Editor’s note: I’m not affiliated with Kidsworld—we just love the program and its mission, and want to help spread the word!
September 2020 update
As a result of COVID-19, Kidsworld will not be continuing this year. Hopefully it will return in the future.
We love Kidsworld! (So much so that I’ve mentioned the program in previous posts, and feature the events we attend on my Instagram feed.)
Before I started my blog, I could only spread the word about Kidsworld through word-of-mouth. But now I have a blog and multiple social media accounts—so it’s time for a full review!
What we love about Kidsworld
Kidsworld is an amazing program that makes it easy and affordable for our family to get out and have fun together. If you live in the Vancouver area, you have to check it out!
My sister and I have four kids between us (aged 7, 10, 11, and 14*) and they all love Kidsworld. This is our third year in the program, and we still get so much value out of our passes. Every year, there are new events and activities, and plenty of old favourites to return to.
We’ve already had countless one-of-a-kind experiences with Kidsworld… and the memories just keep building!
*Kid 1 is officially too old for Kidsworld, but the age limits (4–13) are flexible. Unless specifically stated, most events can accommodate kids who are a little younger or older.
How does Kidsworld work?
- Each Kidsworld pass gives one child and one accompanying adult free access to the Kidsworld events.
- The adult can be anyone (a parent, grandparent, friend, caregiver) and can be a different person each time.
- All you need to do is show up during the hours listed on the Kidsworld schedule and present your card(s).
- Some events have age, space, or time limitations and are reservation-only. That means you need to log into the Kidsworld site to reserve spot(s) in advance.
- Kidsworld passes also give you discounts on a variety of family-friendly events and attractions
What types of passes does Kidsworld offer?
There are two main types of Kidsworld passes: Summer and 44.
Kidsworld Summer Passes
- Summer passes are valid through July and August.
- You can choose a yellow or green summer pass.
- The yellow pass is aimed slightly more towards families in Vancouver, Burnaby, and the North Shore.
- The green pass is aimed slightly more towards families in Surrey and Richmond.
- Generally, there’s one Kidsworld Summer event each summer day (though some days have none and others include two).
Kidsworld 44 Passes
- 44 passes are valid for the 44 weeks of the school year from September to June.
- Generally, there’s one Kidsworld 44 event each weekend.
How much does Kidsworld cost?
Each pass costs $60 + GST (as of July 2019). Typically, we make the money back on our passes after just two or three events! This summer alone, we’ll receive all these admissions for free:
- Cultus Lake Adventure Park: $29 x 3 = $87
- Eagle Acres Dairy Farm tour: $9 x 3 = $27
- Canadian Museum of Flight: $25
- Project Climbing: $16 x 2 = $32
- Reifel Bird Sanctuary: $5 + $3 x 2 = $11
- Krause Berry Farms Fresh Family Fun Field: $2.50 + $5 x 2 = $12.50
- Taves Family Farm Applebarn: $7.50 + $10.95 x 2 = $29.40
- Birdies and Buckets driving range: $10 x 2 = $20
- Grandview Lanes bowling: $5.99 x 3 = $17.97
- TOTAL: $261.87
After subtracting the $120 we paid for two passes, we’ll receive $141.87 in added value for free! Additionally, if we’d attended all of the events, that’d be another $150 or more in value!
And there’s more!
There are many Kidsworld events that are no-charge, but only accessible through the program. Some of these include behind-the-scenes tours, special presentations, and trial classes for kids’ activities.
Even more: Kidsworld memberships give you access to a variety of discounts and freebies (see the next section for more info).
What discounts does Kidsworld offer?
Some current and past discounts and freebies from Kidsworld include:
- Vancouver Canucks tickets.
- Whitecaps tickets.
- Movie sneak previews.
- PNE admission.
- Abbotsford Airshow admission.
- Anvil Island and Keats summer camps.
Is Kidsworld worth it?
Even if you only make it to a couple of events, you’ll have paid for your passes… but it’s not hard to get a lot more value than that!
We usually make it to about a third of the Kidsworld events—which means we more than double the value of our passes. If we went to every event, we could triple or quadruple our value. Further, if we used a few of the discounts, that could easily add up to 5 or 6x the value!
So I’d say YES, Kidsworld passes are worth it!
Additionally, Kidsworld passes are ‘worth it’ in the sense that these family experiences are priceless. I can’t imagine a better way to spend our summers and weekends with our kids. Kidsworld has made family fun so magical and memorable for us.
