There is usually so much to do in Vancouver for kids during the school Spring Break holidays in March including camps and special deals at attractions.
Attractions with special activities that are open during Spring Break most years include the Fraser River Discovery Centre and Burnaby Village Museum. There are outdoor adventure games with Vancouver Mysteries which are great for families. The ropes courses at WildPlay in Maple Ridge are open during the holidays as well. There are also Spring Break Camps at various places .
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Vancouver Events | Fraser Valley Events | Burnaby Events | Coquitlam Events | Richmond Events | Surrey Events | White Rock Events | North Shore Events | Maple Ridge Events | New Westminster Events | Sea to Sky Region Events | Special Programs
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Vancouver Events at Spring Break
Spring Break for most public schools in the Lower Mainland took place from March 18th to 28th in 2024.
Below were events and activities that happened in 2024, as well as events and activities that have happened in previous years. As you’ll see, there are lots of things to do.
Spring Break in Vancouver
Below is a list of events that happened during the Spring Break holidays in the City of Vancouver in 2024. Further below were activities that happened in other parts of the Lower Mainland.
Events Happening in 2024
- Shamrock’n Race – St. Patrick’s Day-themed running races happened at Burnaby Lake Park on Sunday, March 17th in 2024 (so at the very start of the Spring Break school holidays).
- Shen Yun Chinese Theatre – the New York-based Chinese performing arts company returned to the Queen Elizabeth Theatre from March 20th to 25th in 2024.
- FlyOver Canada – the attraction usually has a special feature show around Spring Break. In 2024 the film was Wonders of the American West and it ran from February 12th to April 21st.
- Vancouver Mysteries – multiple outdoor adventure games happen in downtown Vancouver. Groups of two to six players can become spies, investigators and other fun characters. Kids ages 5 and under play for free. For details about the company’s Spring Break offerings this year see the vancouvermysteries.com website.
- Vancouver International Auto Show – a popular event that takes place over multiple days at the Vancouver Convention Centre. The show features all sorts of sports cars and vehicles to check out. After getting cancelled for four straight years, the event returned from March 20th to 24th in 2024.
Other Activities in the City of Vancouver
- Spring Break Movies – child-friendly films showed for just $2.99 on various mornings during Spring Break at several theatres in the Lower Mainland.
- VanDusen Garden – Vancouver’s famous botanical gardens offer Spring Break day camps for children on weekdays during the school holidays.
Spring Break in the Fraser Valley
- Maan Farms – the Barnyard Adventureland at the family-friendly farm in Abbotsford is sometimes open for Spring Break in March. In 2024, however, the farm didn’t open for the season until the Easter long weekend. This year Baby Animal Easter happened on March 29th, 30th and 31st. On those dates there were also pancake breakfasts with the Easter Bunny.
- Peteys Easter Eggstravaganza – family-friendly activities happened at Fantasy Farms every day except for Mondays between March 16th and 24th in 2024. In the evenings of March 17th, 22nd, 24th, 29th and 31st there were also Family Night Train Rides & Egg Hunts.
- EasterFest at Taves Farm – the Abbotsford Farm celebrated the holiday with child-friendly activities on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the Easter Long Weekend in 2024.
Spring Break in Burnaby
- Spring Break at Burnaby Village – special activities take place at the outdoor museum during Spring Break. Hours during the school holidays in 2024 were from 11:00 am to 4:30 pm. There’s also a daily scavenger hunt as well as games and demonstrations to enjoy. Admission is free but carousel rides cost extra.
- Burnaby Rec Centres – the City of Burnaby has Spring Break camps that take place at its recreational facilities most years (as well as at the Burnaby Art Gallery).
- Spring Break Movies – a number of child-friendly films show for just $2.99 on various mornings during Spring Break at the Cineplex Metropolis Theatre in Metrotown.
Spring Break in Coquitlam
- Place des Arts – all sorts of visual and performing arts programs for grades K to 9 take place at the facility over Spring Break most years. In 2024 there were multiple camps running from March 18th to 22nd and from March 25th to 28th. To learn more see the Place des Arts website.
- Spring Break Movies – a number of child-friendly films show for just $2.99 on various mornings during Spring Break at Coquitlam’s Cineplex Cinemas at 170 Schoolhouse Street.
Spring Break in Richmond
- Richmond Oval – the Olympic recreational facilities in Richmond usually offer a number of different sports camps over Spring Break. They all happened in 2024.
- Gulf of Georgia Cannery – extra activities were available at the historic site during Spring Break in 2024. This year featured a Salmon Run activity booklet. Visitors who completed all the challenges won a prize. There were also film showings in the venue’s theatre.
- Spring Break Movies – a number of child-friendly films show for just $2.99 on various mornings during Spring Break at Richmond’s SilverCity Riverport Cinemas.
- Carnival at Lansdowne Centre – there are amusement rides in the parking lot at the mall in Richmond during Spring Break some years. (In 2024, however, they weren’t there until March 29th to April 14th).
Spring Break in Surrey
- Spring Break Camps – rec centres throughout Surrey offer special Spring Break day camps for kids.
