You know how your kids love to pretend to be little grown-ups? Well, at KidZania, they can be little grown-ups and more.
KidZania is a safe and interactive edutainment center where children can step into the grown-up shoes to experience and learn what grown-ups do all day in a kid-sized city where they can work, earn and spend money like adults. When KidZania Dubai extended their invitation to us, we (or rather my kids) were over the moon. This was our first KidZania experience and we could not wait to check it out.
We arrived at KidZania slightly after lunch and checked ourselves in. The entrance to KidZania resembles a check-in counter of an airport. You buy your tickets (First Class no less and a cheque of $50 Kidzos) and depart to the fantasy land of KidZania.
Are you ready for take-off?
With our first-class tickets, our cheque, and ready to explore the land of KidZania!
Once inside, our first mission was to cash in our cheque. Then, it was on to looking for work to accumulate more Kidzos which you can use to spend at the KidZania Store – I might like to add that the Kidzos (the official currency of KidZania) can be used in any KidZanias all over the world.
There are over 80 different roles to choose from.
Your child can be pilots, surgeons, firefighters, chefs, engineers, models, actors, artists, radio hosts, photographers, television hosts, jewelry designers, and mechanics. As in real life, some career options are more popular than others. Therefore, you might want to strategize and get yourself in the queue early. Others like the pilot and air stewardess have limited time slots, so scope out these options early so your kids have a chance to try everything.
Each career station is manned by “Zupervisors”, who are there to instruct the children in their specific task. The kids will don the uniform (if needed) and are guided to complete the job, after which they are paid their “salary”. Kids have complete freedom to roam KidZania and try out any careers they wish.
They can start out as delivery persons working in a bank to deliver some bonds to a customer…
Missioned accomplished! Kids receiving their first paycheck! Woo-hoo!
Then, on to the next job at TNT – an international courier company to deliver very important documents to Dewa – an electricity and water company (aka PUB in Singapore).
Getting a driver’s license was a necessity if you want to participate in any driving activities, so it is advisable to get it early so you don’t have to backtrack for one later.
The kids were super excited to get their FIRST personal driver’s license before they turned ten years old!!
Next, it’s off to the races at Formula 1 to try their hand at car racing. Fortunately, the race went without a hitch and most kids emerge as winners at KidZania!
Inculcate in them the habit of lifelong learning.
At KidZania, you can pick up many certificates and licenses at various companies and universities… Here, my kids are being trained and certified to be car engineers.
Going to University and getting her Degree at 6 years old? It’s possible at KidZania!
I love that the kids can try as many jobs as they like at KidZania to discover what their DREAM JOB might be.
They loved being radio DJs and hearing their voices blast all over KidZania. While they were inside, I was outside recording their voices as it blast all over KidZania City.
Taking turns to role play is so much fun as a shopper at Cold Storage or as a cashier at Waitrose!
If you want to try out something more exciting, be a firefighter where you get to slide down a fireman’s pole, ride in an ambulance, and put out a fire in a flaming hotel!!
Other exciting MUST-TRY role plays include being a medical doctor or professional to save lives or models on an actual runway performance or a celebrity personality on TV. My kids LOVE McDonald’s, so it was a fitting end our day at KidZania Dubai to work at this fast food joint and put together their own burgers. They even got to serve french fries and drinks to their customers (mom & dad)!
We spent fabulous hours at KidZania but it wasn’t enough!
There were still many other career opportunities the kids did not get to try. We are looking forward to the opening of KidZania in Singapore in the near future.
KidZania is located in many parts of the world. Check out the KidZania website to plan your visit or for promotions.
Let us know in the comments below if there are other such fun and educational environment for children in your part of the world. Remember to connect with Us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.
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