As the mum of a toddler blessed with endless energy, finding the best playgrounds in Metro Vancouver was an important mission for me. And you know what’s one of the best perks of living here? The proximity of the ocean. It’s my happy place – walking on the ocean coast is my therapy. It’s my son’s happy place – playing near the water (or in the water in the summer!) is an activity he never gets bored with. Hence West Vancouver playgrounds have a special place in my heart, because they usually come with their own beach.
Honestly, West Vancouver doesn’t have as many playgrounds as other neighborhoods. But those few you find there are true gems! With beaches, coastal walkways or trails, they are great places for the family to spend a whole day. So here they come, the best West Vancouver playgrounds that I’m in love with. Okay, I’m in love with the ocean views and the beaches that are right by the playground. Mum’s happy, the little one’s happy.
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Ambleside Park playground & Ambleside Beach
When it comes to beach life on the North Shore, Ambleside Beach is the answer to almost everything. Long, sandy beach? Check. Fishing pier? Check. Oceanfront promenade? Check. Boat rental? Check. Good food? Check. Skate park, basketball courts, sport fields? Check, check, check. Playground? Of course!
Being one of the sandiest beaches on the North Shore, Ambleside Beach is a giant sandbox itself, but the playground behind it also offers a variety of play structures, mainly for young kids and toddlers. There are rope climbing structures, different kinds of swings (saucer swing, baby swing, belt swings), spinners and a cute wooden house. It has that strange slide made of metal bars that kids usually find fun, and I won’t ever understand why. Like the beach would not be enough, there’s a large sandbox with water, a little wooden boat and a dolphin shaped spring rider.
There are some trees, but the playground is far from being completely shaded. It might be a disadvantage in the summer, but rather an advantage in the rest of the year. And what do I, as a mum, love the most? I can watch the ocean sunset while pushing the swings.
- Parking: Ambleside Park parking lot (access from 13th Street)
- Washrooms? yes
- Picnic benches? yes
- Unique features: large sandbox with water and a tiny wooden boat
John Lawson Park playground & rocky bays
Walking from Ambleside Beach to John Lawson Park is an activity itself, offering me a scenic walk and my little one a chance to spot seagulls or practice biking on the oceanfront promenade. By the way, it’s often better to park in the huge lot behind Ambleside Beach and walk, than to hunt for a free spot in the much smaller parking lot behind John Lawson Park (which even has a time limit).
let’s play some music:
John Lawson Park playground is also located on the shore, with rocky bays and a small pier, and with nice views of Stanley Park and the Lions Gate Bridge. The playground itself is the coolest one in West Vancouver! It has a pirate ship-themed climbing structure with a slide, surrounded by a huge sandbox, a small wooden house and a water feature.
A splash pad separates the pirate ship-themed area from the rest of the playground: choo choo train for the little ones, treehouse and rope climbing structures for older kids, swings, slide and a music feature.
There are several picnic benches, some with prime ocean views. Those views can be enjoyed from the pirate ship-themed area, as well. There’s no beach as such, like Ambleside Beach, but the rocky bays are accessible, kids can play with smaller rocks and pebbles.
- Parking: John Lawson Park parking lot (access from Bellevue Avenue; time limit applies)
- Washrooms? yes
- Picnic benches? yes
- Unique features: pirate ship, choo choo train, treehouse, spray park
Dundarave Park Playground & Dundarave Beach
The highlight of Dundarave Park is the beach in the first place, Centennial Seawalk in the second, and yes, there’s a small playground, too, as an addition to all that. It consists of a few swings (baby swings and belt swings) and a wooden climbing structure.
Dundarave Beach is a sandy-pebbly beach, which is an exciting area for kids to play. Waves can be larger or smaller, depending on the tide and the wind, and you can find plenty of shells or even sea stars on the shore. (Observe them, but don’t collect them.)
From Dundarave Beach a few minutes walk on the Centennial Seawalk takes you to the small playground of Dundarave Preschool By The Sea. It can be used by anyone, and it has a small slide and a wooden boat.
- Parking: time limited street parking
- Washrooms? yes
- Picnic benches? yes
- Unique features: Centennial Seawalk
Whytecliff Park playground & Whytecliff Beach
Whytecliff Park is a fabulous coastal park in the westernmost area of West Vancouver. I’d say it’s a remote, peaceful park, but it’s only true on weekdays and outside of the summer months. The protected beach, perfect for swimming and a prime spot for scuba diving, and the impressive scenery makes Whytecliff Park very popular, with or without kids.
The playground is a nice place to start or end your time in this park. It’s right by the parking lot, but it doesn’t have ocean views. It’s not very big either, it has a few swings, climbing structures with a slide, a sandbox and a cute dinosaur-themed slide. It’s not the highlight of the park (not nearly as big as Ambleside Park or John Lawson Park playgrounds), but a nice addition.
You can walk to several scenic viewpoints on the coast, and also to Whytecliff Beach. The beach is mostly pebbly, which means throwing pebbles into the water for an unlimited amount of time for my 3-year-old. You can walk over to Whyte Islet at low tide. (Make sure to come back as the tide rises, because you can’t cross the rocky path when the water level is too high.) It’s a favorite resting spot of seals, and scrambling on the rocks is fun for older kids.
- Parking: Whytecliff Park parking lots
- Washrooms? yes
- Picnic benches? yes
- Unique features: Whyte Islet; viewpoints
Check out more playgrounds in Metro Vancouver:
- 10 Best Playgrounds In Vancouver
- 8 Best Playgrounds In North Vancouver
- Best Burnaby Playgrounds & Water Parks
Looking for even more fun activities to do with kids in British Columbia, Metro Vancouver and beyond? Click here to see some other places I explored with my son.
Also, being a full-time mom of a toddler meant quite a large amount of time on playgrounds, and we tested the ones not only in Vancouver, but also in Burnaby, West Vancouver and North Vancouver.