Can you list some favourite Kidsworld events?
It’s hard to play favourites—we’ve enjoyed every Kidsworld event we’ve ever been to! Here are some that really stand out:
- Paddling a Dragon Boat on False Creek with Gift of Life.
- Going on a flying trapeze at Westcoast Flying Trapeze.
- Touring Rogers Arena.
- Touring the CBC studios in downtown Vancouver.
- Going behind-the-scenes at YVR.
- Bouncing on the trampolines at (the now-closed) SkyZone.
- Bouncing, climbing, and tumbling at Apex Adventureplex.
- Visiting the goats and baby chicks at Goats Pride Dairy Farm.
- Playing with Squishy and Sophie the farm dogs at Eagle Acres Dairy Farm.
- Oohing and ahhing at the LEGO creations at BrickCan.
- Playing mini golf and arcade games at Castle Fun Park.
I could go on and on! We’ve seen and done so much thanks to Kidsworld. I really can’t say enough about how awesome these passes are!
Note: Some of the events listed above are from previous years and may not be part of the current Kidsworld program.
I’m sold! How do I buy a pass?
Visit the Kidsworld site for all the details. It’s a quick, easy process to order and receive your passes. Kidsworld Summer 2019 passes are still available and Kidsworld 44 passes for the school year are already being sold.
Each pass is $60 plus GST, but if you purchase both together, you’ll save $5.
A special mention
Before I finish my review, I have to give a shout-out to Brian Dean, the director of Kidsworld. In short: we love Brian. He’s what makes Kidsworld run, and he’s amazing at it.
Brian works tirelessly to make this program incredible, and we can’t thank and commend him enough for all his effort. (He’s also a super-nice and friendly guy; always ready with a smile and endless patience.)
You’re the best Brian!
My final thoughts
If you have a kid (or several) join Kidsworld now. I promise you it’s worth every penny! After one or two events, I can pretty much guarantee you’ll be raving about it to everyone you know.
Let me know if you end up becoming a Kidsworld member! I’d love to know what you think and what your family enjoyed the most.
Support this blog
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As always, however you show your support for this blog—THANK YOU!
10 Comments
The Twin
August 12, 2019 at 9:05 amYay for this post! Yay for Kidsworld and Brian! 🎉 Kidsworld and Brian have been such a constant part of our lives over these last 3 years, I’ll be so sad when our kids are too old for the program. 😢
Kidsworld has definitely fulfilled its mission with our two families. Chrissy, our kids, and I spend a lot of time together at Kidsworld events. 😁 We build most of our summer around Kidsworld; and, during the school year, the weekend events give us something to look forward to, and a break in the routine.
We have so many cherished memories together because of Kidsworld. There’s really nothing else like it for bringing families together to do SO many fun, varied experiences.
Thank you Brian!! 👏 And a huge thank you to all the participating organizations for so generously inviting families into your spaces. You’ve given us countless hours of quality family time and taken us to so many new places around Vancouver and beyond!
Chrissy
August 12, 2019 at 3:46 pmI also dread the day when my kids are too old for Kidsworld. As it stands, Kid 1 already is… but we’ll stay in the program as long as we can!
Ana
August 12, 2019 at 11:43 amWhat a great deal! Sounds like an amazing program and the price is phenomenal. It’s like having a camp counselor set out your summer activities for you 🙂
Chrissy
August 12, 2019 at 3:44 pmThat’s such a great way to put it Ana. It really is like having a camp counselor for the whole family! Do you have anything similar in Florida?
Ana
August 12, 2019 at 5:26 pmWe have lots of attractions and outdoor activities but not in a neat package for that great price. Just love the idea of a list of fun things for the kids. And exploring new places.
Looks like you have great fun ahead of you next summer!
Chrissy
August 12, 2019 at 11:38 pmI bet you have an abundance of activities to go to in Florida. It really does help to have it all scheduled in advance—makes it really hard to just stay home!
PhiaFreedom101
August 13, 2019 at 2:36 pmThis looks like such a great program! We are definitely going to have to give it a try!!! Thanks Chrissy!
Chrissy
August 14, 2019 at 10:54 pmIt’s so worth the money!
GYM
August 16, 2019 at 1:16 amWhat a deal! I will definitely buy this when we start being eligible in a few years.
Chrissy
August 16, 2019 at 10:19 pmI wish I’d found out about it when my kids were younger. Toddler GYM will have so much fun!