In August 2019, my daughter Shravya turned 3 and this time we decided to take her to Kidzania in Noida. I had heard of this place earlier and knew that role plays and activities are performed in a realistic manner here but I wanted Shravya to be old enough (3+) to understand it. The place is a perfect mixture of education and entertainment and gives a nice overview of living in a real world. Location is just adjacent to GIP Mall and Worlds of Wonder park, and try to plan it on a weekday to avoid the rush and enjoying this indoor park at your own pace.
Overview
Kai is the word used by the Kidzania employees to greet everyone. The entrance to this place is similar to an airport where there is a check-in counter from where you get your boarding pass, Kidzania Passport (it is a map to guide you inside the park) and a security device tagged to your hand. The tickets price vary according to the number of hours one wants to spend inside. We got a 3 hour pass which cost us around Rs 1,500/person.
As soon you enter the park you are altogether in a different world. It is a huge indoor city structure where you witness things that are usually seen in a city such as petrol pumps, fire station, banks, hospitals etc. Shravya was anxious initially as she was trying to absorb the surrounding but seeing other kids play her confidence only enhanced.
In order to do activities at Kidzania, you require Kidzos - a currency developed for Kidzania (it surely made me nostalgic as this sort of thing reminded me the time when we used to play Monopoly). So our first stop was the bank where we got our token capital in the form of 50 Kidzos. Once you have exhausted this amount, the next step is to perform earning tasks to earn more Kidzos so that one has sufficient balance to do role plays and this cycle continues till the time you stay there.
Role Plays
Kidzania offers a lot of opportunities in the form of role plays that children can experience. For example, one can choose to learn to make a biscuit at a factory or work as a nurse taking care of a new born or work in a firefighter team to douse a fire. The kids were not only enjoying these activities but were also able to learn as the environment looked so real. Also, to make the child independent, parents were not allowed to come inside the activity room. A special mention to Kidzania staff who were extremely helpful and were very patient in dealing with kiddos.
I also saw another useful change in this place. Both boys and girls were involved in almost every role play, that is, they were not told that cooking is a girlish activity or firefighters primarily involve boys. Everyone was playing freely with each other irrespective of their gender. In addition, there is a dance arena to unwind if a child wants to take a break from his work.
Shravya did a number of activities but I believe she enjoyed being a nurse the most. The way she put oil and talc to the baby toy and finally wrapping the baby in a cloth was quite fun to see. She even enjoyed being an artist where she got to colour on the walls.
Overall a very satisfying experience where children learnt to choose the work of their interest, collaborate as a team with others and understand the value of money. There are certain set of activities reserved totally for toddlers, which is an added advantage. Such sort of places are rare so one should not miss the opportunity of visiting it.
Key Details about Kidzania:
Timings - 10AM to 8PM on weekends and till 6:30PM on weekdays
Suitable for - I suggest 3+ kids till 15 years
Prices: Varies on an hourly basis
Nearest Metro Station: Noida Sector - 18
