100 epic adventures to do with your kids this Summer!

This list is organized from North to South and…

⭐ There are coupons! Please show this list (screen grab works) to your host at the business to redeem.

⬜ Shuswap River Float -ENDERBY Make sure water levels are safe!

⬜ Memorial Park Outdoor Pool and Splashpad -ARMSTRONG

⬜ SplashDown Waterslides -VERNON

⬜ Kalamalka Beach -VERNON

⬜ Got Wake Chartered Wakesurfing -VERNON

⬜ Holy Doodle Sailing Charters -KELOWNA

⬜ Hydrofly Rocket Boots -KELOWNA Fun for bigger kids

⬜ Wibit -KELOWNA, PEACHLAND, PENTICTON & OSOYOOS

⬜ Pention Channel Float -PENTICTON

⬜ Skaha Lake Park -PENTICTON

Beyond the Okanagan boundary:

⬜ Crazy Creek Hot Pools -REVELSTOKE

👉🏻 For local beaches, head -HERE-

👉🏻 More splash pads and outdoor pools -HERE-

⬜ Enderby Cliffs -ENDERBY This is a great hike with older children.

⬜ Miska Haven Glamping B&B -ENDERBY

⬜ Mount Rose Swanson -ARMSTRONG

⬜ Get Lost Glamping Adventure -ARMSTRONG

⬜ Silver Star Mountain Resort -SILVER STAR

⬜ Echo Lake Fishing Resort -LUMBY

⬜ Rail Trail -VERNON to KELOWNA

⬜ Beaver Lake Fishing Resort -LAKE COUNTRY

⬜ Fintry Waterfalls -WEST SIDE

⬜ Christie Falls -WEST SIDE

⬜ Myra Canyon Trestles -KELOWNA

⬜ Crawford Waterfalls -KELOWNA

⬜ Chute Lake Lodge -NARAMATA

⬜ Vaseux Lake Bird Observatory -OKANAGAN FALLS

Beyond the Okanagan boundary:

⬜ SkyTrek Adventure Park -REVELSTOKE

⬜ The Enchanted Forrest -REVELSTOKE

⬜ The Small Axe Roadhouse -ENDERBY

⭐ Free kids slushie with the purchase of a menu item!

⬜ Pink Rock Ice Cream Shoppe -ARMSTRONG

⭐ Buy one get one 50% off!

⬜ Smoke’s Poutinerie -KELOWNA

⬜ Okanagan Beach Club Tacos and Margaritas/Slushies -WEST SIDE

⬜ Tickleberry’s Ice Cream -OK FALLS

⬜ Osoyoos Candy Store -OSOYOOS

Beyond the Okanagan Boundary:

⬜ D Duchmen Dairy -SICAMOUS

👉🏻 Check out more Ice Cream Shops -HERE-

⬜ Starlight Drive-In Movie Theatre -ENDERBY

⬜ Little Om Yoga in the Orchard -LAKE COUNTRY

⬜ Lunch or Dinner Lake Cruise -KELOWNA

⬜ Bbq Boat -KELOWNA

⬜ IPE Aug 31- Sept 4 -ARMSTRONG

⬜ Sunflower Festival Aug 18- Sept 5 -ARMSTRONG

⬜ Davison Orchards -VERNON Take quarters for the animal-feed machine.

⬜ O’Keefe Ranch -VERNON

⬜ Yoga with Goats -VERNON

⬜ Cowboy Poetry Music Festival July 29-31 -VERNON

⬜ Kangaroo Creek Farm -KELOWNA

⬜ Covert Farms Kid’s Tour & Tasting -OLIVER

Beyond the Okanagan Boundary:

⬜ BC Wildlife Park -KAMLOOPS

👉🏻 For our big list of farms, click -HERE-!

⬜ Canadian Wildlife Museum -VERNON

⭐Free kids popsicle with the purchase of entry!

⬜ Okanagan Science Centre -VERNON

⬜ Colour Drop Design Silk Scarf Making -VERNON to KELOWNA

⬜ Oyama Zipline Adventure Park -LAKE COUNTRY

⬜ Myra Canyon Adventure Park - KELOWNA

⬜ Falcons Baseball Home Games -KELOWNA

⬜ Okanagan Adventure Park -JOE RICH

⬜ Safari Ridge Paint Ball -WEST KELOWNA

⬜ Zipzone -PEACHLAND

⬜ Kartplex -OLIVER

⬜ Scandia - KELOWNA

⬜ Loco Landing -PENTICTON

⬜ Rattlesnake Canyon -OSOYOOS

… 🛠 More is coming! We’re working on it riiiight now!

