Kai! 😀
That’s how they greet people in KidZania Manila.
At last! We got to experience KidZania just last year. It’s the popular kids’ play place that hit the Philippines in 2015. We bought a voucher from Metrodeal to get ticket discount for five people.
Will the children enjoy? That was our first concern. That’s why we didn’t first get a passport yet.
After trying out some establishments in the morning, we headed to the Pazzport Office to fill out forms, fall in line, pay and have the kids’ pictures taken for their passports. Therefore, they enjoyed!
Here’s a short slide show of their first visit. Click the image to watch!
KidZania is a place where children can pretend to be many things like a car designer, a bank employee, a pilot, a dentist, a surgeon, and many more. This is where their pretend play will be rewarded with pretend currency called KidZo. This currency, when saved up, allows them to buy NOT pretend items. In short, real things!
Although my hubby Rix and I knew that the children wouldn’t be able to finish each and every activity offered in just one day, we wondered, “How will they maximize their visit?” This was our second concern.
Thus, while the kids were “working”, Rix and I walked around to look for the next available activity they could do with the least amount of waiting time. Then, we would fetch them and usher them to fall in line for the next one.
How about their lunch? We have bought meals from Via Mare (not there anymore), McDonald’s and Yellow Cab. The children could also “make” their own lunch if they work at Yellow Cab (pizza), McDonald’s (burger), PureFoods (hotdog), Lady’s Choice (sandwich), Coca-Cola bottling plant (soda), dessert at Magnolia (ice cream) or snacks at Oishi (chips or Bread Pan), Goldilocks (cookie or mamon) and Cream-O (cookies).
Will the children learn? According to this article from ABS-CBN entitled Four Reasons Why Role Play Is Beneficial For Children, one of the benefits of children role-playing is to enjoy hard work. To quote:
At KidZania Manila, patience is key as kids decide on their preferred jobs, get in line, have themselves trained, and strive to finish their respective tasks. Hard work can be as simple as painting a wall or as complex as analysing evidence in a crime, but whatever it is, children will appreciate their tough grind once they see the outcome.
Since each activity accommodates a certain number of participants, our kids will have to play together with other children and I think this allows them to work with different kinds of people and personalities; much like how it is in real life.
Will we still visit Kidzania Manila?
And now, after our nth visit, the children have the brown passport. The highest level. They are called Honorable Citizens of KidZania.
Still, there were establishments they have not visited. Like engaging in wall-climbing in the Sky Cable area, or being part of the City Parade or the theater. Therefore, the answer is, “Yes, we will still visit KidZania Manila.”
And, us parents are starting to let them explore on their own. KidZania is a fairly safe place where they learn to be independent. My shy bunso chooses her own activities already, without sticking to her older siblings.
What can parents do there? Good thing there’s a Parents’ Lounge where Rix and I could relax, or work. I bring a book to read. The little ones know where to find us in case they need anything. Here, we can present the kid’s passport and claim a free cup of brewed coffee from McCafé.
There’s also a National Bookstore kiosk right outside the bank where I browse book titles and in the past, bought books a few times when the children had to deposit their KidZos or encash their checks.
KidZania is a miniature, kid-sized city where the children could get a dose of the real world workings within a safe and fun environment. I highly recommend it for kids four to seventeen years old.
Please visit the KidZania Manila website to know more.
