YMCA Children's Discovery Centre
Birthday Parties

Celebrate your child's birthday with the Children's Discovery Centre. We offer 2 birthday party packages and 5 different themes to meet the needs and interests of everyone. For more information or to book a party call the Children's Discovery Centre at 905 646 4365.

Party Themes

Weird Science
Leave your good clothes at home because this party gets messy! We'll experiment with outrageous ooze, bubble bombs and more.

Dangerous Dinosaurs
The children will begin with an exciting introduction into the world of dinosaurs. They will learn how to recognize some of the more popular dinosaurs that roamed the earth and the difference between Carnivores & Herbivores. They will also learn about fossils and how they are formed, as well as paint a dinosaur fossil footprint. The festivities end with a tour of our dinosaur gallery and a chance to dig in the sand for dinosaur fossils like a real paleontologist.

Beautiful Butterflies
Butterflies are not just beautiful, they are also a very important part of nature. The children will learn about the stages of a butterfly's life cycle and how they help to keep flowers blooming in the summertime. They'll get a chance to make a butterfly and play butterfly related games designed by our staff to reinforce what they've learned during the party. In the months of spring, summer and early fall, we will take the children outside to our lush butterfly gardens and search for real butterflies as well as examine the flowers that they love so much.

Lovely Ladybugs
The children will learn about the ladybug's role in nature as the guardians of plants, as well as the mutual history that humans and ladybugs share, through folklore and legends. Later we will paint ladybug molds, which the kids can take home. In the summer, we'll take the children out to the garden and release hundreds of ladybugs into the Discovery Garden and then watch them with magnifying glasses as they get to work in their new home. On rainy days, we have fun games based on ladybugs that we can play inside.

Creepy Crawlers
The children will learn about the exciting world of bugs that exists right in their very own gardens. They will discover which bugs eat all the plants in sight and which ones prefer to eat other bugs instead. Then they'll become detectives and search for bugs in the Discovery Garden during the warmer months or play indoor bug games during the cooler ones. Finally, we'll paint bug buddy pins that will go home with you.

Party Options

Discovery Party
Includes:
- 1-1/2 hour party & workshop
- Theme crafts and activities with program staff
- Unlimited centre exploration after party
- Juice or pop
Cost is $10.00 per child.

Discovery Party Plus
Includes:
- 1-1/2 hour party & workshop
- Theme crafts and activities with program staff
- Unlimited centre exploration after the party
- Juice or pop with Hot Dogs or Pizza (one choice only per party)
- A customized Birthday Cake
- Loot bags
Cost is $15.00 per child - Hotdog
Cost is $17.00 per child - Pizza

Other Party Information
One adult chaperone is required for every 5 children.
Down payment is required at the time of booking which applies to the first 7 children.
We accept cash, cheque, debit card, Visa and MasterCard.
A 20% cancellation fee will be applied to parties cancelled at least one week before the scheduled date.
No Refunds for parties cancelled less than a week before the scheduled date.
For more information or to book a party, call 905 646 4365.

Frequently Asked Questions
What days and times are birthday parties held?
Saturdays only from 12:00 - 1:30 or 2:00 - 3:30
Can we stay after the party and play? If so, do we have to pay?
You and your guests are welcome to stay and play after the party.
You do not have to pay the museum admission for birthday party attendees, but children must be closely supervised at all times.
Do we have to pay for adults attending the party?
No, adults that stay for birthday parties are free.
You pay for the children who participate in the activities only.
May I bring my own food to our "Discovery Party"?
You are more than welcome to bring your own food and cake, plates & napkins. Please remember this is a strictly peanut-aware environment.
Are we allowed to order pizza for lunch and bring it to the Centre?
Yes, we recommend you either pre-order before the party date, or you order an hour before the children will be eating.
Is there anything else we should bring to our "Discovery Party Plus"?
Although we give each child one pop/juice, it's sometimes not enough. You might want to bring extra drinks and supply simple peanut-free foods for children to snack on.