If you are tired of the crowded play areas or play zones with flashing lights, noisy music, and video games even though your kids love it, then here is a list of indoor places for summer where you can be sane and your kids can have some serious fun learning experiences! These places will help you building those beautiful memories with your children and can even help increase mindfulness in your children!
Let’s start with our favorite emirate when it comes to fun learning and eco-tourism.
SHARJAH
1. SHARJAH SCIENCE MUSEUM
Not just kids but even you can learn so much about all sciences including physics, the human body, and so on. Kids can use so many of the lab equipment like a microscope and explore so many hands-on activities here. The hot air balloon model is really popular here and we also liked the magic uncovered experiment.
I and Ruhaan spent a really good time here exploring all the activities. He loved it so much here that he was not ready to leave from here. There is also a soft play area inside equipped with a book, dress-ups, mini kitchen, etc. After we finished exploring the museum, Ruhaan played for a while in the play area.
Learning about the human body at Sharjah Science Museum
If you have older kids, it’s worth checking out the next-door neighbor Sharjah Archaeology Museum.
Practical Info: You can spend around 2 hours or more. Younger kids might not understand all the science experiments but the soft play area good place to entertain them.
Watch here our favorite activity in this museum.
2. SHARJAH DISCOVERY CENTER
It’s one the best place for kids for fun learning and to spend hours. All age group kids can have fun here in their 7 zones where they can learn about Water world, Sharjah Kids international airport, how the human body works, mechanism of the building, learning traffic rules, storytelling section, children supermarket, becoming TV stars, etc.
There is Sharjah Classic Cars Museum nearby if your kids love cars like mine and still have some energy left after all the fun at Sharjah Discovery Center.
3. SHARJAH AQUARIUM
Sharjah Aquarium is smaller as compared to Dubai Mall Aquarium, but if you want your kids to learn about UAE’s marine environment and local marine life, then Sharjah Aquarium is the perfect place to take your kids. I particularly loved how they exhibited different local marine ecosystems like Dibba Rock or Khorfakkan Pinnacle Reef or Shark Island coral reef or even Al Khan bridge. I was expecting more to see in the mangrove section. Stop polluting your world display near the exit was a great awareness effort, it will be better if they add floating plastic bags, plastic straws to it, which can be an eye-opener for people.
Display of local marine Eco-system at Sharjah Aquarium
When you visiting Sharjah Aquarium don’t forget to visit Sharjah Maritime just next door you don’t need to pay for it additionally. It’s a great place to learn about UAE’s fishing and pearl-diving heritage. The traditional fishing traps made from palm fronds were displayed here. After seeing them a thought came to my mind, what if people start using them again? We could reduce so much fishing gear waste in our oceans.
Sharjah Maritime Museum
Practical Info: Both Sharjah Aquarium and Maritime Museum are included in the same ticket. There are kids’ activities and crafts happening during summer at both places. You can spend more than 2 hours combining both places.
4. AL MAHATTA MUSEUM
This is basically UAE’s first airport turned into a museum. Kids can learn the history of flight in the UAE and the region. You can watch an interesting documentary here about the daily routine in Sharjah airport and the town of Sharjah in the 1930s. Fully restored original propeller planes are displayed here.
This is really a great place for introducing your children to aviation and its history.
Practical Info for museums listed above: You can find more about all these museums in Sharjah on the Sharjah Museums Department website here. The entry fees are very affordable like 5 or 10 dirhams on average and it’s great value for money. Most of the museums are open from 8 am to 8 pm.
5. ARABIAN WILDLIFE CENTER
This is a great place to take your kids to show them native wildlife from indoors, as the animals are stationed outdoors around the center. There are wild animals, birds, nocturnal species, rodents in different sections. It can get tiring for us adults but great for kids. You can observe the wildlife behavior, read information about them displayed.
Sharjah Natural History and Botanical Museum just nearby is also a great place to take kids where kids can learn about the desert and marine ecosystems, dinosaurs, erupting volcanoes, prehistoric fossils, and meteorites from outer space. Also in the botanical museum, kids can learn about the development of plants and the complex relationship between humans and botany.
