Kids' Stuff

Swimming, beachcombing, playground visits and attractions! Victoria has it all for kids.

Victoria has enough tourist attractions to delight the most energetic child: the Royal British Columbia Museum, Royal London Wax Museum, Miniature World, All-Fun Water Slides, Maritime Museum of BC, Pacific Undersea Gardens, Victoria Bug Zoo and Butterfly Gardens, to name just a few. But, for those vacation days when a slower pace is called for, other options are available.

For freshwater fun there are a number of lakes to choose from, but only Beaver Lake (on Highway 17, about 15 minutes from Victoria) has lifeguards. There are also numerous recreation centres offering wading and swimming pools.

The island's shoreline offers sandy beaches as well as crashing surf. For calm water swimming or sand castle building, Willows Beach in Oak Bay and Cadboro Bay Beach in Gordon Head are the most popular in Victoria. Each has a long stretch of sandy beach, a playground and washroom facilities.

For pebbled beaches, tidepools and a jumble of driftwood to clamber over, head to the Dallas Road waterfront (below Beacon Hill Park in downtown Victoria) or drive farther afield to Botanical Beach or China Beach, past the village of Sooke on Highway 14.

The Swan Lake Nature Sanctuary is a place that’s even more fun when it rains! Kids enjoy a wet walk around the floating boardwalk that surrounds the 100 acre park. The resident swans love to be fed and the Nature House will supply grain when asked.

Every third Sunday of the month from October to March, the art exhibitions at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria jump off the wall and into the hands and imaginations of young, aspiring artists. “Family Sundays” encourage the whole family to visit the Art Gallery and investigate materials or techniques related to the current exhibits.

Visit our Just for Kids section for other great ideas for kids and family fun.