KidZania Activities! 4 Reasons Why Kids Will Love Them
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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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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