Picture it. It’s a Saturday morning. A whole long day stretches in front of you, and you have no idea how to fill your day. 

Go to the park?

Sure. For an hour.

Art projects?

Sure. For an hour.

You know what kind of day I mean. Last summer we found something that helps keep those long, tedious, unplanned days at bay.  Called Toronto Fun Places, author Nathalie Prézeau and her family visited hundreds of different locales around Toronto to come up with this guide to family-tested, tried and true day trips in and within a two-hour drive of the city of Toronto. Organized by theme (indoors/outdoors; water fun; natural activities, sports and so on) the book lists every conceivable indoor playground, pool, and park worth visiting.   My favourite feature?  A guide to kid-friendly strolls around various TTC subway stations — a great feature when you have one transit-obsessed child and another who needs something to look forward to at the end of the line.  Prézeau also includes little tips about each location, including what to see, what to bring and where to eat. Now in its fifth edition, Toronto Fun Places is available in the travel book section at Independent booksellers, Chapters/Indigo and through the distributor, University of Toronto Press.