Practical Info: Together with both museums, it can be a great day out of edutainment. It is located at some distance on Dahid road, but easy to find. There is a cafe in the Arabian wildlife center. Click here to read more about it.
6. WASIT BIRD SANCTUARY
It’s UAE’s one the best indoor bird sanctuary where you walk in air-conditioned indoors and birds are kept around the center. Kids can learn about UAE’s native as well as migratory birds and also their feeding habits in this sanctuary. Read here our review of Wasit Nature Reserve. There are some interesting games installed at the center for kids, which can further help them understand birds.
Pied Avocet at Wasit Bird Sanctuary
Practical Info: You have to drive a bit further ahead from Sharjah city up to Ajman border to reach here. You can spend 1 hour or more. There is a cafe inside the center. You can spend around 2 hours here, there are also activities for children.
7. AL HEFAIYA MOUNTAIN CONSERVATION CENTER
This is situated in Kalba, on the east coast of UAE, which is part of the Emirate of Sharjah. It’s really a long but scenic drive but worth a visit if you want to learn about and see UAE’s forgotten endangered wildlife listed on the IUCN list. Read here our memorable experience at Al Hefaiya. You will be surprised to see the number of wildlife used to roam in this country before it developed and they lost their habitat. You can learn about these animals, their feeding habits, historical references, conservation efforts and so much in this center.
Practical Info: It is closed on Friday and Monday. There is a scenic cafeteria inside the center. This center is generally not much crowded so you can enjoy views without much hurry. You can spend around 2 hours here.
Sharjah has so many things to offer to families with kids at a very good value for money. You will have to make a few trips if you want to cover all these interesting museums in Sharjah.
DUBAI
8. DUBAI MALL AQUARIUM & UNDERWATER ZOO
Though we don’t like to see wild animals in captivity, the exhibit on the top floor of Dubai Mall Aquarium & Underwater Zoo is a very interesting place to take kids. Right from touching starfish to spitting fish, king croc & even UAE’s night creatures, kids can learn so much here. No surprise this is a favorite spot for school trips. There are clear boards providing information about almost all species available there and the friendly staff is available to provide any extra information you want.
Watch here spitting fish in Dubai Mall Aquarium
Practical Info: You can easily spend here around 2 hours. The tickets are pricey but it is worth visiting at least once and entertainer vouchers are available too. Click here to learn more.
9. CHILDREN’S CITY
Children’s city is a science-based educational center inside Dubai Creek Park. A place to explore, investigate, interact, discover & learn along with your family about nature, space, the human body, international culture. There are activities scheduled throughout the summer, check it out on their website here. It contains galleries, theater, planetarium & exhibits. It’s great for all ages and has numerous hands-on activities. So no wonder it is popular among Dubai residents.
10. THE GREEN PLANET
On a very hot summer day if you want to take your child to a rainforest although a little one; then you should visit The Green Planet. Kids can touch a few animals like Burmese Python or can watch a two-toed sloth, who moves faster than you expect. It is lovely to see colorful birds flying around you and hear them chirping. Ruhaan particularly loved bugs and insects. Kids can learn in this bio-dome about tropical biodiversity. The biologist and caretaker of this wildlife are happy to answer any of your questions so don’t worry about too many curious questions from your children, you won’t need a google here.
Chameleon at The Green Planet
Practical Info: You can spend here 1 hour or a little more at the most. Young children might not want to stay for 1 hour. The ticket price is on the higher side, but entertainer vouchers are available. Click here to read more.
11. OUR FAVOURITE INDOOR PLAY ZONES
Some of our most favorite kids’ play areas and play zones are KidZania, Oli Oli, Little Explorer. Because these play areas are educational, super fun, and give our kids exposure to real-world topics like STEM and help developing life skills through edutainment. It’s the best play zone if you are looking to spend a day full of activities and fun.
