KidsOutAndAbout Weekly Newsletter |
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Dear KidsOutAndAbout readers:
Before I had kids, one of my colleagues told me that fundamentally, a parent’s job is to point. At first, you point physically: You point at the waterfall and say “waterfall,” at the moon and say “moon,” at the flower and say “flower.” You’re helping a child connect sounds to objects, words to concepts, language to reality. But later, and really all the way through, the
pointing becomes more metaphorical. Parenting is the ongoing work of connecting your child’s growing capacity to understand with a world that is, to them, forever expanding. As I had Madison and Ella, I came to think of this as being a tour guide to the world. A good tour guide needs to know the landscape, of course. But even more important, a good tour guide needs to know the traveler. What can this particular child see right now? What are they ready for? What do they care
about? What frightens them? What delights them? It's useful to remember that kids haven’t actually been here before: The world is brand-new to them over and over again, so what feels ordinary to us is often astonishing to a child. Tour guides who are doing their job well pay close attention to who their audience is and what they know, and that makes the pointing easier and more fun. Spring is the perfect season to practice pointing. In spring, the world changes fast enough for
kids to notice. Buds swell and burst. Birds return. Tiny green things push up through the dirt as if by magic. Day to day, the world becomes visibly more alive. If we point it out, kids can catch it happening in real time. And spring does not arrive quietly. It comes as an avalanche of the senses: color, smell, birdsong, mud, wind, sunlight, thunder, petals, pollen, rushing water. So maybe that’s part of the job, too: not just to point, but to lean into it. To stand beside our
kids in the rush of it all and say, Look! Here it comes.
—Debra Ross, publisher of KidsOutAndAbout.com, co-author of The Eclipse Effect: How to Seize Extraordinary Moments to Build Strong Communities
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KidsOutAndAbout.com: Discover more. Do more. Connect more. If you like my publisher's column, you can easily scroll through past columns in the "Notes from Deb" section of our site. |
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The all-new 2026 Camp Invention® program, Spark, is coming to curious kids in your community this summer! Rising K-6 campers will collaborate with friends to tackle hands-on, open-ended challenges. They’ll team up with robotic capybaras, ride the waves of entrepreneurship, uncover the power of protecting their ideas and build a DIY space rocket! Each experience is designed to spark confidence, build persistence and create unforgettable summer memories. Visit invent.org/save/camp to secure your spot! Register using CIFUN25 by 3/31 to save $25 or CIFUN20 by 4/28 to save $20 when you register. Interest-free payment plans are available, making camp affordable for all families.
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From April 3 - 6, 2026, join us for a unique seasonal experience where mining history meets hands-on discovery. Venture underground on a special themed tour where families work together using flashlights and problem-solving skills to uncover how miners located copper deep inside the mountain. Above ground, our newly reimagined site-wide scavenger hunt will guide you across the museum grounds with interactive clue stations that reveal a hidden message - leading explorers to a final destination and a real mineral reward. New this year, Live in the Lab: Secret Identities invites guests to step into the role of an assayer, using scientific tests to uncover what minerals truly are beneath the surface. Add in the BOOM! show and full site access, and it’s a dynamic, educational, and playful way to spend the long weekend. All Easter activities are included with regular museum admission, making it an unforgettable day of discovery, learning, and family
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Looking for a summer camp in Vancouver that gets kids outside, active, and learning real-life skills? Led by the same trusted team delivering bike education in schools for over 15 years, HUB Cycling’s Everyone Rides Camps for ages 9-12 build independence, problem-solving skills, and confidence as kids learn how to navigate the city safely on two wheels. Camps at three Vancouver locations run Monday to Friday between July 6 and August 21. Registration is open now! Click HERE to learn more.
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Spring Break is almost here! Why not turn it into a family day out in the charming village of Fort Langley? Start with a scenic walk or bike ride to Brae Island Regional Park, explore the famous Fort Langley Village Antique Mall, or take a well-earned break at one of the village’s many cozy cafés and restaurants. Love culture and history? You’re in the right place. The BC Farm Museum, salishan Place by the River, the CN Station, and Fort Langley National Historic Site are all centrally located and within easy walking distance of each other.
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When 100 Akebono cherry trees come into bloom in this spectacular setting it will be a magical event to behold! This event honours the Honorable Dr. David Lam’s donation of cherry trees and celebrates friendship as we are all friends under the cherry tree. You’ll be able to relax under cherry blossoms right in the heart of the city in the Yaletown neighbourhood while enjoying a superb line-up of local talent on the Cherry Jam Stage as well as a variety of fun and interactive arts activities and workshops.
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Spring Discovery Days runs March 14th–29th, 10am–4pm at the Fraser River Discovery Centre. Join us for two weeks of hands-on, family-friendly activities exploring salmon science, Indigenous trade routes, fishing methods, and archaeology. Become a junior biologist with salmon tagging, try our matching games, and add your strand to our growing “Web of Life” art installation. Facilitated programs and self-guided activities available daily.
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Join us for our Annual Easter Egg Hunt at Greendale Acres! March 27th – 29th & April 2nd – 5th, Easter fun happening two weekends in a row! This rain-or-shine event is packed with family-friendly activities, festive treats, and springtime fun on the farm
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Search for mushrooms in the forest! Learn about common fungi in Surrey through games and a nature walk. Caregiver participation not required.
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Join us to welcome in the Spring season. This spring event is family friendly and organized by the MPCC Youth volunteers and staff. Come ready to smell the flowers and enjoy the celebration! Please make sure to register either online or over the phone at 604-257-3080.
