Hi friends!
So. We took our 5-year-old to the dentist. The dentist gave her oral hygiene a "Fair" rating (a B-minus, basically) and asked how we help her brush.
We said, proudly, that she's been doing it herself for about a year now.
Dentist: full panic. “NO NO NO. You need to do it for her until at least 7 or 8.”
…Seven or EIGHT?!
Anyway, I nodded like a responsible adult and mentally filed that under “Bedtime is already a hostage negotiation.” But now I’m curious where everyone else lands. Scroll to the bottom for today’s ‘Let’s Settle This.’
But first: The Weekend at a Glance
The Weather: ☀️ Sunny with Fog Patches (Fri–Sun). Blue skies, highs of 6°C, but expect some fog rolling in at times. Beautiful but cold — dipping to -2°C overnight.
Option 1: The Main Event
⛏️ Discovery Day: Free STEM Fun at the Convention Centre
The Gist: Pan for gold. Touch billion-year-old rocks. Try VR mine modelling. Meet mascots. Eat popcorn. This is not a drill — it’s a free, indoor science playground downtown.
Why it wins
✅ Indoors + big venue (rain-proof)
✅ Hands-on STEM stuff (not just wandering around)
✅ Free + no registration required
The Parent Specs
📍 Where: Vancouver Convention Centre East (999 Canada Place)
⏰ When: Sun, Jan 25 • 10 AM–2 PM
👶 Ages: Recommended 4–12 (but fun for all)
🚽 Potty: Easy (Convention Centre = reliable washrooms)
💸 Cost: Free (no tickets / registration required)
What’s actually there
🥇 Pan for gold with Yukon Dan
🦴 Fossils + ancient rocks
🥽 VR mine modelling with VRIFY
🎨 Face painting, balloon twisting, colouring sheets
🍿 Popcorn + cotton candy
🐾 Mascots: Buddy & Betty the Miners + Spike (Whitecaps)
The Move
Arrive at 10 AM and aim for a 90-minute lap. You’ll beat the lunch-hour crowd and leave while everyone’s still happy.
Why It Matters
It’s free, weather-proof, and feels like a legit outing. Kids get their “how does the world work?” fix, and you get a structured Sunday plan.
Option 2: The "Low Drag" Play
🎨 Studio Saturday at Kerrisdale Library
The Gist: Free. Drop-in. Art supplies provided. Three magic words for a Saturday afternoon.
Why it wins
✅ Zero prep
✅ Indoors
✅ The mess stays… not in your house
The Parent Specs
🎨 What: Studio Saturday (hands-on art activities)
⏰ When: Sat, Jan 24 • 2:00–3:00 PM
📍 Where: Kerrisdale Branch Library (West Blvd)
🧒 Who: Grades K–7 (school-age)
🚽 Potty: Easy (library washrooms)
💸 Cost: Free (drop-in)
The Move
⏳ Aim for 1:45 PM to snag a spot (these fill up fast). Then make it a “we left the house” double-header: Faubourg or Honolulu Coffee after. ☕️🥐
Why It Matters
Free, drop-in weekend stuff for the 5+ crowd is weirdly hard to find. This gets them out, uses their brains, and keeps the glitter… at the library where it belongs. ✨
Option 3: The Wildcard
🍴 Street Food City is Back (With a Tent This Time)
The Gist: Dine Out Vancouver is here. And while a three-course sit-down with a toddler sounds like an extreme sport, a food truck fest where dropped fries become pigeon theatre? That’s more our speed.
Why it wins
✅ Everyone picks their own food (no negotiations)
✅ Tented seating (rain insurance)
The Parent Specs
🍴 What: Street Food City XIV
⏰ When: Jan 22–25, 2026
Thu–Fri: 11 AM–3 PM
Sat–Sun: 11 AM–5 PM
📍 Where: šxʷƛ̓ənəq Xwtl’e7énk Square (Vancouver Art Gallery Plaza)
💸 Cost: Free entry (pay for what you eat)
🚽 Potty: Pacific Centre is the reliable backup (2–3 min walk)
The Move
Skip the downtown parking spiral. Take the Canada Line to Vancouver City Centre and pop up basically at the plaza. Bonus: Thu/Fri usually feels less hectic than weekend.
Why It Matters
One stop, a bunch of options, covered seating. It’s a choose-your-own-adventure lunch that still counts as an outing.
BONUS: GROWN-UP CORNER
🌌 Sunset Meditation at the Planetarium (Adults Only)
File this under: things you did before kids. But also: things you can do again if you line up a sitter.
The Gist: Meditate under the stars in the planetarium with a soothing visual journey (Grand Canyon → North Pole), then stay for a talk on mindfulness + resilience. (H.R. MacMillan Space Centre)
The Parent Specs
📍 Where: H.R. MacMillan Space Centre (Vanier Park)
⏰ When: Fri, Jan 23 • 7:30–9:30 PM
💸 Cost: Ticketed (prices vary by tier/fees)
The Move
Plan it like an actual reset: comfy clothes, early arrival buffer, and no ambitious Saturday morning plans.
Why It Matters
A Friday night that makes you feel better by 9:30 PM—no noisy bar, no small talk, no “just one more episode.” Just a quiet dome and a nervous system reboot.
HEADS UP: PLAN AHEAD
🎭 Kids Take Over UBC (Tickets on Sale Jan 22 @ 9am)
This is your official "set a phone alarm" notice.
Kids Take Over UBC is back for Family Day weekend — a full-day, choose-your-own-adventure festival across the entire UBC campus. We're talking Museum of Anthropology, Beaty Biodiversity Museum, UBC Opera, live music stages, ice cream science, KPop dance parties, and 20+ campus partners doing family programming all day.
It sells out. Every year.
The Facts
📅 When: Sun, Feb 15, 2026 (10 AM–5 PM)
📍 Where: UBC Vancouver campus
👧 Ages: All ages (best for ~3–12)
💸 Cost (before taxes/fees): $12/child (0–12), $23/adult-youth (13+)
🎟️ Tickets on sale: Jan 22 at 9 AM (General Public)
The Move
Set an alarm for 8:55 AM. Buy tickets first, then plan: pick 2 anchor activities and leave the rest as wandering time.
Why It Matters
This is one ticket that can cover an entire day out—world-class venues + live performances + hands-on learning—without you having to invent the fun.
📊 Let's Settle This!
At what age did (or will) you stop brushing your kid's teeth for them?
Got one friend who’d love this?
Forward this to them and save them an hour of doom-scrolling “what should we do this weekend?”
We’ve got this!
Saba Yazdani
The Cambie Memo
