Date nights are certainly harder after you have kids, but you don’t have to stay locked up indoors in the evenings now that you’re a mama. Here are some of our favourite picks for family date nights that will be fun for everyone in and around Vancouver.
Pizza Date Nights
Pizza is a natural choice for a family date night. Kids and parents love it, and if you have little ones you can let them nibble from your plate. Our two favourites are Rocky Mountain Flatbread Co., with two Vancouver locations, crayons, a play area, organic ingredients and gluten-free options. They also offer a kids’ menu and fun events like pizza-making nights.
Web: rockymountainflatbread.ca.
We also love Famoso – no surprise since we recently reviewed it – with their quick service style, authenticity, kids menu and the way they give your kids dough to play with while they wait. What’s not to love?
Web: (warning if you’ve got a sleeping baby – this site plays music!) famoso.ca
Catch a Play
If you want to get ambitious, you can take your family to the theatre. Carousel Theatre for Young People stages its shows on Granville Island, and it offers quality theatre created specifically for kids that parents will enjoy, too. For instance, Dot and Ziggy is geared for kids from newborn to age three and it runs June 2-14, 2015. The show is 40 minutes and includes a sensory tour. Other shows are aged at kids aged three and up or aged five and up, and while they are strict about their age limits, they also offer select all-ages shows so that younger siblings can tag along.
Web: carouseltheatre.ca
Partake of a Pastry
There are two Vancouver cafes that really stand out for their kid-friendly ways. While away a Saturday while your little ones nap or play and you enjoy coffee and pastry and grown-up conversation. In East Vancouver Sweet Salt Baked Goods & Playscapes has a name that says it all. This mom-run business has quickly gained a loyal following and for good reason, with its quality food, dedicated play area and family feel.
Web: www.sweetsalt.ca
On the West Side of Vancouver, Kokopelli Cafe is another mom-run business that caters to parents and kids alike. Their food is great, their play area is fun and their granola is hand-made in small batches.
Get Fit as a Family
Many gyms and rec centres offer child-minding services for a small fee, and they often accept very small babies. If you and your sweetie enjoy working up a sweat together make this one of your go-to family date nights. You can drop off your wee ones for an hour and enjoy some grown-up time while you work off the baby weight. GoodLife Fitnessoffers the JUMP! program engaging kids from 6 weeks to 12 years in fun and fitness.
Web: goodlifefitness.com/amenities/
The ubiquitous Steve Nash Fitness World offers child-minding at most locations for kids of all ages.
Web: snclubs.com/membership/child-minding
Another active option for your family date nights is to take a dip in the pool. Even babies enjoy this. Family change rooms make it much easier for modern mamas than for our parents back in the day. Our favourite family pool in Vancouver is Hillcrest Aquatic Centre with its universal change room, lazy river, sprays and water toys. Web: vancouver.ca/parks-recreation-