- Note: The City of Surrey also offers a Family Fun Pass where the whole family can enjoy access to recreational facilities for an extra low price. The passes in 2024 were valid for the second half of March and cost between around $7 and $26 per person depending on one’s age.
- Spring Break Movies – a number of child-friendly films show for just $2.99 on various mornings during Spring Break at Surrey’s Strawberry Hill Cinemas.
Spring Break in White Rock
- White Rock Spring Break Camps – the City of White Rock hosts various camps for kids over Spring Break. There were sports camps, creative camps and more in 2024.
Spring Break on the North Shore
- Skating at the Shipyards – free ice skating takes place at Shipyard Commons in winter. This year, the skating likely continued until late March.
- Hoppy Heights – an Easter-themed event at Capilano Suspension Bridge. The celebration of spring ran daily from March 16th to April 1st in 2024.
- West Van Spring Break Camps – the West Vancouver Recreation Centre offers Spring Break camps including programs like dance, drawing, sports and other topics.
- North Van Arts Camps – the North Vancouver Community Arts Council offered a couple of different Spring Break camps in 2024. Activities included painting, collaging, connecting with nature and more.
- Persian New Year Fire Festival – live music and fire jumping opportunities usually take place at West Vancouver’s Ambleside Park on a weekday evening in mid-March. Details about the festival in 2024 were to be confirmed.
Spring Break in Maple Ridge
- City of Maple Ridge Programs – as part of the city’s recreational activity guide, various camps involving sports and the outdoors are available.
- ACT Arts Centre – a variety of half and full-day Spring Break camps are offered most years.
- Wild & Immersive Programs – different camps are offered for kids between 5 and 12 years old. The camps involve exploring and learning about nature through fun activities in Maple Ridge.
- WildPlay Element Park – an outdoor family-friendly adventure park with ropes courses and ziplines.
Spring Break in New Westminster
- Fraser River Discovery Centre – the child-friendly museum is usually open daily during Spring Break. In 2024 families could drop in for Spring Discovery Days. There are self-guided activities throughout the museum plus a facilitated activity between 10:00 am and noon each day.
- New West Community Centres – the City of New Westminster offers Spring Break activities at various locations. Things to do most years include drop-in aquatics, Spring Break day camps and more.
Spring Break in the Sea to Sky Region
- Britannia Mine Museum – the historic mine and museum offered educational “Mini Mud Monsters” drop-in sessions on Sundays to Thursdays from March 18th to 28th in 2024.
- Sea to Sky Model Train & Hobby Show – the Railway Museum of BC in Squamish had a special model train event on March 23rd and 24th in 2024.
Special Spring Break Programs for Kids
A number of Vancouver attractions offer special programs and deals for children. Below are some examples of things that usually happen around Spring Break.
- Sasamat Outdoor Centre – day camps run most years at the facility at Sasamat Lake near Port Moody for children ages 6 to 12. They cost $331 per one-week session in 2024.
- Junior Zoologist Camp – there are two special Spring Break camps at the Greater Vancouver Zoo for kids. In 2024 one was held outdoors and the other happened indoors. Registration cost up to about $400 for each week.
- Cliffhanger Vancouver (Now Hive Bouldering) – climbing wall Spring Break camps ran at the facility at 520 Industrial Avenue in 2024. They cost about $475 plus GST per week. The camps are for youth ages 6 to 8 and 9 to 12.
Rec Centre Activities
- Area Rec Centres – community centres throughout the Lower Mainland offer special camps and other activities for children over Spring Break most years. Check out a location near you!
- Burnaby – area rec centres have activities throughout the two weeks.
- Maple Ridge – a variety of outdoor activities and camps run most years. Topics include art, nature, leadership and more.
- New Westminster – activities in a typical year include crafts, science, pottery, sports, cartooning, magic, cooking, babysitting and other topics.
- Port Moody – the city offers Spring Break camps for youth that feature outdoor games, creative exercises and more.
- Richmond Oval – camp topics usually include badminton, floorball, climbing, and more.
- Surrey – recreation facilities offer performing arts, sports, and themed camps.
- West Vancouver – camps offered in past years have included golf, gymnastics, skating, acting and more.
Free Activities in Vancouver at Spring Break
Check out the Top Free Places for Kids for great Spring Break activities that won’t cost anything (except maybe for parking and the transportation to get there). They include parks, places to ride bikes and other great outdoor activities.
Other Things to Do with Kids in Vancouver in March
Whether it’s Spring Break or not, there are plenty of great things to do with children in Vancouver during the month of March. Check out Vancouver’s Best Places for Children for a list of the top places to take children to any time of the year. Indoor Activities will be especially popular if the weather is rainy, and Vancouver’s many beautiful Parks and Places in Nature will be perfect for a visit if the weather is good.
For more March things to do in general, check out Vancouver’s Best Places’ March Calendar of Events and Activities.
For more ideas on things to do during Spring Break, check out the following:
- Top Free Things to do with Children in the Lower Mainland
- Spring Family Activities on the North Shore
Other Information
Other articles that might be of interest include the following:
- Vancouver on a Budget
- Lower Mainland Places for Children
- Educational Places
- Places for History and Culture
- Indoor Activities
- Vancouver Festivals and Events