Especially for Kids

Pick up copies of the free monthly newspapers B.C. Parent, 4479 W. 10th Ave., Vancouver, B.C. V6R 4P2 (tel. 604/221-0366; www.bcparent.com); and West Coast Families, 8-1551 Johnston St., Vancouver, B.C. V6H 3R9 (tel. 604/689-1331; www.westcoastfamilies.com). West Coast Families' centerfold, "Fun in the City," and event calendar list all current events, including CN IMAX shows at Canada Place Pier, OMNIMAX (tel. 604/443-7443) shows at Science World at Telus World of Science, and free children's programs. Both publications, and Tourism Vancouver's Kids' Guide, are available at Granville Island's Kids Market and at neighborhood community centers throughout the city.

To give kids an overview of the city, take the fun trolley tour offered by Vancouver Trolley Company (tel. 888/451-5581 or 604/801-5515; www.vancouvertrolley.com). Gas-powered trolleys run through Downtown, Chinatown, the West End, and Stanley Park.

Stanley Park offers a number of attractions for children, including a fabulous and free Spray Park near Lumberman's Arch. Stanley Park's Children's Farm (tel. 604/257-8531) has peacocks, rabbits, calves, donkeys, and Shetland ponies. Next to the petting zoo is Stanley Park's Miniature Railway (tel. 604/257-8531), a diminutive steam locomotive with passenger cars that runs on a circuit through the woods. The zoo and railway are open from 11am to 4pm daily June through early September, plus Christmas week and on weekends October through March depending on weather. Admission for the petting zoo or the miniature railroad is C$5.50 (US$4.70/£2.50) for adults, C$3.75 (US$3.20/£1.70) for seniors, C$4 (US$3.40/£1.80) for youths 13 to 18, and C$2.75 (US$2.40/£1.25) for kids 2 to 12. Second Beach on the park's western rim has a playground, a snack bar, and an immense heated oceanside pool (tel. 604/257-8371), open from May through September. Admission is C$4.85 (US$4/£2.20) for adults, C$3.40 (US$3/£1.50) for seniors, C$3.65 (US$3.10/£1.65) for youths 13 to 18, and C$2.45 (US$2/£1.10) for children 6 to 12. Kids will also be impressed with the collection of giant totem poles in Stanley Park, and the entire family will enjoy the horse-drawn carriage rides that begin near Lost Lagoon.

Also in Stanley Park, the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre has sea otters, sea lions, whales, and numerous other marine creatures, as well as many exhibits and special programs geared toward children.

Right in town, Science World at Telus World of Science is a terrific interactive kids' museum where budding scientists can get their hands into everything.

A trip to Granville Island will delight kids, and there are a couple of specific places kids really enjoy. Granville Island's Kids Market, 1496 Cartwright St. (tel. 604/689-8447), is open daily from 10am to 6pm. Playrooms and shops filled with toys, books, records, clothes, and food are all child-oriented. At Granville Island's Water Park and Adventure Playground, 1496 Cartwright St., kids can really let loose with movable water guns and sprinklers. They can also have fun on the water slides or in the wading pool. The facilities are open during the summer daily (weather permitting) from 10am to 6pm. Admission is free; changing facilities are nearby at the False Creek Community Centre (tel. 604/257-8195).

Across Burrard Inlet on the North Shore, Maplewood Farm, 405 Seymour River Place, North Vancouver (tel. 604/929-5610; www.maplewoodfarm.bc.ca), has more than 200 barnyard animals (from cows to chickens) living on its 2-hectare (5-acre) farm, which is open daily year-round. A few working farms once operated in the area but were put out of business by competition from the huge agricultural concerns in Fraser River valley. The parks department rescued this one and converted it into an attraction. The ticket booth (a former breeding kennel) sells birdseed for feeding the ducks and other fowl. The farm also offers pony rides. Special events include the summertime Sheep Fair, the mid-September Farm Fair, 101 Pumpkins Day in late October, and the Country Christmas weekend. The farm is open daily April through mid-September (closed Mon the rest of the year) from 10am to 4pm. Admission is C$4.75 (US$4/£2.15) for adults, C$2.75 (US$2.40/£1.25) for seniors and children. Take bus no. 210 and transfer to the no. 211 or 212.

Greater Vancouver Zoo, 5048 264th St., Aldergrove (tel. 604/856-6825; www.greatervancouverzoo.com), located 48km (30 miles) east of downtown Vancouver (about a 45-min. drive), is a lush 48-hectare (119-acre) reserve filled with lions, tigers, ostriches, buffalo, elk, antelope, zebras, giraffes, a rhino, and camels; 124 species in all. The zoo also has food service and a playground. It's open daily 9am to 4pm from October through March; 9am to 7pm from April through September. Admission is C$16 (US$14/£7) for adults, C$13 (US$11/£6) for seniors and children 3 to 15, and free for children under 3. Take the Trans-Canada Highway to Aldergrove, exit 73; parking is C$3 (US$2.50/£1.35) per day.

Walk high above the rushing waters at the Capilano Suspension Bridge & Park and the Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge. In winter, Mount Seymour Provincial Park and Grouse Mountain Resort offer ski programs for kids and adults; in summer, both are great for hikes.

A 45-minute drive north of Vancouver, the B.C. Museum of Mining, Highway 99, Britannia Beach (tel. 800/896-4044; www.bcmuseumofmining.org), is impossible to miss. Located at the head of Howe Sound, it's marked by a 235-ton truck parked in front. During the summer it offers guided tours of the old copper mine, demonstrations of mining techniques, and even a gold-panning area where anyone can try straining gravel for the precious metal. It's open daily from the first Sunday in May to Thanksgiving from 9am to 5:30pm; the rest of the year it's closed on weekends. Call ahead for the tour schedule; allow about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Admission is C$15 (US$12/£7) for adults; C$12 (US$10/£5.50) for seniors, students, and youths; and C$50 (US$42/£22) for families; it's free for children under 5.

A whale-watching excursion is one of the most exciting adventures you can give a kid.