• Babies will find plenty to do in Toronto!infant image by Svetlana Bogomol from Fotolia.com
  
  Toronto, Ontario is a bustling Canadian city with a never-ending stock of activities for young and old alike. New parents will find plenty of company in this trendy cosmopolitan locale with a large young workforce. There is an enormous variety of infant activities in Toronto at which mothers, fathers and other caregivers can have fun with their babies while also meeting other adults in the same situation.
  
  

Ontario Science Center

• The KidSpark space at the Ontario Science Center has an array of activities specifically designed to engage children, from toddlers to eight-year-olds, by teaching them fundamental principles of science not in a classroom setting, but through fun, hands-on experiments. The water table, the bubble station and the musical instruments area are good for those even younger than toddlers, and all activities are baby-safe (Reference 1). It is never too early spark a baby's interest in the outside world, and the KidSpark space is designed to do just that. An added benefit: admission for children under four years old is free.
  
  Ontario Science Center
  770 Don Mills Road
  North York, ON M3C 1T3 Canada
  416-696-1000
  ontariosciencecentre.ca
  
  

The Toronto Zoo

• The Toronto Zoo has over 5,000 animals representing over 500 species and originating in every region in the world. Babies can safely encounter rare wildlife in the zoo's six zoogeographic sections: Indo-Malaya, Africa, the Americas, Australasia, Eurasia and the Canadian Domain (See Reference 2). Zellers Discovery Zone caters specifically to young children with its Kids Zoo, Splash Island and Waterside Theater shows. Children under three are admitted free of charge.
  
  The Toronto Zoo
  361A Old Finch Avenue,
  Scarborough, ON M1B 5J2 Canada
  416-392-5900
  torontozoo.com
  
  

Fitness

• Many fitness clubs and dance studios are offering dance and workout classes for parents and their infants. Babies get to have fun and move around to good beats, while moms can work to lose some of that baby weight. Dads are welcome too. Baby & Me Fitness runs the gamut of workout activities that baby can participate in too, including Yoga Babies, Pilates Babies, and Aqua Babies as crowd favorites. For more water fun, H2O-Fit offers baby plus adult swim classes, where babies, in flotation boats, can safely get their first taste of swimming while parents can get in a workout. Salsa Babies offers salsa dance classes for babies and parents at a number of locations in the greater Toronto area. Babies are strapped to their mothers (or fathers) in a sling or a snuggie, so the extra weight helps burn extra calories, while the tots can shake along to the beat (See Reference 3).
  
  Baby & Me Fitness
  750 Spadina Ave.
  Toronto, ON M5P 2R6 Canada
  416-604-2249
  babyandmefitness.com
  
  H2O-FIT
  34 Laurentide Drive
  Toronto, ON M3A 3C8 Canada
  416-449-0900
  h2ofit.com
  
  Toronto Salsa Babies
  387 Hillmount Ave
  Toronto, ON M6B1Y9 Canada
  416-782-1510 ext. 1
  salsababies.com
  
  

Early Years Centers

• Toronto has a number of Early Years Centers that offer activities for babies and their parents, and whose professionals can offer important care-giving advice to new parents. A good resource for first-time parents, Early Years Centers are also good places to network with other parents and to build a support system of other parents in the same boat (See Reference 1). Empathetic friends and fun-filled programs for infants are only part of what Early Years Centers have to offer! With 23 locations in downtown Toronto (See Reference 4), an Early Years Center is guaranteed to be close to home. Check the Early Years Center website for the location closest to you.
  
  www.ontarioearlyyears.ca
  
  

Toronto Public Libraries

• Not only does any branch of the public library offer free access to thousands of books, CDs, DVDs, videos, magazines, and more, but most branches also offer baby-oriented programs and activities (See Reference 1). Check the Toronto Public Library website for activities near you.
  
  torontopubliclibrary.ca/