Arts & Culture Top 10 fun things to do with your children in Vancouver

Hi,

I have five kids, three under 4 and 2 that are 12 that we are taking in for the summer.
This 2 for one deal got me here, so if it is possible to get in that please "enter" me, otherwise I may as well post the top 10 activities that our family have found to do in and around Vancouver that are affordable. These activities are also great for groups of friends or couples, but mainly they are also kids friendly:

1) Snow shoeing at Grouse Mountain. Once you are at the top groups of 4 or more can go for an evening snowshoe followed by a fondue dinner. All 7 of us went at night (with headlamps) for $70.

2) Snowshoeing at Hollyburn lodge on Cypress...FREE. Live music and amazing chilly are served at this quaint and rustic cabin set in the middle of nowhere. you have to sweat a little to get there, but once you are there, it's great.

3)Picnic at Crescent Beach...also free. So is the parking. Spectacular sunsets and miles of beach to run around on when the tide is out. Easy to keep an eye on your kids.

4) Stand-up paddle boarding in Deep Cove in North Vancouver. You can rent a board for $25 for 1 hour or $33 for 2 hours. During this time you can have several children (or adults) try it out. Spectacular views, fresh air, seals and eagles.

5) Hike up Quarry Rock (4kn round trip), also in Deep Cove. Again...FREE. Have a picnic at the top. The view are as good as those on the top of Grouse Mountain.

6) Movie drive-in at Strawberry Hill in Surrey. Watch 3 movies for the price of one vehicle. Bring your van or flatbed truck. Fill it with a mattress and kids in PJ's and plenty of popcorn and you have a recipe for a great night out, plus a great sleep in the next morning.

7) Petting zoo at Queens Park in New Westminster. Family passes available at great prices. Plenty of shade and free parking. Like the petting zoo at the PNE but much cheaper.

8) GO BANANAS. It's nit free but it's well worth the money. For $12 kids can play till they drop inside a netted jungle gym maze in the air while parents can relax and enjoy a meal at the picnic bench. Check out their website for the location nearest you. The best $12 we ever spent.

9) Bear Creek park and Fleetwood Park water park. Beautiful setting and another great family outing for FREE!

And my number one pick for great things to do with your family in Metro Vancouver is...

10) The Burnaby Central Railway is at the northern end of Confederation Park. The easiest way to find Confederation Park is to go along Hastings Street and turning north on Willingdon Avenue. The exact address is at 120 North Willingdon, about 5 blocks north of Hastings Street. The railway is open weekends and holidays from 11 am to 5 pm. The miniature trains don't run all year round either, usually only from May to October. Website: www.bcsme.org. Again an AMAZING family adventure for kids of all ages and $3 gets you a beautiful ride. A hidden gem.

Enjoy!

Hopefully we can add Playland to our list of places we visited thsi year.

Thanks!
Denise

 

Great tips!