Go play inside: Kids' activities for rainy Vancouver days
In our damp and dark climate on display many months of the year, it’s always handy to have a few indoor activities in your back pocket to get the kids out of the rain and into something fun — whether it’s active, educational or creative. Here are a few great places to take shelter and have fun.
Science World British Columbia
1455 Quebec St, Vancouver BC V6A 3Z7There is endless fodder here for the curious brain. Whether you splurge for the temporary exhibits or simply spend an afternoon in their Eureka! gallery, a hands-on discovery centre where kids interact with sound, light, water and motion, kids and adults alike will be entertained for hours. Check out what’s playing at the OMNIMAX theatre, a truly magnificent movie viewing experience and stop by the gift shop for cool books and toys. The kids won’t even know they’re learning.
Beaty Biodiversity Museum
2212 Main Mall, Vancouver BC V6T 1Z4The first thing you’re confronted with before even buying your ticket at UBC’s natural history museum is the reconstructed skeleton of a great blue whale — a truly impressive site before you even begin to learn how it came to be. Enter the museum and allow for little hands to open any one of hundreds of drawers containing wonders of the natural world. Learn about plant and animal life from knowledgeable docents and even check out organisms under the microscope.
Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre
845 Avison Way, Vancouver BC V6G 3E2The Vancouver Aquarium located in world-class Stanley Park is a delight for people of all ages. Be mesmerized by the balletic moves of luminescent jellyfish dancing in massive glass aquariums; or give yourself the chills as you peer into glass-encased boxes filled with all manner of creepy-crawlies. Time your visit for the beluga or dolphin shows and check out the playfulness of the adorable otters and hilarious penguins. And be sure to inform yourself and your kids about the research into aquatic life happening here.
Vancouver Museum Society
1100 Chestnut St, Vancouver BC V6J 3J9The newly revamped Museum of Vancouver in Vanier Park is the perfect cultural experience for those with shorter attention spans. The small galleries are totally digestible in an hour or two and the permanent exhibits — Neon Vancouver and Vancouver through the decades — are visually stimulating and offer a rare glimpse into the history of our city. Make your day a double-whammy by buying tickets to both the MOV and the Planetarium next door for a reduced price.
Jump Gymnastics
101-837 Beatty St, Vancouver BC V6B 2M6Have a kid who’s “bouncing off the walls?” Well, let them do it literally at Yaletown’s Jump Gymnastics. Kids will get a kick out of bouncing around this large facility equipped with mats, beams, bars and slides during free-play or sign them up for more structured classes where the focus is physical literacy, non-competition and fun. The best part? They offer a Date Night special where parents can drop off their tot for three hours of jumping around while they get in some much-needed romance. Win-win.
Vancouver Art Gallery
750 Hornby Street, Vancouver BC V6Z 2H7Every Sunday at the Vancouver Art Gallery is devoted to kids and families. Their dedicated Art Agents are both skilled docents and tour guides as well as having a knack with kids. They’ll tour you and your family through the latest exhibits and permanent collection bringing a child’s-eye perspective to the artwork that will help to instill a love and appreciation for whatever medium. Kids can also get their hands dirty at the Making Place where they’ll create masterpieces of their own.
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