The Best Family-Friendly Activities in Vancouver
Vancouver is a great family-friendly city. With its perfect mix of museums, attractions, and natural surroundings, kids definitely won’t be bored. Here are some of the best activities in the Greater Vancouver Area that the entire family will enjoy.
1. Science World
Museum
2. Maplewood Farm
A top attraction in North Vancouver, Maplewood Farm offers a “truly rural experience, among the expanding city limits, with a wonderful collection of over 200 domestic and friendly farm animals and birds.” Some of the farm animals calling Maplewood Farm home include a donkey, rabbits, sheep, cows, pigs, horses, and goats. Children can pet and feed some of the animals and meet the farmhands. Pack a picnic lunch to enjoy in the farm’s picnic area too.
Maplewood Farm, 405 Seymour River Place, North Vancouver, BC, Canada, +1 604 929 5610
3. Vanier Park
Museum, Park
Vanier Park lies between Kits Beach and Granville Island and is home to both breathtaking views and a lot of family-friendly fun; there’s even a large grassed area that’s perfect for flying kites or enjoying a picnic. Three of Vancouver’s top museums reside in Vanier Park: H.R. Macmillan Space Centre, the Maritime Museum, and the Museum of Vancouver. The Space Centre features both a planetarium and observatory, which is great for kids. The Museum of Vancouver is also Canada’s largest civic museum.
Vanier Park, 1000 Chestnut Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada
5. Vancouver Aquarium
Aquarium
6. Burnaby Village Museum
Museum
7. Granville Island
Market
But wait, Granville Island has more. For a fun adventure, why not hop on board one of the unique Aquabus ferries and journey to another Vancouver downtown neighborhood? Granville Island also has a water park, which is open during the summer months, and includes both a spray park and two waterslides.
8. Stanley Park
Park
9. Playland
Park
Playland is Vancouver’s only theme park, so of course, it had to make this list! It has an excellent selection of over 30 rides, games, and attractions, which are suitable for the entire family. Atmosfear, where people in swings are lifted 66.5 meters (218 feet) in the air, is a popular ride with teenagers. The ride spins you around at 70 kilometers per hour (43.4 mph)! Built in 1958, the Wooden Roller Coast is Playland’s most historic attraction. There’s also Flume, which is a wet ride that the whole family will enjoy.
Playland at the PNE, 2901 E Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, +1 604 253 2311
10. Grouse Mountain
Natural Feature
11. Kitsilano Beach
Park, Swimming Pool
Finally, while there are the beaches at Stanley Park, Kitsilano Beach (known as Kits Beach locally) is the most popular. It is large and surrounded by a lot of open green park space. There’s also Kitsilano Pool, which is Vancouver’s only salt-water swimming pool. Located right next to the beach, it’s a great place for families. Kits Beach is also conveniently located just around the corner from Vanier Park and Granville Island. Combining activities makes for a perfect family-friendly day out!
Kitsilano Beach, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.
Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.
Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.
Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.
We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.