The summer holidays have come to an end, but that doesn’t mean that the fun must stop. As we wait for the weather to cool and outdoor play to resume, now is the perfect opportunity to get out there and explore the UAE’s many unique, exciting and enriching indoor activities for kids.
Whether your children love reading, art, games or animals, there are so any different ways to entertain your brood, and encourage them to learn, develop their skills, and appreciate the natural world, all within the pleasant cool of air conditioning.
Here are nine of our favourite indoor activities for kids across the UAE
Nature-inspired play at Caboodle, The Galleria Al Maryah Island, Abu Dhabi
The next best thing to a real outdoor park, the orchard-like playground at Caboodle is the total opposite to the bright, loud and over stimulating spaces of many indoor play areas. Made from natural materials and completed with trees, grassy tunnels, trampolines and a sand pit for fossil digs, there isn’t a screen anyone to be found, while various crafty activities such as cookie decorating and paper mache, can also be added on for an extra cost.
From AED 59 (one hour). @mycaboodle.
Guardians of Water Festival brings at Terra, Expo City Dubai
One of our favourite kids’ indoor activities, Terra at Expo City always has a line-up of events to entertain. Families can dive headfirst at the Guardians of Water Festival at Terra, Expo City Dubai, running across two weekends from 30–31 August and 6–7 September.
Designed to spark curiosity and inspire action, the festival blends fun with education through an exciting line-up: the Middle East premiere of Our Blue World, a breathtaking film narrated by Liam Neeson; live storytelling by children’s authors Kathy Urban and Beverly Jatwani; and a host of hands-on activities, from building traditional falaj irrigation systems and experimenting with water filters to playing Freshwater Heroes Bingo.
With guided tours, creative colouring corners, and heritage workshops on desalination and desert wildlife, it’s an adventure into the wonders of water — and best of all, kids under 12 go free.
Sugar-coated fun at the Museum of Candy
The Museum of Candy is quite simply a sugar-coated wonderland that kids, and adults with a sweet tooth, will love. Bursting with colour and larger-than-life installations, the experience lets visitors dive into candy-themed ball pits, wander through lollipop forests, bounce along marshmallow clouds, and discover rooms dripping in all things well, candy. Snap endless Insta-worthy photos, and play interactive candy games, in this space designed for fun and imagination. It’s guaranteed to leave everyone smiling, and maybe craving a bag of gummy bears.
Prices: Children (3–9 years): starting from AED 99
Stories, art and more at the Cultural Foundation, Qasr Al Hosn, Abu Dhabi
Ideal for book worms and young creative souls, the stunning, three-floor children’s library at Abu Dhabi’s very beautiful Cultural Foundation offers book readings, author appearances, puppet making, movement sessions, chess games and more, with many activities available for free or a small fee. Older children up to 14 years old can also take part in courses in silk painting, pottery, tote bag painting and other crafts at the dedicated Children’s Art Centre, while the ever-changing exhibitions by local artists are always worth checking out while you’re in the area as well.
Prices vary, @abudhabicf.
Magic lessons at Harry Potter™: The Exhibition, Manarat Al Saadiyat, Abu Dhabi
Sure to delight Potter-loving adults just as much as kids, Harry Potter™: The Exhibition is bringing the magic of the wizarding world to Abu Dhabi’s Saadiyat Island for a limited time only. Along with offering room after room of fantastical props and costumes from the iconic films, kids (and grown-ups of course) are also invited to immerse themselves in the Hogwarts experience and have a go at casting spells, playing quidditch, brewing potions, hunting for horcruxes and collecting house points through magical activities and games.
Guaranteed to spark every child’s imagination and provide you with a welcome dose of nostalgia, everyone will be in the mood for a Harry Potter movie marathon once you get home.
Until September 21. From AED 115 per child, abudhabi.harrypotterexhibition.com.
Futuristic games at The Museum of the Future, Downtown Dubai
Housed inside one of Dubai’s most striking architectural wonders, The Museum of the Future offers an entire section dedicated to children. Modern, sleek and futuristic, yet refreshingly free from any hypnotising screens, it encourages our planet’s future leaders to collect badges, make friends and naturally develop vital skills in communication, collaboration and creativity as they explore and discover the different exhibitions.
Free (children under four), AED 149 (general admission), @museumofthefuture.
Free cooking classes at Osteria Mario and Shvili , Abu Dhabi and Dubai
A great way of persuading children to try new foods, be creative, and discover a love for cooking at an early age, the culinary and crafty classes at Shvili and Osteria Mario are ideal for filling hot summer weekends. Spanning masterclasses in khachapuri, cherry pie, Napoleon cake and more authentic Georgian dishes, along with pasta and pizza making, origami, drawing and much more, all the sessions are completely free to attend, provided you book a spot in advance and dine in the restaurant. Private group bookings for eight kids or more can also be arranged, while the onsite eco-friendly playgrounds provide extra entertainment, too.
Various locations, including The Galleria Mall Al Maryah Island, Abu Dhabi and Dubai Marina, Nakheel Mall, Dubai Hills Mall and Dubai Festival City Mall, Dubai.
Free. @shvili.ae
Multi-sensory adventures at SENSAS, Al Quoz, Dubai
For a family day out that’s guaranteed to spark curiosity, head to SENSAS Dubai, a brand-new immersive experience that puts all five senses to the test. Originating in France, this two-hour adventure takes kids (and adults) through a series of sensory labs where you’ll taste mystery flavours, solve touch-and-feel puzzles, and even find your way through rooms plunged into complete darkness.
Guided by the playful ‘Master of Senses,’ families work together to collect charms by completing challenges with every success supporting local charities that aid people with disabilities. Fun, educational, and packed with plenty of giggles, it’s a refreshing alternative to traditional play spaces, and one that will leave kids buzzing long after they’ve left.
SENSAS Dubai welcomes visitors aged 7 and above, and guests under 16 must be accompanied by an adult guardian. Prices start from AED130
Interactive art at teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi
If you haven’t checked out Abu Dhabi’s coolest new attraction TeamLab Phenomena yet, now is the perfect time to do so. Colourful, surreal and like entering a fairytale world, each exhibition is inspired by the wonders of nature, and designed to push the limits of your imagination in new and amazing ways.
Taking the idea of an ‘interactive’ gallery to a whole new level (half the rooms are wet and involve walking shin deep in water), kids can play with shimmering floating orbs, colour in their own animals and watch them come to life in front of their eyes, be thrilled by rooms filled floor-to-ceiling with bubbles, and experience more jaw-dropping installations that integrate light, sound, water and technology to mesmerising effect.
From AED 50 per child. @teamlab_phenomena.
