Looking for something to do with your family this weekend? Jessica Hill has 11 ideas that are reasonably priced, fun and suitable for everybody.
An old-fashioned adventure
If your children long to play in a treehouse, visit The Journey, an adventure playground park in Dubai. Good old-fashioned playtime pursuits abound in this sensory wonderland. There’s a mud kitchen, fountains, sand pit, rock pool, various climbing frames, and bows and arrows for archery, all with plenty of shade.
But be warned: finding information about The Journey is a mission in itself. While most attractions have jumped onto the multimedia bandwagon, the Journey has no functioning website, phone number or any social-media presence. You will find it just off Dubai’s Kite Beach, next to the skate park – 8 35A Street, Jumeirah 3, Park 2.
Our tip: There's only a vending machine for refreshments, so bring your own snacks. Older children will appreciate the neighbouring skate park.
Details: Dh30 per person for two hours, then Dh15 for every additional hour; or Dh60 for five hours. Cash only. Free for children ages 1 and below.
A wet adventure
Wadi Adventure in Al Ain is an ideal place for youngsters to try water-themed adventure sports. Activities include surfing, rafting, kayaking, zip-lining and wakeboarding. For younger children and those without nerves of steel, there’s a family pool and children’s splash area.
Tamsin Anderson, from the United Kingdom, has three children, ages 8, 11 and 13. “The mix of midsummer heat and active boys can sometimes be challenging, so we took them to Wadi Adventure”, she says. “We all had a total blast on the rafting and the air park. The combination of action and being kept cool in the water were the significant ingredients to the success of the trip.”
Our tip: Afterwards, drive to the nearby Green Mubazzarah park at the foot of Jebel Hafeet, and dip your feet in the hot springs.
Details: Adults Dh50, children Dh25 for entry; Dh25 to Dh150 for activities; or Dh195 for an adventure package; www.wadiadventure.ae
A wild watery day
Where’s the best place to be in this climate? We would say a water park, and the 30 rides and attractions at Wild Wadi, next to the Jumeirah Beach Hotel, pack in enough thrills to satisfy everyone in the family. “It’s smaller and more compact than Yas Waterworld, and without the smaller slides and fountains for babies and toddlers,” says Hatem Mostafa, an Egyptian who lives in Dubai. “But that’s made up for with its close-up views of the Burj Al Arab.”
If you can hold out until teatime to refuel, head to Mina a’Salam hotel next door for afternoon tea. The chefs there have come up with a children’s afternoon tea that features miniature meals made from sweet treats.
Our tip: At 2pm on Saturdays, families dining at the hotel are invited to meet the resident hawksbill turtles next to the Hanaaya restaurant, and learn about Jumeirah's turtle rehabilitation project. Children can also help feed the turtles their own "afternoon tea" of lettuce and carrots. There are also free turtle feedings and educational sessions every Wednesday at 11am and everyone is welcome.
Details: Wild Wadi's residents rate for people 1.1 metres and taller is Dh190, below 1.1 metres Dh145, and children ages 2 and under are free. Traditional and children's afternoon teas are served daily in Al Samar Lounge from 2pm to 6pm; Dh200 for adults and Dh100 for children; www.jumeirah.com
The mother of all parks
Last year, the gates reopened to the general public as the one attraction that Abu Dhabi had been lacking – a truly world-class park open to all.
Umm Al Emarat Park (formerly Mushrif Central Park) is now the favourite family spot for one British mum, Nicola Wakeling, founder of the Facebook page With the Kids, which gives tips on where to take children in the UAE.
“It’s so modern and calming,” says Wakeling, who lives in Abu Dhabi. “There’s loads to do, with a petting zoo, splash park, botanic garden and huge play areas, as well as lots of food treats around. We love the Salt van burgers, fries and lotus shakes, and the park’s ice cream is yummy, too.”
Wakeling adds that the highlight for her children, ages 3 and 6, is feeding the donkey, camel and llama.
The park hosts the Ripe Market every Saturday until May 14, from 4pm to 9pm, where you can shop for organic fruit and vegetables, and craft products. When it gets too hot, the children can cool off in the splash park area.
Children’s movies are screened on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 5.30pm and 7.30pm in the Children’s Garden.
Our tip: It's difficult to see the screen before the sun goes down, so we advise going for the second movie showing at 7.30pm.
Details: General admission to the park Dh5, free for children ages 3 and under; www.mushrifcentralpark.ae
Off on safari
The world’s largest man-made safari park has opened at Al Ain Zoo. Watch gazelles, zebras, giraffes, rhinos, Arabian oryx, sand cats and lions roaming around, from the comfort of an air-conditioned vehicle. The 217-hectare zoo extension also includes the spacious indoor Sheikh Zayed Desert Learning Centre, where families can see microscopic marine creatures through a magnifying glass and view the skeleton of a blue whale dug up in the UAE’s desert.
Ulrike Nuckley, from Austria, often drives from her home in Abu Dhabi to Al Ain Zoo with her husband and children, ages 17 months and 4. “I particularly like that the animals in the zoo look well-kept and have adequate space to roam about,” she says. “We love that the zoo entrance includes a ride on the little train. Feeding the giraffes is always a highlight, which we adults enjoy as much as the kids.”
Our tip: Book the safari before you arrive to avoid disappointment.
Details: Access to the zoo, desert learning centre and safari in a private four-wheel drive for up to six people costs Dh1,150, or Dh230 per person in a group truck; www.alainzoo.ae
Need for speed
Ferrari World feels like a giant advert for the sleek Italian carmaker, but the rides are high-tech, and the thrills, such as the world’s fastest rollercoaster, Formula Rossa, are what you would expect from a brand synonymous with fast cars. If you have been before, this summer is an opportune time to revisit, because the new expansion has several attractions that are now up and running. Top of the list of stomach-flippers is Flying Aces rollercoaster, which boasts the world’s tallest loop. There’s also the Karting Academy, and the ride Benno’s Great Race, in which you throw tomatoes, cut rope and hammer nails on giant screens using joysticks.
