Climbing the Walls

Winters in Vancouver are known for setting rainfall records. Add this year’s La Nina to the picture, and you’ll find even the most ardent outdoor enthusiasts are looking for respite from their soggy slickers and muddy boots.

Thankfully, there are several great indoor playgrounds to choose from. So whether you have a winter birthday party to plan, or children with energy to burn, check out these kid-friendly rock-climbing gyms.

The Cliffhanger Climbing Gym is Vancouver’s largest indoor rock-climbing facility with over 15,000 square feet of climbing terrain and 53 top ropes. Welcoming climbers as young as six years of age, there are beginner classes and drop-in times available at their Vancouver, Coquitlam and Richmond facilities. Kids seven and up love their Vertical Birthdays.

Laserdome Plus is North Vancouver’s newest amusement facility. In addition to rock climbing, this entertainment multiplex also boasts Glow-in-the-Dark Laser Tag (recommended for ages six and up), a pressure-sensitive Light Space (like tag, only the moving light on the floor is ‘It’), a 24-foot tall Space Jungle complete with a slide, rope walkways and a clubhouse for kids 10 and under (make sure to wear socks), and three party rooms with party leaders to keep everything flowing smoothly. 

Also on the North Shore, the Edge Climbing Centre has over 15,000 square feet of vertical climbing surface. Families are welcome here with no minimum age requirement. Birthday parties offer a 3:1 ratio of climbers to staff, which is the highest of any facility in the Lower Mainland. We like that they have a party room where you can serve cake and refreshments so there’s no mess to bring home.

So let them shake their sillies out and rock on indoors. Tested by Nancy C., Vancouver

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