Took my son here for the first time and he loved every moment of it. But you cannot take private photos or selfies with your cellphone. There is a sign at the entrance which highlights the rules of the park and It does state photography must follow “City of Toronto Photography Rules”. Now, Kidstown is owned by the City of Toronto and maintained by the Parks, Forestry & Recreation division. It is a public outdoor space as defined by the City.
Legally, you need a permit for commercial or professional photography. But legally, you have a right to take personal photographs of anyone - including other people’s children (just not in changeroom and washrooms where people have a reasonable expectation to privacy). However, the City of Toronto have a policy that states you must obtain permission from staff and you cannot take photos of other patrons - this is due to concerns of patron’s privacy, such as having photos of their kids on social media. While it is 100% legal to take private photos of whomever you want, the City’s policy prevents this at their facilities. So it is really a matter of policy and therefore is a rule that must be followed, even if it cannot be legally enforced. The staff is aiming for the enjoyment of its patrons and this policy is understandable - although may not be agreeable by all. Clearly this policy is only practiced in places where there are predominantly children. I do not see this policy enforced at other venues such as the City Hall skating rink in the winter.
Parents who take their cellphone out here to take a picture are advised pictures are not allowed. Personally I think there shouldn’t be any city policy that cannot be legally enforced but I can also understand some parents can be protective - perhaps my thinking is ingrained from growing up in the eighties where such policies were not in place but given we live now in a society where internet and social media can be problematic and predatory, I can abide by the rules.
Clearly this a popular family destination especially since it is free. Staff puts on coloured wristbands for your children at the entrance so staff knows whether your children requires a parent (or adult) within arms reach or can be left unattended - for example, staff will ask young kids to leave the pool area if a parent is not within arms reach or will not allow a child go down the mini water slide if the parent is not at the bottom waiting for them.
There are limited tables within the premises (not sure if they can be reserved as I saw a birthday party there) but there are plenty of open space to setup your own spot on the grass, surrounding the water park. It gets quite busy and many people also opt to setup camp on the outside of the fenced perimeter but that becomes a bit of pain as you will always need to go through the entrance and there can be a bit of a line up as staff is putting on wristbands for other children.