Fun things to do with kids indoors can be hard to come up with on the fly. Once your go-to suggestion of making a collage has lost its luster and you've exhausted the usual - trip to the Zoo, Science Centre, ROM, AGO and Aquarium - then what? Fear not, there is no shortage of other entertaining activities when going outside just won't cut it.
Here are my picks for 10 fun things to do with kids indoors in Toronto.
Make some art
Encourage your little Picassos without making a mess at your own place by visiting art studios like 4Cats and Paintlounge. Both set you up with all the necessary supplies and offer classes, workshops, and parties at multiple locations across the GTA. 4Cats is perpetually coming up with fun ideas to keep kids engaged like creating Minecraft-inspired sculptures!
Go bowling
There's something satisfyingly nostalgic about the retro shoes and the pop of knocking over a bunch of pins. Share the joy of bowling at kid-friendly centres like Thorncliffe Bowlerama, Danforth Bowl or Playtime Bowl, which have lighter balls, ramps (allowing beginners to line the ball up and simply roll it toward their goal), and bumpers (to keep the ball out of that pesky gutter).
Go see a play
Solar Stage Children's Theatre puts on over 20 shows a year, from classics like Snow White, to creative spins on classics like Beauty and the Geek and Sheep in Wolf's Clothing. The theatre also features the occasional puppet show and children's adaptations of operas. Always popular on their schedule is the Munsch show, which brings a selection of beloved Robert Munsch stories to life.
Go rock climbing
Those little monkeys who have outgrown the jungle gym will love the challenge of rock climbing. Places like Rock Oasis and Boulderz Climbing Centre offer a range of walls designed for various levels of difficulty. Participants are roped and harnessed, with giant gymnastics mats lining the floors. Fair warning - it's hard to just stand by and watch and all too tempting to get up there yourself.
Bounce up and down
Whether looking to perfect some legit moves or simply enjoy the pure bliss that results from jumping, indoor trampoline parks like Just Bounce and Sky Zone have got you covered. Family owned and operated Just Bounce offers pay-as-you-go classes with professionally trained and certified coaches. Their kind of brilliant "Kids Night Out" program buys you a date-night for a very reasonable $35.
Read a book
Sitting down with a stack of good books is always a win, whether at your local library or wonderful children's bookstores like Mabel's Fables and Ella Minnow. Both Mabel and Ella host weekly story time for preschoolers. In addition to regular story times, almost all branches of the Toronto Public Library run kids programs that vary from crafts to puppet shows, Lego clubs and movie screenings.
Get wet
The city has many excellent indoor swimming pools - from kiddie-preferred warmer pools like the one at Gus Ryder to Etobicoke Olympium, an Olympic-caliber venue with a serious diving tower. The gold medal, however, goes to the bright, spacious, and beautifully designed Regent Park Aquatic Centre, which boasts a diving board, slide, waterfall umbrella, and Tarzan rope!
Golf in the dark
Enter the magical world of glow-in-the-dark mini-golf, where giant neon animals and surreal landscapes set the scene for an 18-hole course. With several locations across the GTA, Putting Edge lets kids visit a real-life wonderland while parents experience psychedelic flashbacks, all over a game of golf.
Brunch to live music
Eat brunch to the sound of some solid live music. The Hot House features live jazz at their AYCE Sunday Brunch where kids under 5 are free. Dakota Tavern hosts a weekly Bluegrass Brunch in their rustic, saloon-inspired space. And after enjoying the Sunday Brunch buffet set to vibrant Latin music at Lula Lounge, guests move to the dance floor where a beginner Salsa lesson gets the party started.
Have a ride
Fantasy Fair, the indoor amusement park at Woodbine Shopping Centre, is a great place to visit for the littler kids in your crew. They have 12 rides and attractions including bumper cars, an antique carousel, an elaborate 3-level play structure, and a "6D" simulator experience.
Thanks to Ritz for sponsoring this post.
What did I miss? Add your suggestions in the comments.
Photo of Boulderz by Jesse Milns.
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Toronto in the 1970s might look brown, orange and beige in photographs, but the decade was never anything less than electrifying. The city was dirty - still covered in a coat of industrial soot - and a majority of people smoked like chimneys. Bloody, bare knuckle brawls erupted regularly at most bars, and ugly bigotry was still rife. 
3. You rode the Alpine Way at CNE as a way of not only getting around, but to also check out where the action was; You used the Bulova Tower as a meeting place if you got separated from your friends.
5. You bought cheap books at Coles.
6. You remember where you were when the antenna was placed atop the CN Tower, and heard the urban legend about the workers who bolted it on urinating from its top over the city when they were done.
7. Because they were yellow, you could always spot Metropolitan Toronto Police cars a mile away.
8. You thought the only pizza that mattered was made by Frank Vetere's.
10. You roller skated at the Terrace.
11. Seeing double bills at local drive-ins was how you got lucky in the summer. 
12. You wanted to get your hair cut at House of Lords.
13. You thought only cowards wore helmets.
14. When downtown with you often bought roasted chestnuts, candy apples or popcorn from the vendors on seemingly every corner.
16. Your parents watched The King of Kensington.
17. You watched Uncle Bobby.
20. You took pride in the fact that your school flew the Elmer flag, signifying that no accidents had occurred there. 
21. Your dad drank his beer out of stubby beer bottles.
22. You actually tried Grape, Orange or Cherry flavoured Hostess potato chips (and 40 years later still can't get the taste out of your mouth).
24. You enjoyed family trips to Knob Hill Farms.
25. You were scared but curious of 
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30. You respected the "no food or drinks allowed" rule on the TTC because it was clean and looked like this.
The 
The arrival of 
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Public transit has been a key part of the Yonge and Eglinton intersection for more than 90 years. The southwest corner was home to a streetcar barn from 1922 to 1948 and a busy bus station until 2002. This aerial photo, taken in 1956, shows the early days of the bus era.
There's a lot going on in this composite photo (
The Yonge line ended at Eglinton from 1954 until 1973, when the subway was extended north to York Mills, then to Finch in 1974. The buses shown here were made by General Motors. 
The centre platform at Eglinton station when it was shiny and new. This photo was taken on April 1, 1954. The subway had only been open for two days.
Another aerial shot, this one taken looking north along Yonge toward Eglinton in 1951. The old streetcar barn is still standing in the lower left corner. Note how few buildings are more than two storeys high. Compare that 
Looking north on Eglinton from just north of Yonge. On the left, there's a Laura Secord candy store, a Woolworth's five-and-dime, and a Dominion supermarket. The strip of buildings has since been replaced by the RioCan Yonge Eglinton Centre.
This photo was taken looking north from south of the intersection, showing the Tambyn Drugs store at the northwest corner. Founded in Toronto, Tamblyn was sold to Loblaws, then UK pharmacy chain Boots, then Pharma Plus, which still has an outlet on the site today. Likewise Dominion, which became Metro, is also still on the site. In the foreground diggers are taking up streetcar track on Yonge.
Just east of the main intersection at the southeast corner of Dunfield Ave. was the DuPont Co. of Canada Building. Despite the similarities, Dupont St. was named for George Dupont Wells (1814-1954,) the eldest son of war hero Col. Joseph Wells (1773-1853.) Davenport Rd. was named after the Wells' mansion. Wells St. and Wells Hill Ave. got their name from the same family.
East on Eglinton from Yonge on 7 March, 1954, during the removal of streetcar tracks. That's a Dominion Bank on the left. The bank merged with the Bank of Toronto in 1955 to form the Toronto-Dominion Bank.
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