Family ski lessons on Grouse Mountain. Photo: Destination Vancouver/Grouse Mountain
Take your family on an outdoor adventure this winter. Keep your kids entertained with fun activities like sledding, hiking, skiing, eagle-watching and more. Here are our picks for the best family-friendly things to do in Vancouver this winter.
Sledding or Snow-Tubing
Kids love sliding down snowy slopes, and adults will love unleashing their inner child to join in on the fun. There are seven tube parks with guaranteed snow near Vancouver. And when the white stuff falls in the city, local parks transform into toboggan hills. Check out our guide to sledding in Vancouver for details.
From our partners:
Family sledding at Grouse Mountain. Photo: Destination Vancouver/Grouse Mountain
Enjoy Outdoor Holiday Lights
Family members of all ages will love the magic of twinkling Christmas lights. Take a stroll through a neighbourhood or head to one of the dazzling outdoor light displays around Vancouver.
Lights by the Lake. Photo: Tourism Harrison
Hiking
While the tops of the mountains are blanketed in snow, the forest is still green closer to the ocean. Vancouverites love to hike all year. Use our list of snow-free Vancouver hikes to plan your winter hiking trip. Most are short and easy, perfect for families.
Photo: Tourism Vancouver / Hubert Kang
Skiing and Snowboarding
With six ski resorts near Vancouver, there’s a great ski hill for your family’s skill level. Kids enjoy discounted lift tickets and rentals. Lessons are a great way to help kids gain confidence on the hill. Enroll them in a morning lesson, then ski together as a family in the afternoon.
Photo: Destination BC/Rick Collins
Try Geocaching
Have you heard of geocaching? It’s a family-friendly hobby where you use a phone app or GPS device to find hidden treasures all over the city. There are hundreds of geocaches around Vancouver to discover. Read our beginners’ guide to geocaching to learn how to get started.
Photo: Settergren on Pixabay
Ice Skating
You can skate in the crisp winter air at five outdoor rinks around Vancouver. They each have skate rentals on-site. Our guide to outdoor skating in Vancouver has more info. You can also check out community ice rinks in Vancouver, Burnaby, and the surrounding municipalities for indoor skating. Most have family-friendly drop-in skating sessions.
Skating at Whistler Olympic Plaza. Photo: Tourism Whistler/Justa Jeskova
Eagle-Watching
Did you know that Squamish is home to one of the world’s largest populations of wintering bald eagles? Kids will love walking along the river to see how many eagles they can spot. Don’t forget to pack your binoculars!
Photo: Phillipp Pilz/Unsplash
Snowshoeing
Snowshoeing is one of the simplest winter sports you can try. If you can walk, you can snowshoe! It’s especially easy for kids since they are light and don’t sink into the snow as much as adults. Vancouver’s North Shore Mountains are a great place to try snowshoeing for the first time. Try one of our picks for beginner-friendly snowshoe trails.
Snowshoeing at Grouse Mountain. Photo: Destination Vancouver/Kindred & Scout
Explore a New Park
Greater Vancouver is dotted with fabulous parks that protect forests, meadows, wetlands, and shorelines. Use our park of the month archives to find a new-to-you park, then go out on a family adventure.
Exploring Campbell Valley Regional Park. Photo: Metro Vancouver
Ride a Gondola to a Winter Wonderland
The Grouse Mountain Skyride and the Sea to Sky Gondola will whisk you up the mountain to a winter wonderland. Kids will love the Light Walk, an easy path through the forest lit up with thousands of lights. At the Sea to Sky Gondola, face your fears with a walk across the suspension bridge. Both attractions also have lots of holiday-themed decor and events.
Photo: Sea to Sky Gondola
By Taryn Eyton
Source Inside Vancouver
For enquiries, product placements, sponsorships, and collaborations, connect with us at hello@zedista.com. We'd love to hear from you!
Our humans need coffee too! Your support is highly appreciated, thank you!
