Your guide to activities and fun things to do with your preschoolers, toddlers and kids in vancouver, CN

Endings and Beginnings

June 08, 2009

This week is the last week of preschool for my 4 year old son. He has become very attached to his teachers and the group of kids he has learned to play cooperatively with over the past ten months. Now begins the summer activities. I decided to hold off on day camp and classes until the middle of July, and so far I only have 3 weeks of planned activities, even if they are only a half hour swim lesson each day for two weeks. I am trying to decide if this is enough or should I fill more of his days.

So with that in mind, I am half planning a series of day trips around the lower mainland. I hope to make some of them play dates with friends from his preschool class, and I am still looking for an age appropriate drama or dance class. I am starting to become aware that he needs a chance to get on stage.

We have a membership to the Aquarium, so we are planning to go several times over the summer. It will be interesting to watch the newborn beluga grow over the summer. We will make at least one trip to the Zoo, though I think that will be with the whole family as I can't take the tired feet of a 4 year old and an infant at the same time all by myself. (I think we will bring his bicycle along to make the trip easier.) I plan to spend some time checking out all of Vancouver's Splash Parks and outdoor pools. I will update you on the best ones according to the preschooler.

I am sure I will be able to keep us busy until school starts again in September, but it sure makes me wish for a backyard so we don't always need to go out for our entertainment. It would be lovely to be able to just throw us all out in the backyard. How do you keep your child busy during the summer with or without a backyard?

Spring Weekend

April 23, 2009

This Saturday the 25^th is a busy day in False Creek. Two major events are happening, one on Cambie and another on Granville Island. I am hoping we will attend both, though the one on Granville Island has more appeal for my truck loving son.

Ocean Concrete will be having their annual open house. Made for kids of all ages you can climb into big concrete mixers, big and small earth moving machines and play in the huge sand pit with all the other children. We go every year and my 4 year gets more excited every year. The first year he was a little intimidated by the huge trucks up close, but last year was running to line up to get into those bad boys. Open from 9 am to 5 pm this is a great chance to get up close and personal with the big trucks.

Best Buy and Canada Line are celebrating the completion of local Canada Line Construction with a huge street party, "Cambie All Access." Merchants from Broadway to the Cambie Street Bridge will be celebrating with food, concerts (including 54-40 at 3:30 pm) and other fun activities. Come and celebrate the relief that is an open Cambie Street. Festivities start and 11 am and go till 5 pm.

Have fun in False Creek!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Springtime

April 06, 2009

There are a couple of things we enjoy every springtime and both are about three weeks late this year. The cherry trees are just beginning to blossom and in a week or so the blossoms should be fantastic. We are usually taking pictures and walking through the spring show of falling petals by now. We also really enjoy tripping through the tulips.

The two festivals that really celebrate these two flowers are the Cherry Blossom Festival and The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. Both run through April and are very family friendly. If you do plan to go down to Washington for the Tulip Festival make sure to check the border crossings before you head out. Most of the time the crossing in Aldergrove is the quickest even with the bit of a detour to the Fraser Valley, and at least you are driving rather than sitting and waiting in a line. You can also check the bloom map to find out where the full colour field are.

The next really interesting event in the Cherry Blossom Festival is the Bike the Blossoms event on Saturday the 19^th April. Sponsored by slow food Vancouver you bike around Vancouver and check out farmer's markets and different restaurants. Register soon for this family friendly ride.

What are some of your favourite rites of spring?

99 things to do in Vancouver Before You Grow Up (or at Least Your Kids Do)

March 03, 2009

As I recall when I started this list last year I didn't get very far. That is not because there aren't a hundred and one things to do here, but because I find it hard to put them all down in one place without saying way too much about them. So today I am only listing and linking where I can, but I will write more on these places in later posts.

So now in no particular order we will now reveal our top 99 things to do in Vancouver before you grow up:

City in the Clouds

by Gwendolyn Floyd

January 16, 2009

We are experiencing a temperature inversion in Vancouver which means that Vancouverites have a unique opportunity to go play above the clouds. The city is fogged in with a very stable air mass that is not moving for a few days. Up above the fog on the mountains there is tons of sun and as you climb the air gets warmer. My suggestion is that if you possibly can take some time  Read more...

How to Introduce the Constellations to your Preschooler

by Gwendolyn Floyd

August 27, 2008

When I was young we had a great book by H.A. Ray of Curious George fame on the constellations called oddly enough Find the Constellations. We loved the book, read it often and were always fascinated by the stars we could see. Because of where we lived and out bedtimes we knew the winter stars much better than the summer stars. We didn't have a planetarium where we could see simulated  Read more...

What's Up This Weekend: 16-17 August

by Gwendolyn Floyd

August 15, 2008

While I may wish I was on the other coast this weekend, (two birthdays and a wedding I would love to attend) there is still a lot to do this weekend in Vancouver. The biggest thing happening this weekend is the opening of The Fair at the PNE Vancouver . Open from August 16 th to  Read more...

Enjoying the BC Day Weekend

by Gwendolyn Floyd

August 01, 2008

This weekend we have an extra day and I am sure that with all the summer revelling we all need it. I know that since my goddaughter has been visiting we have had really busy weekends. For me this means taking some extra time Sunday and Monday to do the things we have been neglecting, like the vacuuming. For those of you who have the time and the energy there is still a lot to do around  Read more...

Biking Around the Seawall

by Gwendolyn Floyd

July 23, 2008

Living in the city there are not a lot of people that have a backyard to play in. Since I am one of those without a backyard, my family and I have to make do with all the great outdoor activities that are just around the corner. One of our favourite things to do as a family is to bike around the seawall around False Creek. We pack the boy on the back of the bike in his bike seat and go  Read more...

What to Do This Weekend

by Gwendolyn Floyd

July 18, 2008

It is Friday and another weekend is upon us. So what is in store for this weekend? Lots of music and festivals. First up, the Vancouver Folk Festival . While a little expensive for the adults in the household, kids 12 and under are free. There is a ton of family friendly  Read more...

Top 5 Things to do in the Rain in Vancouver

by Gwendolyn Floyd

June 10, 2008

Those for you from Vancouver are laughing at me right now. Shouldn't this just be titled "Top 5 things to do in Vancouver?" I know, I know, it rains a lot. 1: My first piece of advice is to check out your local Community Centres. For a couple of dollars your children can bounce in a bouncy castle, play with some Flintstone cars, run around with other rambunctious kids and  Read more...