12 Fun Rainy-Day Activities Around B.C. for Families

Rainy days are plentiful on the West Coast. Fortunately, indoor activities galore are sure to banish boredom for kids of all ages.

1. Learn About Fascinating Creatures

No matter what type of creatures your kiddos are obsessed with this week, chances are there’s a fun indoor destination where they can learn about their favourite animal or insect. The lush Victoria Butterfly Gardens are home to thousands of butterflies along with poison dart frogs, tortoises, tropical birds and more. Victoria Bug Zoo has delightful creepy-crawlies such as glow-in-the-dark scorpions, hairy tarantulas and giant walking sticks, and kids are even allowed to handle some of the insects. The domed Bloedel Conservatory in Vancouver’s Queen Elizabeth Park has tropical birds and koi fish, along with more than 500 exotic plants.

2. See a Live Theatre Production

Family-friendly theatre productions abound throughout the province this spring. One fun choice: Shrek The Musical, which runs from April 17 to May 3 at The Massey Theatre in New Westminster. This irreverent fairy tale about Shrek, Donkey and Princess Fiona is based on the beloved animated film and the picture book that inspired it.

3. Eat at a Kid-Friendly Restaurant

Not all restos are well-equipped to handle young kiddos, but some definitely are. Bells and Whistles in East Vancouver has burgers, hot dogs, grilled cheese sandwiches and chicken nuggets on the kids’ menu—not to mention soft-serve ice cream and mini doughnuts for dessert—and games such as Skee-Ball, hoops and foosball for everyone to play. Rocky Mountain Flatbread Co. on Main Street in Vancouver offers pizza-making sessions for kids every Sunday. The Old Spaghetti Factory has locations throughout the province, and it’s long been a family favourite for the kids’ meals: entrée, soup or salad, drink and ice cream or spumoni for dessert. And, of course, a kid can never go wrong with a Pirate Pak from White Spot.

4. Listen to Stories Read Aloud

Libraries throughout the province regularly offer free storytimes for young children. Check with your local library for info.

5. Splash Around Indoors

Escape the cold rain outside by splashing around in an indoor swimming pool. Top picks include Richmond’s Watermania, with its wave pool and two waterslides, and the West Vancouver Aquatic Centre, which has (among other things) a waterslide and a lazy river.

6. Shop Till You Drop

A rainy day is the perfect excuse for some retail therapy at kid-friendly stores. Visit Kidsbooks in Vancouver and North Vancouver; the two-level Kids Market on Granville Island; Langley’s Toy Traders, the largest store for toys and collectibles in the province; The Qualicum Toy Shop in Qualicum Beach, with its stellar selection of puzzles; and Oscar & Libby’s in Victoria, which has a quirky selection of toys and gifts.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of Metropolis at Metrotown, and B.C.’s largest shopping centre is celebrating with a lineup of special events from April 13 to June 14: interactive art installations, dance parties and more. The mall is home to kiddo favourites such as Build-a-Bear Workshop, Treehouse Toys, GameStop, Indigo and Sugar Burst Candy Store.

7. Play the Day Away

Kids love (and, for the most part, parents tolerate) indoor play centres. Bright, loud and colourful, these places feature an assortment of kids’ favourite things, such as jungle gyms, climbing walls, treehouses, trampolines, arcades or laser tag. Top picks include Kidtropolis in Richmond, Crash Crawly’s in Coquitlam, Jungle Mania in Salmon Arm, Energyplex in Kelowna and PlayZone in Langford.

8. Go Bowling

Bowling is a fun activity for all ages and skill levels. Many bowling alleys around the province offer both five- and 10-pin options, cosmic bowling and bumper bowling for kids. Call your local bowling alley for details, or check if a nearby indoor play centre also offers bowling.

9. Visit a Museum

British Columbia boasts a wealth of fascinating museums, ideal for whiling away a rainy afternoon. The star of the Beaty Biodiversity Museum on Vancouver’s UBC campus is a 26-metre-long blue whale skeleton. The Vancouver Police Museum delves into the city’s most notorious crimes and offers hands-on forensics activities. The Royal BC Museum in Victoria displays everything from dinosaur skeletons to modern art. Britannia Mine Museum in Britannia Beach features an underground guided tour through an old haulage tunnel.

10. Experience Aquatic Animals Up Close

Rare is the child who isn’t fascinated by the sea otters, jellies, octopuses, tortoises, harbour seals and sharks at the Vancouver Aquarium—Canada’s largest aquarium—not to mention the adorable axolotls, monkeys and sloths. The Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea in Sidney is home to more than 3,500 animals from the Salish Sea bioregion, including wolf eels, sea stars and a giant Pacific octopus—each octopus spends around six months at the aquarium before being released back into the ocean. At the Ucluelet Aquarium, all of the animals are temporary guests, returning to the wild after about nine months.

11. Climb the Walls

If the kids are metaphorically climbing the walls, then take them to an indoor climbing facility where they can literally climb the walls. Options include Whistler Core, Clip ‘n Climb in Richmond, Climb Base5 in Coquitlam and North Vancouver, Crag X Climbing Centre in Victoria, Beyond the Crux Climbing Gym in Kelowna and The Hive, which has various locations throughout the Lower Mainland.

12. Watch Live Sports

Tiny sports fans can paint their faces, don jerseys and big foam fingers and cheer on the home team all around the Lower Mainland.

For hockey, choose from the Vancouver Canucks (NHL) at Rogers Arena, the Vancouver Goldeneyes (PWHL) at the Pacific Coliseum and the Vancouver Giants (WHL) at the Langley Events Centre.

For soccer, options include the Vancouver Whitecaps FC (MLS) at BC Place, the Vancouver Rise FC (NSL) at Swangard Stadium and the Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 (MLS NEXT Pro) at Swangard Stadium.

The Vancouver Canadians (MiLB) play baseball at Nat Bailey Stadium, the BC Lions (CFL) play football at BC Place, the Vancouver Warriors (NLL) play box lacrosse at Rogers Arena and the Vancouver Bandits (CEBL) play basketball at the Langley Events Centre.

Elsewhere in the province, the Pacific FC (CPL) play soccer at the Starlight Stadium in Langford, and the Kelowna Rockets (WHL) play hockey at Prospera Place. As for baseball, the Victoria HarbourCats (WCL) play at Royal Athletic Park, the Nanaimo NightOwls (WCL) play at Serauxmen Stadium, the Kelowna Falcons (WCL) play at Elks Stadium, and the Kamloops NorthPaws (WCL) play at Norbrock Stadium.