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

An Annual Tradition: The Pacific National Exhibition

August 27, 2009

We try every year to spend at least a day at the PNE every August. Running this year from the 22 August until Labour Day (the 7 September) the day before school starts you have this full weekend and next week to go.

A few things to help you and your preschooler get the most out of the day.

Bring a stroller or wagon. If your child doesn't usually use a stroller but can sit in an umbrella stroller if need be, bring it. There is tons of stroller parking and you can give your shoulders a rest from having to carry an exhausted child around. Even if you don't use it for your child you can use it to carry the stuff you will have with you. (Having a luggage tag with your name on it will help with the stroller parking attendants.)

Bring drinks and snacks. This will make the trip a lot less expensive even if you do get some mini-donuts from the concession.

It might be a good idea to put your child in a pull-up even if they don't wear them anymore. It is a lot less fun to change a preschooler accident because you couldn't get to a bathroom on time.

Check out the entertainment schedule online. This way you can figure out the best time of day to go. If you want to wing it there is always lots going on and you can find lots of different animals to look at and rides to go on.

Try to go at a time where your child is freshest. For some this may be the morning and some this may be the afternoon after a nap. There will still be lots to do.

Bring some cash. It is always easier to get cash before than during. Also check out the paper for coupons for the gate pass, you can usually buy it beforehand and save.

Most of all have fun. Enjoy the crowds and make the most of it before the school year starts. Happy end of summer!

BC Day Weekend

July 31, 2009

After the sleep I am planning to have this weekend there are quite a few things on the list to do for the weekend.

Science World is having from August 1 to 3 a celebration of 20 years and BC Day. Take the family to their air conditioned facility and take $20 off the family rate. No coupon is necessary.

Saturday the Powel Street Festival is moved for this year only while they are renovating Oppenheimer Park to Woodland Park. Starting at 11:30 and going till early evening this is the annual celebration of Japanese-Canadian arts, culture and heritage.

Sunday is the Pride Parade and Sunset Beach Festival. The Parade runs from noon until it finishes and goes along Robson (from Burrard), along Denman and around Pacific. The entire westend of Vancouver will be a party this weekend as the Pride weekend celebrates 30 years.

Check out Carousel Theatre's student production of MacBeth. Running from August 1 to 15 these free performances are not to be missed. Playing at the outdoor stage of Performance Works on Granville Island. For younger kids I suggest taking in one of the 2pm matinées.

The Celebration of Light finishes up on Saturday night. Get there early to find good seating and remember that a lot of streets will be closed. We usually avoid English Bay and goes across the water to Vanier Park. Make sure to bring lots of snacks to avoid the money sucking food vendors.

Have a fantastic long weekend!

Reifel Bird Sanctuary

July 23, 2009

One of the places we love to go with our sons is a park on Westham Island in North Delta,. the George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary. This is a great place to bring visitors and children because it not only has thousands of birds, it also has beautiful scenery, stroller friendly paths and tons of ducks to feed.

Once in the park you can get some bird seed and feed the many ducks. These ducks are used to being fed and see the short ones as their main target. They will eat from the ground or your hand quite readily and all you feel is a bit of tickling in your palm. Watch out for the Canada geese though, they are pretty aggressive. Make sure you leave enough bird seed for other places in the park. The ducks and geese at the beginning are very well fed. You will have plenty of opportunity to feed more throughout the park.

Be sure to bring your camera and if you have them, binoculars or monocular. Besides the obvious ducks and geese there are tons of other birds around. A lot of the time there will be volunteers and other bird enthusiasts walking around the park and they will point out rarer sightings. When we were at the park last someone had set up a high-powered monocular watching an owl. They were very generous in letting people take a look through.

The next time we go, maybe this weekend, we also plan to bring our bird books. M son has a nice small one and we will try to find some of the species pictured there. It is a lot of fun, gives the preschooler room to run, nice paths to run the stroller for the baby, and us a chance to take in the breathtaking scenery that is the west coast. Hope to see you there.

Best Places to Get Wet

June 23, 2009

Maple Grove Pool is a large wading pool with a maximum depth of 3 and ½ feet. With plenty of grass area and trees around the pool you can spend the day in relative comfort. There is also a nice playground and park around the outside of the pool area. They also have lessons for preschoolers with some lessons still open for some of the summer sessions. My suggestion is to put your child on a waiting list if the session you want is full. The park board tends to put on extra classes when they find out what enrolment could be.

Kits Pool is another great outdoor swimming pool. It has gradual entry and is heated, though not enough to make it too warm. There are also lanes for adults and a full compliment of swimming lessons. We have schedule swimming lessons in July and we plan to spend at least part of the day while we are going. Also because children under 5 are free I plan to get a monthly pass and go over the summer.

Granville Island Water park. Next to the False Creek Community Centre this is a great place to get wet, though I will recommend water shoes for all. There are all kinds of kids there from the crawler to the running tweens. There is also a (very cold not that it seems to matter to the kids) water slide. During July and August there is some supervision. The space by the lone fire hydrant is usually the territory of the crawlers while the rest of the park is a little more for the preschoolers and kids.

