10 Family Friendly Indoor Activities in Dubai
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Here are the best indoor activities in Dubai you could enjoy with your family.
Summer in Dubai can be unbearable. With temperatures reaching up to 50oC, it is almost impossible to spend your time outdoors during the day. However, as children are at home for their summer holidays, you would want to do something exciting with them. Thankfully, Dubai has some amazing indoor activities that you can enjoy with your family. While there are numerous activities to choose from, here we present 10 family-friendly indoor activities that you can enjoy in Dubai.
Family Friendly Indoor Activities in Dubai
VR Park Dubai
If you and your kids love gaming and extreme adventures, VR Park Dubai is a place to visit. Located inside the Dubai Mall, VR Park is a gaming zone that brings together virtual reality and augmented reality. The place has 18 interactive experiences based on different genres like leisure, horror, adrenaline, etc.
There are several group games or activities, where you can escape reality and have fun for a few hours. Some of the attractions to checkout at VR Park Dubai include APE-X, The Raft, Burj Drop, The Walking Dead VR Outbreak, Dune Bash, Plummet, etc.
KidZania Dubai
If you want to relax while your kids are engaged in informational and entertaining activities, KidZania is the place for you. This is another attraction that is located inside the enormous Dubai Mall. Perfect for children between the ages of 4 and 16 years, KidZania gives them the chance to engage in role-play by choosing different types of professions. They can be doctors, nurses, fire-fighters, shopkeepers, newsreaders, chef, etc. They would also have to face real-life scenarios and situations and even earn KidZania money.
Moreover, while your kids are learning some important skills, you can spend some “me-time” with a cup of coffee at the parents’ lounge.
Dubai Mall Aquarium & Underwater Zoo
Another gem of an attraction at the Dubai Mall is the Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo. Yes, an aquarium and zoo inside a mall! The aquarium is made of a 10-million litre tank, which is known as the world’s largest transparent tunnel. Inside the tank, designed like a tunnel, there are more than 140 species of marine animals, including different types of rays and sharks.
The underwater zoo is divided into three zones, where you would get to see otters, Humbolt Penguins, piranha, catfish, etc. The aquarium also offers special activities like shark diving, cage diving, glass-bottom boat ride, etc. for those interested. This is one of the best things to do in Dubai.
Jumble
If you want something more than the thrilling rides of theme parks, Jumble is a place to be. It is the first indoor maze of Dubai and also the first URBAN Maze in the world. While it is for people above the age of 12, kids under this age can be involved if they are accompanied by adults.
Jumble is a group activity, where you have to face several physical and mental challenges to get through a maze. While it may seem like an escape room activity, Jumble is much more than that. It needs physical strength, quick thinking, teamwork and effective communication to complete every task.
Oli Oli
Oli Oli Dubai is an interactive children’s museum where fun meets learning. The place brings together education, interactive experiences, family activity and recreation to give children the time of their lives. Oli Oli has 8 interactive zones with more than 40 interesting activities that would keep the kids busy and entertained. They are not mindless games, but activities where kids have to think, imagine and find solutions.
Some of the sections of Oli Oli include Air Section, Water Section, Creative Lab, Cars and Ramps, Toshi’s Nets, Future Park, etc. Oli Oli has an interesting section for the toddlers as well.
Dubai Ice Rink
Dubai is a desert city, but right in the middle of the Dubai Mall is the enormous Dubai Ice Rink, with the size of 28-football fields. You may be an expert or an amateur, the Dubai Ice Rink is the perfect place for everyone who is interested in ice-skating. You and your family, including your kids, would have a field day trying your hand at ice-skating here.
The Dubai Ice Rink also offers a coaching program, where you can learn the ropes of ice-skating. Ski Dubai also has a snowfall experience, where you would get to ice-skate while enjoying snowfall.
IMG Worlds of Adventure
IMG Worlds of Adventure is the largest indoor theme park in the world and offers some of the best kids activities in Dubai. Spread around an area of more than 1.5 million square feet, IMG is divided into four fun zones: Lost Valley – Dinosaur Adventure, Cartoon Network, Marvel Universe and IMG Boulevard. This indoor theme park brings alive the world of Marvel Comics and Cartoon Network through its rides and attractions. Kids would also get to meet their favorite characters.
The best part is that IMG Worlds of Adventure has something for everyone. While there are thrilling rides for the adults and adventure lovers, there are some fun rides for kids and toddlers as well. This is a great place to spend a day at, when the outside temperature in Dubai soars high.
The Green Planet
Dubai is the last place where you would imagine to see a lush green forest. However, the Green Planet is exactly this. It is a vertical indoor rain-forest that is home to more than 3000 animals and plants. The highlight of the place is the huge man-made, life-sustaining tree. The main attractions here are Australian Walkabout, Bug Encounter, Sugar Glider Encounter, Bird Encounter, Sloth Encounter, Reptile Encounter and the Bat Cave.
You would get to see squirrel monkeys, leaf cutter ants, Cuban Amazon parrot, etc. and also get the chance to hold a python. The rain-forest also has a population of tropical fish, including Piranhas, Archer fish, Motoro Rays, etc. In short, a visit to the Green Planet is fun and educational at the same time.
Bounce Dubai
Children love to jump up and down, and they can do that for the entire day if they could. Let your kids burn out their never-dying energy a bit at Bounce Dubai. The largest indoor trampoline park, Bounce has more than 100 interconnected trampolines spread around an area of 500 sq ft. While kids would have a happy time jumping on the trampolines, parents can try aerial sports and other adventurous activities.
Slam Dunk, Freejump, The Wall, Big Bag, Flight Academy, X Park, Dodgeball, etc. are some of the special attractions here. An important thing to remember is that kids below the age of 3 years are not allowed inside Bounce Dubai.
Dubai Dolphinarium
The Dubai Dolphinarium is one of the best family-friendly attractions in Dubai. Covering an area of 5000 square meters, the dolphinarium has 6 bottleneck dolphins, several fur seals and 20 species of exotic parrots. The highlight here is the dolphin and seal show, where you would you be able to marvel at the acts of the dolphins and seals, when they play, sing, paint, juggle and indulge in acrobatics to entertain you.
You can also be a part of the parrot show if you are interested. Apart from this, Dubai Dolphinarium has a play zone covering three floors, where kids can play in the ball-pit, slide, explore, climb through tunnels and have a fun time.
Although these are just a gist of the family friendly attractions in Dubai, they are a good place to start if you are getting confused with so many options. To ensure that your family day-out is a hit, choose a place that matches your kids’ age and interests.
