fun to do kids british columbia canada   Travel for Kids
Canada
   
     
   

British Columbia

totem poles
British Columbia is probably Canada's most physically and culturally diverse area. Traveling in British Columbia with kids, go inland to the Okanagan Valley, with its long lakes, or west to Vancouver Island with its old growth forests and charm of Victoria, or north along the rugged coastline of the Georgia Strait, or east to the magnificent Rocky Mountains. No matter which way you turn, British Columbia is filled with unbelievable scenic beauty and a unique cultural blend of First Nations tribes, Europeans and Asians.
    Vancouver
    Vancouver Island
 
Victoria
    Sea to Sky Highway - Whistler
    Southern
    Central
    Northern
family hotels british columbia

Travel for Kids has so many fun things to do with kids in British Columbia, but you'll need a fun place to stay.

Here's our own Travel for Kids hand-picked list of family hotels for Vancouver and Victoria, all styles and price ranges, in neighborhoods comfortable for families, and near to places you'll want to explore:

Vancouver family hotels
Victoria family hotels
kids books british columbia
     
wild orca  
Wild Orca
Brenda Peterson, Wendell Minor

On the longest day of the year, in the summer sun little Mia and her family stand on the shore, and look for orcas in the Salish Sea. Will they see Granny, great-great-grandmother who watches over three families of orcas? Gorgeous illustrations bring to life relationships and connections between these amazing marine mammals. (Picture book)

 

     
Curious Kids Nature Guide
Fiona Cohen, Marni Fylling

Explore habitats of the Pacific Northwest – forests with giant trees and diverse wildlife, beaches and tide pools, freshwater ponds with beaver and salmon, changing seasons throughout the year. 100 fabulous illustrations of animals, plants, and fascinating facts. (Guide)

 

 
Curious Kids Nature Guide
     
 Where Do I Sleep?  
Where Do I Sleep?
Jennifer Blomgren, Andrea Gabriel

A baby gray whale sleeps offshore, brown bats hang upside down in a cave, a black tailed fawn snoozes under the trees, brown bear cubs curl up in a snug den, a baby sea otter lies with his mom, drifting on a kelp bed, the stars overhead. Enchanting illustrations! (Picture book)

 

     

Primrose Squarp is an unconventional girl, who loves wacky foods – butterscotch noodle cookies, and waffles with everything. When her parents are lost at sea, Primrose adventures are just beginning with Miss Perfidy, her quirky Uncle Jack, and the snobby school counselor. A hilarious read, and a great British Columbia story. (Chapter book)

And, don't miss the next super adventure: One Year in Coal Harbor

 

 
fiction kids british columbia Everything on a Waffle
     
Raven - Trickster Tale Pacific Northwest british columbia kids  

When all was the world was in darkness, clever Raven stole the sun and gave it to the people. Raven flies to the shining house of the Sky Chief and tricks him into showing where the ball of light is hidden. Beautifully told, with fabulous illustrations. (Picture book)

 

     
Frog Girl
Paul Owen Lewis

The songs of the frogs are silent, but one frog calls to the chief’s daughter to follow her under the lake. There, a house shakes with fire and smoke, and the girl meets Volcano Woman. Gorgeously illustrated. (Picture book)

 

 
first nations kids british columbia Frog Girl
     
Storm Boy british columbia myth kids native american  
Storm Boy
Paul Owen Lewis

A storm washes the Haida chief's son into a strange village, the realm of the killer whale people. Finely dressed people give the boy a blanket to wear, fish to eat, and they dance and feast, until the boy thinks of his own home. This is a gem. (Picture book)

 

     

There are numerous Sasquatch (Bigfoot) sightings in southern British Columbia and Vancouver Island. Journalist Laura Krantz goes into the woods on the search for Bigfoot She interviews researchers and scientists, collects storytelling by Native Americans and eyewitness accounts (Sasquatch is stinky), bridging the gap between science and myth about this fascinating creature. Good for older kids. (Chapter book)

Tip: When you go for a hike in British Columbia forests, even the trees look like mysterious creatures.

 

 
the search for sasquatch
     
star and ravens legend  
Star and Raven's Legend
Patti Brooks Anderson

Star is a white bear cub in the Great Bear Rainforest, coming out in spring to explore. Her mother shows her how to find food, plays in the meadows, meets other wildlife – raven, gray wolves, sea otters, humpback whales. When the days grow shorter, they find a new den, and curl up for long winter's nap. Includes legend of why grandfather Raven created white bears. Beautifully illustrated. (Picture book)

And read A Voice for the Spirit Bears, about a teenage boy who started a youth organization to help protect endangered spirit bears. (Picture book)

 

     
Explore the Salish Sea
Joseph K. Gaydos,
Audrey DeLella Benedict

Learn about amazing life of the Salish Sea surrounding Vancouver Island orcas, giant pacific octopus, birds, salmon, gray whales, sea otters, wolf eels and more. Fabulous photos, a super nature guide. (Illustrated chapter book)

 

 
explore the salish sea
     
my vancouver sketchbook  
My Vancouver Sketchbook
Robert Perry, Greta Guzek

Explore Vancouver from a kid's eye view – Granville Island, English Bay, Stanley Park, Kitsilano, Science World, Chinatown, Horsehoe Bay, in short poetic descriptions (Picture book)

Round and round
From dawn until dusk
Everyone loves
to circle the park

 

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