Lumberman's Arch Water Park in Stanley Park. You can park near the Aquarium and walk down the hill to get to this waterpark at the north end of the park. Another way to get the most out of the park is to ride along the seawall around the park and stop for a splash.

I know there are tons of places outside of Vancouver proper and I haven't tried out a lot of them. This is where I need your help. Tell me in the comments or in an email to Beingsavvyvancouver@gmail.com what you favourite place is to get you and your kids wet. If you can send a link to the website as well that would be great. Next week I will post your favourites. Maybe you will find another place to take the kids.

Favourite Lists

June 16, 2009

I have written for Being Savvy Vancouver for over a year now and I have loved finding new places to explore in the lower mainland. In looking over my tuesday list over the last year or so, there are a few that I think are especially relevant to the summer weather we have been having. So I have decided to do a best of list of my Tuesday lists.

The best and all encompassing list is my "99 Things to Do in Vancouver." This list has links to all kinds of activities you can do with your child in the lower mainland and a little bit beyond.

Another great list is "Kid and Parent Dates" where there is a list of some great restaurants to have a kid friendly meal with your child.

Looking for a place to have a playdate with another parent and your kids? "Playdate Anyone" is the list for you.

If you check out these lists you should have plenty of things to do over the summer. Have fun and play safe.

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?

Easter Weekend in Vancouver

April 09, 2009

There are lots of Easter weekend activities happening at parks and community centres all over Vancouver. Some I mentioned in last weekends post, like the skating at Kits on Saturday, but there are a lot more activities everywhere.

Stanley Park has lots going on at the Miniature Train and Farmyard. Meet the new baby lambs and alpacas, take a ride on the train and join in the easter egg hunt. The egg hunts are daily all weekend long. Open Friday through Monday over Easter, 11am-4pm, rain or shine. Call 604-257-8531 for information. Also at Stanley Park the Discovery Walk: Egg Hunt! April 12, 1-3pm, Stanley Park. Celebrate the day by "hunting" for eggs of all kinds, from insects to geese, to see how they fit into the life cycles of Stanley Park's animals. Meet at the Lost Lagoon Nature House. Adults $10, Members & Children $5. www.stanleyparkecology.ca

Friday, April 10, 9:30am-12:45pm, Killarney Community Centre. The Egg Hunt will take place outdoors (weather permitting). Please pre-register. Call 604-718-8200 to register. 1-3 yrs 9:30am-10:15am (parent participation required for 1-3 yrs); 4-6 yrs 10:45am-11:30am; 7-12 yrs 12:00-12:45pm. Members $2.50/child; non-members $3.50/child.

Saturday, April 11, 12:30-3pm, Renfrew Park Community Centre. Entertainment, face painting, crafts and our famous Egg Hunt. Children under 6 must be accompanied by an adult. Limited space, $4/child, call 604-257-8388.

If you have an event for preschoolers in the lower mainland that you would like featured in our Thursday posts please email Beingsavvyvancouver@gmail.com.

Snowy Fun in Vancouver

by Gwendolyn Floyd

December 22, 2008

It doesn't often snow in Vancouver and when it does, it usually doesn't stay long enough to actually play with your children in it. So far this snow has decided to stay, so where do you go to play with your kids? If we were home in Vancouver instead of with family in Halifax, you  Read more...

Inspiring Imagination

by Gwendolyn Floyd

October 14, 2008

With a child's imagination almost anywhere is a good place to foster their imaginations. However giving a child building blocks to help with this imagination is especially essential so that when they are a little older they don't forget how to play. Imagination and and imaginary friends  Read more...

Get Out and Enjoy the Sun!

by Gwendolyn Floyd

September 29, 2008

As September runs into October and we are getting ready for the cooler wetter weather, we are experiencing a run of hot (well comparatively) weather. This weekend has been beautiful and sunny and dry. By Tuesday we are supposed to be having record hot temperatures with the sun to match. My  Read more...

Better With a Buddy

by Gwendolyn Floyd

September 23, 2008

Today we are talking about places and activities that are better with a friend. My son is still happy to play by himself but there are some things that he likes better with one of his friends, even if it is one of his imaginary ones. Going to the play gym at the community centre is a  Read more...

Play Date Anyone?

by Gwendolyn Floyd

September 09, 2008

Today we are looking at great places to meet friends for play dates in Vancouver. I look for places that are close to home so I don't need to take the car, though depending where the other friend lives we may need to be flexible on the transportation. To this end I have a list of playgrounds  Read more...

Three Days In and Around Vancouver: Day 2

by Gwendolyn Floyd

July 09, 2008

For day two we go across the Lion's Gate Bridge and explore the North Shore and Bowen Island. The North Shore is know for great skiing and hiking and beautiful homes. During the summer most of the snow comes off the mountains, though this year it is being a little stubborn. Photo by: Anthony Floyd Start off day two by going to Capilano Suspension Bridge and Tree Tops  Read more...

