Enjoying Vancouver with Kids

~ cswada

We recently spent a few days in Vancouver, British Columbia and wanted to share our feelings on what we did in this fun city.

The experiences described below are from June 2023.

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Science World

Science World is easily walkable from our hotel, the JW Marriott Parq Vancouver. There is a dedicated time for members before general admission opens but at least there is a fun playground where you can wait for it to open (see the next section below). Tickets can be purchased in advance or at the door (and honestly purchasing them in advance didn’t seem to save any time).

Once inside, you’ll find a wide selection of fun exhibits, ranging from a screen that digitally adds costumes, interactive science demonstrations, and plenty of gadgets that will keep the kids busy for hours.

There is a section on the second floor designed for younger kids. Char felt most at home here and didn’t want to leave, even as we urged her to go eat lunch. They have an expansive area here for tots, including building blocks, water toys, and a jungle gym. For those with very young children, there is a separate section for them to explore on their own, plus a private nursing room.

Awaiting outside are a few extra exhibits. It feels like they could spend a bit more effort with the space as there wasn’t too much to see here but the kids did enjoy themselves by climbing all over dinosaur bones.

Yes, the Science World does have its own restaurant. It’s nothing much, but hits the spot if you plan on staying here past lunch. We did enjoy Science World and would consider returning.

Creekside Park (Immediately Outside Science World)

Steps from the Science World entrance is a fun playground that we frequented daily (having a playground near our hotel is a blessing). There is a fun slide structure with multiple ways to get up to the top, but younger children may struggle to make it up. So they do have a separate slide easily accessible for younger tots.

There are swings, a spinning top, and a zip line for kids to enjoy while here. It’s a simple park but packed full of rides for the kids.

If you have a chance to explore, wander the path around the water to find sea birds and perhaps some rock sculptures. It’s a pleasant walk but note there isn’t much shade along the way.

Aquabus

Also next to Science World is a stop for the Aquabus. There are a couple of separate companies operating these water ferries along different points of the bay. We ultimately chose Aquabus because they operated more frequencies. Tickets can be purchased onboard. We rode the Aquabus from Science World to Granville Island, where we ate dinner, and back to the hotel.

We were lucky enough to not encounter lines to get on the ferry but we did see others waiting. We found the staff very friendly and wanting to chat. We even saw a sea lion as we went towards Granville. As a means of transportation between Granville and our hotel/Science World, it was an enjoyable experience. But I don’t know if I would go out of my way just to ride it for fun.

Capilano Suspension Bridge

This ended up being the main attraction of our trip to Vancouver. The Capital Suspension Bridge is located just north of Stanley Park. There is a free shuttle that will pick you up from Canada Place and I would recommend that over driving yourself. If you do drive, you’ll find a parking lot just across the street from the entrance where you can pay by space but note you’re only limited to a couple of hours here if you go that route. Granted, you’ll probably be done within that time limit, but it’s still nice not feeling rushed.

Once inside, you’ll find the main attraction quite quickly. Note that children can’t be carried on the bridge, so hopefully your younger children can muster up the courage to make it to the other side as it can be scary for them with a bridge that moves with every step from every person on it.

Make it to the other side and your reward is the ability to explore tree tops. There is also a scavenger hunt for younger children. The reward for completing the hunt was a bracelet with wildflower seeds, which we left behind in Vancouver (didn’t think it was appropriate to bring back to the US).

Hidden away near the restaurants is the Cliffwalk, a fun experience for brave souls. The whole experience is a one-way path that takes you along the edge of cliffs. You would think the kids would be just as afraid of this as they were with the suspension bridge, but since this one had a stable surface the whole way through, they actually didn’t fear this path.

Near the exit is a little area where kids can color, make postcards, and play some games. It’s a nice spot where kids can unwind before heading back on the road.

Yes, there are restaurants here, including some quick service restaurants and a sit-down restaurant. We ended up getting a bite to eat at Loggers Grill, and I thought the food was ok. It’s about what you might expect to find here. If we had more time, we might have considered the sit-down restaurant, but that’s ok. I would highly recommend people to come to Capilano to experience it, but I’m not sure we would come back the next time in town as there isn’t too much to do and see here.

Stanley Park

Located right next to the city is an expansive park. We had visions of doing the horse-drawn carriage or perhaps even the Vancouver Aquarium, but didn’t get a chance to do those (not realizing Science World would take up our whole day). If you have a car, it’s nice to take a drive around the park just to see the beauty of the trees.

We stopped around Second Beach along the southwest corner of the park. There, we found a couple of playground structures just calling for our kids. They also had a fire truck that the kids could board.

The beach itself was fine. There was a large number of wood sticks in the sand, so don’t expect pristine beaches, but it is a nice spot to spend an hour. There is a dedicated pool area if you want to get wet, but it does cost a nominal fee to enter and we didn’t do it because we had no swimsuits. Next time we come, I think we will explore a different section of the park for variety.

What have you done when you explored Vancouver?

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