Cultus Lake Waterpark and Adventure Park
Back when I was growing up, there was only Cultus Lake Waterpark, no adventure park. Now there are two great parks, in one destination. To say that this place is awesome is an understatement; there is all sorts of fun for all ages and thrill seekers at both parks.Because our kids are still under 5, we split our day between both parks. A couple hours at Cultus Lake Waterpark and a couple at the Adventure Park. At the waterpark, we spent most of our time at the Family Spray Park, Pirates Cove, Tots Castle, and Turtle Pool and slides. Both of my little stars had so much fun with all of the interactive features.

Gabriel and I weren’t able to check out the slides, so we’ll definitely have to go back with some other adults that can help take care of our kids while we go on some slides LOL.

It's a beautifully warm day and I'm so happy we're here at @cultuslakewaterpark to keep cool . I think the last time I was here I was around 12, boy how the waterpark has changed (expanded). I remember going on the 72 ft drop and loving it. Maybe I'll be brave enough today and take the plunge . Will you be visiting any waterparks this Summer? #vancouvermom #canadianblogger #eastvan #overthemoonSUMMERbucketlist

A post shared by Nina Gonzalez (@ninaonthemoon) on Jul 5, 2018 at 11:56am PDT

With over 25 different Slides and Attractions to choose from, there’s plenty to do for all ages all day long!

My kids are troopers! After the waterpark, we headed over to BC’s best theme park for a couple hours. We went on the Balloon ride so many times, I almost puked, lol. The classic carousel was also a favourite for both kids. In total there are more than 16 rides and attractions for the whole family, including mini-golf! It only opened in 2014, and they have new rides this year, so there are always new things to experience.

These guys are troopers. Spent a couple hours at the waterpark, then headed to the adventure park @cultuslakeadventurepark and had to reminisce about my childhood and get the whole fam some rockets . This was our first time to the Adventure Park, and certainly not our last . This Summer is all about adventure #vancouvermom #overthemoonSUMMERbucketlist #vancouver

A post shared by Nina Gonzalez (@ninaonthemoon) on Jul 5, 2018 at 7:24pm PDT

Britannia Mine Museum
The Britannia Mine Museum just outside of Squamish is one of the handful of National Historic Sites I’ve been to in BC. We’ve actually got many National Historic Sites in the Lower Mainland, but that’s a whole other post. Anyways, this is another adventure I grew up visiting and exploring. I have many memories of panning for gold on field trips in both elementary and high school. And to experience it with my own kids is a trip down memory lane for sure.

Lucas is obsessed with big trucks, so you can imagine how excited he was to see the one in front of the museum. A highlight of the Mine Museum is going on the underground tour- Rumble through the dark on our underground train and experience the sights and sounds of a real mining tunnel!

There is so much to do during the Summer in Vancouver! . And this year, we've already started to check activities off of our Summer bucket list . Up first was @britanniaminemuseum where we panned for gold and did a tour of the mine . The last time I visited this place, I was in elementary school and my mom had joined our class! It's def. got some upgrades since then and is kind of a trip to be back with my own kids now . Where was the last field trip you went on? #vancouvermom #squamish #overthemoonSUMMERbucketlist

A post shared by Nina Gonzalez (@ninaonthemoon) on Jul 5, 2018 at 1:52am PDT

West Coast Railway Heritage Park
While in Squamish, we also visited the West Coast Railway Heritage Park. We’ve visited this park a couple times, for the Polar Express and Thomas the Train events. Both of my kids love trains, so we always have so much fun checking out the old railway cars. There are also interactive activities and exhibits, which are enjoyed by the whole family including features an old fashioned railway station and town centre, blacksmith forge, wash house, and vintage printing press. Topping it all off are 5 vintage trains! Definitely more than meets the eye.

Maplewood Farm
Maplewood Farm in North Vancouver is an OG when it comes to family fun in Vancouver, they’ve been around forever. My parents have photos of us hanging with the sheep and feeding the ducks back in the 90’s. It’s one of our favourite Vancouver Summer Family Fun activities to visit year round because it is just a 10 minute drive from our house.

Some of my kids favourite things to do at this inner city farm is feed/pet the bunnies. Explore the grounds and eat lunch down by
the pond. You should definitely take the time to explore the Maplewood Farm grounds, it is much bigger than you imagine with all the horses, cows, pigs and the donkey! Can’t forget about what is probably one of the main attractions at the farm, the goats!

One of the OGs when it comes to family fun in Vancouver is @maplewoodfarm . My parents used to bring us here in the 90s and now I'm bringing my kids . I love that this place is open year round! My kids love feeding the bunnies . Have you been to this inner city farm? #vancouvermom

A post shared by Nina Gonzalez (@ninaonthemoon) on Jul 6, 2018 at 11:46am PDT

So, these are some of our Vancouver Summer Family Fun activities to participate in, have you been to any of them? A huge thank you to the Healthy Family Expo for inspiring our adventures with their Summer Family Fun 2018 Guide , and to Jessie Farrell for providing the soundtrack for our adventures! We’ve been huge fans of Jessie since discovering her music on Scout & the Gumboot kids a couple years ago. We’ve even got her previous cd’s Take Me Outside and Chirp Chirp Happy. My kids love her music. Jessie Farrell’s new album, Sparkle & Shine, is inspired by nature and perfect for a drive to an outdoor adventure. You can preview and download this album on Apple Music
or order the CD online and also catch Jessie and The Gumboot Kids on CBC Kids!

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I have many awesome memories at Splashdown; from childhood visiting with my family or a daycamp during Summer vacation, to adolescents with a group of friends. And now, here I am about 15 years later visiting Splashdown with my own little family, creating more memorable moments. I was happy to share a part of my childhood with my husband, and relive so many good times, this was his first time there. 

It was also our Little Moon’s first time at a waterpark, hehehe. At four months young, I sat her on my lap and we went down one of the six children’s slides, another first! We also played (and by played I mean, I held her in my arms while walking under the sprinklers hehehe) in the Children’s splash area. 

I remember when I was a kid, The Black Hole seemed to be sooo tall, but as I walked up to it for the first time in about 15 years, I was surprised at how small it looked. I was curious to see if the sliding experience was going to be as much fun as I remember, and it sure was! It’s so dark that you can’t see where you are heading, it was so much fun.

Big Jim’s River Run

Another Splashdown favorite; like the Black Hole  is a tube slide, only difference is that it’s open air. This is my favorite slide at Splashdown because you can go with a group, you’re not supposed to link, but that doesn’t stop most people. It’s so much fun trying to hang tight or be pulled away from the person(s) you are linked to.

I’m going to be honest, I was a little nervous about going down the four advanced body slides alone. I couldn’t decided whether to sit and go slow or lie down and go fast…but as soon as I sat down on the slide, I said what the hay and laid back. Oh, it was so much fun, I was “wooooooo-ing” all the way down! I felt so ALIVE and happy. There are also two intermediate body slides, which are slighty slower than the advanced ones.

The grounds at Splashdown are a lot bigger than what I remember from my childhood. They’ve added tents, BBQ’s, picnic tables and even a volleyball and basketball court. We set up our picnic right under a beautiful tree, which provided great shade. There is a lot of green space where you can play frisbee or even tag

I had a wonderful time at Splashdown Waterpark park reliving childhood memories and creating new ones with my family, especially with my Little Moon.

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