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Cool Rainy Day Activities & Awesome Things To Do With Kids in Vancouver

Ultimate Guide to things to do & awesome places to visit with kids in Vancouver! Bonus: a huge list of Rainy Day educational indoor activities!

Living in or visiting Vancouver, BC with your kids? Vancouver is known around the world as “the city of rain”, right? So you may be wondering what are some of the things to do with your kids on a rainy day? Luckily we got Vancouver parents of all tastes and backgrounds covered! From birds to marine life, from art to history to sports, Vancouver has countless museums, restaurants, attractions, and entertainment venues to provide not only fun but also highly educational indoor and outdoor activities for kids of all ages! In this post we’ll go over forty rainy day activities in and around Vancouver you can enjoy with your whole family, and show you why we believe this city is one of the best family-friendly travel destinations in the world. ..on a sunny day too!

***This post may contain affiliate links and we may earn compensation when you click on the links at no additional cost to you. All product recommendations and feedback are ours and based on personal experience. Please refer to our Disclosure Policy. 

You may also be interested in:

• Easy Activities and Fun Things To Do With Kids at Home
• Smart Eco-Friendly Family Activities: Teach Kids Sustainability Practices
• Easy Hiking Trails near Coquitlam Your Entire Family Will Absolutely Love
• 10 Crowd-FREE Easy Hiking Trails in Vancouver: Social Distancing Outdoors
• Toddler Airplane Activities You’ll Definitely Want to Use On Your Next Flight
• Top Children’s Books On Environment: Teach Kids to Reduce, Reuse & Recycle

TIP: Entertainment Coupon Book is a membership program that features hundreds of two-for-one and discount coupons at Vancouver attractions, restaurants, and stores. It covers both: the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island, some international locations too. Best thing: they now offer coupons via a mobile app! The book is a wonderful resource for family savings all year round, and especially days with less than ideal weather. 

Without further due, below is our list of over forty cool & educational rainy day activities and things to do in Vancouver with kids. 

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1. Go Stargazing at MacMillan Space Centre

Would you like to educate and inspire your kids? Vancouver’s MacMillan Space Centre is the best place to visit with the whole family to evoke a sense of wonder about the universe, our planet, and space exploration. Check out fun exhibitions, awe-some shows about rockets, stars, our own solar system, a real observatory, lectures, crafts, science experiments and more! Of all indoor kids activities in Vancouver, MacMillan Space Centre is our absolute favorite place to visit!

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2. Check Out Miniature City at The World of Kidropolis

Kidropolis is a huge (18k+ sq ft) indoor playground – an almost a real miniature city that's best for pretend-play! You can become anyone you want at Kidropolis – firefighters, police officers, restaurant owners, teachers, stage performers, you name it! The indoor playground has everything needed for a variety of kids' activities: from the setting to the tools of the trade! So next time you are looking for playful imaginative things to do with kids in Vancouver on a rainy day – Kidropolis is your go-to place!

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3. Discover Vancouver Aquarium [CLOSED 2020-2021. REOPENING SOON]

Vancouver Aquarium is home to over 50,000 fish and aquatic creatures. Through its exhibits, marine life interactive experiences, on-site shows, the Aquarium is a truly unforgettable experience for the whole family. In addition to being one of Vancouver’s major tourist attractions, the Aquarium is a center for marine research, conservation, and marine animal rehabilitation. So if you are looking for fun and educational activities for your kids – The aquarium is at the top of our bucket list of places to visit with kids in British Columbia!

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4. Go Hiking to BC’s Enchanted Forests

Yes, that’s right. You can still enjoy amazing hiking activity on a rainy day. There are many thick forestry easy kids-friendly trails around Vancouver, where you can enjoy fresh air all year round. The tall sequoia trees will cover you from the rain, you won’t even feel it! Some of the good examples of suitable trails include Cypress Falls, Capilano River, Buntzen Lake, Jug Island Beach Trail, Pacific Spirit Regional Park, and many more. 

If you want to dress your kids in something a bit more weather appropriate, we highly recommend Tuffo’s Muddy Buddy, KidorCa Rain Boots for Kids. At the very least your little ones should have proper kids hiking shoes with non-slip soles. …don't feel like hiking in the rain? No worries, keep reading! We have a huge list of indoor kids activities for you to choose from!