Vernon Winter Carnival knows how to Celebrate February!

~ Guest blog submitted by The Vernon Winter Carnival.

Since 1961, our mission has been to foster community spirit and promote Vernon as a Winter Destination through a 10-day Winter Festival. Vernon Winter Carnival offers a unique winter experience that is inclusive to all. We strive to bring our community together through fun events and activities that keep us connected through shared experiences.

📸 Vernon Morning Star

📸 Vernon Morning Star

Through honoured Carnival traditions and exciting new opportunities, residents and visitors get to show their community spirit— to show the true Carnival spirit.

As a non-profit society we rely on your continued support to help us achieve our vision to be leaders in community spirit and engagement, not only during Vernon Winter Carnival, but year round. 

This year Vernon Winter Carnival Celebrates the 62nd Annual winter festival - presented by Valley First! From Feb 4-13 events will take place through-out the city - in person and virtually as we continue to navigate the ever changing world of COVID-19. All events held during Vernon Winter Carnival will take place under the most current Public Health Orders from the PHO. 

New events this year include the Winter Playground happening at the DND Grounds every day of Carnival Feb 4-13. The Playground will feature an Ice Palace, family-friendly winter activities and entertainment. A daily activity schedule and tickets for the Winter Playground can be found online at:

👉🏻 vernonwintercarnival.com/events

In addition to the new Winter Playground event the festival will also welcome back the Vernon Winter Carnival Parade Feb 5th, Snow Sculptures at Silver Star Mountain, the Polar Bear Swim and many more outdoor events.

Many third party events will also go forward including virtual events with Planet Bee and the Greater Vernon Museum and Archives, outdoor and indoor events at O’Keefe Ranch, Chocolate Classes with Cotton’s Chocolates and an outdoor scavenger hunt with the Downtown Vernon Association, just to name a few. 

Event tickets  can be purchased online at vernonwintercarnival.com/events  by phone at 250-545-2236 or in person from the Vernon Winter Carnival Office 3401 35 Ave – open Monday-Friday 9am-5pm and Saturday 10am-3pm. 

75+ Kid-Friendly things to do this Winter

FROM NORTH TO SOUTH!

🔴 Vaccine Cards for ages 12+ required only where noted. For more information click here. Many activities are running at limited capacity, you may need to reserve a spot before you go.

- ENDERBY -

• Visit the Courtyard Art Gallery.

• Check out Soapolallie Soapworks.

• Grab pancakes or quesadillas at Hungry Jack’s.

• Stay at Miska Haven’s woodsy cabin or yurt.

- ARMSTRONG -

• Shop new and used at Sea Star Kids Boutique.

• Toboggan at Armstrong Elementary School’s famous hill.

• Have a sundae at Pink Rock Ice Cream Shoppe. HOT TIP: Sundaes on Sundays are only $5.

• Grab soup and a giant cookie from The Wild Oak Cafe.

• 🔴Roller skate at Hassen Arena every Friday night. Vaccine Card Required

- VERNON -

• Taste honey and visit the bees at Planet Bee.

• Buy some new-to-you books at the Alpine Centre Book Warehouse for only $1.

• Pick from over 200 board games to play at The Boarding House Cafe.

• Shop for new-to-you clothing and toys at Little Plum Children’s Boutique.

• Grab traditional pizza and gelato at La Carraia.

• Learn something new at the Okanagan Science Centre. HOT TIP: Yearly family passes are only $75 and includes FREE admission to 28 other Science Centres and Museums in Canada.

• 🔴Paint something pretty at Colour Time Ceramics. Vaccine Card Required.

• Have stuffed french toast at EATology.

• Bring your remote control truck to Make My Fun and drive their indoor crawler track.

• Visit the critters at AJ’s Pets & Things.

• 🔴Drop in to do some rock climbing at The Rock Garden. Vaccine Card Required

• Spend the night at the Vernon Lodge. They have a live indoor jungle complete with river and swimming pool. *Vaccine card required for the restaurant.

