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Welcome to The Playground, a place for Vancouver families. I’m always on the lookout for fun stuff to do, so if there’s something happening that you think I should know about, don't hesitate to contact me. |
Nothing says summer like going to a baseball game. It doesn't get any easier (and more affordable) to enjoy a professional sporting event in Vancouver as a family like it does at a Vancouver Canadians game down at "The Nat". They pull out all the stops to make sure you and your family have a great time - traditional baseball treats, a kid zone with every inflatable toy you can think of, dancing groundskeepers, 7th inning stretches to "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" and fireworks!
The atmosphere at the Nat is much more relaxed compared to some of the other sport venues in the city (cough cough Rogers Arena cough cough) and people move around a lot so there is no pressure for little ones to stay put. The staff were super friendly and never failed to give Sadie and her pal Arlo a high five when they walked by.
Sadie's dad tried to explain the ins and the outs of baseball and she watched at most five minutes of the game, luckily there was plenty of non baseball activities for her to do. The hats were a big hit though - both the ones for your head and the ones that hold ice cream.
Sadie and Arlo spent an inning or two in the kid zone. There was lots to do but on a sold out night like the one we were at the line ups were long and it got a bit chaotic. They was everything from a bouncy castle, a giant slide, a batting cage and something that looked like it came straight out of Wipeout. It's a great set up and each 'ride' is manned by a staff member.
No baseball game is complete without a little 'swing batter batter' heckling. The best part of basebeall is the yelling. Sadie and Arlo loved having the opportunity to get loud, dance and sing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game". The crowd can really get going and it's contagious - very exciting for little ones.
The highlight of the night was by far the fireworks that followed the game. We stuck around for about 15 minutes while they set it all up on the field. Totally worth sticking around for - they do not disappoint and because they go off right in the field, there isn't a bad seat in the house. There are still a few fireworks night still left this season: July 21, August 11, August 18, August 25.
There is more than just fireworks at The Nat. There is also several Sunday afternoon family games where the kids can run the bases afterwards and a handful of movie nights. Schedules and ticket info can be found here.
