Travel with Little Ones is Easy on a Kid-Approved Trip to Surrey, British Columbia

Family travel with little ones can be tricky. There is a lot to manage, from packing everything to planning travel around their needs and schedules.

One of the trickiest parts is finding a destination that will keep them happy and interested the whole time, all while making sure the rest of the family can have fun, too. That’s where British Columbia’s Surrey comes in, offering plenty of family-friendly fun catered specifically to make sure families enjoy this welcoming Canadian city.

Located in the Pacific Northwest, the climate is ideal year-round thanks to its mild winters and cooler summers. It is one of the fastest-growing cities in Canada and extremely popular with young families thanks to its weather, global diversity and plenty of ways to enjoy the beautiful nature so abundant in this corner of the world.

The area was once part of a 5,000-acre old growth forest cut down in 1929, only to become the home of reforestation for British Columbia the following year when BV Forest Service committed to replanting a portion of the forest. Today, that reforestation project is known as Green Timbers Urban Forest, a 452-acre area that includes wetlands, hiking trails and a beautiful lake.

Green Timbers is home to Surrey Nature Centre, designed to teach kids of all ages about the importance of having, maintaining and respecting green spaces in our neighborhoods. Families can walk many trails, getting up close and personal with the beauty of Mother Nature on their own or with a virtual or guided nature tour.

The forest is ideal for wildlife viewing with plenty of birdwatching opportunities, and you can borrow an activity backpack or fishing rod from the nature center to have a more in-depth experience. Inside the center, kids can watch a nature puppet show, use microscopes to view samples from the forest or spend some time with the nature books on hand.

In addition to exploring the urban forest, the city has plenty of great ways to keep kids happy and entertained around town, like Birdies and Buckets Family Golf Center, where the whole family can enjoy a variety of golfing options for different skill levels.

With fall colors creeping in, this is the perfect time to experience another of Surrey’s great kid-friendly experiences the whole family can enjoy — many pumpkin farms. With the fall harvest ripening and Halloween just around the corner, pumpkins are just about everywhere, and local farms like Gabriel Farms, home of Hazelmere Pumpkin Patch, await. Each year, this family-friendly farm welcomes kids of all ages to visit for a picnic lunch and a day of meeting farm animals, exploring the corn maze and taking wagon rides. Even if you’re on vacation and don’t plan on picking pumpkins, Hazelmere provides great fall fun for everyone and a chance to discover “kid-approved” Surrey.