• Head to Vernon Teach and Learn & Lollipop Lane for take-home activities, fresh made waffle cones and a wall of Jelly Belly flavours.

- SILVERSTAR -

• Whip down the mountain at Tube Town.

• Ride the Gondola and take in breath taking views.

• Skate 2.5 acres of Brewer’s Pond. Skate rentals available for $12.

• Turn the kids loose on mini snowmobiles.

• Go for a ski. Kids 5 and under are free!

• Have hot coco and snacks at Town Hall or Tube Town Cafe & Bar.

- LAKE COUNTRY -

• Drop-in at the Lake Country Play Cafe on Tuesdays.

• Grab snacks and hot drinks at Lake Country Coffee House.

• Bundle up and play at Beasley Park.

• Wander the Rail Trail and Pelmewash Parkway. With enough energy, you can do a full loop around the lake.

• Visit some exotic critters at Lake Country Pet.

- KELOWNA -

• Jump on giant inflatable bouncers and climb around on the play structure at Jump 2 It. Plus a toddler area for little ones!

• Enjoy a Moolix ice cream cone at their McCurdy location.

• Go indoor jungle themed mini golfing or play the arcade at Scandia.

• Experience virtual reality at the Arcadia Virtual Reality Lounge.

• Your kids are going to love EnergyPlex - there’s a 4 level indoor playground, rock climbing, laser tag, an aerial park and arcade.

• Play some extreme glow-in-the-dark laser tag at Planet Lazer.

• Jump that energy out at Airhouse where there’s enough trampolines to tire out any active kid (and their parents too!).

• Skate downtown at Stuart Park.

• Pick out some brand new books to read at Once Upon a Bookstore.

• 🔴Go climbing at Gneiss Climbing Gym. Ages 3+. Vaccine Card Required

• 🔴Hop in the pool at H2O Adventure & Fitness Centre. There’s a wave pool, water slides, spray area and a surf wave simulator. Vaccine Card Required

• Paint pottery at Work of Art Pottery Studio.

• Have a Breakfast Bento Box from J’s Cafe.

• Visit the Okanagan Heritage Museum and learn a little history about the area.

• Work together as a family and escape at Exit Kelowna.

• Loadza Toys is Kelowna’s best toys and games store! Pick out some new stuff to keep them occupied at home.

• Shop East Kelowna Market.

• Visit Farming Karma for fruit sodas and porch swings.

- BIG WHITE -

• Hit up the Tube Park and slide like a maniac.

• Skate the giant outdoor rink.

• Ski the slopes. Kids 5 and under are free!

- WEST KELOWNA -

• Snow shoe and toboggan at Telemark Nordic Club.

• Play indoors at Just 4 Fun PlayCentre. There’s a bouncy castle, soft play merry go round and a 20 ft inflatable slide.

• Try bannock at Kekuli Cafe Indigenous Cuisine.

• Go for a treat at Bliss Bakery.

- SUMMERLAND -

• Taste authentic Canadian maple syrups at Maple Roch and grab an ice cream.

• Grab a smoothie, lunch and baked goods from The Beanery Cafe.

• Go birding in the Ornamental Gardens.

- PENTICTON -

• Enjoy a coffee while the kids play at Busy Beans Play Cafe. Great for ages 0 - 7.

• Drop in for gymnastics at Springers Gymnastics Adventures. These guys prefer cash :)

• Head down to the Penticton Virtual Reality Studio to play games and experience new things in VR.

• Have ice cream and cake at Ogos. Everything’s bright and colourful, the kids will love it.

• Drop in and try parkour at Ethos Parkour & Movement.

• 🔴Choose from over 500 board games to play at Meeples and Milkshakes Board Game Cafe and make sure to have a milkshake too. Vaccine Card Required

• 🔴Climb the walls at Hoodoo Adventures’ climbing gym. Vaccine Card Required

- APEX -

• Skate through the forest on a 1km loop.

• Blast down the hill in the tube park.

• Grab some crinkle fries at the Cafeteria.

- NARAMATA -

• Rent a cabin at Chute Lake Lodge.

• Hike Naramata Waterfalls.

- KEREMEOS -

• 🔴Hit up the Similkameen Recreation Centre and enjoy 5 pin bowling and an indoor climbing wall. Vaccine Card Required

• Grab some comfort food and pie at The Ranch.