As always, a reminder to hike and explore the Great Outdoors is a Leave No Trace way.

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5. Discover Colourful Birds at Bloedel Conservatory

The Bloedel Conservatory is a domed tropical garden located at the highest point in Vancouver – the top of Queen Elizabeth Park. You’ll find more than 100 species of macaws and parrots, and other tropical birds free-flying over your heads. Of all the things to do in Vancouver on a rainy day, Bloedel Conservatory is one of the most unique and unexpected finds your kids will definitely enjoy!

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6. Get introduced to Science at Telus World

Right at the heard of Vancouver City you’ll find both fun and highly educational activity for kids of any age and parents of any taste. Telus Science World Science is a museum-like interactive science center with exhibits of every shape and form. 

In addition, the Science World is home to one of the largest OMNIMAX dome screens in the world featuring daily screenings of scientific documentaries. Are you hoping your kid enters the STEM field when they grow up? Then you need to know: Science World offers family memberships too!

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7. Investigate Old Planes at Canadian Museum of Flight

The Canadian Museum of Flight is an aviation museum at the Langley Regional Airport in Langley, BC. Kids of all ages can enjoy both outdoor and indoor exhibits, a collection of vintage airplanes, aviation artifacts, model planes, and even some hands-on play – including being able to enter and sit inside some of the old military planes and helicopters!

TIP: The Museum offers annual family membership, which is around $50/year. Best part: the membership gives you access to many more aviation and rail-related attractions, including the notorious Seattle’s Museum of Flight (cost for admission for one person here is $25 USD! So the annual membership fee is 100% worth it!) 

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8. Watch a Bee Hive at HoneyBee Center

Honeybee Centre in Surrey, BC is a commercial honey farm with “a spin”. The Centre offers year-round fun indoor educational activities for kids: beekeeping demonstrations, bee workshops, and events. One of the coolest things to do at Honeybee Centre on a rainy day: within its gift shop the Centre has a real living and breathing beehive with transparent walls for you and your kids to check out! You can watch what the bees are doing, how they are working, building the hive, producing wax… even a toddler can literally watch these bees for hours! so cool! 

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9. Check out a Local Fish Hatchery

Another way to land a unique educational activity for your kids near Vancouver is to visit a local Fish Hatchery. You’ll be able to learn how the fish and other aquatic species are being born, develop and live. 

Mostly run by volunteers, there are a number of Fish hatcheries around Vancouver, each has its own hours. Here are just a few: 

• Capilano River Hatchery, North Vancouver
• Mossom Creek Hatchery & Education Centre, Anmore near Coquitlam
• Noon Creek Hatchery, Port Moody
• Hoy Creek Hatchery, Coquitlam
• Hyde Creek Watershed Society, Port Coquitlam
• Allco Fish Hatchery, Maple Ridge 
• Kanaka Creek Watershed Stewardship Centre and Bell-Irving Salmon Hatchery, Maple Ridge 
• Tynehead Hatchery, Surrey
• Little Campbell River Hatchery, White Rock

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10. Go Down a Real Mineshaft at Britannia Mine

The Britannia Mine Museum promotes mining history awareness by entertaining, showcasing historic artifacts preserved over time, offering experiential educational activities for both adults and kids. Families can enjoy a fun underground tour and ride one of the mining carts. What a cool rainy day activity, especially for older kids!

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11. Ride a Historic Tram at Surrey's Heritage Rail

Looking for more educational indoor activities for kids? Surrey’s Heritage Rail is a kinda train museum located at the heart of Cloverdale. Operated and maintained by Fraser Valley Heritage Rail Society it provides for an ultimate family learning experience, presents a collection of historic electric trams (aka old trains), and offers daily fun kids train rides. Is your little one a fan of Thomas The Train? Then you can NOT miss the Surrey Heritage Rail experience!

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12. Learn About Arctic at Vancouver’s Maritime Museum

Vancouver’s Maritime Museum in Vanier Park is the place to learn about the Pacific Northwest maritime and boating history, as well as that of the Arctic. If your kids are into model ships – definitely check it out! The coolest artifact you’ll find at Maritime Museum is definitely the St. Roch – a historic arctic exploration vessel. Great educational rainy day activity for both kids and parents alike!

