Though Tyler Hynes has played lots of great roles onscreen, Hallmark fans love getting glimpses of his favorite role offscreen: being the most fun uncle — or “funcle” — he can be to his nieces, Ella and Haylie.
The Toronto-born actor has periodically shared glimpses of good times with his brother Brandon’s daughters, melting fans’ hearts with the sweet and clever videos he posts. But it had been more than a year since his last video with the girls, so fans were thrilled to see footage of their latest escapades pop up in the star’s Instagram feed on March 23, 2025.
Tyler Hynes & His Nieces Had a Blast During Epic Play Day in Toronto
With Deep Purple’s “Hush” playing in the background, Hynes captioned his fun-filled video by writing, “Pool sharks 🦈 Game sparks ⚡️ Dog parks ⚽️”
The girls’ adventures with their uncle began at Cherry’s High Dive in Toronto, a classic dive bar complete with wood-paneled walls, a leopard-print-covered pool table, and a retro photo booth. Hynes and his nieces took a series of adorably goofy pics and played a fun round of pool.
Their next stop was The Rec Room, which prides itself on having a “state-of-the-art arcade and recreational games” including bowling, ping pong, and axe throwing. Hynes’ video showed him, his brother and other pals playing a variety of games alongside his nieces — from a virtual reality shooting game to arcade basketball, with Hynes hilariously taunting Ella and Haylie before he nailed every shot. Hynes also rocked the boxing challenge, though he hilariously couldn’t get either niece to hold his signature toothpick when it was his turn.
From there, the group moved on to a local dog park where they kicked around a soccer ball and ran around with Hynes’ beloved pup, Rusty James. One shot showed Rusty nipping at someone’s wrist, eager to play.
Fans Love Seeing Tyler Hynes ‘Making Memories’ With His Nieces
Fans flooded the comment section of Hynes’ post, delighted to see his latest antics with his nieces, including one who wrote, “Aww, this is so awesome!! Keep making these memories with them as they will treasure them forever and do the same for their kids. Great day, Uncle Ty!❤️”
“They truly have the best unk in the world,” another wrote. “Making lasting memories. That’s what family is all about.”
Another fan commented, “Great Funckle! Your nieces are beautiful young ladies!”
Even fellow Hallmark star Benjamin Ayres chimed in, writing, “Sweet! Will be taking my girls here for sure 🎱”
Many fans noted how fun it’s been to watch the girls grow up over the years. In July 2023, Hynes shared a slow-motion video of the three of them jumping on a trampoline covered in water balloons, and included old video footage of them doing the same activity when the girls were just five and seven years old.
Though it looks like Hynes’ quality time with his nieces is all fun and games, he does take his role seriously. In 2021, he revealed in a tweet that his brother and sister-in-law had asked him a year before to be his nieces’ guardian if anything were to happen to them.
One of his followers replied, “That’s because they know you are an amazing uncle and love your nieces fiercely.”
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Tyler Hynes Proves, Once Again, He’s the World’s Best ‘Funcle’