3 Ways to Explore After Visiting Fantastic Beasts at the ROM

If you’ve got fans of wild and wacky creatures we can find in nature, you may not want to miss the Fantastic Beasts: The Wonder of Nature currently on at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto. The exhibit is taking place all the way to January 2, 2023, so there’s lots of time to check it out this summer or fall. Since fantastic creatures can bring love and awareness to the natural animals and environmental needs of our planet, we’ve got three great ideas to keep your child exploring after a trip to see the Royal Ontario Museum! 

Talk about habitat (and visit some greenspace)

As humans keep building cities, spreading outward, there’s usually displacement of animal life because urban development may require deforestation and loss of wetland animal habitats. It’s an opportune time to talk about the implications of this urban development with your child, and there’s age-appropriate talks you can have. These can range from the importance of watershed lands to everyone – even us! – all the way down to “how did that skunk end up in our backyard?” A great time to have these sorts of conversations is during a nature hike on one of the many bits of Bruce Trail all around the GTA!

Visit some other real life wacky animal places

Ripley’s Aquarium – Toronto, Ontario: Aquariums are always wonderful places to visit, especially when it’s hot outside. But the undersea tunnel is especially fabulous, and you’ll have a chance to see all kinds of fun, real fantastic animals like sea turtles, sharks, and stingrays.

The Bird Kingdom - Niagara Falls, Ontario: The Bird Kingdom is the world’s largest free-flying indoor aviary, and you’ll have a chance to see hundreds of tropical birds in the multi-level rainforest. You won’t see just owls and parrots; you might have a chance to see some bats and other fascinating creatures, too!

Little Rays Reptile Zoo, Hamilton or Ottawa, Ontario: For a more private experience, Little Rays is a great visit. Guests enjoy an immersive world class adventure through scheduled educational presentations, impromptu animal interactions, and tailored one-on-one conversations with educators and zookeepers.

(Incidentally, don’t miss out on these other great museums in Ontario, if you have a mind to do some educational exploration this summer!)

Watch some cool movies or shows

We’re a big fan of the nature documentaries on many of the streaming services. There are tons to choose from, on so many amazing different kinds of animals and natural habitats.

If you’re looking more for a movie, we suggest you check out James Cameron’s Avatar (the new sequels come out this winter!) or the Fantastic Beasts films. These fun films are spinoffs and prequels to the Harry Potter series, fully immersed in their universe, starting with Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

We hope you have a chance to enjoy some wacky animals this summer!