» Ten Family-Friendly Vancouver Activities
- Sail across the harbour, or soar above the city. Heading across Burrard Inlet by SeaBus or travelling around the city by Sky Train is a highlight for many visiting kids - try for a seat at the front of a SkyTrain and they'll feel like they're driving. Visit www.translink.bc.ca for details.
- Check out North America's largest free waterpark at Granville Island (www.granvilleisland.com), then dry off in the nearby Kids Market. Make sure you take a mini ferry to get there (www.theaquabus.com; www.granvilleislandferries.bc.ca).
- Head to golden-sanded Kitsilano Beach for a day of sunny fun. Younger kids can beachcomb and check out the playground, while teens can hit the swimming pool or tennis courts.
- Stroll from Kits beach to nearby Vanier Park, complete with the Vancouver Museum (www.vanmuseum.bc.ca), Vancouver Maritime Museum (www.vancouvermaritimemuseum.com) and H.R. MacMillan Space Centre (www.hrmacmillanspacecentre.com). It's a great spot to fly a kite and it's also the home of the Vancouver International Children's Festival (www.childrensfestival.ca) every May.
- Hit Science World at TELUS World of Science (www.scienceworld.ca) for a plethora of hands-on activities, including blowing giant soap bubbles, playing a piano with your feet and freezing your shadow on a wall. There's also an OMNIMAX big-screen cinema.
- For an even bigger screen, head to Canada Place's IMAX Theatre (www.imax.com/vancouver) on the waterfront where you can soar over mountains or stare into the faces of the wildlife towering over you.
- Sway across the river at Capilano Suspension Bridge and Park (www.capbridge.com), complete with a towering rope bridge, rainforest nature trails, a mini-forest of totem poles and Treetops Adventure - a network of smaller bridges strung between the trees.
- Visit Maplewood Farm (www.maplewoodfarm.bc.ca), where kids can take a close-up look at 200 farm animals and birds, pet the bunnies and pat the horses. Spring is a favourite time - that's when the baby animals are born.
- Check out the landmark Vancouver Public Library (www.vpl.vancouver.bc.ca), then head downstairs to the Children's Library, B.C.'s largest.
- Tuck into a hearty lunch at Gastown's Old Spaghetti Factory (www.oldspaghettifactory.ca). Try to snag a seat in the on-site trolley car inside - then stroll up Water Street to the hissing steam clock.
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