Are you looking for the best things to do in Kelowna with the family? Kelowna is one of Canada’s booming towns. Locals will tell you that as other cities like Vancouver and Banff became too expensive, lots of people started settling in Kelowna. And we can totally see why.
With a ton of water-front property, incredible hikes, and all the major attractions of a large city (without the traffic and smog), Kelowna has been one of our favorite destinations.
16 Things to Do in Kelowna
Today, we’re going to focus on 16 fun things to do in Kelowna with the family. Some activities are outdoor, while others are indoor activities in Kelowna. Also, you’ll find a few free things to do in Kelowna in this list.
1. Waterfront Park
The first item on our list of things to do in Kelowna for families is the Waterfront Park. This is an excellent place to take your kids for a bit of time outdoors.
There’s a big boardwalk that you can stroll along with beautifully landscaped gardens. If you’re trying to plan an outdoor lunch or dinner, the Waterfront Park in Kelowna is a great picnic spot.
First, there’s the playground that was amazing for kids. It has a full zip-line that children aged 3+ will love. For smaller kids, you may want to stand next to them so they don’t fall from the 6 or 7-foot ledge.
You also have a beach where you can rent small boats or kayaks, or just let the kids splash around in the water. This would also be an awesome place for parents to get in a morning run before the kids wake up.
Learn more about Kelowna’s Waterfront Park here.
2. Marina and Ogopogo
This little marina was one of our family’s favorite places to visit. Like the Waterfront Park that we just mentioned, it’s an excellent escape outdoors for those beautiful Kelowna summer days.
But it has a couple of other perks that the Waterfront Park doesn’t.
The main attraction is Ogopogo.
This is like Kelowna’s version of the Lochness Monster (or “Nessie”). Apparently, first nations spoke about a killer monster living at Squally Point, just 20 kilometers south of Kelowna. Over time, the legend continued with varying accounts of what this monster looks like: its head is either a horse or a goat, but the body is always snakelike and approximately 25 meters long.
Whether you choose to believe in Ogopogo is up to you. But you’ll definitely want to visit the statue of this sea-monster at the Marina.
Learn more about Kelowna’s Ogopogo here.
3. Boyce-Gyro Beach
One of the things to do while in Kelowna is some beach time. You can’t spend time by the Okanagan Lake and not take advantage of it.
Boyce-Gyro Beach is one of the most popular beaches in Kelowna. It has picnic areas, playgrounds, rope swing, volley ball courts and watersport rentals.
The Boyce-Gyro Beach is a little outside the city center, but is worth the extra drive.
4. Kettle Valley Railway (Myra Canyon Station to Ruth Station… 24 km)
This Kelowna attraction will always carry a special spot in our family’s heart. We’d wanted to do a half-marathon but, due to COVID, all the events were canceled. So we planned a virtual marathon with the kids.
When we got to Kelowna, we realized that the Kettle Valley Railway was about the exact length of a half-marathon. So, one Saturday morning, we put the kids in the baby jogger, Emilie hopped on a bike, and I went at it on foot.
And I can honestly say it was one of the best runs I’d ever had.
The Kettle Valley Railway was built between 1910 and 1914. It goes around Myra Canyon and gives you an awesome view of the entire valley. You can also see the Okanagan lake and downtown Kelowna.
The kids loved it because the trail feels like you’re in an old western. There are tunnels where the train used to run and huge wooden bridges (don’t worry, they’re secure). We passed countless families out hiking, riding bikes, or just exploring this incredible nature escape.
Be sure to get there early as parking can get cramped. And remember that getting from Point A to Point B is around 12 kilometers total, so save some energy for the return trip.
Though it’d be worth going halfway and soaking in the views as the last half is slightly less picturesque.
Learn more about the Kettle Valley Railway here.
5. Myra Canyon Adventure Park
Myra Canyon Adventure Park is Kelowna’ attractions for the summer if your family is in search of an adrenaline boost.
They offer a variety of activities for kids of all ages. Some activities are even suitable for children of ages 3 and up (which is pretty rare for an adventure park). The Kinder Course is specially designed for the little ones.
From zip lines, tree-top courses and climbing routes, you’ll have a moment family time at the adventure park.
It takes approximately 2.5 hours to complete the Maximum Challenge Courses, so plan for at least half a day.
6. Kangaroo Creek Farm
When you’re looking for things to do in Kelowna with kids, the Kangaroo Creek Farm is an absolute must.
You know what? Even if you’re not with kids this is a pretty killer activity.
The Kangaroo Creek Farm lets you get up close and personal to one of people’s most beloved animals. They take excellent care of the Kangaroos and don’t breed them for their hydes or meat (apparently, Kangaroo meat is pretty good so many Kangaroo farms make a little money on the side this way).
Instead, this is a legitimate farm where Kangaroos and Wallabies are kept as hobby pets. You and your children can feed them straight from your hand. But keep in mind that these are live animals and should be respected as such.
It’s a really fun Kelowna attractions for families during the summertime.
Learn more about the Kangaroo Creek Farm here.
7. Paul’s Tomb Hiking Trail
If you’ve been following our blog or our Instagram account, you know we love hiking with our kids. So we can’t have a list of things to do in Kelowna without adding some family-friendly hikes.
Paul’s Tomb trail is one of the popular trails of Knox Mountain. It’s a 4.8-km out-and-back easy trail with 125 m elevation gain.
It’s a good family activity in Kelowna for outdoor families. You’ll have a nice view on the Okanagan Lake.
There is even a swimming area at the end of the trail.
