The Twelve Dates of Christmas

December 19, 2011 8:28 AM

Unique Toronto dates/events/experiences?

I'm putting together a gift for my honey consisting of one "date" per month for 2012. Each month he'll open an envelope to find out what we're doing, and maybe there will be an associated object (ie gloves for when we go skating?). So now what I need are date ideas... simple is fine (i.e. picnic in High Park in June) but more complex/original plans would be great. We have two small kids so daytime/early evening is better than late night adventure.

Unleash your brilliance, Metafilter!

posted by lizifer to human relations (13 answers total)

Bike ride down the Leslie St. Spit, with a stop in the Distillery District on the way home if you live west of the Spit.
posted by Dasein at 8:30 AM on December 19, 2011

Ride a streetcar (College from Main Station to High Park, Queen from the Beaches to Long Branch) from route start to finish. If you do it on a weekend you could purchase a day pass that covers both of you and the two kids for $11, and use it as a hop-on, hop-off.

Kayak/canoe from Harbourfront to the Islands. It's a great way to see both the city and the islands from a new perspective. That might be difficult to do with the kids however.
posted by TimTypeZed at 8:48 AM on December 19, 2011

Do trapeze at Downsview. It's a bit out of the way, but awesome fun. Great gift idea, BTW!
posted by bexpert at 9:01 AM on December 19, 2011

How about a board game date at Snakes and Lattes?
posted by greatgefilte at 9:05 AM on December 19, 2011 [1 favorite]

To clarify, the kids aren't coming with us... these are "us time" dates.
posted by lizifer at 9:07 AM on December 19, 2011

Some thoughts:

Second City show
Wandering through Kensington Market tasting bits from the various shops and restaurants
Going to Roller Derby at Downsview Park
Take a cooking class at Dish
Dress up and attend the Zombie Walk
Go for Dim Sum in Chinatown (or Markham)
Saturday night in the summer, dinner in Little India, and wander the various food stalls that set up outside the businesses there
Attend a taping of a CBC show
Skiing at Earl Bales park in the winter
posted by jacquilynne at 9:33 AM on December 19, 2011 [1 favorite]

Bike ride on the island, with lunch at the Rectory.
posted by scruss at 10:41 AM on December 19, 2011

Rent a segway in the Distillery District and see a play afterwards.
posted by cranberrymonger at 11:56 AM on December 19, 2011

Go to the NFB at Queen and John! If you're both Canadian it can be fun to take a little nostalgia trip and watch the old cartoons from the '70s, in the the little two person viewing booths. I think you have to buy a membership, but they're very moderate in price, maybe $10/year?
posted by emilycardigan at 12:13 PM on December 19, 2011

ROM friday night - tickets are $9 after 4:30 on fridays, and it's open until 8:30. They also sometimes have special date-night events planned for fridays
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 1:11 PM on December 19, 2011

Visit the Allen Gardens conservatory when the winter weather starts to get too much. It feels like being transported to a tropical rainforest for a few hours. And it's free.
posted by Sing Fool Sing at 2:41 PM on December 19, 2011

Go into the ravines! Find the course of one of the lost rivers of Toronto and walk through the parks and ravines that mark where it used to run. Starting in Mount Pleasant Cemetery and going out the south end and then over to the Don River Valley (to the Brickworks, perhaps) is one nice walk, but there are others. If you start in Cedarvale Park you can walk down to St. Clair, through the Nordheimer Ravine, over to Yonge, stop in for a pint and a snack at the Rebel House, and then carry on to the Don.

It's a wonderful thing about Toronto that there are ravines where you can be a block away from a major street but feel like you're in a forest.

Other ideas: go to the symphony, opera, or see a play by Canadian Stage, Tarragon, or some other Toronto theatre group. There are matinee shows.
posted by wdenton at 4:35 PM on December 19, 2011

See a play at Hart House! Walk through the Necropolis! Tea at Red Tea Box! A walk on the boardwalk along the beach would be lovely, if it's the right weather. You can't beat a hand-pulled pint at Volo! Obviously you need to see A Midsummer Night's Dream in High Park this summer, but I'm sure you've already thought of that...
posted by Hildegarde at 4:59 PM on December 19, 2011