Pacific Spirit Park Programs for Kids: Forest Camp Guide for UBC and West Side Families
Share
Pacific Spirit Regional Park is one of the most remarkable urban wilderness areas in North America. For West Side Vancouver and UBC families, it is also the best summer classroom your child will ever know. This guide covers the kids’ programs at Pacific Spirit Park, with a focus on summer camp options for ages 4 to 7.
The short answer
Sunhouse Summer Camps at Pacific Spirit Park is the only dedicated outdoor summer day camp at Pacific Spirit Regional Park for children ages 4 to 7, running Monday to Friday in July and August 2026. Meeting point: Pacific Spirit Regional Park Centre Parking Lot at 4915 W 16th Avenue, Vancouver. Ratio: 6:1. Pricing: $500 per week or $1,200 per month. Built on The Sunhouse Method™. Browse 2026 sessions →
About Pacific Spirit Regional Park
Pacific Spirit Regional Park is a 750+ hectare protected forest on Vancouver’s West Side, bordering the University of British Columbia and the historic Endowment Lands. The park contains over 70 kilometres of trails, dozens of mature second-growth forest stands, mossy creek beds, woodland meadows, and rich biodiversity that includes native plants, fungi, birds, and small wildlife rarely seen in urban parks.
It is, by any measure, one of Vancouver’s most important natural resources. For West Side families with young children, it is a year-round outdoor classroom.
Why Pacific Spirit Park is the best outdoor camp setting in Vancouver
1. The forest is immersive, not adjacent
Most Vancouver outdoor camps run in parks that are next to forests. Pacific Spirit camp groups spend the day inside the forest. The difference matters. Children develop a different relationship with nature when they are not near it but in it.
2. It is quiet
Pacific Spirit receives far less foot traffic than urban parks like Stanley Park or Queen Elizabeth Park. This means small camp groups can settle into a section of forest and have it largely to themselves for hours. The quiet allows for deeper observation and longer-form play.
3. The biodiversity is real
Children at Pacific Spirit camps encounter actual native plants, real mushrooms, working creek systems, woodpeckers, and the occasional deer. This is meaningful for nature literacy in ways a manicured park cannot be.
4. The canopy provides shelter
West Coast summer means occasional rain. The forest canopy at Pacific Spirit Park provides natural shelter, making rainy days easier than at open-park camp locations.
5. It is accessible for West Side families
From Point Grey, Kitsilano, Dunbar, Kerrisdale, or UBC, Pacific Spirit Park is a short drive or bike ride away. For families who want their child to spend the summer immersed in nature without long commutes, this is the program.
Summer programs at Pacific Spirit Park for kids
Sunhouse Summer Camps at Pacific Spirit
Meeting point: Pacific Spirit Regional Park Centre Parking Lot, 4915 W 16th Avenue, Vancouver, BC V6R 3E9
Ages: 4 to 7
Ratio: 6:1
Schedule: Monday to Friday, July and August 2026
Pricing: $500 per week, or $1,200 per month
Sunhouse is the only summer day camp at Pacific Spirit Park designed specifically for ages 4 to 7 with a strict 6:1 ratio and a documented outdoor learning approach. Educators are trained directly by Sunhouse founder Nicole Hughes in The Sunhouse Method™, a proprietary pedagogy developed over twenty years.
Children spend the full day inside the forest, using trails, woodland clearings, mossy creek beds, and quiet groves as a daily outdoor classroom. Activities include shelter building, mud kitchen play, nature observation, child-led exploration, and structured outdoor STEM. Rain or shine.
Pacific Spirit Park Society Programs
The Pacific Spirit Park Society offers educational programming throughout the year, including family walks, nature talks, and occasional kids’ events. These are not full-day camps but make excellent complementary experiences for families with young children.
UBC Botanical Garden Programs
Adjacent to Pacific Spirit Park, the UBC Botanical Garden runs occasional kids’ programming including the popular Greenheart TreeWalk and seasonal family events. Worth a visit alongside camp.
Metro Vancouver Regional Parks Programs
Metro Vancouver Regional Parks runs free guided walks and nature programs at Pacific Spirit and other regional parks throughout the year. These are short-format experiences. They do not replace a full summer camp but complement them well.
