Amanda Virrey
At KidZania, children between ages four and fourteen are shown into a city where they could experience life like adults thriving in a child-friendly simulation of a metropolis.
With the thorough assistance of professional kid-lovers, KidZanian Citizens are carefully and playfully guided into the realm of work, which is essentially about doing something they enjoy and learn from, and in return, receive a form of compensation, either through the product that they make or through the city’s play money currency, kidZos.
The fun part in this dynamic role-playing activity and learning center begins at the main entrance where the children get to purchase their boarding pass, which is the entrance ticket, at the airline check-in counter.
Afterward, they go to the Immigration Office and apply for a KidZanian Passport. A passport with their photo on it will then be given to them plus a budget of 50 kidZos money, which they can deposit in the bank after or spend in a number of establishments.
What happens next is a spectacular manifestation of kids having fun at work, in their respective uniforms, and acting out 100 careers, while the parents or caregivers are at bay.
Here are 10 fun roles that kids usually play in KidZania:
- Being a Pilot and Cabin Crew in the Aviation Academy – Here, children receive professional training on the essential things that their adult counterparts do before, during, and after each flight.
- Creating Mamon in the Bakeshop – Following a comprehensible run-through of how these sweet fluffy breads are made, the kids are given a colored icing and sugary cookie to design their own mamon. At the end, they get to keep their own creation and eat it in between jobs.
- Construction Worker at the Construction Site – With toy bricks and mortar on hand, kids get to experience building a wall in a room of a pretend construction site.
- Making Ice Cream in the Ice Cream Factory –Children love to eat ice cream, which makes this a perfect opportunity for them to know how it is commercially made, plus they get to keep sweet cup of its creaminess in return.
- Painting Walls at the Home Finishing Area – Painting a wall in proper attire with cool tools and a bunch of kids is clearly a dream come true for them.
- Jamming in the Music Studio –Future singers and musicians get the feel of singing on a real microphone and playing musical instruments in a fabulously setup music studio.
- Delivery Staff at the Courier Service – Here, children are tasked to push the cart and deliver parcels to various recipients who are supposed to sign the receiving form. This allows them to roam around KidZania city with a mission, as well as a chance to converse with random happy adults.
- Applying and Receiving Make-up, Hairstyle and Nail Polish in the Beauty Salon – Taking after their mothers, making a beauty trip to the salon is the first stop of most KidZanian girls.
- Being a Firefighter at the Fire Station – With complete attire from the heroic yellow hat to coat, kids get a glimpse of a firefighter’s role. They feel the thrill of getting into the fire truck at the sound of the fire alarm and riding through the city until they reach a pretend burning hotel where a water pump is installed for them to use. They pump out real water unto the make-believe flames until it dies down, then they return to the truck and ride back to the station.
- Gas Dispatcher at the Gas Station – While kiddie drivers stop by at the Gas Station, those that stand by the gas get an enjoyable experience of filling gas into the car.
Just imagine how fun it could have been for you had there been a KidZania Manila during your childhood. At least now your kids can experience a big world of interesting things that they could have fun and learn from for sure.
And when you travel to Singapore, Egypt, Qatar, Portugal, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey, UAE, UK, Brazil, Chile, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kuwait, Malaysia and Mexico, you can still bring your child for more fun, education and interaction in KidZania.
KidZania Manila is located at Bonifacio Global City in Taguig. For further details visit http://manila.kidzania.com/en-ph.
