24. May 2011
| by
John
Vancouver is a beautiful city on the western coast of Canada in British Columbia. The population is slightly over half a million people. It is the home of the BC Place Stadium where the BC Lions play football. Vancouver is often referred to as “Hollywood North” and is known as a major film and television production city.
There are a great many fun activities in Vancouver. Below, we share a few favorites for families with children:
A Day at the Beach – Vancouver is known for its lovely beaches and has 11 miles of beach front coastal property. Most of the beaches have washrooms, lifeguards and well lit parking. Spanish Bank East Beach has 8 sand volleyball courts where you and your family can enjoy a game of volleyball. Unless a beach is designated as a “Quiet Beach” it has amplified music. Some of the beaches, such as Kitsilano, have an Olympic sized swimming pool and a huge kid’s playground.
Kids Market on Granville Island – This is one of those places your kids will beg you over and over to take them, so you might as well get it out of the way early on during your vacation. Kids Market has plenty of arcade-type games, shopping and food. It is housed mostly inside an old renovated factory but has some outdoor play area with a lovely pond next door.
The Aquabus on Granville Island – This is sure to be a kid-pleaser. The Aquabus offers 25-minute and 40-minute cruises around False Creek. During your cruise you will visit interesting places like Science World and the Vancouver Aquatic Center. Your kids will not only love this but it is pretty economical as well just in case you’re on a budget.
Visit Stanley Park – This is one of Vancouver’s best known and loved parks because it encompasses the seawall, the Aquarium and even has a water park. The kids will love exploring Stanley Park. It has plenty of thrilling activities such as a miniature train, a swimming pool, and plenty of picnic sites. Stanley Park is well known for its arts events and fine dining. You’ll never run out of exciting activities for the whole family at Stanley Park.
Capilano Suspension Bridge – the Capilano Suspension Bridge is one of the most famous in the world. Millions of people have walked across this bridge and it is one of British Columbia’s most popular tourist attractions. This amazing bridge stretches 450 feet across and high above the Capilano River. From this spectacular suspension bridge you can view the beauty of the rainforest all around you. This would be a fun, exciting way to spend several hours with your kids and could also be used as an opportunity to teach them about rainforests.
Vancouver offers many other stimulating, remarkable and truly fun things to do. It’s a beautiful city that most tourists would enjoy even if they simply spent their entire vacation strolling its lovely beaches. Vancouver has loads of public transportation including the Sky Train and the SeaBus. It has some of the best restaurants and hotels in the world, not to mention shopping.
Whether you’re taking the kids this year or not, Vancouver is well-worth your time and money and should be on every serious travelers list of must-see places.
