Educational and Fun Science Activities for Kids in Vancouver
With its temperate rainforest, soaring mountains and sparkling water, Vancouver is the perfect playground for kids to learn about the natural world.
If you have a child who is proud to be a science geek, or one who still needs to be convinced that science can be fun, Vancouver attractions offer numerous lively science activities for kids. There’s no need to rack your brain for things to do with the kids since these places make science educational and a blast.
From your stay at JW Marriott Parq, walk along the Seawall along False Creek to the shiny silver ball, and you’ll arrive at one of the top science activities for kids in Vancouver. Science World proves that their mantra “the future is nerdy” is indeed true with an abundance of cutting-edge educational things to do with kids.
Permanent galleries include the BodyWorks Gallery where children can assemble a skeleton in lightning fast time, and the Eureka Gallery where they can get interactive and zany with huge keyboards and a water chute.
Live shows on science topics like bubbles and electricity will keep the kids entertained as they’re learning, while screenings at the Science Theatre are a good way to relax while learning about nature and sustainability.
A giant steel crab holds his pincers up in greeting at the front of Kitsilano’s H.R. MacMillan Space Centre. Leave your accommodation at Granville Island Hotel and browse the many local boutiques along bustling West 4th Avenue. Then, head down to Kitsilano Beach and stroll east until you reach scenic Vanier Park, where you’ll find The Space Centre. Also known as the Planetarium, the Centre holds a special place in the science hearts of Vancouverites. It’s also appeared in numerous movies and shows, like Charmed, so it may seem familiar to you even if it’s your first visit.
Since 1968, the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre has been wowing young and old about space through a range of exhibits and shows. A screening at the Planetarium Star Theatre is a magical experience. The lights go dark and suddenly viewers go on a journey of discovery through the planets of the Solar System and the Milky Way.
In the Cosmic Courtyard, kids can interact with exhibits to find out if there’s a planet out there that aliens could live on, or learn about what astronauts ate when they went to the moon.
For even more interactive fun, the Groundstation Canada Theatre holds live science demos on rockets and gravity.
Did you know that blue whales are the largest animal ever on this planet? Kids will be able to learn about these mammals by marvelling at the skeleton of Big Blue that hangs suspended in the atrium of the Beauty Biodiversity Museum. The Museum is found on the University of British Columbia campus, home to lots of classrooms as well as attractions like the UBC Botanical Garden, which contains the Greenheart TreeWalk.
This natural history museum offers so many things to do with kids to help them appreciate earth’s biodiversity. They’ll particularly love the row upon row of exhibits, which contain over two million specimens. Kids can pull open drawers to look with curiosity at insects, as well as peer through glass display cases to see reptiles and animals from all around the world.
They can also run their hands along the passage of 4.54 billion years in the Earth Timeline exhibit. They’ll get to learn when life on earth began and when dinosaurs roamed the planet.
Film screenings as well as hands-on activities on treasures from the Education Collection round out the science activities for kids.
While you’re at UBC, you can also head to the Pacific Museum of Earth for more science-related things to do with the kids. This museum devoted to Earth Science will teach kids about what makes the planet, past, present and future, so amazing. And they can touch a dinosaur bone in the process.
Permanent exhibits range from Life at the Edge, which invites kids to think about why dinosaurs went extinct, to a display of dazzling minerals and gems that will teach them about what these natural materials are used for. Hint: get them to take a look at a smartphone.
End the visit by admiring the beautiful, multilayered stone slabs on the side of the building.
The cuteness factor of otters frolicking in the water at the Vancouver Aquarium is hard to resist when considering things to do with kids. The Aquarium is also very accessible, located in Stanley Park in the heart of downtown Vancouver, close to hotels like The Westin Bayshore. Before or after your oohing and awing over sea creatures, you can fuel up at nearby restaurants, like Stanley Park Brewing or Cardero’s on the Coal Harbour waterfront.
In addition to a home for adorable rescued sea creatures, the Vancouver Aquarium is an educational attraction for learning about wildlife diversity, sustainability and rehabilitation.
You and your kids will tour a wide range of galleries that will get them up close with vibrant tropical fish, mesmerizing jellyfish and frogs hanging out on lilypads.
Other highlights include visiting Steller’s Bay where the playful sea lions lounge on rocks, and exploring the Marine Mammal Rescue exhibit that teaches about the rehabilitation of injured or orphaned sea animals.
Your kids will end their science day in Vancouver with lots of new knowledge, in addition to a greater appreciation for the diversity and vitality of the natural world.
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