Sometimes when we travel, we like to treat our kids to a day of KidZania activities. When we were visiting Mexico City in 2019, we decided to make a visit to one of Mexico’s KidZania amusement parks. In Jakarta, we spent a day at KidZania there. And during our England trip, it was one of the first stops we made in London.
Our first taste of KidZania was in Mumbai, India in 2016. I was looking for things to do for kids in the city, and decided to spend an afternoon with the kids at KidZania.
Since then, my daughter always begs me to take my son and her to KidZania, if there’s one in the cities that we’re in. When I found out there were a couple of KidZania locations in Mexico City, I knew I had to take the kids for a visit.
This post was updated on January 23, 2022.
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Table of Contents
What is KidZania?
KidZania is an international chain of kid-centered amusement parks. It’s set up like a city, just for kids. There are stores, offices, hotels, factories, gas stations, sports stadiums, and even a fire station!
KidZania partners with actual businesses. So the brands you see are real-life businesses! At KidZania, kids get a chance to earn KidZania-branded money by doing jobs. Once they earn their money, they can spend it on doing activities, or on a prize in the gift shop. It all depends on the KidZania activities they do. It’s great for kids as young as four, and as old as fourteen.
KidZania’s Mexican origins
KidZania actually started in Mexico. But now there are 26 KidZania locations in 20 countries around the world. Most of the KidZania locations are in Latin America, Asia, and the Middle East. But there are also three European locations. They are located in Lisbon, Moscow, and London.
KidZania recently opened a US location in Dallas, Texas. Two more US KidZania locations will open near Chicago and New York in 2021.
In Mexico, there are four KidZania locations. The location in Mexico City is open from 9am to 7pm on Tuesdays to Thursdays, 9am to 8pm on Fridays, and 10am to 8pm on Saturdays and Sundays. As with many museums and attractions in the country, KidZania locations in Mexico are closed on Mondays. Hours and days in other countries may be different.
Looking for more activity ideas to do with kids? Check out my indoor activities posts here.
How to buy tickets for KidZania activities
There are two ways to buy KidZania tickets. You can buy them online, or you can go to KidZania and purchase tickets at the door. Each Kidzania location has its own dedicated page. So you can get information about ticket costs, hours, and special programs for that particular location. Prices vary depending on the location.
In Mexico City, tickets were a bit on the higher side of Mexico City attractions, at 339 pesos for general admission (roughly $16.95), but still relatively affordable. When buying KidZania tickets at the door, you can walk up to the counter, which is set up like an airport ticket counter. It makes you feel like you’re leaving the city and entering into KidZania!
The KidZania tickets are designed to look like boarding passes. And once you get your tickets, you go through “security and customs” before you can enter KidZania. The kids love the realistic aspect of the experience!
Why we love KidZania activities
I’m a sucker for amusement parks, it’s my guilty pleasure. But I don’t feel guilty at all about having my kids do KidZania activities.
There is so much learning that they do during their play at KidZania, it’s like being in an amped up children’s museum! If you’re traveling to a city with a KidZania, you should definitely take your kids there.
KidZania is a perfect supplement to our kids’ worldschooling education. Here are a few reasons why we love doing KidZania activities when we travel.
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1. It’s fun for kids
My kids have so much fun every time they visit KidZania. The decor of KidZania really makes it look like a city. There are street signs, benches, fountains, and street lamps. And the building facades are all decorated differently depending on the business.
But I think what’s most fun for the kids is that they get to pretend like they’re real grown-ups doing real jobs for the day. The social learning they experience is incorporated into the fun they’re having by doing the KidZania activities.
2. There are so many different types of KidZania activities to choose from
The first time we visited KidZania, my kids were five and two. I was concerned that there wouldn’t be enough KidZania activities for the kids to do, especially for my youngest. But I was pleasantly surprised.
My kids got to be fire-fighters, package delivery people, and builders. In Mexico, my kids had a hand at working in a potato chip factory, being a pilot, and driving a motorcycle. And when my kids visited KidZania in Indonesia, they got to be dentists, police officers, hotel workers, and even archaeologists.
3. The educational component
At KidZania, kids are initially given a check, which they’ll need to cash at a bank. They can then use that money to buy activities. Alternatively, they can do jobs to earn more KidZania money.
For all the KidZania activities, there’s a KidZania employee (a grown-up) who’s there to provide instructions and supervise the kids. I love that the kids get to try out real-life activities (and learn!) in a fun environment.
