Low-cost summer activities with kids
Make the most out of your summer excursions by bonding with your family through meaningful activities.
As we shed our sweaters for t-shirts and watch the sun set later each day, it’s easy for excitement over the fast-approaching summer to enter our minds. Water balloon fights, tanning sessions, and beach volleyball loom just weeks away, yet for some, there’s an unspoken strain in the air hidden among the rays of sun and cheery blue skies. When school is out and the days are longer, parents hold an extra responsibility: to ensure that their children have fun and are entertained. For single moms who already shoulder the pressures of parenthood and navigate increases in living expenses on their own, the stress of summer is only amplified.
In the words of the T.V. show Phineas & Ferb, “the annual problem for our generation is finding a good way to spend” summer. ‘Good’ in this context is not meant to be unattainable or idealistic as mass marketing often paints it to be. In the show, the brothers, their friends, and their family members partake in adventures that are unexpected or wild in nature, and bond through their shared experiences. They laugh together, play together and sometimes cry together, yet come out of each summer experience closer and eager to begin their next journey. In a similar manner, this summer, we encourage you to look at each outing as an opportunity to bond with your family in innovative ways.
We have compiled a list of activities and projects as a starting point for you to enjoy with your family, in the hope that each moment leads to a meaningful memory shared together.
At-Home Fun
Make meaningful memories with your family at home!
DIY Art Gallery:
Let your and your children’s imaginations find new places to explore by creating an art gallery inside your home. Paint, draw or assemble collages with materials you can find at home or at your local store. Once you’ve gathered all your materials, go crazy! Don’t worry about making your art look perfect. The most important part of the process is to enjoy it. When your family has completed their masterpieces, tape them all the way up your walls to curate a family exhibit.
Cooking Day:
Make a day out of cooking or baking a dish together. Tell stories or sing songs as the soup boils or as the cake rises. Then, find a cool place to eat! Some suggestions:
set down a mat at a nearby park or on your living room floor, and have a picnic
package the food to eat in the sand at the beach
turn off the lights, light some candles or Christmas lights, and have a relaxing dinner in the dark
Countertop Garden:
You can find some seeds at your local supermarket or grocery store and plant flowers, vegetables, or fruits. A tip: repurpose yoghurt containers or spaghetti sauce jars as pots. You can even decorate the pots by glueing construction paper to the outside or by drawing your own designs directly on the containers with permanent markers!
Gardening takes patience, and it can take time to see results. As an alternative, you can pull wildflowers like daisies or buttercups from the soil (carefully as to not to sever their roots) and replant them.
Outdoor
Adventures
Explore nature and practice being mindful.
Spray parks and Wade Pools:
Vancouver’s Spray parks (open now) and Wade Pools (opening in early July) are a spectacular refuge during heat waves. Most open in the mid to late morning, close in the early evening, and inspire a thrill in parents and children alike. Spray parks like Chaldecott Park, Granville Island Park, Stanley Park and Hastings Park become perfect splash zones. Chase each other through the spray, dodge geysers, and go crazy! When everyone is tired, the grass is the perfect place to rest and have a snack!
Vancouver Beaches:
A visit to one of Vancouver’s beaches is a summertime classic. There’s something for everyone at the beach. You can build sandcastles complete with moats and towers, adventure into the low tide to search for crabs or minnows, collect shells and sea glass, or go for a swim!
Kits Beach, English Bay and First, Second and Third Beach in Stanley Park are known for their sense of community and impromptu music. If you’re lucky, your family will catch a splendid sunset with a live band playing in the background!
Jericho beach is known for its wildlife. You’ll cross paths with bold and loud Canadian Geese, venture by cute rabbits near the boat marina, and spot herons in low tide.
Rose Garden Picnics:
Vancouver’s Rose Gardens (QE Park, Stanley Park and UBC’s Rose Garden) are filled with colourful flowers, creating a warm and enchanting atmosphere. The beautiful archways and paths through flowerbeds are a great place to explore, have conversations, and perhaps dream up your own magical experience!
Go for a walk or a hike:
There are a number of hikes or trails in the Greater Vancouver area that are filled with beautiful views and wildlife. Hiking is an amazing way to destress, connect to nature, and be mindful, while also staying active. We suggest Trout Lake Park, Lynn Canyon Headwaters, Central Park, and Pacific Spirit Park as possible places to visit with your family, as there are trails of varying levels of difficulty and length within each park, and many places to stop, enjoy and be still.
