BC’s annual Family Day holiday is just around the corner. But you don’t have to focus all your kid-friendly activities on this third-week-of-February long weekend. Richmond is packed with excellent year-round pursuits for children––and here are some of our all-time favourites.
THE WORLD OF KIDTROPOLIS
#110 – 5940 No. 2 Road, Richmond
Suitable for youngsters aged 10 and under, it’s a colourful mini-town of scaled-down buildings centered on a storefront-lined main street. From a fire hall to an animal hospital and from a pizza parlour to a police station, children can zip around in pedal cars, duck inside fully equipped shops and businesses and pretend-play to the heart’s content.
STEVESTON MARITIME MYSTERY
Steveston Village, Richmond
An on-foot scavenger hunt where you and your family must crack a series of clever clues in Richmond’s historic shoreline village, Steveston Maritime Mystery is a super-fun activity for problem-solvers. Purchase a game pass online and play whenever you next visit Steveston. And once you’re done, why not stick around for dinner at one of the village’s popular restaurants?
WEST COAST MINI PUTT
7391 Elmbridge Way, Richmond
A hidden gem in an unassuming city centre building, West Coast Mini Putt is a fun destination for all-ages––and a great undercover activity on a rainy day. You don’t need any golfing skills to tackle the 18 holes here, with quirky artworks and a cool glow-in-the-dark section adding to the attraction’s unique vibe. Need more? Check out the vintage arcade games in the lobby as well.
INDOOR CLIMBING
Richmond Olympic Oval, 6111 River Road, Richmond
Clip ‘n Climb, 1751 Savage Road, Richmond
Activity-loving children can tackle Metro Vancouver’s tallest climbing wall at the Richmond Olympic Oval, where climbers of all skill levels are welcome. While you’re here, don’t miss the onsite Olympic Experience, complete with hands-on sporting tasks and challenges plus exhibits from past Olympiads––mascots included. Back to climbing, hop in the car to Clip ‘n Climb, where kids and adults love the 75 challenges and 25 cleverly designed climbing walls.
WATERMANIA
14300 Entertainment Boulevard, Richmond
Need additional rainy day options? Head to Watermania, a splash-tastic swimming pool complex that’s a magnet for the kind of kids who love interactive water play. Child-friendly features here include sprayers, waterwheels, water slides and an oversized seahorse that pours water into a giant tipping bucket. Once you’re done, dry off and head to nearby Lucky 9 Lanes Bowling Centre for pizza and bowling fun.
TERRA NOVA ADVENTURE PLAY ENVIRONMENT
Terra Nova Rural Park, 2631 Westminster Highway, Richmond
If your children really love playgrounds, head to Terra Nova. This shoreline-fringed park is striped with easy nature trails, but it’s also home to one of the region’s finest and best-equipped play areas. Give your kids plenty of time here and they’ll discover a maze, climbing wall, hill slide, pivot swings, ziplines and even a large treehouse––plus lots of other children to make friends with.
BIRDING AND EXPLORING AT RICHMOND’S PARKS
Iona Beach Regional Park, 900 Ferguson Road, Richmond
Richmond Nature Park, 11851 Westminster Highway, Richmond
Richmond is the perfect place to try birding. Start at Richmond Nature Park, where the free-entry Nature House has kid-friendly exhibits on local flora and fauna––plus outdoor feeding stations visited by hummingbirds, woodpeckers, spotted towhees and more. Take your spotting up a notch at Iona Beach Regional Park, where eagles, northern harriers and red-winged blackbirds are often seen. Wherever you go, be sure to teach your kids about observing wildlife respectfully.
Don’t miss: The Richmond Nature park’s free-entry Nature House is lined with kid-friendly displays and interactive exhibits on regional flora and fauna.
GULF OF GEORGIA CANNERY NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE
12138 Fourth Avenue, Richmond
On this self-guided tour of the historic Fraser River cannery, hear fascinating fish tales revealed through photographs, recordings and fun interactive displays. Junior history buffs love this evocative industrial museum—and there’s a net full of kid-friendly features at the Gulf of Georgia Cannery National Historic Site to keep them fully engaged.
Why not plan a full history-themed day out by adding a stop at the nearby Britannia Shipyards National Historic Site. Its preserved sheds and living quarters that demonstrate living conditions from 1910 – 1930 are the perfect way to time travel to the past.
Don’t miss: The Cannery’s excellent gift shop is well stocked with marine-themed picture books for children.
BIG RED SCAVENGER HUNT
Steveston Village, Richmond
Named after a real-life dog once regarded as Steveston’s unofficial mayor, this free, family-friendly app is your key to some fun village exploration. Challenged by the Cannery Cat, follow in the footsteps of Big Red the Irish Setter and you’ll encounter heritage sites, local stories and more while solving a series of head-scratching clues. Complete the hunt to receive a sticker, postcard and half-price admission to the Gulf of Georgia Cannery National Historic Site.
GO KARTING IN RICHMOND
TBC Indoor Racing, 2100 Viceroy Place, Richmond
Speeders, 13471 Crestwood Place, Richmond
If your older kids are keen to explore their Formula One dreams, treat them to these two speed-loving hotspots in Richmond. They can channel their inner racecar driver on the thrill-a-minute kart track at TBC Indoor Racing or try and beat those challenging leaderboards at Speeders. Looking to move a little more sedately? Why not plan a family biking day out with rental wheels from Village Bikes in Steveston?
LARRY BERG FLIGHT PATH PARK
Russ Baker Way, Richmond
One of the Lower Mainland’s most unusual parks is perfect for kids with a penchant for airplanes and If your children love aviation, soar over to this uniquely themed Richmond park. Located past the end of Vancouver International Airport’s south runway, it has seats shaped like paper planes and short bike trails resembling mini runways. Aircraft fly overhead here every few minutes and there are handy information panels to help kids (and adults) identify them. Best of all, children can climb across a huge softplay half-globe featuring dozens of countries!
Don’t miss: Children love clambering over the gigantic, dome-shaped globe here—it’s a fun way to explore the world and learn a little geography at the same time.
Last Updated on February 13, 2023 by Tourism Richmond