Summer is my favourite season because there is so much to do and see in Vancouver. From free family fun to paid experiences, there really is something for most budgets. Some of my favourite family fun adventures in Vancouver during the Summer include Cultus Lake Waterpark and Adventure Park, Maplewood Farm, Britannia Mine Museum and the West Coast Railway Heritage Park. Listed below are 5 of our favourite Vancouver Summer Family Fun activities.
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.
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.
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!
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!
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!