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13. Conquer a Wall at Indoor Rock Climbing Centre

Looking for both sporty and fun things to do with your kids on a rainy day? Why not use the time to prepare for next year’s rock climbing season! Luckily Vancouver has some of the best natural rocks to climb, and many awesome indoor climbing gyms to practice!

Here are just a few facilities for you to check out, some offer drop-in adventures too!

• ClimbBase5, North Vancouver & Coquitlam
• The Hive Climbing, Vancouver, Surrey, North Shore
• Cliffhanger Climbing, Vancouver
• Clip ’N Climb, Vancouver
• Coastal Climbing, Surrey
• The Rock Wall, Pitt Meadows
• ProjectClimbing, Cloverdale, Abbotsford

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14. Let Your Kids Run Wild at Indoor Play Centre

Don’t you love to have a coffee and chat with a friend while your kids run wild and are having fun in a safe environment? Luckily Vancouver has this rainy day activity fully covered with a wide selection of local play centres!

Check out some of these to start:

• Jungle Jacs, Port Coquitlam
• Captain Kids, Walnut Grove
• Go Bananas, North Vancouver
• Fun4Kidz, Richmond
• Funplex, Surrey
• Ooieworld, Surrey
• Funky Monkey Fun Park, Surrey
• Oh… and don’t forget about IKEA!

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15. Get Amazed at Glow Gardens (Seasonal)

Glow Gardens is an indoor show of lights prepared for Christmas. There are multiple locations – some of the most accessible to us are in Vancouver and in Abbotsford. Same locations have done Harvest Glow in the past for Halloween, but we’ve heard it might not happen again – google it to make sure. In any case, we strongly encourage you to visit! Over the past two years each show exceeded our expectations. The activities available for kids are both super-fun and beautiful (and extremely Instagram-worthy, wink-wink).

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16. Go Swimming at Your Local Indoor Pool

Who said swimming is an activity reserved for the summer and vacation getaways only?! You can regularly drop-in at a local indoor pool all year round. You can also make it a regular rainy day activity or take swimming classes. There are dozens of indoor pools all around Metro Vancouver – just google the one closest to you! 

Some of the pools, like the Coquitlam Centre Aquatic Complex for example, even have water slides indoors! No need to take a break from the summer fun!

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17. Watch a Play at the Children's Theatre

What could be a more interesting rainy day educational activity than to watch a play! There are a few cool places you can visit with your family

Carousel Theatre For Young People located at Granville Island holds regular performances for all ages. Theatrix Youth Theatre in Coquitlam and Children’s Theatre of Richmond are the other great options! As a parent, you also have an option to get your child involved in professional acting classes here 🙂

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18. Check Out Exhibits at The Vancouver Art Gallery

Do you want your kids to be exposed to the wonderful world of Arts? We have just the right place for you, especially if your kids are a bit older! Vancouver Art Gallery is recognized as one of North America’s most innovative visual arts venues. In addition to regular exhibits, the Gallery has recently started focusing more and more on family experiences, by holding regular family events such as Family FUSE Weekend.

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19. Get Artistic at ArtStarts Gallery

The ArtStarts Gallery is a professional gallery that offers community programming in the arts for kids and families to enjoy together. It then showcases artwork created by children under the direction of professional artists. The gallery is completely free of charge to visit! Even better: you and your child can take a free hands-on workshop every weekend! All activities are indoor and offer a variety of artistic media to experiment with. …and you can also think about it this way (as every toddler's mother knows):

it is definitely best
if your child makes a mess
not at home but somewhere else

PerfectDayToPlay Mom Alexandra

hahaha! you see I've started riming here just for you!

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20. Enjoy Storytime at Your Local Public Library

Every single public library location, regardless of the city, offers both entertaining and educational activities for kids of all ages. Check out your local branch to find out when is the next Storytime or the next art and crafts spot, get their regular schedule noted. Next time a question about things to do on a rainy day is going to be a no-brainer! A visit to the library!

