Finding fun and exciting activities to entertain children during the summer vacations can be fatiguing at times, but luckily, Vancouver makes it easy. The city has hundreds of activities for kids and parents alike all year round and summer is no different. Thankfully, with the weather getting warmer, families can spend more time in The Couve’s stunning outdoor spaces.
From interactive museums, fun outdoor playgrounds, amazing attractions and walking scavenger hunts to the countless parks and beaches that have breathtaking views, you can’t go wrong with either option. Take a look below to find out the specifics on what to do with kids this summer in the city.
1. Become a hero for a day and save our beloved city
We’re starting off the roundup with a thrilling outdoor superhero game played along the Vancouver seawall and plazas. It’s perfect for families with children aged 8 to 11 years old, but it’s open to all. The game is located very close to the cruise ship terminal & FlyOver Canada and is near food courts, gelato & hot chocolate options, perfect for a quick snack along the way.
What do you need to do? Use your superpowers for good and save the planet from the evil supervillain Muck Monster. You’ll be working in teams and complete a wide variety of challenges to collect clues and stop Muck Monster from using the power of mother nature for evil. The end goal is making Vancouver the greenest city in the world! So, what are you waiting for? Go on a heroic adventure with your super friends and stop her attacks before it’s too late…
📍 A secret start location near Waterfront Station
2. Discover Vancouver’s Science World
Built for the 1986 World’s Fair, Science World is a charitable non-profit and science centre, where you can learn all about science, technology, engineering, math art and design. Although you might not have visited the centre before, you’ve definitely seen it. The modern structure looks like it has a giant mirrored ball on top. The geodesic dome houses interactive and hands-on exhibits and galleries that are exciting for the whole family!
The James Cameron exhibition opened this June and it’s the new addition to the playful and educational exhibits at Science World, where you can watch and explore the waters in his DEEPSEA CHALLENGER and see specimens from his personal collection.
📍 1455 Quebec St, Vancouver, BC V6A 3Z7
3. Spend the day at the Greater Vancouver Zoo
Home to many rescued, donated and orphaned animals, at the Greater Vancouver Zoo you can discover 14o different species and get a unique experience led by the knowledgeable staff to answer all your questions.
There’s a new experience that is perfect for the summer. Go back in time to the Age of Reptiles, best referred to as the Mesozoic Era. It’s an outdoor adventure where your kids can interact with animatronic dinosaurs from the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous Periods. Adult tickets cost $33 per person and child tickets are available at $25 per person.
📍 5048 264 St, Aldergrove, BC V4W 1N7
4. Zipline over the Fitzsimmons Valley
This ultimate Whistler Zipline Adventure is not for the faint-hearted. If your kid is a fearless adrenaline junkie, this zipline experience with stunning views of the Canadian Rocks will blow their mind! There are three tours you can choose from: Bear Tour, Eagle Tour, Sasquatch Tour. The first one lasts approximately 2-2.5 hours, where you can experience four ziplines between Whistler and Blackcomb (400-1,100 ft) and four treetop bridges while learning about the local natural environment.
The second tour takes around 2.5-3 hours, where you can enjoy five ziplines with a 30-storey descent and learn about the wonderful ecosystem. The last tour extends over 2 kms and is therefore the longest zipline in Whistler. The tour has a duration of 1.5h hours and you can reach speeds exceeding 100 kmh! For that reason, only 10+ year-olds are allowed and minimum weight requirement is 34 kgs. Unless you have vertigo or acrophobia, this wild zipline tour is an absolute must-do!
📍 Ziptrek Ecotours: 4282 Mountain Square, Whistler, BC V0N 1B4
5. Travel to the Upside Down at Stranger Things: The Experience
Unleash your inner hero at this Stranger Things immersive experience! Yes, technically you’d have to drive down to Seattle to see it in all its glory, but we promise you it’s definitely worth the trip. The journey will begin in Hawkins Lab, the secretive federal complex that hosted controversial and secret experiments for the MKUltra Program. You’ll need to save the day alongside Eleven, Dustin, Mike, Lucas, Max and Will. Keep an eye out for exciting character encounters as well, as you walk through iconic sets from the series, including Scoops Ahoy, Surfer Boy Pizza, or the Byers’ Room.