You can check out the trail report and reviews on AllTrails.
8. Fruit picking
As you head toward the outskirts of Kelowna, you’ll see lots of orchards and vineyards. Many of these places have fresh fruits or other organic goods for sale.
But you can make an entire afternoon of visiting these orchards if you decide to go fruit picking. It’s one of the cool activities to do in Kelowna and the Okanagan Valley during harvest time.
This is a great way to get your kids outdoors and bring home some tasty (not to mention healthy) treats. Our kids really enjoyed it and probably could have stayed all day running through the small trees.
Do some research to find the orchard that has your favorite fruit and call ahead to make sure they’re in season.
Here were a few of our favorite places, which also have apple trees:
- Cherries: Kempf Orchards
- Plums: Kuipers Family Fruit Farm
- Peaches: Griffin Farms
- Pears: Paynters Fruit Market
9. Wineries
In the last tip, we talked about going fruit picking as a fun way to kill the afternoon. Now, let’s talk about mama’s favorite fruit: the grape.
Well, the grape AFTER it’s been turned into delicious wine.
Kelowna has a ton of wineries that you can explore with the whole family. In fact, Okanagan Valley is one of Canada’s most prized regions for making wine. The vineyards are gorgeous, most of the wineries have a fun rustic feel, and you can often find live events like concerts a few nights a week.
We only got the chance to visit one called Vibrant Wine. They had awesome 3D art and a large grassy patio in the back for the kids to run around. The tasting fee is deducted from the price from any bottle you decide to purchase.
Apart from Vibrant Wine, here are a few other places we heard about and will visit when we get back. Make sure to check their website before your visit as some wineries ask to book the tasting in advance.
10. Father Pandosy Museum
The Father Pandosy Museum is an outdoor living museum. It’s shows the history of Kelowna’s first European settlement. There is also shows an historic school church as well as a large scale agricultural and ranching operation.
Throughout the year, they have some fun family activities at the museum.
11. Splash BC Water Parks (Kelowna Wibit)
When it’s hot outside, it’s great to have a place to have fun in the water. Of course, kids can swim in the Okanagan lake, but the Splash BC Water Park is one of those summer must do in Kelowna.
The Kelowna BC Water Park has giant floating playgrounds, money bars, slides, trampolines and climbing walls. Kids can easily spend an entire day having fun in the water.
Children must be 5 years old or more to be able to enter the water park.
There are a few different locations in the Okanagan Valley, including one location right downtown Kelowna, by the Kelowna City Park.
Indoor Activities in Kelowna for the Family
12. Indoor Playgrounds
Ok, so you may be surprised to see an indoor playground on this list of things to do in Kelowna. But it’s the perfect indoor Kelowna family activities when it’s raining outside.
After all, isn’t Kelowna one of the best places to go explore outdoors? Well, yes and no.
We stayed a few weeks in Kelowna and there were times when the weather simply didn’t allow for much outdoor activity. As a result, we had to get creative to find some things to do inside.
We stumbled upon 2 awesome indoor parks that are an excellent distraction for kids:
To be honest, these would have been great options even if the weather was beautiful. That’s because traveling with young kids can get… well, a little exhausting.
These indoor playgrounds gave us a few hours of peace while the kids burnt up all their energy for an early night’s sleep.
And as you know, an early bedtime always gives parents a nice break. 🍷
13. Gneiss Climbing Wall
Indoor rock climbing is a fun family activity to do with kids when it’s cold or raining outside.
The Gneiss Climbing Wall offers an open concept that emphasis on community and social atmosphere. There is a great variety of space for bouldering.
Gneiss Climbing Wall designed a separated kids/youth climbing areas where they can explore and have fun at their own level and pace. The youth area have auto belays and speed climbing tracks.
Kids will have such a fun time rock climbing.
14. Okanagan Science Centre
If you’re looking for a fun activity in Kelowna that is hands-on, the Okanagan Science Center is perfect.
The Okanagan Science Center is located in Vernon. It’s almost an hour from Kelowna, but it can be really worth it if your kids are into science and hands-on activities.
It’s also home to the only fixed roof planetarium in the BC Interior. The museum has many different exhibits and activities for the entire family.
15. Planet Lazer Kelowna
Kids, especially older ones, will LOVE this fun activity in Kelowna.
Planet Lazer Kelowna is the perfect place for a few laser tag games. With more than
600 square feet of Extreme Lazer Tag and up to 38 players, kids will have so much FUN!
In addition to laser tag games, there are some arcades and a snack bar.
16. Scandia Golf & Games
Scandia Gold & Games is another fun indoor location for families.
They have many things to do such as outdoor mini golf, indoor jungle mini golf, go-karts, batting cage and arcade games
They have over 140 arcade and redemption games for all ages.
Final Thoughts: Things to Do in Kelowna with Kids
And that’s it! These are 16 things to do in Kelowna if you have kids.
Kelowna and the Okanagan Valley is a great place to visit for families. There are many fun things to do in the outdoor as well as the indoor.
Our family absolute must-do in Kelowna is biking on the Kettle Valley Railway at Myra Canyon.
We hope you found these tips helpful and if you have any others, feel free to let us know in the comments.
Emilie is the founder of Love Life Abroad. She helps moms plan epic road trips and outdoor adventures with their families. Because who said adventuring had to stop once we have kids? She’s based in the Canadian Rockies and shares her love for the region as well as other unique places in Canada & USA. She works with tourism boards and outdoor brands to inspire families to experience new unique destinations and outdoor activities.