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Vancouver’s Kidsworld Attractions Program

Kidsworld Vancouver

Kidsworld is a Vancouver program that offers kids and their parents access to dozens of top venues and attractions in the Lower Mainland for really cheap.

It’s arguably the best deal for children and is highly recommended.

 

Kidsworld Vancouver

Costing only about $60 per child, Kidsworld is one of the best and most affordable ways for children and their families to see some of Vancouver’s absolute best places.

Nowhere else can you get close to $1000 worth of admission tickets to fantastic places for as little $60 (or $40 in 2020)!

To buy a Kidsworld membership, visit the Kidsworld website.

 


In this article you’ll find information about the following topics:

How Kidsworld Works | Summer & School Year Programs | Extra Kidsworld Discounts | Participating Attractions | Tips & Advice | Other Information

Click on any of the above links to jump to a specific topic. Or, to learn all about the program, continue reading.


 

How Kidsworld Works

In years when it does operate, membership in the Kidsworld program costs only $60 (most years) and it allows a child (ages 4-13) plus one adult FREE admission to a different event or attraction on specific days of the year.

Note: In most cases admission to activities is free for Kidsworld members, although occasionally it’s just discounted. In cases where an event is discounted, as opposed to free, members are given special links and promo codes to access the deals.

 

Program Special Dates

With a Kidsworld membership you can’t just go to each attraction whenever you choose. Instead, different attractions host a Kidsworld day at their venue on different dates. One Monday might be a petting zoo; the following weekend might be admission to a festival; the third Tuesday might be a boat ride in Burrard Inlet. You get the picture!

 

Kidsworld Summer and School Year Programs

Kidsworld offers two different seasonal packages in a typical year. There is the Kidsworld Summer Program which offers access to close to 60 places between July and August (although just for August in 2020 and for $40). There is also the Kidsworld 44 Program which offers at least one activity per week during the 44 weeks of the regular school year between September and June (although not in the fall of 2020 or 2021).

Participants can purchase either the Kidsworld Summer membership or Kidsworld 44 membership individually at $60. (Note: In 2020 a membership for the month of August costs $40 and August was the only month that the program was running. Kidsworld 44 didn’t happen that fall, but hopefully it will again in the future.)

With either program, if you go to just a few of the participating venues you’ll get your money’s worth no problem. Go to a whole bunch of places and you’ll benefit from what is arguably the most affordable way for children and their families to see some of the best kid-friendly places in the Lower Mainland.

For more details click Kidsworld Summer or Kidsworld 44.

 

Extra Kidsworld Discounts

In addition to providing free admission to dozens of different attractions on specific dates, the Kidsworld program also provides members with a number of other ways to save.

In 2020 members of the Kidsworld program were going to be eligible for the following additional discounts:

    • Discounts at Summer CampsStillwood, Anvil Island and Keats are three popular church summer camps that offer $50 off the cost of week-long overnight programs for new campers that are Kidsworld members.
  • PNE Discounts – Kidsworld members get access to PNE Group Sales discounts for Playland, the PNE and special events like the Harlem Globetrotters, Monster Truck events and other PNE-related touring attractions.
  • Free Kids’ Pass at the Air Show – children who are Kidsworld members get free admission to the Abbotsford Air Show when an accompanying adult purchases admission.

Click Kidsworld Discounts for more information about the above deals.

 

Participating Kidsworld Attractions

The Kidsworld program includes attractions all across the Lower Mainland. The majority are in the City of Vancouver, but at least a couple take place in each of the main surrounding municipalities, including in the Fraser Valley.

Some of the programs participating in recent years are listed below. We expect 2022 details to be similar, although each year is different.

Note: dates, details and participating attractions are subject to change. See the Kidsworld website for exact details.

 

Harbour Cruise Boats
Harbour Cruise Boats in Coal Harbour

 

Events & Attractions in City of Vancouver

  • Harbour Cruises – fantastic boat trips around Vancouver’s waterfront.
  • HR MacMillan Space Centre – an astronomy attraction with a planetarium at Vanier Park. (Kidsworld 44 Program only)
  • Museum of Anthropology – an educational museum with artifacts of interest especially for adults and older children.
  • Stanley Park Train – a miniature train ride through the forest in world-famous Stanley Park.
  • Vancouver Art Gallery – the city’s largest and most famous art museum.
  • Vancouver Christmas Market – a special seasonal attraction in December.
  • The Vancouver Lookout – 360 degree views of the city from the Harbour Centre tower in downtown Vancouver.
    • Note: this is a great opportunity to show children where things are in the Lower Mainland from a birds-eye perspective.
  • Vancouver Maritime Museum – a museum about the maritime history of the Arctic and Pacific Northwest at Vanier Park.

 

Events & Attractions Elsewhere in the Lower Mainland

  • Abbotsford Agrifair – an agricultural fair in early August that includes a midway, amusement rides and lots of farm animals in Abbotsford. (Kidsworld Summer Program)
  • Bear Creek Park Train – a miniature train at Bear Creek Park in Surrey.
  • Maplewood Farm – the best place for young children to see chickens, pigs and other farm animals on the North Shore.
  • Stave Falls – a BC Hydro powerhouse station and information centre in Mission.
  • Watermania – one of the Lower Mainland’s best indoor swimming pool facilities.West Coast Railway Heritage Park – a railway museum in Squamish with train cars you can actually go into.

The above are only some of over 50 different venues that participated in the Kidsworld program in recent years. 2022 details will likely be similar, but not exactly the same.

For the full calendar of participating programs and their dates, see the Kidsworld website.

 

Attraction Summary

Many of the participating attractions are among Vancouver’s best places and worth driving across the Lower Mainland to get to, while others are just okay or perfect if you live close by or plan to be in the area.

Some venues are great for younger children, some are better for older kids, and some are probably as interesting if not more so for the parents as the children.

The program is an exceptional value for people of all ages and there’s a wide selection of places to choose from!

 

Tips and Advice

Below are some tips and suggestions to help you get the most out of the Kidsworld program.

TIP #1: Buy your Kidsworld membership early as spaces are limited. If you wait until the start of the school summer holidays chances are you’ll miss out. For tickets and further information see the Kidsworld website.

TIP #2: If planning to attend a Kidsworld event far from home, like on the other side of the Lower Mainland, combine your trip with a visit to some of Vancouver’s other best attractions. See Vancouver’s 100 Top Places for ideas, or click Metro Vancouver to find other interesting places in the specific municipality where you’re going.

TIP #3: If attending a Kidsworld event at one of Vancouver’s more popular attractions, get there at the very beginning of the event (so before the crowds get crazy). This is especially important on sunny days.

TIP #4: If you don’t have a Kidsworld membership, don’t go to an attraction on a day when a Kidsworld event is taking place, unless of course you’re going with friends that are members. If you can and if you’re paying full price, wait and go on a day that will be less busy.

 

Other Information

For a list of great places to take kids in general, click Vancouver’s Best Places for Children.

For other ideas on things to do and see for cheap, check out Vancouver’s Best Places on a Budget.

To learn more and to buy a Kidsworld membership, see the Kidsworld website. For details about the program with activities in July and August, click Kidsworld Summer. And for information about the program during the school year, from September to June, click Kidsworld 44.