Granville Island, Vancouver

Address 1496 Cartwright Street, Vancouver, Canada Map, Tel 604–689-8447, Rentals stroller rentals are available in the kids market, Hours daily 10am-6pm, Cost varies by activity; there's plenty to do for free Website

Granville Island has a little bit of everything, artists studios/shops, a covered farmers market, museums, and great activities for kids. A half day, with breakfast or lunch on the island is easy to fill, but during summer one could easily spend a full day or more. We love to wander through the artists studios and see all the great crafts and artwork. Many of the studios have open workrooms, so kids can watch how things are made (fascinating for a wide range of ages). At mealtimes, though there are several restaurants on the island, we usually end up in the market and either cobble together lunch from the various fruit, meat, dairy and bakeries or pick up a ready made meal. There are a wide variety of options, so everyone is happy.

The Granville Island Kids Market is a shopping center for kids. There is an excellent puppet and kite store and several toy stores featuring european or handmade toys. There is also a play / climbing area that is a great option for letting the kids expend some excess energy (fee) if it is raining outside. My son loves the ball "room" and was recently heard saying sternly to himself "you need to go back in the ball area now."

The Granville Island Model Ships, Model Trains and Sport Fishing Museums are lots of fun for toddlers and for older kids with interests in those topics. The Model Train museum has a running train track with over 1000 feet of track and several trains running at a time. The realistic setting has over 6000 handmade trees!

Granville Island Water Park is open during the summer (with the waterpark closed on weekdays until mid june) and features a spray area, waterpipes, fire hydrants, slides and a special area for toddlers (free).