Three Days In and Around Vancouver: Day 1

by Gwendolyn Floyd

July 08, 2008

While many of the activities in the plans for days 1, 2 and 3 are available all year round, I expect that most people would be coming to Vancouver for the summer or early fall. I have tried to put most of the activities into areas where you can take public transit if you need to, but I would  Read more...

Exploring the Urban Jungle: Richmond Nature Park

by Gwendolyn Floyd

July 03, 2008

Another of the great things about living in the lower mainland is that there are so many trails and parks to enjoy. As a teacher the Richmond Nature Park was a great field trip for both the littlest ones and the older children for a number of reasons. The Richmond Nature Park opens daily from  Read more...

Sounds of Summer

by Gwendolyn Floyd

July 01, 2008

Growing up on the east coast bagpipes are always a sound of summer to me. Whether is be in a parade, an outdoor concert or a summer festival, bagpipes are everywhere. When I moved to the west coast the bagpipes were still there (hello, world famous SFU Pipe Band resides here) but not as  Read more...

Festivals, Stories and Jazz, Oh My!

by Gwendolyn Floyd

June 27, 2008

Another weekend is upon us and this one seems to actually have some good weather forecast. This last weekend of June has a number of great events planned with lots of kid friendly activities. First off is GreekFest at Boundary Road just south of 29 th Ave. Running from Friday 27  Read more...

Water Park Wednesday

by Gwendolyn Floyd

June 25, 2008

My plan throughout the summer is to check out a number of different water/spray parks around Vancouver with my son. We love the water and playing in the water parks is a wonderful way to keep cool without worrying about having to get in the water ourselves. This week I will review two west-side water parks, Granville Island and Connaught Park. Photo by: Anthony Floyd  Read more...

Vancouver's History and Landmarks

by Gwendolyn Floyd

June 24, 2008

There are so many landmarks in and around Greater Vancouver that it was very hard to narrow down my list. I decided to try to include a bit of the North Shore so we could have both the water and the mountains included. The water and the mountains are such a big part of Vancouver that they both needed to be included. The following activities are both fun and family friendly. Photo  Read more...

Take the Train! Stanley Park Miniature Train

by Gwendolyn Floyd

June 18, 2008

This weekend my son asked if we could go on a small train ride. Since we didn't have any other plans for Father's day we thought why not? If was a fabulous decision to make. The Stanley Park Miniature Train is located in the middle of the park with lots of parking nearby. The miniature train is the one place in the park where it was easy to find parking. The train itself isn't  Read more...

Room to Run, Best Places to Tire Out Your Preschooler: Douglas Park

by Gwendolyn Floyd

June 11, 2008

One of my favourite places to tire out my three year old is Douglas Park. Located adjacent to the Douglas Park Community Centre at 22 nd and Laurel this is a playground made for children of many ages from the crawler to the high climber. A big part of its appeal for my son is the Toddler/Preschool portion of the playground. With toddler equipment for the younger set, there is mid  Read more...

Queen Elizabeth Park, From Quarry to Beauty

by Gwendolyn Floyd

June 06, 2008

One of the lovely things about history is that sometimes something ugly can be made into something beautiful as Queen Elizabeth Park . As the remnant of a quarry, the scared landscape was left for a long time before it was restored to a garden in1949. It took more years for the garden to become the respite from city life that it is now. I like to take my son to the park and let  Read more...

Best Day Trips Around Greater Vancouver

by Gwendolyn Floyd

June 03, 2008

Whether you live in Vancouver proper or in the Greater Vancouver Area there are lots of day trips within an hour. I am going to highlight five that we have done with our son and will do again. 1: Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta, BC. Located on Westham Island the sanctuary is exactly that, a safe haven for both the birds and people. With lots of duck that will eat from your preschoolers  Read more...

Lions, Tigers and Bears: Exploring the Urban Jungle, Bloedel Floral Conservatory

by Gwendolyn Floyd

May 30, 2008

For a piece of Urban Jungle right in our own backyard one need look no further than the Bloedel Floral Conservatory . Full of lush plants, under a dome out of the rain and filled with over a hundred free flying birds of various species it is a beautiful place to take your preschooler. After looking out my window at the cold rainy day, even peeking at the lush scenery in their 360  Read more...

What to do Outside when the Sun Shines (Finally!)

by Gwendolyn Floyd

May 29, 2008

I live a 15 minute walk from Granville Island so my son and I spend a lot of our time there. On a sunny day, or even a cloudy day there are lots of things to keep us both busy. On a typical day there are several things we might do and a few that we always do. 1: The first place we need to stop is the playground and waterpark. During the winter the waterpark is not turned on but it  Read more...

Best Ways to enjoy Stanley Park in the Summer

by Gwendolyn Floyd

May 27, 2008

Stanley Park is huge and this post will hardly scratch the surface of all that you can do in the park. However, during the summer there are a number of things that would be great fun to do with your preschooler. 1: The Stanley Park Seawall. I would suggest that the best way to see the seawall is to bike around it. Setup to go around counterclockwise, most people obey this. As  Read more...