Recently I decided to take my family out for an Ontario family day trip and I wanted to look outside of our typical GTA getaways.

After much research, we landed on heading to Kitchener-Waterloo region. My goal was to find something that would be fun for both kids and adults, and while we all enjoyed the trip quite a lot, I will admit that it ended up being pretty kid-centric.

Our first stop on this excursion was The Museum in Kitchener. This is a fantastic affordable, family-friendly museum. If we lived closer, we would buy the season pass and go every weekend. There were so many kids activities for little ones of all ages (plus lots of after hours events for adults).

At The Museum, we started with their sensory play room, which featured dimmed lights, a sensory wall with various cubes that had lots of fun things to touch and hear, as well as lots of books and toys. On the same floor, there’s a separate open space play area with more toys, particularly blocks. The best feature here was the shadow screen that you can walk behind (or dance behind, no judgment) to show kids how light creates shadows.

On the second level, they’ve got a play area with a HUGE water table, a walk-on piano, a bed of nails (neat science experiment for bigger kids), a pin wall (really fun for little ones to see the impressions their hands – or, let’s be honest, faces, – make) and so much more. Nearby, there was a table where staff were doing a robotics project with kids as well. We could’ve spent the entire time just playing here, there was so much to do!

Of course, the highlight had to be The Museum’s special exhibit Spectrum, a colourful art space curated by international artists. There was so much to interact with and truly, I felt like a kid again. The highlight for me was the ball pit - it was just so much fun, and something you don’t really get to do as an adult. Our daughter LOVES peas and since the balls were green we told her she was swimming in peas (strange, yes, but she loved it.)

When you walk into Spectrum you’re entering a new world of fun, colour and joy. I won’t give it all away, but some of the installations (besides the ball pit) include a 3D art station where your drawing is projected onto a screen in 3D animation, a piano that changes the room’s lights when you play it and a room completely filled with pink balloons. Aside from being an Instagrammers dream, it’s a fantastic sensory experience for kids. Whether you’re going with kids or for a date, this is a must-visit!

The Museum has plenty of other events and exhibits on offer, including their Museum After Dark series which includes lots of unique activities for the 19+ crowd. Some of the events I’ve added to my to-do list are:

• Remembering Gord Downie Vol. 2 (Oct. 17, 7pm): A live concert with “The Almost Hip.” Not sure if my heart can take this, but a portion of ticket sales will be donated to The Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund

• Dance Mix 90s (Oct. 18, 8pm): This event includes a Much Music video dance party, trivia and more activities. Tickets are $25 but the trip back in time is priceless.

• Masquerade | Succumb to the Eve of St. George (Oct. 31, 7 – 8:30 pm): I. Am. So. Intrigued! I’m down for any event that’s shrouded in mystery and this “immersive theatrical performance” (which equips guests with masks and has a black, white and red dress code) seems like the perfect Halloween experience.

GOOD TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO:

• General Admission is $13.95 for adults 14-54, $7.00 for adults 55+, $9.95 for kids 3-13 and free for kids under 3

• Spectrum is open until January 5, 2020 and is included with admission

• Outside food is welcome as long as it’s peanut-free, and there is also a café on-site

• There is an underground parking garage on nearby Duke St. for $3.30 for 0-2 hours ($1.70 per 30 minutes thereafter) and it’s free on Sundays