A group of kids unable to spend their summer outside, visiting museums and playing with friends, had some of the fun activities they'd been missing brought directly to them on Tuesday.
With the help of a few travelling exhibits, kids staying at the BC Children's Hospital got to experience a summer staycation without leaving the grounds.
Staff from the Vancouver Aquarium, Science World and H.R. MacMillan Space Centre brought interactive exhibits to the facility, providing science lessons and happy distractions for kids getting treatment.
One of the eager youngsters was 11-year-old Cyris Van Dijk, sporting casts on both legs as he jokingly fought the Vancouver Canucks' mascot for ice cream.
"They were crooked when I was born," he said.
His mother said Cyris is recovering from his second surgery in a three-week stay, and has had eight surgeries in his life.
But the boy was all smiles on Tuesday, telling CTV's David Molko he thinks his casts look pretty cool, and "I've got you as a friend!"
He said he wants to be a TV reporter and that he already has a video blog.
Cyris said he missed his dad and brother, who couldn't be at the hospital to take in the fun, but said of the other residents of his home away from home: "This is a good family."
Some members of the hospital family were more interested in starfish and other marine creatures, while others felt the highlight was a group of Disney princesses who also attended the party. Those interested in space could step into a makeshift planetarium set up indoors, and sports fans got to spend time with mascots from the BC Lions and Vancouver Whitecaps.
For some, the event was a chance to bond with fellow patients.
"They made relationships with other kids and it's just nice that they could share them," said Trina Schley, a mother from Smithers. Her daughter Claire said she loved the aquarium exhibits.
While many of the guests were children staying in the hospital, others were past guests who'd returned for the fun.
"I was a patient here for three and a half years," said cancer survivor Aidan Chin.
"It really warms my heart to see all these kids coming out, just enjoying being kids."
With a report from CTV Vancouver's David Molko
