Kidzania

A fantastic family day out

04 Aug Kidzania

kidzania h and mAs any parent knows entertaining your children over the summer holidays is not always easy and if you have more than one child they will inevitably have different interests. This is why KidZania is the perfect day out for all the family as it caters for every child’s interest. Whether your child is interested in fashion, cooking, singing or fire fighting, they will definitely find something to do at KidZania.

The idea behind KidZania is brilliant as it is an interactive indoor city that is run by children.  Children can independently choose from more than 60 real-life entertaining activities in a safe and secure place. The activities children can choose include being a doctor, a police officer, a chocolatier, a fashion designer or a courier.

When I visited KidZania with my 2 children the first thing that really impressed me was how organised the whole experience was. When the children ‘check in’ they are given an electronic wristband to wear so they can be monitored throughout their visit, keeping them safe. Children aged 8 and over can explore the KidZania city without an adult accompanying them so the electronic wristband is brilliant as they are being monitored throughout their visit. The wristbands are scanned when the children begin and finish an activity and also if they visit the bank. The exit to KidZania is also manned so a child cannot just leave without someone knowing.

When we were in the city the activities were also very organised. The children had to queue outside the activity they wanted and then once they were in the activity parents and carers could watch from outside. All activities had big windows for parents and carers to view their child.

One fantatsic feature of KidZania is that the children could earn money when doing the jobs. The money they earn is in kidZos (KidZania currency). Each child is given 50 kidZos to start with and then they can add to this once they have completed the different activities. They can also open a bank account and get their own bank card. This bank card expires after two years so if children visit again they can add to their money.

kidzania london 4My children loved their visit and really enjoyed earning their own money. My daughter became a fashion stylist in the H & M shop and she loved picking out clothes for her ‘client’ (which was a mannequin). My children also worked in a bank and had to go and collect money from other shops. They were told to take care of the money and not let anyone else see the money they had. My son took this very seriously and wouldn’t even show it to me!

Some activities in KidZania required children to pay to do them such as the Cadbury shop. To become chocolatiers they had to pay 10 kidZos each. This is because at the end of the activity they received a voucher to get their own chocolates. The Gourmet Burger Kitchen also needed payment. We needed to pay £2 sterling for each child so they could make their own burger. This was great as they made their very own burger which they could then eat afterwards.

KidZania is a great place for a family day out as the children are thoroughly entertained during the 4 hours of their visit. They will learn different skills and are taught the value of money. My children really enjoyed this visit and we will definitely go back and visit again.

KidZania is situated in Westfield London Shopping Centre so you can also explore the shopping centre before or after your visit. Ticket prices are from £18.00 for children (4-14 years) and from £16.00 for adults.