There’s also plenty to entertain the youngest visitors. Karen Kennedy, her husband and their four young children like Ferrari World so much that they have annual passes, and Kennedy’s husband often takes their children at the weekends. “He likes to relax with a coffee while the kids are in the soft play areas,” says the American mum, who lives in Abu Dhabi.
Our tip: Book the karting as soon as you arrive because it sells out quickly.
Details: Admission costs from Dh250 for adults, Dh205 for those under 1.3 metres tall, and free for under 3s; www.ferrariworldabudhabi.com
All dressed up
KidZania at Dubai Mall is where children get to role play at being grown-ups for the day in an 80,000-square-foot mini city complete with Waitrose supermarket, TV station, bank, beauty salon and theatre. Children take 15- to 20-minute "shifts" in jobs ranging from factory worker to dentist – they can even be journalists for The National. Each child starts with 50 KidZania bucks, then earns money in each of their jobs that can be spent on small knick-knacks at the gift shop. The newest activity, which launched last month, is crafting cookies and wafers at the Tiffany Cookie and Candy Station.
Our tip: A staff member tells us that KidZania gets quieter as the day progresses, so if you arrive in the morning, persuade the children to start with the least-popular activities and wait for the queues to die down before heading for the most popular ones, which include fire fighting, making Coca-Cola and being a paramedic.
Details: Children ages 2 to 3 Dh95, ages 4 to 16 Dh140, free for under 2s, and adults Dh95; www.kidzania.ae
A wild time
Arabia’s Wildlife Centre claims to be the only indoor zoological park in the Middle East, and is home to the world’s largest collection of Arabian wildlife, including leopards, gerbils and snakes.
The centre is located in Sharjah’s Desert Park, which also boasts the Natural History Museum, Botanical Museum and children’s farm and botanical garden – all for the same Dh15 entry fee (free for children).
Rafaela Panicker from Brazil, who lives in Abu Dhabi, says it’s a hidden gem. “I thought it was really well-maintained and clean, and they have a cafe with a great view. We loved the room with the birds – they just fly freely.”
Our tip: While in the emirate, check out the newly opened Al Noor Island in the Khalid Lagoon, which is home to a climate-controlled butterfly house with 500 exotic butterflies, and walkways dotted with art and light installations, miniature gardens and a playground.
Details: Adults Dh50, children under 12 Dh30, free for children under 3; www.breedingcentresharjah.com
Food education
Want to teach your children where the food on their plates comes from? On Saturdays at IGR Company Farm, just off the E11 in Shahamah, you can now pick your own organic fruit and vegetables from giant fan-cooled greenhouses and gardens. The farm has up to 60 offerings, currently including melons, kale, broccoli, sweetcorn and onions. Every Saturday, the farmer Raghav Karnay runs an awareness programme for children. Visitors are provided with a woven basket and a guide to demonstrate the best way to pick the produce. Children can also enjoy a real egg hunt by finding the eggs in the chicken pen, and in the activity corner, they can plant maize, melon and pumpkin seeds in pots to take home.
Our tip: Get there early to beat the heat. The farm is near the new playground, cafes and restaurants at the back of Deerfields mall, where families can grab a bite to eat before heading home.
Details: The farm is open Saturdays from 7.30am until 4pm. All harvest must be paid for at the farm shop. Search for "IGRUAE" on Facebook or call Raghav Karnay on 056 685 4838.
A bright idea
Here’s an attraction worth glowing to. The 40-acre Dubai Garden Glow in Zabeel Park has 32 installations by 150 artists, including a miniature Burj Khalifa made from medicine bottles, plus robotic dinosaurs, and glowing elephants, frogs and flamingoes. There’s even a giant fairy-tale tree that talks to you. The newly opened sparkling garden area features half a million LED lights.
Amy Ferguson-Simpson from the UK visited last month with her husband and children ages 8, 5 and 3. “When handing over the entrance fee, it seemed quite expensive, but after spending four great hours there, it was definitely worth every penny,” she says. “The displays didn’t really have the wow factor at 4pm, but once the sun went down, it really came to life.”
Our tip: Tim Hortons cafe is a good vantage point for watching the acrobatics and light shows.
Details: Dh60 per person, free for under 3s. Open until May 15, then reopens in October; www.dubaigardenglow.com
Up, up and away
Families can hop to it at Bounce, a 20,000-square-foot trampoline park in Al Quoz, Dubai. Bounce has also opened a small section in Abu Dhabi’s Marina Mall, with a big bag area and 20 trampolines. But that’s just 10 per cent of the entire space that will be opening at the Marina Mall site just after Ramadan. Al Ain residents won’t miss out either because Bounce is also opening a trampoline park there this summer, while another trampoline company, Flip Out, will open a 40,000-square-foot venue – billed as a “trampoline city” – in Al Quoz. It’s a sport that parents and children can enjoy together. May Al Badi, an Emirati mum, is reluctant to get on the trampolines at Bounce with her two youngsters, ages 4 and 6, but admits her sister-in-law does. “With the music and the atmosphere at Bounce, the grown-ups can have fun as well as the kids. I like the fact that my kids are having a great time and at the same time they get really tired out,” she says.
Tip: Make sure you wear appropriate gear (for example, girls in leggings, not dresses), but don't worry about socks the first time you go – you're given special grip socks to wear. Bring your socks on following visits to receive Dh20 off the entry fee.
Details: Dh80 for the first session, Dh70 for children ages 3 to 5; www.bounce.ae
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