TOP TEN FAMILY ACTIVITIES IN VANCOUVER
1. Sail across the harbour or soar above the city. Heading across Burrard Inlet by SeaBus or travelling around the city by
SkyTrain is a highlight for many visiting kids. Try for a seat at the front of a SkyTrain and they’ll feel like they’re driving.
2. Granville Island is a hub for fun. Check out North America’s largest free water park before exploring the Kids Market that offers two floors stocked with original toys and games, from hand-made finger puppets to one-of-a-kind kites. Make sure you take a colourful Aquabus mini ferry to get to the island — half the fun is the journey!
3. Head to golden-sanded
Kitsilano Beach (Kits) for a day of fun in the sun. Younger kids can beachcomb and check out the playground, while teens can hit the saltwater swimming pool or tennis courts.
4. Stroll from Kits beach to nearby Vanier Park, home to the Vancouver Museum, Vancouver Maritime Museum and H.R. MacMillan Space Centre. Vanier Park is also a great spot to fly a kite and is home to the Vancouver International Children’s Festival every May.
5. Hit
Science World for a plethora of hands-on activities, including blowing giant soap bubbles, playing a piano with your feet, and freezing your shadow on a wall. There’s also an OMNIMAX big-screen cinema.
6. For an even bigger screen, head to Canada Place’s IMAX Theatre on the waterfront where you can be surrounded by underwater creatures or blast off into space.
7. Sway across the river at Capilano Suspension Bridge, complete with a swinging rope bridge, rainforest nature trails, a mini forest of totem poles, and the Treetops Adventure — a network of smaller bridges strung between the trees high up in the rainforest canopy.
8. Visit
Maplewood Farm, where kids can take a close-up look at 200 farm animals and birds, feed them, and even ride the ponies. Spring is a favourite time to visit because that’s when the baby animals are born.
9. Check out the landmark Vancouver Public Library, and head downstairs to the Children’s Library, BC’s largest.
10. Tuck into a hearty lunch at Gastown’s Old Spaghetti Factory. Try to snag a table inside one of the on-site trolley cars then stroll up Water Street to see the hissing steam clock.
