Faced with another day sitting in the apartment with my nine-year-old and six-year-old boys watching YouTubers play Fortnite on the TV, because it was simply too hot to go outside, I took a chance. I braved Dubai Mall on my own with them and headed for KidZania.
The nine-year-old is a tween of simple tastes: eat, sleep, football, repeat. So this was a risk. But he surprised me. He leaned in. He tried new things. He even took instructions.
Here’s what KidZania can give your child that YouTube/Fortnite/Roblox/Minecraft (delete as required) can’t.
1) Work = money (but not that much money)
After a shift making their own Happy Meals, delivering parcels or washing windows to earn KidZos (the KidZania currency), they learn a hard truth: a day’s graft won’t always cover the cost of the plastic toy they’ve decided they need two minutes after seeing it. Welcome to life, lads.
2) Some jobs are fun. Some aren’t. That’s fine.
They loved being Crime Scene Investigators. Bottling water? Not so much. “Try before you buy” is a nice, low-stakes way to talk about the future. What do you enjoy? What bores you? Useful chats on the drive home.
3) Licences, fees, and how fast money vanishes
You have to pay to take your driving test. Then you have to pay again to drive the car. It’s a neat way to show how quick cash goes when life admin kicks in.
4) Respect for people who cook your food
From making their own Happy Meals on a hot grill in a hot country, they got a tiny taste of kitchen life. They ate every chip after that. With thanks.
5) Work is tiring
Six hours. Dozens of roles. They were shattered. Did it make them think about mum and dad doing this daily? Let’s be honest: KidZania is good, but it isn’t a miracle worker.
What can they actually do inside?
Kidzania Dubai is a 7,000 m² mini city with over 40 role-play activities for kids aged 2–16. It’s set up like the real world with banks, shops, service roles and many more but sized for children. They earn, spend and save KidZos (their own currency available as payment by cash or card!) as they go.
Food-wise, they can prepare their own Happy Meal at McDonald’s, bake pizzas at PizzaExpress, or make healthy snacks at the Fade Fit Kids Healthy Snack Factory. It’s hands-on, structured, and supervised.
There’s loads more beyond food. Deliveries, window cleaning, pilot training, healthcare, TV/radio, and law-and-order type roles. Enough variety to keep siblings with very different tastes busy for a good chunk of the day.
Tips from a heat-dodging parent
- Go early. It gets busy. Weekdays are calmer.
- Set expectations on KidZos. They’ll want to spend as they earn. Talk saving vs spending first.
- Bring a book / laptop. Parents can wait in comfort while the kids work their way round.
- Block out hours. This is not a “quick hour” activity. Plan for most of the day.
- Wear comfy shoes. For you and them.
If you’re in Dubai over the summer and the heat has beaten you, KidZania is a solid, air-conditioned answer. It’s structured enough to feel educational, playful enough to keep them hooked, and real enough to spark a few good life chats on the way home.
And yes, it beats watching someone else play Fortnite. Just. And yes, the nine-year-old did decide he needed to visit the new Manchester City store in Dubai Mall on the way home as a reward (KidZos not accepted).