4. Consistency around the world
Since KidZania is a franchise, there is a certain level of consistency that you can find at KidZania locations around the world. Our experiences at KidZania in Mumbai, Mexico City, Jakarta, and London were all quite similar, even though they were in different countries.
The only differences were the languages and the businesses represented. We enjoy that consistency, and it makes the experience a lot more familiar for the kids.
Not traveling for a while? Take a look at these fun staycation ideas you can do with your kids.
Learning about occupations at Kidzania
An important aspect of my worldschooling philosophy is showing my kids all the different jobs that people do around the world. This understanding and respect for differences is an important part of raising travelers are conscientious of their privilege.
Traditional school sometimes puts kids in a bubble. They don’t always see that there are so many different things that people can do with their lives.
Even though KidZania is pretend, the jobs they see exist in real life. And that is such an important social lesson for the kids. I like to supplement a visit to KidZania by looking through a book about jobs with the kids, like 100 Things To Be When You Grow Up. They can take their KidZania experiences and use it to imagine what they might be like when they grow up themselves.
Making KidZania activities part of our worldschooling experience
It may seem a bit silly, but I like having KidZania as part of my kids’ worldschooling experience. As far as amusement parks go, KidZania is one that I can get behind!
Have you been to KidZania during your travels? Share your kids’ favorite KidZania activities in the comments! Or send me a picture of your little ones at a KidZania.
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23 Responses
I’ve never heard of KidZania, even though it sounds like it’s an international chain with franchises from Mexico City to Mumbai. It looks like a fun place for kids!
It’s definitely a fun place for the little ones.
Sorry but I cannot relate about bringing kids in this type of environment however there’s one nearby which is also Kidzania. I think it is really great place for kids to learn stuff coz whenever I pass by there, I see bunches of parents and kids lining up.
Totally get it. Maybe something to keep in mind for the future, or for entertaining nieces and nephews? 🙂
Kidzania looks like an awesome place to take kids to. I want to go here and learn about the chips. Do they let you in if you don’t have kids??
I’m not sure. There’s actually not much there for adults to do, though.
I didn’t know KidZania actually started in Mexico until you mentioned it here. I have never been to KidZania before but I have heard my nephews and nieces raving about it so many times. Seems like they always had a blast on each visits and nag their parents to take them again :))
If I had kids I would also really love to show them all the different jobs that people do around the world. I think KidZania is a great activities other than the ordinary school. I wish I had this experience when I was a kid!
I get the nagging from my kids too! It’s a really fun place for them, and they enjoy the learning aspect of it too.
What a wonderful experience for kids. Both fun and educational. It’s interesting to know that you can visit these locations across different countries and still have a great time.
Absolutely! We plan to visit some more locations during our travels.
I’ve never heard of the Kidzania concept and I love it. It’s great to read that they are plans to open locations in the U.S. The educational aspects is great and giving kids a chance to “taste” adult responsibilities can be quite an experience.
It truly was a fun experience for my kids.
My kids would love this! I think I’ve heard baby & life talk about this in dubai – we dont have it here in the US???
Not yet in the US. But keep your eyes peeled for ones opening in Dallas, Chicago, and New York in the next few years.
I have never heard of Kidzania before. This place looks like so much fun. I love the idea that the kids get earn and spend their own money. Really teaching them to appreciate the value and work behind a dollar. I would love to bring my kids here. They would really enjoy trying the different occupations.
There are about 26 locations around the world, so depending on where you travel next, there might be a KidZania there.
Kidzania is indeed kids favorite. I have been to one in Bangkok, just to look around. I live in Mumbai and never knew there was one here! Just shows , when it comes to travel , however much one may have traveled abroad, there are always little somethings, in one own backyard that one does not know.
The one in Mumbai is actually in R City Mall.
I somehow, seem to have missed out on this one. good to know about it now. Seems like a well thought out park. And also, consistent across. They don’t seem to have any in India but will watch out for them when I get to places that have them
There’s actually one in Mumbai, in R City Mall. That was the first KidZania we went to.
I think it is great that you decided to make Kidzania a part of your kids’ schooling experience. I haven’t been to one but I’ve heard about it, there’s one in Dubai as well where I live. I believe there’s no better way to learn than while having fun. I wish we had such opportunities when we were kids – textbook learning was the worst!