For example in KidZania kids take up jobs through role-play, learn about skills, responsibilities, and money. I particularly liked some activities like the DEWA office. Where kids get to learn how Dubai Water Electricity Authority works and how do they troubleshoot problems which end up wasting water and electricity.
Olioli is another beautiful and creative play zone where kids can explore different science, creativity, art, etc. topics through hands-on activities, experiments. Your kids can easily spend hours here and you can’t resist playing with them. Little Explorer is another similar play area where you could even drop your kids and have a peaceful time in a cafe. Olioli and Little Explorer also have water-related activities so better take extra paid of clothes when visiting.
Other notable places in Dubai include Dubai Butterfly Garden. There are 3 domes inside Dubai Butterfly Garden where butterflies roam freely. Kids love it here and make sure you are not stepping on the butterflies. Unfortunately, you can’t find much of the information about butterflies, which could have been a great educational experience for curious kids. This is the only reason why it didn’t get listed in our top edutainment places. Air Maniax and Sky Zone Trampoline Parks are our go-to play areas when we are looking for action-packed physical activities in summer.
ABU DHABI
12. AL AIN ZOO & SHEIKH ZAYED DESERT LEARNING CENTER
Al-Ain Zoo is popular for summer zoo nights during summer months, where you can see nocturnal animals with special goggles. But our focus is mainly on The Sheikh Zayed Desert Learning Center, which is an Estidama 5 pearl building (sustainability rating by Abu Dhabi UPC) and also a LEED platinum building. (honest confession being an Estidama PQP & LEED AP, I am a bit partial towards this center ;)). This center is an exhibition and exploration of the natural and cultural history of the Arabian deserts. This museum cum science center is a great fun learning experience not only for kids but for all age groups. Definitely, a must visit in Al ain! Click to read here about Al Ain Zoo & SZDLC.
Sheikh Zayed Desert Learning Center, Al Ain
13. ABU DHABI FALCON HOSPITAL
A not-so-popular tour of Falcon hospital in Sweihan on the outskirts of Abu Dhabi is a unique activity and your kids will remember it for a long time. Frankly, this up close and personal with Falcon tour is still on our to-do list but I couldn’t have completed this list without mentioning it. I heard you can even see an operation take place in this hospital, isn’t it very educational for our little Veterinary doctors? Click here to know more and book a tour to Falcon hospital in Abu Dhabi.
14. LITTLE WORLD FUN DISCOVERY CENTER
It’s a great edutainment place at Nation Galleria on the corniche. There are many interesting discovery zones in this play area like the kinetic exhibit to learn about gravity, airflow; then the touch tank, where children can touch sea animals and learn about them. Builder’s zone, dark sensory room, water exploration, innovation zone are few of those discovery zones. This is really a great edutainment place for kids where their creativity and curiosity can bloom. Click here to find out more about this center.
15. FUN WORKS
This is one of our favorite indoor play areas in UAE, not just because there is a recycling game for children but it has 10 hands-on sections where you can go along with your child and play with them so many different fun learning games including building their own electric car, learning about energy or baking. If you have enough energy to go on and on with your curious child you can even spend a whole here. Read here our review of Fun works.
Now that our long list of UAE’s fun learning places is complete, I hope you find it useful. This list is mainly for kids of age 4 years and above, the younger ones can enjoy these places too, but older kids really can spend a good time having fun and learning something new. Last summer, we followed a serious goal of ‘No Screen Time’ for 4 weeks during the summer holidays, read here the summer survival activities you can do with your preschoolers.
I would like to share my little secret with you here. When the weather is good our outdoor family enjoys the beaches, desert, and all outdoor spots around UAE thoroughly and we avoid going to these indoor places. Basically, I save these indoor places for the summer months that way kids don’t get bored of going to the same places again and again. Plus when the weather is better we need to let our children enjoy outdoors, it’s very important for their overall development and health. Read here the list of outdoor spots around UAE where you can go with your kids and learn about UAE’s Nature.
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