Lesser-Known Rainy Day Activities in Vancouver.

"April showers bring May flowers." 

Yes, it's true, spring is finally here, but it's still raining a lot. It'll warm up soon enough but if you're like me, you (and your kids) must be getting pretty antsy for the warmer wether by now. Especially after the taste we got last weekend.

However we likely still have a few weeks of rain left before our days of sunshine begin. So in case you've used up all your aquarium and Telus World of Science passes and you don't know what to do in these last rainy days, here are a few lesser-known kid-friendly indoor activities in Vancouver.

6Pack Beach back in October.

6Pack Indoor Beach

115-13180 Mitchell Road

Richmond

Kids: $7.00

Miss the beach? Me too. But did you know we have an indoor beach located inside a warehouse under the Knight Street Bridge? I didn’t know either.

Its main purpose is to provide beach volleyballers with somewhere to play in the off-season but it doubles as the Grand Poobah of sandboxes for kids. You won’t find any waves, seashells or hot dog vendors at 6Pack Beach. But you also won’t find any cigarette butts, cherry pits, broken glass or seagull poop either. So you won’t have to comb through your spot like a cat in a litter box for five minutes before you put the baby down. It’s a perfectly safe place for the little ones to put their beach toys to good use year round. There are lawn chairs for parents or bring some friends and play a game of volleyball or badminton while the kids make a sandcastle!

Urban Source

3126 Main Street

Vancouver

$6.50-$20.00 per bag

If the kids like crafts there is no place in town quite like the Urban Source. Imagine if you could fill a whole store with the items from your junk drawer. The place is awesome for anyone creative.

Essentially it’s an art supply shop and it does have a selection of paper, foil, stickers etc. But what it’s really known for is its eclectic collection of odds and ends. Half the store contains barrels filled with anything from old photographs and puzzle pieces to tiles and test tubes.

This is exactly the weird stuff that inspires kids. Not only is Urban Source fun, it’s a great recycling lesson too. Most of their inventory is scraps from local businesses that are being resold here instead of thrown in the trash.

The Crystal Ark

1496 Cartwright Street

Granville Island

$3.00-$10.00 per bag

The Crystal Ark is a fun side trip when you’re visiting Granville Island. Located behind the Kids Market (which is a blast all on its own) the Ark is a gemstone store.

That doesn’t sound like fun for the kids you say? Wait for it...

Attached to the shop is a dome with a pit of polished stones. Kids can take off their shoes and sift through the gems in the cave while you shop. And for a few bucks you can buy a (very small) baggie and the kids can take their favorite stones home.

Remember all those times your kid has found a pebble at the park and given it to you with as much enthusiasm as if it were a gold nugget? Well at least when they give you a rock from here for Mother's Day it'll actually be pretty.

They used to have a cool little cave at the back of the store that housed the rock pit. I preferred that to the new dome they built, which is a little damp and chilly in the winter - but kids probably won't care

The Bloedel Conservatory

Queen Elizabeth Park

Vancouver

Adults: $6.50, Child: $3.25, Preschoolers: Free, Family: $15.00

A lot of parents don’t know of, or have forgotten about this rainy day haven. Perched atop Queen Elizabeth Park the conservatory is a year-round tropical oasis and the perfect place for little ones to go on an adventure. Because ankle-biters won’t stop to smell the flowers it takes them only a few minutes to make a full lap around the dome. But they can stay for as long as they want. It’s warm, it’s dry and best of all it looks just like a jungle! Complete with tropical birds and koi fish.


UPDATE!!


Extreme Air Park
14380 Triangle Road
Richmond
$14.00 per hour

This article (HERE) just came out today in the Richmond Review newspaper. I wasn't aware of the Extreme Air Park before and I have never taken Babe there, but I bet it would be tons of fun for toddlers and older kids. Comment below if you've been and let us know what you thought.