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Join us for a magical promenade through illuminated cherry blossoms at David Lam Park. You never know what surprise will lay around each corner – performers, food trucks, interactive activities, stunning photo opportunities under canopies of cherry blossoms. This year, Blossoms After Dark will be bigger than ever with an expanded footprint, lighting around the entire perimeter of the park, more food offerings, and the first ever Blossom Lounge.
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Explore forest ecology at Mundy Park in this hands-on workshop. Use real field tools to measure trees and plants, learn how ecologists study ecosystems, and gain practical experience. Registration includes Centre entry. Ages 16+.
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Design your own colourful Easter Egg using Perler Beads, and add a magnet to create a fridge magnet. Includes supplies. For children 6 - 12. Children under 10 must be accompanied by an adult.
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Get up close with Surrey’s first responders! Explore fire trucks, police vehicles, try an obstacle course, and enjoy hands-on activities this spring break. Looking for a fun, free, and educational Spring Break activity? Join us for Spring Break: Emergency Services, where kids and families can explore the exciting world of first responders alongside Surrey’s emergency services professionals!
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Children will engage in immersive, hands-on experiences with a variety of farm animals, and farm activities. Farm camp gives children the time to learn about farm life, complete farm-themed projects, and take on responsibilities such as cleaning pens, feeding animals, and learning about the importance of routine care for the well-being of our animals.
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Curious about Archaeology? Learn more about Archaeology at the Burnaby Village Museum this Spring Break! Join SFU Archaeology Students and Professors in the Archaeology pop up in the Multi-purpose Room. Through this hands-on, interactive experience, visitors can learn more about Archaeology as a discipline as well as Archaeology in Burnaby. Join special guests, SFU Professors Cara Tremain and Sabrina Higgins, their students and Burnaby’s own Civic Archaeologist, Chris Verral, in this Archaeology Pop Up, only available Wednesdays and Fridays during Spring Break.
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- Pokémon Trainer's Gym - Richmond Public Library: Cambie Branch, 11590 Cambie Road, Richmond, BC, Friday, March 27, 2026, 4-5 pm
- Family Funtime - North Vancouver District Public Library (Capilano Branch), 3045 Highland Blvd, North Vancouver, BC, Friday, March 27, 2026, 10:30 am
- Family Puzzles and Board
Games - Lynn Valley Library, Lynn Valley Road, North Vancouver, BC, Friday, March 27, 2026, 10:00AM - 2:00PM
- Spring Break Fun at Parkgate: Puzzles & Games! - North Vancouver District Public Library (Parkgate branch), Banff Court, North Vancouver, BC, Friday, March 27,
2026, 2:00PM - 4:00PM
- Blossoms After Dark - David Lam Park, Pacific Boulevard, Vancouver, BC, Friday, March 27, 2026 to Saturday, March 28, 2026, see website
- Preteen Night- Mount Pleasant Community Centre - Mount Pleasant Community Centre, 1 Kingsway, Vancouver, BC V5T 3H7, Friday, March 27, 2026, 6-8 pm
- Easter Egg Fridge Magnets - George Mackie Library, 112 Street, Delta, BC, Friday, March 27, 2026, 2:30-3:30 pm
- Spring Break at Burnaby Village Museum - Burnaby Village Museum, 6501 Deer Lake Ave, Burnaby, BC V5G 3T6, Friday, March 27, 2026, Open Daily 11
am-4:30 pm (last admission is at 4 pm)
- DUPLO Free Play - Richmond Public Library, Ironwood Branch, 11688 Steveston Hwy, Richmond, BC V7A 1N6, Sunday, March 29, 2026, 11-11:30 am
- LEGO® Block Party - Vancouver Public Library - Champlain Heights Branch, Kerr Street, Vancouver, BC, Sunday, March 29, 2026, 11 am- 12 pm
- The Big Picnic - David Lam Park, Pacific Boulevard, Vancouver, BC, Saturday, March 28, 2026 to Sunday,
March 29, 2026, see website
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The KidsOutAndAbout annual guide to summer camps in the Vancouver area is back! You can search by date, age, or categories like day/overnight, sports, drama, music, theatre, arts & crafts, technology, robotics, horseback riding, preschool, & more.
Our guide puts summer fun right at your fingertips!
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Parents have an abundance of choices when it comes to PreK and day care options in the Vancouver area! Use our Big List to help find the best one for your kiddos and check our events calendar to find Open Houses where you can meet teachers and tour the
schools.
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Looking for a thrilling family-friendly adventure in the Vancouver area? Escape rooms are interactive, puzzle-packed experiences where you and your team work together to solve clues and complete your mission-all before time runs out! Whether you're escaping
a spooky cabin, cracking a high-stakes heist, or breaking a magical curse, escape rooms offer exciting, screen-free fun for kids, teens, and adults.
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Click here to discover Birthday party locations in the Vancouver area. From Arcades to Ziplines our Big List will help you think outside the box and plan the party of your kids' dreams! KidsOutAndAbout has dozens of ideas!
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2025's best places to take kids in and around Vancouver, based on KidsOutAndAbout's annual reader survey. There is LOTS more to do in and around Vancouver even beyond the Top 20...Get great ideas here at KidsOutAndAbout.com! What is listed below are just
the starting point: Browse through our site and calendar to find lots more, and be sure to click on Everything That's Free.
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Wishing you and your family health and happiness!
Debra Ross
Publisher, KidsOutAndAbout.com
Mom of Madison and Ella |
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