One of the great things about Vancouver is all the fun things to do here. One of the not-so-great things is how much all those fun things cost for a family to do, especially a large family. There are some attractions in Vancouver we haven’t visited because it costs too much for all of us to get in. That’s why I was super excited for the Kidsworld Program.
I received complimentary Kidsworld passes for Sunshine and Lily as part of the Healthy Family Expo Blog Ambassador program; all opinions expressed are my own.
Kidsworld offers passes to a variety of Vancouver attractions for one low price. The pass is for kids ages 4-12 and allows that child to attend an event or visit an attraction for free, along with one accompany adult. During the year, there is one event per week on the pass. In the summer, there is one event per day for July and August.
Exploring VanDusen Gardens with Kidsworld Passes
At the end of September, I took the girls to VanDusen Gardens on their passes. The weather was perfect for our outing—cloudy but not raining—and the girls ended up tossing their jackets into the stroller. The garden was quiet in the fall. While some of the flowers were obviously faded, there were still a lot to see.
The girls had tons of fun running down the paths. They loved the maze in the centre of the gardens. We went through it once all together. Then, while I sat on the hill (with a few other parents) and watched, they kept going in and out, in and out. Finally I said that was enough of the maze and we went on to see what else we could see.
There was a blue tractor, a water fall, a bell to ring, a gazebo, a tunnel, a Scottish hut, a fountain, poetry on a rock, and more. The girls also enjoyed checking out the map and figuring out where we were—or where to go.
For more about our fun afternoon (including chasing the girls through the maze), check out these video highlights:
Kidsworld Passes Take Us to a Hockey Game
Right after that, we received an email about the upcoming Vancouver Canucks Game. I didn’t attend a hockey game until I met my husband and he likes to bug me about my lack of sports knowledge. So I immediately called him up and asked if he wanted to take the girls to a game.
Sunshine and Lily were so excited. They dug out their Canada hockey jersey (the only piece of hockey apparel we have) and decided they’d take turns wearing it at the game. Sunshine planned to cheer for the Edmonton Oilers (“Grandma’s hockey team”) while Lily was going to cheer for the Vancouver Canucks. They each put their KidsWorld passes on lanyards around their necks so they wouldn’t lose them.
The day after the game, I had them each glue their ticket into their homeschool notebook and write about the game. Lily was quite happy that the Vancouver Canucks had won the game. Sunshine thought the Oilers lost because they took their goalie out of net (after a couple other players ended up in penalty, I think). It was fun to hear their reactions to the hockey game—both though watching the zamboni was boring and the game very noisy, but they want to go again.
Catching Olympic Fever from KidsWorld
This weekend, we headed out to the Richmond Olympic Experience with our Kidsworld passes. I remember visiting Calgary’s Olympic Park when I was about Sunshine’s age, so I was excited about this. ROX is a huge building and we weren’t sure were exactly to go, but we eventually asked enough people to get directed to the theatre and then upstairs to the simulators. And we had so much fun there!
The girls all took a turn riding in the simulators: bobsled, sit ski, and kayak. Daddy tried out the race car simulator. The girls and I took turns testing our reaction times. Lily and I pretended to be sportscasters for an Olympic event. Sunshine used a computer to look up videos of the equestrian events at the Olympics, as she’s really into horses right now. I tried to take pictures, but because of the videos and the girls’ running or jumping, most of my pictures didn’t turn out.
Overall, we had a great time. The girls were still checking out simulators and testing their skills against Olympians when it was time to go. It definitely sparked their interest in some new sports and other countries.
Coming Up Next with KidsWorld…
Now, when my husband asks me what I want to do this weekend, I check the Kidsworld calendar. Some Kidsworld events are reservation only for specific days, but most are open for both Saturday and Sunday. This weekend, we’re excited to visit Capilano Suspension Bridge again (an expensive attraction the girls enjoy exploring). We’ll also be visiting Maplewood Farm with our passes this year to pet the goats:
In November, our Kidsworld passes will take us to Castle Fun Park and Bloedel Conservatory, among other places. In December, we can get into the Vancouver Christmas Market and the Christmas Light Maze. And that’s just the Kidsworld attractions for the end of this year! There’s a lot more to come around the city in 2017—including free admission to the Healthy Family Expo in March!
As far as I’m concerned, our passes have already paid for themselves. If you’re interested in getting passes for your kids, check out the website or sign up for the newsletter. Maybe we’ll see you at the next event!
KidsWorld really helps families access all that Vancouver has to offer. If you are a low-income family in the lower mainland, you may also qualify for a leisure access pass to access various programs and venues. Ask about it at your local recreation centre.
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