BC Family Day in Victoria, BC

Lego fun in Sidney © Susie Henderson

From free skating to Lego building to cartoons in your PJs, there's plenty to keep your kids happy in and around Victoria over the 2014 BC Family Day weekend. And it needn't cost the earth either.

February Fox Fair, Fernwood
Kids and parents alike can rummage for locally designed and produced clothing, jewellery, pottery and children's stuff from over 30 vendors at this early spring craft fair. Snacks are on hand to keep tummies happy. $2 admission.

When: Friday 7 February, 5-9pm and Saturday 8 February, 10am-4pm at the Fernwood Community Centre, 1240 Gladstone Avenue
More info: facebook.com/februaryfoxfair

Family Fun Gym Time, Henderson Recreation Centre
Kick, whack or throw a ball at this action-packed gym evening. Challenge your kids to soccer, floor hockey or basketball and watch them burn off steam on the bouncy castle.

When: Friday 7 February, 5.15-7pm
More info: www.oakbay.ca/parks-recreation

Sidney Family Day Lego Weekend
This year's Lego extravaganza stretches to three days and promises to be a blockbuster (get it?) festival including Lego-building at the Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre, a professionally constructed Lego firetruck and mosaic, a treasure hunt, and Sidney Museum’s annual Lego exhibition. Most activities are free; usual admission applies to the Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre; museum entry is by donation.

When: Saturday 8 February - Monday 10 February
More info: www.sidneyfamilyday.ca

Royal BC Museum
Tuck your dollars away: admission is free at the Royal BC Museum this Family Day. Pop into the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition or take part in special nature-themed activities including bookmark-making, sketching and dressing up. Say cheese and gather your children around a mounted golden eagle for a family snap.
When: Monday 10 February, 10am-5pm
More info: royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/events/family-day-at-the-royal-bc-museum

Free Family Skate, Oak Bay Recreation Centre
Wobble or whizz your way round the ice at this afternoon skate session, another family freebie (rentals extra). Preschoolers can avoid being wiped out in a coned-off corner and weary kids can take a break at the colouring and craft station.

When: Monday 10 February, 1.30-3pm
More info: www.oakbay.ca/parks-recreation

Family Day, Cedar Hill Recreation Centre
At Cedar Hill, kids can fling themselves around inflatables, transform into tigers and princesses with face painting, and take home a balloon animal.

When: Monday 10 February, 1-3pm
More info: www.saanich.ca/parkrec

Family Day, Cedar Hill Golf Course
Shh, snow is in the forecast, but if it holds off, grab your clubs and tee off with your teens. After 12pm, children aged 11-16 can golf free with a paying adult at Cedar Hill.

When: Monday 10 February, 12-4pm
More info: www.saanich.ca

Jammies and Toons: Victoria Film Festival Family Day at the Vic Theatre
Slip into your favourite jim-jams, cosy up with your kids and settle back with a bowl of cereal to enjoy retro Loonie Tunes and oldies like The Cat Came Back. $7 admission.

When: Monday 10 February, 10am
More info: www.victoriafilmfestival.com

The Robert Bateman Centre
Head down to the Inner Harbour and check out Victoria's waterside gallery with a fun scavenger hunt. Admission is free for kids under 18 on Family Day. Fill hungry bellies at the new Steamship Grill and Taphouse on the ground floor. (Top tip: if you don't have time to visit on Family Day, the Robert Bateman Centre is offering free admission to everyone on Wednesdays 5-9pm until 26 March 2014).

When: Monday 10 February
More info: batemancentre.org

Victoria, BC for kids

Market Square, Victoria

British Columbia's capital city, Victoria, lies on the southeastern tip of Vancouver Island. Downtown is compact and easy to explore on foot, with plenty of child-friendly attractions. Kids will love pottering around the harbour, peeking into shops in Chinatown's narrow Fan Tan Alley or munching snacks in historic Market Square. Here are a few highlights:

Royal BC Museum
This outstanding museum offers an intriguing insight into British Columbia's people, history and nature. You can step inside a First Nations house, wander along a turn-of-the-century street, or find yourself face-to-face with a grizzly bear. There's a fun kids' zone with magnifying glasses, books and dressing-up outfits. Outside, gaze up at a collection of intricately carved totem poles in Thunderbird Park. The museum boasts an IMAX cinema too.

Cost: C$16 for adults; C$10.15 for children aged 6 to 18; free for children under 6.
More info: www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca

Victoria Bug Zoo
Encounter the world of insects and spiders in probably the smallest zoo you've ever visited. Specialist and genuinely passionate bug guides divulge the secrets of the zoo's residents, introducing you to millipedes, scorpions and cockroaches as well as Canada's largest ant farm. If you're feeling brave, you can allow a stick insect to saunter up your arm or a tarantula to tickle your palm.

Cost: C$9 for adults; C$7 for children aged 12 to 18; C$6 for children aged 3 to 11; free for children under 3.
More info: www.bugzoo.bc.ca

Beacon Hill Children's Farm

Beacon Hill Children's Farm
The wonderful Beacon Hill Park is a short walk from Victoria's harbour and a great spot for little travellers to run off steam. The park's petting zoo is a toddler's dream, with goats, pigs, miniature horses, alpacas and hens among its inhabitants. The baby animals in particular are a big hit - on our visit, our kids could barely contain their excitement when they spotted 11-day-old piglets.

Cost: By donation.
More info: www.beaconhillchildrensfarm.ca

Whale watching
Float on the ocean with resident orcas J-pod, K-pod and L-pod. The Prince of Whales Ocean Magic Cruiser boat travels as fast as a zodiac, but offers a nice heated indoor cabin to keep your kids toasty (and safe). On-board naturalists fill you in on who's who, including a 100-year-old granny whale. We spotted J-pod and L-pod splashing along the shore of San Juan Island, across the water in the USA.

Cost: C$100 for adults; C$90 for children aged 13 to 17; C$80 for children aged 5 to 12; free for children under 5.
More info: www.princeofwhales.com

Victoria International Buskers Festival

Victoria International Buskers Festival
Over 10 days in July, Victoria welcomes a quirky selection of the world's best busking acts, including contortionists, comedians, acrobats and jugglers. Performers rotate across multiple stages dotted around the harbour and Downtown. Our kids were entranced and especially loved it when Daddy was roped in as an assistant during one show. The next festival takes place from 20-29 July 2012.

Cost: Free, but buskers welcome tips.
More info: www.victoriabuskers.com

Where to stay: The Parkside Victoria Resort & Spa has modern, stylish suites with full kitchens, plus indoor pool, spa, rooftop gardens and its own cinema showing kids' films.