Did we miss anything good? Comment below!

Stay tuned… we have more coming!

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Need more stuff to do? 👇

Field of Screams is Undead for 2021

*submitted by Field of Screams*

What do zombies that roam the corn maze say? Grainnnnnns.

Field of Screams is back at O’Keefe Ranch for 2021 and this years theme? Zombies.

Grey-skinned, moaning, missing an eyeball and coming for you - Zombies are fear incarnate. Field of Screams: Zombie Apocalypse will feature the origin of the infection, the breakout hospital and even an overtaken amusement park! Enter the walking dead neighbourhood if you dare and protect your brains at all costs!

In a twist of events, the Field of Screams will harvest your soul in their first ever fourth maze: The Dark Maze. In previous years the event has hosted three mazes full of creepy actors and elaborate sets. This year, they have announced that they will be opening up a fourth and even more terrifying maze with no sets, no actors and no lights. we dare you to walk through without using your flashlight and only your imagination to keep you company.

Among other exciting changes, Field of Screams has announced that they will be beginning ticket sales early this year and will be limiting the tickets sold each night. This means, if you want to get in you better act fast! Tickets will go on sale August 1st, 2021 and can be found on their new website at www.fosokanagan.com.

The dates for this year’s Field of Screams are:

• October 1st & 2nd

• October 7th - 9th

• October 13th - 16th

• October 20th - 23rd

• October 27th - 30th

Gates will be open at 6:30pm and the event will run 7:00pm - 10:00pm each evening.

It will once again be hosted at Vernon’s O’Keefe Ranch.

Online Ticket Prices:

• $10 +GST Dark Maze Pass

• $15 +GST Single Maze Pass

• $30 +GST Double Maze Pass

• $45 +GST All Maze Pass

At The Gate Prices (if not sold out online):

• $15 Dark Maze Pass

• $20 Single Maze Pass

• $35 Double Maze Pass

• $50 All Maze Pass

*Cheap Nights will be held on October 7th, 13th, 20th and 27th where you can get an All Maze Pass for only $30 +GST. This option is at the gate only.*

HOT TIP: Want to skip the line? Field of Screams offers a VIP option for an extra $20 per ticket. If you have ever attended the event, you know this is a must! Get your tickets before they’re sold out!

Follow Field of Screams on INSTAGRAM and FACEBOOK for more exciting updates and giveaways.

FREE Spring Break Birding Kits

Need something super cool to keep the kiddos occupied this Spring Break? The Regional Parks team is ready to help you get geared up and outside exploring this spring.

Stop into the Environmental Education Centre for the Okanagan (-map-) to pick up a birding kit. The kit includes foldable binoculars and a birding checklist.

Then choose a Regional Park (or two, or three…) to check off the birds you see! Check out the list of Regional Parks -here-

How many birds can your family find?

Environmental Education Centre Hours:

Tuesday - Sunday 10am - 3pm

**Please remember to keep everyone safe inside the Environmental Education Centre for the Okanagan. Masks and physical distancing are required. Please keep it to 5 customers a time inside their space.

Make sure you pick up your birding kit before March 28 when Spring Break ends!

Download Your FREE Nature Break Bingo Card

Alright, who's running out of ideas to keep the kiddos entertained?

Need something fun to do? That gets everyone outside of the house? Maybe your children will even get along for an hour or two?

We mean, no guarantees on that last one, it’s not a MAGIC card.

Luckily our friends at the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society: British Columbia Chapter have our children’s interest (and our sanity) in mind because they’ve created a FREE downloadable Nature Break Bingo Card that’s going to help you and your family get outside this weekend.

From their site:

“Did you know that time spent in awe of nature can help boost positive feelings and well-being? Spending time in nature improves mental and physical health. Playing in nature is critical for child development.”

Download your Bingo Card HERE

Share a photo or video while completing the Bingo Card for a chance to win a $50 Mountain Equipment Co-op gift card.

Tag @CPAWSBC on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter, with the hashtag #NatureBreak2020, or email us your photo or video at info@cpawsbc.org.

Please share this post on your social media so that all the exhausted parents can take advantage of this super fun outdoor activity (designed to tire your kids out). And please tag @dotheokanagan in your #NatureBreak2020 entries so we can see what you’re up to!