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21. Arts & Crafts

Speaking about arts and crafts… Use the rainy day to teach your child everything you know: knitting, sewing, crocheting, cross-stitching, making fun souvenirs! Not sure what is age-appropriate, or want some additional confidence with a guided arts & crafts experience? Visit a local kids program. We’ve used this one in the past: Bambini’s Playroom – offers educational rainy day activities for babies and toddlers and is available for a drop-in. There are many more of course – just google them!

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22. Check out Kids Only Market on Granville Island

If you haven’t been to the Kids Only Market on Granville Island yet, we encourage you to visit the next time a rainy day hits Vancouver (like tomorrow haha)! Kids Only Market is a two-story indoor facility with arcade type of games, entertainment (including a VR station), kids cafes, a children’s only hair salon and much more!

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23. Enjoy a FlyOver Canada Experience

FlyOver Canada is a state-of-the-art entertainment activity that is perfect for a rainy day visit. It is essentially a super-modern spherical-screen cinema, which uses the latest technology to give you the feeling of flight. It is so much fun to hang suspended with feet dangling while flying over Canada from east to west. Physical motion effects, combined with wind, mist, and scents, and other special effects create an unforgettable experience! It is hard to believe that this activity is actually an indoor activity!

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25. Love Sports? Check out BC Sports Hall of Fame

The BC Sports Hall of Fame is a sports museum located at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver. If your kids (or your spouse) are into sports, definitely check it out! The museum showcases Canadian athletes and sports history, memorabilia (jerseys, cards) and other cool stuff sports enthusiasts are so …enthusiastic about!

Some arenas also offer indoor kids sports activities and classes from hockey to skating, from tennis to basketball – just ask!

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26. Catch a Game at a Local Arena

Vancouver has dozens of indoor sports arenas. Check out their schedules, maybe there is a game today! A great way to introduce your kids to sports is to take them to a game and show them the fun of cheering and experience the competitive rush! It is sooo very different feeling than if you watched the same game on TV. You can even place some “ice-cream bets” between each other!

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27. Have a Blast Solving Puzzles and Planning Escapes

Oh your older kids would love this rainy day activity! Invite friends, put on a Sherlock hat and hit a local Escape room!  Some of the locations we know about are:

• Find and Seek, Vancouver
• SmartyPantz, Vancouver
• EXIT, Vancouver, New Westminster, Richmond, Surrey, Langley
• Mr.J, Richmond
• Pandora’s Locks, New Westminster
• Krakit, Coquitlam
• Countdown Escape Rooms, Coquitlam
• Trapped, Coquitlam
• The Great Escape, Langley
• there are more of course – just google what’s closest to you

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28. Vancouver Police Museum

The Vancouver Police Museum is one of a kind learning experience for the whole family! More than 20k rare crime artifacts, documents, confiscated weapons, courthouse, morgue, and even an autopsy facility. In addition to all of the exhibits, the Museum offers many fun activities to enjoy, such as educational video games, mock crime scenes, and a super-fun scavenger hunt. Of all the indoor kids' activities – Police Museum is one of the most unusual places you'd find in Vancouver. But if your kid wants to become a police officer one day – check it out for sure!

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29. Fraser River Discovery Centre

Looking for more unique educational activities for kids? Check out the Fraser River Discovery Centre in New Westminster. Here you will help your kids discover the stories and diversity of the entire Fraser River. The Center offers regular and rotating exhibits, as well as hands-on programs for both adults and kids. The Centre is home to River School – a place-based, interactive, curriculum-connected program that is designed to encourage kids of all ages to connect to the Fraser River, its history and biodiversity.

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30. Ultimate Fun at Castle Fun Park

Castle Fun Park is a family amusement park in Abbotsford. If you are looking for things to do on a rainy day with multiple kids of different ages – check it out for sure! This Castle has a little something for everyone! Golf, cages, cars, hockey, bowling, skill games… you name it!  The best part: admission is free! You only pay for what you and your kids actually use.

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31. Go Jumping at a Local Trampoline Centre

Still, looking for rainy day ideas? How about letting your kids go wild within a safe trampoline environment? One of the most popular jumping places around Vancouver is Extreme Air Park – they have multiple locations you can check out!

