The Kidzania Experience

14^th June’2015, 8.54 pm.

I’ve lost all track of time,

The artificial sky has tossed my sense of time out of the window…

I’ve had to drag them out of Kidzania, but only with a promise to come back again soon…

On my way home there is only one chant, in perfect unison they go… Kidzania Firefighters…

I join in too… hey.. its catchy…

As a part of a bloggers outreach program, Kidzania in association with Blogadda had Invited me to experience the theme park and blog about my experience. This post is in the same context and I hope to give you a quick overview of the place.

What I loved about my Kidzania Experience:

The setup:

I love how they have created a make believe world with in the mall premises. The attention to details is impeccable, but at the same time they have keep things believable. The apparatus used in the different activities are of top quality and they maintain great standers of safety and hygiene. tis one of my top propriety as a parent. The activities are classified age wise, keeping the child's capacity and safety in mind.

The staff:

To have a million dollor idean and the execute it in action are two separate things. but if you manage to pull of both at the same time, then know that you have a run away hit. the staff at kidazania is the force behind its success. 
The entire Kdzania staff addressed my little gentleman as ‘Sir’. When I asked for the reason behind this practice, I was told that here at Kidzania they treat kids as adults and hence the salutation. I was also impressed at how patient the staff was with the kids, not matter how difficult some of them got.  

The Bank:

My son carried his money and debit card around with a lot of swag. The whole concept of Kidzos (the kidzania currency) is about giving the children a close to real life experience and we all know that money is a big part of it. The Yes bank and the whole Kidzos routine instills a sense of financial responsibility in them. Earning and spending is the crux of the Kidzania experience. I saw a bunch of kids discussing amongst themselves; lets first do all the activities that let us earn and then we can head towards ones that we really want to spend on…  It’s a great learning tool if you ask me.

The Activities:

Loved everyone of them.. Take your pick, fancy a firefighter, a dentist , a pilot, a construction worker, a window cleaner, a doctor, a Rj, a potter or an artist … Each activity is for an average of 15-20 minutes. The doors outside each activity clearly describes the details of the activity, for e.g. when will the next batch start, the required age limit, the batch size and  weather you earn or spend kidzos in that particular room.

 The activities start off by dressing up for the Job, a brief instruction is given out by the staff and then... you actually Fly the Plane(stimulation of course) or Build and paint a wall, fuel up a car, ride a fire truck and save a run down hotel from fire…

It’s cute seeing the little ones take on so many roles convincingly…  most of the times, I wanted to join them in too..

The take backs:

What I noticed at Kidzania was there was a lot of association with different brands in the entire park. For e.g. the art related activity was at the Camlin store, the donuts workshop was in association with Mad over Donuts, the manufacturing plant experience was in association with Kellogg’s and Coke. What’s special about them is that at the end of each brand related activity, they get a cute little take back product with their name on it. They feel immensely proud about the fact they created something with their name on it…

Beyond role play…

Play, one of the most important work as a child. When you put together a team of educationalists and psychologists, they create a space that gives your child an envirnment to learn important life skills. Sure it’s a place for them to enjoy.. but they also learn how to handle money, try out different careers and maybe, just may be decide early on what really intrigues them…

The food…

Everything that you can wish for.. Almost… From a pizza and a burger joint, to popcorn, to candy floss, to sandwiches and cupcakes stand, they have it covered. I tried the popcorn and the pizza which were decent, the burger was a total let down. The cupcakes were just deliciousbut if you still crave something sweet then why not have your little one doll up a fresh batch of Donuts at the M.O.D. activity for you...

Since caring food and drinks inside the park is not permissible, I’d suggest, carry and empty bottle without fail. They have water fountains all over the place but they can prove quite a challenge for the little ones, so a bottle might help. 

My recomendations to get the most out of your Kidzania experience.
 

If you plan to head there any time soon, which I think you should, I’d suggest you get a full day pass. Also what might help is to get online with your little one and plan ahead cause there is so much to do and so little time… One day is not enough to experience everything they have to offer… so in my future I see a lot more trip to Kidzania where my son is busy living the little adult life, while I enjoy a cuppa or a massage in the parents lounge.
Also dont forget to  carry get tiny slings for your little ones inside the park, they can help them stow away their cash and cards, this will save you the hassle to have fish for it after every activity... You will thank me latter...
 

Be warned about the Kidzania after effects:

It’s 15^th June Monday.

First day of school.

He has his usual fits…

I hate school he announces…

I reason,  “if you want to grow up and get a job that pays for the #CherryRed Ferrari then you need to educate yourself.”

He rolls his eyes and says, “wont they accept kidzo’s instead, they are way more easier to earn”

 Touché.

“This post is a part of the KidZania bloggers meet activity conducted by BlogAdda and KidZania”