School holidays mean that your kids’ restlessness goes up to new highs but you can’t pack them over to grandma’s place for the week, so, what do you do? Ask us, and we’d say KidZania KL is the place to be. Unlike other theme parks, KidZania is Malaysia’s first and only interactive edutainment theme park where kids and teenagers between the ages four and 14 get hands-on experience on real-life jobs through the attractions and activities.

So, your son or daughter told you they wanted to be a pilot, or a doctor, or even a firefighter? At KidZania KL, they’d get to douse blazing ‘flames’, ‘perform’ surgeries, or even ‘fly’ an airplane. You and your kids will have a whale of a time in just one day! And here’s how we think is best to do it:

As KidZania is popular with families and school-going kids on excursions, you may want to skip the long lines just to get the tickets. We recommend you book the tickets online! The theme park opens at 10 a.m. but with more than 60 establishments and over 100 activities, you should arrive early to get a head start before the crowd kicks in. Checking in is a breeze – just scan your ‘boarding pass’ and you’re in!

At KidZania, the kidZos is the official currency. Your kids earn kidZos by ‘working’ and then, use them to buy services and goods. It’s a great way for kids to learn about financial literacy, instill independence and a sense of responsibility as they are in charge of their own ‘money’. Upon checking in, the kids can cash their kidZo cheque at the ‘bank’ and get 50 kidZos to spend.

From here onwards, KidZania ticket holders will begin the activities without their parents (all in the name of boosting confidence and independence!). If they need help, the KidZania staff are available for assistance. Your cue is just to sit back, enjoy some me-time and relax.

Before your kids start the activities, go to the KidZania Information Counter and grab a map to navigate the two-level theme park. It will also be useful to have the map as you can plan your time around popular attractions such as the Pilot, Flight Attendants and Fire Fighter. The queue for these attractions could get as long as 60 minutes each, so we’d recommend the kids to do these popular ‘jobs’ first.

In between the longer queue for the more popular ‘jobs’, maximize your time at KidZania by joining activities to earn some kidZos. They would need to spend kidZos on activities such as Face Painting, Jewellery Making and Studio Painting. To earn more kidZos, they could try working at a higher-paying job such as the Dentist. Pro tip: Try out the ‘jobs’ on the theme park’s upper level first as they tend to have shorter queues.

Is your child a foodie? When it’s nearing lunchtime, the kids can go to any of the three food-making jobs: Choose among three ‘jobs’: Cook using a healthy diet recipe at Mission, learn how to make their own McDonald’s burgers, or make chocolates at the Chocolate Factory. For parents, there are a few places where you can grab a bite or chill over coffee at the parents’ lounge on the second floor while the kids get busy.

Helicopter moms, this is the time for you to let your kids do what they want for a change! Their ‘career choice’ might be unconventional at times but we think that is okay. For instance, at Junior Slipper Maker attraction, kids can learn to assemble a pair of slippers and design one of their own! Not much job prospect, you think? Just take a look at what an average Malaysian wears daily and you might just change your mind!

If you are a working parent, you may want your kids to try doing your job. There are several good reasons for this: They get a taste of what exactly you do on a daily basis and with that understanding, they may become more empathetic to you (your job is hard, we know) once they’ve tried it. You could also let them try what was once (or still is!) your career aspiration, such as a secret agent or a milkman!

The queues tend to be quite long, especially on weekends and during the school holidays. So it might be a good idea to bring your kid’s friends along (or yours) to pass time with. Some kids may need more time to warm up their social skills and would definitely be more comfortable if they have familiar faces with them. As you’ll be spending a lot of time waiting for your kids to finish ‘working’, it is also the perfect time to bring your good friend along for an unhurried catch-up.

The kids will be spending a lot of time on their feet so we recommend they wear comfortable shoes. We suggest a pair of covered shoes as some jobs like the Climber would require the ‘workers’ to climb on the facade of a building and learn about courage and safety along the way.

After a long and tiring day of ‘working’, it’s time to reward the kids with a sumptuous meal at The Curve Shopping Mall just next door. From conveyor-belt sushi restaurants to Italian pasta and cakes, there are many kinds of cheap to mid-range restaurants you could choose from, depending on what strikes yours or your kid’s fancy. After all, they deserve it!

KidZania

Curve NX, No. 18, Jalan PJU7/5, Mutiara Damansara, 47810 Petaling Jaya, Selangor

Opening hours: 10.00am – 5.00pm (Daily)

Ready to start your adventure? Book your tickets to KidZania on Traveloka here to unlock attractive deals!