Bird songs: If you’re a bird song enthusiast, you can use the App Merlin Bird ID to record different bird calls, and the app will then help identify the different species you hear.
Educational Outings
Learn, experience & enjoy.
Libraries:
The Vancouver Public Library’s (VPL) Branches host a network of events specifically for families and family bonding. The events range from movie showings, educational sessions on interesting topics, story times for families with younger children, as well as creative art sessions. Aside from events, VPL’s Central branch, located downtown, can take a whole day to explore! You can visit all the different floors with your family, browse thousands of books, and try cool technologies offered by the branch, such as the Inspiration Labs and Recording Studios.
Art Galleries:
Spend a day in one of Vancouver’s Art Galleries exploring the whimsy of sculptures, installations, paintings, and prints!
Admission into the Vancouver Art Gallery (VGA) is free for all attendees on the first Friday of every month from 4pm to 8pm and is regularly free for anyone 18 years old or under. VAG’s exhibits often allow visitors of any age to participate in the work (in the case of installation or collaborative art) which is an amazing opportunity to make art while simultaneously appreciating it.
The ArtStarts Art Gallery on Richards St. (the only free public art gallery in Canada) celebrates work created by young artists, including artwork constructed in the classroom. If your family members are especially intrigued by fine arts and creating different forms of artwork, consider visiting ArtStarts to get inspired!
Wildflower picking:
You and your family can try your hand at creating DIY bouquets by picking and assembling wildflowers into magical arrangements. Make sure to be gentle with the plants you come across and consider reading about different species in BC before you plan your trip into nature!
Important Tip: Apps like iNaturalist can help you identify different flowers with picture identification!
Seasonal Events
Get to know Vancouver’s vibrant and bright community
Community days in your neighbourhood:
Make sure to check out neighbourhood websites across Vancouver, as most hold seasonal or sometimes monthly events and celebrations to celebrate different holidays or the beginning of new seasons. For example: On Kerrisdale Days, which occur once a season, you can have your face painted, collect balloons and stickers, try samples from food vendors, and take a ride in a horse and carriage that travels through the streets.
PNE free day:
Every year on a day in August, the Pacific National Exhibition offers free admission to the Fair at the PNE. The Fair, which is usually open from mid-summer to early fall, offers attractions such as art and sculpture exhibits, a diverse marketplace, and an exciting petting zoo full of cute farm animals, with the additional opportunity to learn about agricultural processes.
Celebration of Light:
At the end of July, Honda sponsors the Celebration of Light fireworks festival, which launches from boats located in the area in front of English Bay and Sunset Beach. The fireworks are spectacular: each volley is full of vibrant colours, spiralling light, and unique shapes and patterns. The celebration is also a competition between countries, who compete for the most dazzling light show. Celebration goers will have the opportunity to participate in free events located near English Bay: having your caricature drawn, sampling different foods, spinning wheels to win prizes, as well as watching various live music bands and dancers. We suggest arriving early (at 3 or 4 pm) to secure your spot, as English Bay (as well as the surrounding Kits and Sunset beaches) tend to get quite busy during the celebration!
Vancouver Mural Festival:
The Vancouver Mural Festival which occurs from August 4-13, 2023, celebrates a collective of murals across Vancouver. The main festival occurs in the Mount Pleasant Neighbourhood and on Main St, where live musicians, public speakers, artistic performers and food and drink vendors will gather to appreciate creativity and the diversity of arts and artists!
Slurpee Day (7/11):
Each year 7/11 gas stations celebrate July 7th (07/11) by giving out free small slurpees. This is a great chance to escape the heat with a colourful tongue and a guaranteed brain freeze!
Music On Main:
Music on Main’s Summer Pop-Up concerts will take place this upcoming August. Instrumentalists will gather at Mt Pleasant Park on various days throughout the month and come together to celebrate music of all varieties. This is a great way for you and your family to get acquainted with local musicians and appreciate the splendid sounds of Vancouver’s community!
Coastal Jazz Festival:
The Coastal Jazz Festival will take place this year from June 23rd to July 2nd. The festival aims to explore an appreciation for both historical and contemporary jazz music, by inviting different jazz groups and soloists to perform. At the concerts, you and your family will have the chance to sway to bluesy tunes and visit historic venues across Vancouver!
We hope that these ideas inspire you to brainstorm more ways to create meaningful experiences this summer. There is no one right way to bond with your family. Remember, you and your children are what make the time you spend together special, and each memory you have together is one that is yours to share!
Written by Samantha Chen