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32. Have a PlayDate at a Kids Cafe

Ok maybe you are in the mood for something a bit quieter, or your kids are not old enough for the wild sporty activities yet. How about meeting a parent-friend at a local place cafe for a cup of coffee, while letting your kids get to play with each other right there in front of you. 

Check out the notorious Circus Play Cafe in Vancouver, or Kids Play Cafe in Surrey – both offer a variety of indoor activities for babies and toddlers. There could be other local places too – ask your Facebook groups’ mom-friends!

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33. Arcade Experience Chuck-e-Cheese Restaurant

Chuck E. Cheese in Langley is much more than just a family restaurant – of all things to do with kids in or near Vancouver Chuck E. Cheese is a one-stop-shop for old school entertainment. We’d say it is a giant video arcade and a game center first, and a place that sells food second. You’ll find all sorts of entertainment for your little ones: ball toss games, car races, an air hockey table, video games, jumping games, photo booths and lots and lots of noise and lights! Your kids will absolutely love it!

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34. Bake Your Own Cake

Whether you decide to use your own recipe and skills, take a cooking class, use a youtube video for guidance, or invite your mom to help, cooking with kids is ALWAYS fun! ..and of course, nothing bonds a family better than cleaning a kitchen mess while your cake, cookies, or cupcakes are done! 

One of the awesome things we’ve done not so long ago, is we’ve hired a cake-master photographer to bake a birthday cake together with our son via Anna Vay Photo. Anuta sent us a recipe in advance, came in with all the tools and guided us through the cake-baking process AND was taking professional photos of Cosmos and me while we baked! So much fun! Check out Anuta’s Instagram for these awesome kids photo-shoots.

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35. Have a Family Photoshoot

Speaking of photoshoots… another cool activity for a rainy day is to dress up and take cool funky photos! You can DIY this, ask a friend or hire a photographer to come to your place, or find a professional photo studio that already has costumes for all ages! 

One example is Perry’s Old Time Portraits in Gastown. I am sure there are many more unique children’s dress-up photography studios out there.

For more traditional but still amazing experience, check out LaBella Studios photography – their Christmas and New Year photos are absolutely beautiful.

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36. Enjoy Classics at Vancouver Academy of Music

Vancouver Academy of Music is the city's premier center of music education. Here you can sign-up for regular music classes for your little aspiring musician. But you can also drop-in for a performance event to introduce your child to classical music and instruments. What’s cool is that many student performance events are free to attend! Check them out! 

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37. Vancouver Circus School Free Drop-in Class

Interested in something unique to do on a rainy day? Check out Vancouver Circus School located in New Westminster! See student’s performances, but also take advantage of weekend drop-in classes the circus school is offering on a regular basis! Your kids can learn acrobatics and balancing, aerial silks, juggling, spinning plates, devil sticks and more! Of all things to do with kids in Vancouver, the Circus School could be one of the most fun!

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38. Go Shopping

One of the things we love to do with our 3yo son is to teach him some life skills, like grocery shopping. Not because we need to do shopping, but to help him learn budgeting, list building, store sections, all the names for the food we eat, and the best practices around buying local, organic and always reading the labels. So yes, grocery shopping can be both: educational and actually useful rainy day activity!

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39. Teach Kids to Do Chores, Reduce, Reuse and Recycle!

Same for chores! We’ll use our rainy days to do some cleaning, sort out through toys and clothing, fill up the donation box, do laundry, etc. We’ll engage our son with every single activity. 

In addition, through everything we do at home, we attempt to introduce our son to the concept of Sustainability. Check out the following two posts about how to best go about this topic:

Smart Eco-Friendly Family Activities: Teach Kids Sustainability Practices

Top Children’s Books On Environment: Teach Kids to Reduce, Reuse & Recycle

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40. Spend Time With Friends & Family

Whether you host a family dinner or get yourself invited to your friend’s home for kids' play-date – it is always enriching to get together! What can be more enjoyable than exchanging news while having tea or sitting around a board game table! Need help with board game selection? We have just the place for you! Funny, the name for this rainy day activities emergency help is …Rain City Games.

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Got more unique ideas on things to do with kids in Vancouver on a rainy day? Want to share your ideas on cool educational activities for kids? Comment or send us a note!

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Enjoy!

Cheerfully yours,

Alexandra, Alex & Cosmos

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