Kidzania: Amusement Park Where Kids Grow Up      

I never thought I’d say this, but both of my kids have earned a medical degree and have already performed their first surgery.  My daughter performed a kidney replacement on a patient after my son administered the anesthesia.  It was a proud moment as my husband and I looked on.

How old are my children you ask?  My daughter is 12 and my son is 9.  Yes, they are young for being doctors, but their medical studies prepared them for it.  How could this happen you ask?

Simple.  We went to the newest rage in amusement parks…outside of the US.  It’s called Kidzania and instead of going on rides, kids try on careers for size.  Kids can choose from tons of careers and actually perform duties.  We visited the Kidzania in London, England. Now, was the person my kids performed surgery on real?  No, of course.  With a college medical degree being completed in 25 minutes, there’s only so much you can learn!

Kidzania is designed to let kid’s minds run wild with all sorts of career choices.  The cost for a child to get into Kidzania runs £28 (ages 4-14) if bought online at their London, England location, and costs adults £16.50 (online).  But guess what?  Adults are not allowed to try any vocations, only watch.  Why the fee than?  I believe it’s because Kidzania wants this adventure to be for the kids…encouraging kids to make their own choices of careers without interference from their parents.

Kids are given a high-tech RFID security bracelet that ensures kids are easily trackable and are kept safe in Kidzania.  In fact, with this bracelet, parents can have the peace of mind to drop their kids off and go shopping in the attached mall in London.  

In addition, kids are given Kidzo bucks to start their day off.  The Kidzo bucks can be used to get a degree at Kidzania University (in order to make more money in other careers) or to participate in special careers like chocolate bar making or working in a burger shop.

My husband and I went into Kidzania with our kids to watch our them run from career to career, it was fun.  Kidzania even has an adults lounge so parents can rest while their kids learn new career paths.

So, what kinds of careers are possible?  Each Kidzania location is different, due to the culture of the country it resides in.

But most Kidzania’s have fire and police as options.  Kids actually ride around in a small fire truck as they are transferred to a building that is “on fire.”  Using water from hoses, they put out the fire.

Other Careers Include:

• Courier– kids are given an itinerary and must deliver packages to various “business” around Kidzania.
• Chocolatiers – kids learn to make chocolate bars through a chocolate molding process. This career costs kids Kidzania bucks to participate.
• Recycling Specialist – kids are taught more about how recycling is good for the environment and learn how companies recycle goods.
• Dentist – using a dummy, kids “fill” a cavity.
• Dental Hygienist – assist dentists in cleaning the teeth of the dummy patient.
• Doctor – actually perform surgery on a dummy patient.
• Nurse – work in the neonatal care unit to care for newborns.
• Anesthesiologist – administer anesthesia for patients to minimize pain.
• Banker – kids can assist in the Kidzania bank where kids can deposit their money for their Kidzania ATM cards.
• Money Courier – kids suit up in a “bullet proof vest” to pick up money from various Kidzania “businesses.”
• Police Officer – kids look for clues to solve the whereabouts of a thief in Kidzania.
• Airline Attendant – kids give passengers directions on what to do in an emergency and pass out meals to passengers (Parents!).
• Pilot – kids learn procedures and steps to pilot a commercial plane.
• News Journalist – kids can create articles for the local Kidzania newspaper.
• Grocery Clerk – kids work at cash registers to scan in customers (other kids) purchases.
• Grocery Store Manager – helps customers as they shop for items on their list and puts back all the groceries after the fun is over.
• Hotel Desk Clerk – receives customers as they come into check into their rooms (kids).
• Ice Cream Technician– makes ice cream at an ice cream factory.
• and many more!!!

My kids chose to do STEM type activities like the doctorate degree and doctor and nurse careers.  But they also enjoyed working as a grocery clerk, an airline attendant, Ice Cream Technician, and more.  The only limiting factor is that kids only have 4 hours to play.  After that, the bracelet alerts Kidzania businesses that their time is up when they try to sign up.

My kids were able to do about 8-9 different careers in this time.  Although they did some careers together, most of the time they went off to explore their own interests.

With the completion of each career choice, children were given Kidzania bucks.  At the end of the day, they could buy actual toys with their hard-earned cash at the Kidzania department store.

My kids had a blast and my husband and I enjoyed watching not only our own kids but other kids too.  It is certainly an empowering day for them.  My kids were not ready to go at the end of the day.  As an added bonus, we even saw Keith Urban at the London location taking his girls around from career to career. They were having a fantastic time too.

You probably have not heard of Kidzania, but there are now over 20 locations worldwide – from Mexico City to Moscow, Russia!  The premise is the same, but dependent upon which local sponsors Kidzania partners with, the careers can and will be different.

Kidzania plans to open a location in America too, although the location has not yet been disclosed.  Keep on the lookout for Kidzania during your travels abroad, it’s truly an exciting fun-filled day for kids and parents alike.

* My family and I were given admission into the Kidzania London location to facilitate this review.  All degrees earned and opinions expressed are  my kids and mine.