you lived there it may have been called the Beaches) which you get to by cable car along Queens Street, Black Creek Pioneer Village (my DD made a broom!), going up the CN Tower and to some extent the Zoo (it’s not huge though!). Big hits have been basic pretty rubbish things like different fast food chains! My eldest DDs now ex Stepmother is Canadian and after she split up from eldest DDs Dad, moved back to rural Ontario & my DD would go out there for a month in the summer and just hang out by the lake and go swimming which she loved. So maybe a cottage stay would be nice? I stayed once in Haliburton which was very pretty from an open spaces, wildlife point of view. Montreal & Quebec are great as you probably know but depends on how much your DC like cities!