6 Fun Things To Do In Kelowna's Mission

By KRISTEN THOMPSON

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Looking to spend a lovely fall day in Kelowna? We spent a sunny, crisp Sunday in the Mission (part Lower, part Upper) with no plans whatsoever, seeing where the day took us. And man, did we have a great day! Follow along on our adventure, and check out these six great Mission-area spots:

1. Barn Owl Brewing

What: We started our Mission adventure by fuelling up at Kelowna’s newest (don’t quote me on that) brewery, Barn Owl Brewing. The kids were thrilled with the snack options (Munch Mix and pepperoni sticks?! YES!). The renovated heritage barn features an incredible, spacious upstairs with cozy seating, board games and even shuffle board. Plus there’s a patio!

FYI: Open 7 days a week. You can order in pizza from DunnEnzies across the street!

Where: 4629 Lakeshore Rd, KELOWNA (see map below)

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2. Don O Ray Farms

What: The kids have been begging us to get pumpkins, and since we’d never been to Don-O-Ray Farms before, this seemed like the perfect spot to stop. Right on Benvoulin, this family-run farm features a market with fresh produce and local groceries (we picked up fall veggies, butter chicken, and samosas!). In the fall, there are fresh-from-the-field pumpkins and decorative gourds. There’s also petting zoo and hedge maze as part of the Don O Ray Farm Adventure, but these attractions are seasonal.

FYI: The farm will be hosting a drop-in fall photoshoot event on Sunday, Oct. 22! More info here

Where: 3443 Benvoulin Road KELOWNA (see map below)

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3. Summerhill Pyramid Winery

What: Summerhill Pyramid Winery has been one of our family’s favourite spots since moving to Kelowna. The views are spectacular, there are games for the kids out front, the restaurant serves delicious, locally-sourced food, and we love their wine. Bonus: They’re passionate about organic and biodynamic farming.

FYI: Summerhill uses no animal byproducts in its wine-making, and is therefore vegan friendly. More info here.

Where: 4870 Chute Lake Road, KELOWNA (see map below)

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5. Quilchena Park

What: Hands down, Quilchena Park is our kids’ favourite playground in Kelowna. This amazing spot up in beautiful Kettle Valley has tons of play structures, is appropriate for toddlers all the way up to big kids, and has a giant tube slide! In the summer, the splash pad is a perfect way to keep cool.

FYI: We wrote more about this awesome park here.

Where: 5636 Jasper Way, KELOWNA (see map below)

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5. DunnEnzies Pizza

What: Pizza! On the patio! We’ve always loved DunnEnzies, and their Lower Mission location has an amazing outdoor patio underneath a lovely mature tree, overlooking a grassy lawn. We ordered breakfast pizza and tacos (all of which was delicious), and the kids loved playing in the grassy area.

FYI: Mission location is dog-friendly. You can also find DunnEnzies downtown, at Landmark, and at the Airport Village. More info here.

Where: ​4638 Lakeshore Rd, KELOWNA (see map below)

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6. It’s a Bakery

What: Our Mission adventure came full circle with a trip to It’s a Bakery (next door to Barn Owl Brewing) for an afternoon pick-me-up: A sweet treat for the kids, and caffeine for the grownups. They’ve got lots of house-made breads and sweets, as well as grab-and-go lunch items, but we were particularly excited about all the pumpkin spiced options (we blogged about it here).

FYI: Learn more about It’s a Bakery by checking out their website.

Where: ​4629 Lakeshore Rd, KELOWNA (see map below)

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CLICK HERE to customize map!

Fall Bucket List (free printable)

Fall is upon us! *twirls with hands in air as leaves fall all around* And we want you to get outside and enjoy the best of the Okanagan this season. So we’ve made the ultimate Fall-in-the-Okanagan Bucket List (scroll down a bit to print this off at home), featuring our favourite things to do in September and October! (Made in collaboration with The Local Gift Card).

Check any of these items off, and tag us in your pictures! Have fun! And enjoy your fall :)

Download your own OCTOBER version for FREE here

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Download your own SEPTEMBER version for FREE here

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FALL BUCKET LIST ON THE BLOG

We’ve been crossing off some of the ideas in our September Bucket List, and blogging about it. Check it out, and let us know if you get the chance to try any of these awesome activities!

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