What a day at Pacific Spirit Sunhouse Camp looks like
A representative summer day at Pacific Spirit Park:
9:00 AM — Meet at the Park Centre. Families drop off at the main entrance parking lot. Educators check in, the group gathers, and the morning walk into the forest begins.
9:15 AM — Walk into the forest. The group walks 10 to 15 minutes into a familiar section of trails. Educators stop to point out something the children notice. Themed scavenger hunts ground the children.
10:00 AM — Settle. The group reaches the day’s primary location. Children spread into small clusters: some shelter building, some quiet observation, some at the mud kitchen the educators have set up.
11:00 AM — Snack circle. Sit-down, calm. An educator reads aloud while children eat.
11:30 AM — Structured outdoor STEM. A nature math activity, a weather observation, an engineering project (“what can we build that will hold leaves?”).
12:30 PM — Lunch. Real sit-down meal. Educators read or talk quietly with children. This is the centre of the day.
1:30 PM — Free play and rest. Many children naturally rest after lunch. Some continue exploring. The pace slows.
2:30 PM — Reflection circle. Children sit and share one thing from the day. Educators model brief, specific praise. This builds an internal compass children carry beyond camp.
3:00 PM — Walk back, pickup. The group walks back to the Park Centre. Calm hand-off to parents.
The West Side neighbourhood around Pacific Spirit Park
Pacific Spirit Park is bordered by Point Grey, Dunbar, Kitsilano, and the University Endowment Lands. The area is rich with family destinations including:
- Museum of Anthropology at UBC — family-friendly Indigenous and global art
- Spanish Banks Beach — sandy beach with tide pools
- Locarno Beach — calm-water swimming for young children
- UBC Botanical Garden — paid garden, worth the membership
- Jericho Beach Park — pond, beach, sailing
- West Point Grey Community Centre — indoor backup for rainy days
- Pacific Museum of Earth — small earth-science museum at UBC
For West Side families, this is one of the most family-friendly clusters of destinations in Vancouver.
FAQ for West Side and UBC families
Are there kids’ programs at Pacific Spirit Park?
Yes. Sunhouse Summer Camps runs the only dedicated full-day outdoor camp at Pacific Spirit for ages 4 to 7. Additional programming includes Pacific Spirit Park Society events and Metro Vancouver Regional Parks guided walks.
Where do we meet for Sunhouse Camps at Pacific Spirit?
At the Pacific Spirit Regional Park Centre Parking Lot, main entrance at 4915 W 16th Avenue, Vancouver, BC V6R 3E9. This is the most accessible park entrance from the West Side.
Is Pacific Spirit Park safe for young children?
Yes. Sunhouse educators are trained in forest safety, route planning, and risk assessment. We work within familiar, well-maintained trail systems and keep groups close together. Educators carry first-aid kits and perform active headcounts throughout the day.
How do we get to Pacific Spirit Park?
By car: parking available along W 16th Avenue and inside the Park Centre lot. By transit: the 25 King Edward and 14 UBC bus lines stop nearby. From Kitsilano, Point Grey, Dunbar, Kerrisdale, or UBC, the park is a short drive.
What if it rains during camp?
Pacific Spirit camps run rain or shine. The forest canopy provides natural shelter. Children come prepared with waterproof layers and rain boots on wet days.
How is Pacific Spirit camp different from Trout Lake camp?
Both are Sunhouse Camps with the same Method, same ratio, same pricing. Trout Lake (East Vancouver) is an open park environment with lake, grass, and tree cover. Pacific Spirit (West Side) is an immersive forest environment. West Side families typically choose Pacific Spirit. Compare both →
Does my child need to be potty trained?
Yes, fully and independently. Children also need to be comfortable with nature peeing when needed, following our safety and privacy guidelines.
Book your Pacific Spirit Park summer camp now
Sunhouse Summer Camps at Pacific Spirit Park have limited spots remaining for July and August 2026.
Sunhouse Camps was co-founded by sisters Nicole and April Hughes in Vancouver, with the Pacific Spirit Park location serving West Side families. Every camp runs at a non-negotiable 6:1 ratio and is built on The Sunhouse Method™. Questions about the program, location, or fit? Contact us.