With travel plans on hold, Playland on wait-and-see mode, it’s time to max out the local staycation opps. Here are a few things to do with the fam this weekend from leaping into the the local pool, to picking up seedlings to a heading out for a picnic in the park.
Five fun local activities for the May Long Weekend!
Take the plunge
The big three Vancouver outdoor pools open this weekend – Kits Pool, New Brighton and Second Beach – all with reduced capacity and protocols in place. So prebook, suit up and take the littles to one of Vancouver’s spectacular outdoor pools. If all goes well, you may even need sunscreen.
>> Best outdoor pools in the city
Visit a botanical garden
May is a riot of colour. Lilacs, chestnuts trees, laburnum are in high bloom and trailing roses are on their way. May is the month to visit gardens like VanDusen, Dart Hills Garden in Surrey or the Nitobe and UBC Botanical Gardens. PS: If you’d like to walk amid the towering trees, book a Greenheart Treewalk at UBC. NB: Most of these gardens require pre-paid tickets for timed visits.
>> Ten beautiful gardens in the Lower Mainland
Get wet at one of these 10 spray parks
Don’t want to pre-book anything in advance but want a fun summery outing for the kids? Turn down the heat and turn up the water at one of these amazing spray parks.
>> Ten spray parks for little kids
Buy local at the Farmers’ market
Kitsilano (Sundays) and Trout Lake (Saturdays) Farmers Markets are up and running for the summer now. This means farm fresh fruit, veg and baked goods. And now many of the markets have craft beer, local fish and hormone-free meats. And for the kiddies, there’s typically live music (and cookies) and the odd balloon twister or two! Have a green thumb? This will be the spot for seedlings.
Pack a picnic and head to the park
If the sun is out, pack up the kids, blankets and a picnic hamper and hit the park or playground or spray park. Involve the kids in food prep or choices and let nature do its work. Head to the beach or go to grassy spot like QE Park. Make it into an adventure.