It’s always nice seeing die-hard fans of the series completely lose it at the Mix Tape, but you don’t have to have watched the show to enjoy the interactive adventure. In addition, you can enjoy themed food & drinks and take home exclusive merchandise. “Why are you keeping this curiosity door locked?” Head to the Stranger Things experience and find out for yourself!
📍 1750 Occidental Ave, Seattle WA 98134, Seattle
See more: The best French bakeries in Vancouver
6. Bond with your little ones on one of Vancouver’s many hikes
Always a fun activity for the kids, where they can explore nature and enjoy the beautiful scenery in and around Vancouver. And most importantly, it’s also a great way for parents and caretakers to find a sense of peace and relaxation away from the daily routines and demands.
And honestly there are so many hiking trails in the Vancouver area, that you could just close your eyes and randomly choose one. But to name a few, there are loads of places along the Sea to Sky highway, including Rainbow Park, Shannon Falls and Brandywine Falls, or Mystery Lake, Dog Mountain and Pacific Spirit Park, where you can also take your paw-some dog friends.
📍 Various locations
7. Experience a spellbinding concert under candlelight
If you’re looking for a relaxing evening plan with your kids this summer, Candlelight invites everyone to relive the greatest works of classical and modern-day music. This season Vancouverites will get to see an amazing showcase of music, from tributes to legendary bands like ABBA, Queen and Fleetwood Mac to fantastic anime themes.
Taking place at some of the most spectacular spaces in Vancouver, young music fans and cinephiles can also experience magical scores from Halloween classics in the likes of Beetlejuice and The Addams Family. Guests must be 8 years old or older to attend and anyone under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult.
🎟️ Get tickets to these enchanting Candlelight concerts here.
8. Step into an impressionist painting at the Monet: Immersive Experience
We can all immediately recognize the dreamy landscape paintings by Oscar-Claude Monet and if you’re looking for a fun and exciting way of introducing the Impressionist painter’s works and distinctive use of brushstrokes to your children, this interactive experience is the right way to do it! Find out more about the French artist’s life and career, and immerse yourself in the artist’s masterpieces with a 360-degree digital show. It’s coming soon to a secret location in Vancouver, so join the waitlist now to be the first to know when tickets are available.
9. Take your kids to a unique nautical exhibition
Learn about centuries-long search for the famous route through the Canadian Arctic, explore the city’s fireboats and their controversy and climb aboard the historic St. Roch at the Vancouver Maritime Museum. Knot too shabby, right?
The museum has been sharing the maritime histories of Vancouver, the Pacific Northwest and the Arctic through exhibitions and experiences that speak to everyone, from young children to adults for more than 60 years. Located in Hadden Park, you can also go on a little treasure hunt and look around the many relics in the museum’s gardens, from anchors to full-on submarines.
📍 1905 Ogden Ave, Vancouver, BC V6J 1A3
10. Glide along False Creek at this incredible kayaking experience
Why take the usual walking tours when you can discover Downtown Vancouver while paddling away from Kits Beach or Granville Island? For a couple of hours you’ll glide through the cool waters of False Creek and take in the jaw-dropping views of Science World and BC Place. You can get tickets for a Double Kayak Rental for your young and school-aged children and Stand-Up Paddleboard Rental for 12+ year-olds. Best of all, you can bring your doggies with you to have a swim in the stunning waters too.
Additionally, if you’re lucky, you might be able to see a few barrel-shaped friends along the way. With their huge eyes and long, straight whiskers, the best spot where you can find Vancouver seals is certainly Pam Rock, but there are other spots closer to the shore where they pop up every now and again. This two-hour long kayaking experience is definitely one of the best activities to do with your kids in the summer. All you have to do is present your smartphone voucher at any Vancouver Water Adventures rental location to complete the check-in process.
📍 1499 Arbutus St, Vancouver, BC V6J 5N2 and 1812 Boatlift Ln, Vancouver, BC V6H 3Y2
11. Explore Vancouver’s most beautiful parks
Lastly, you can’t go wrong with a visit to the park. With 250 parks at your disposal that make up 11% of the city’s land mass, these urban havens can be your saviours whenever you draw a blank and run out of ideas. From big leaguers like the 404-hectare Stanley Park and the 52-hectare Queen Elizabeth Park to smaller but precious recreational spaces, such as False Creek and Connaught Park, these parks are the perfect place for kids to play and run around and for adults to kick back and take a breather in a tranquil and beautiful setting.