Dubai is the most popular city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates known for luxury shopping, ultramodern architecture, and a lively nightlife scene. Someone will assume that this city is not suitable when you traveling with kids, but this is not really true. Dubai has many things to do with kids and they are waiting for your family to come to discover. Let’s explore the ultimate playground as a family with top kid-friendly activities in Dubai.
When we think about Dubai, the sun, desert, and skyscrapers will appear in our minds. However, you will be surprised when you know that Dubai has more things beyond. The best time for traveling Dubai is from November to April. The weather in this period is cool and bright winter sun, a contrast to the chill and dreary weather across most parts of the world.
In this season, there are many international tourists come here and lead to high airfare and hotel rates. The low season is summer from May until the end of August when the sun stands above your head and sunlight extends till 13 hours per day. This will not disturb your journey since most of the places in Dubai have air-conditioned. Only 1 simple thing that you could not enjoy the sea and outdoor activities. There is shoulder season starts from September to October when the temperatures start to decrease, and the sea becomes pleasant for a swim and exciting water adventures activities like jet-surfing and wakeboarding.
No matter how is the weather, Dubai is quite suitable for travel since they have many things to do for everyone from adults with party places and relaxing facilities to kids with plenty of outdoor and indoor activities. Let’s start to discover by yourself.
1. IMG Worlds of Adventure
It is a famous amusement indoor theme park in Dubai, IMG Worlds of Adventure located in the heart of Dubai, you can easily take a taxi to reach there conveniently. IMG Worlds of Adventure has different worlds featuring themes from Marvel, Cartoon Network, IMG Boulevard, and The Lost Valley. They welcome more than 20,000 guests a day, the destination features roller coasters, thrill rides, and other attractions based on popular Cartoon Network characters, iconic Marvel Super Heroes, and animatronic dinosaurs. This park does not only for kids, but the parent also can enjoy it since the largest indoor theme park in the world also offer you a lot of rides to try and dine at the various themed restaurants such as the Boulevard Gourmet and The Coffeehouse.
2. Atlantis Aquaventure Water Park
If you think that water parks everywhere in the world are the same, you will change your mind after visit Atlantis Aquaventure Water Park in Dubai. Let’s come here to explore how the water park in Middle East countries running? Well, this is a place that let you slide down between the aquarium like a large tank with a lot of marine animals either enjoy an array of thrilling rides that will push you to your limit, including Aquaconda, the world’s largest water slide that will catapult you and your friends on a wild ride and drop you into the largest fiberglass tube in the world!
While your kids are so excited with the Tower of Poseidon where you will experience record-breaking rides that plunge them into tanks with sharks and rays, you can relax on the private beach, shop, or eat at one of the 15 restaurants available to you. What a fun day for your family!
3. Ski Dubai
Your family travels to Dubai in summer when the sun is really hot and your kids want to go skiing? That’s really a big challenge for parents. Don’t worry, Dubai understands you, they have Ski Dubai – an indoor ski resort with 22,500 square meters of the indoor ski area. The park maintains a temperature of -1 degree to 2 degrees Celsius throughout the year. Your kids will forget the sand, desert, and sunlight immediately when they enter this park.
The Polar Pass allows you to go on an unlimited number of rides so you will have plenty to do throughout the day. For an even more memorable wintry experience, the Polar Express package includes everything in the Polar Pass plus a 40 minutes penguin interaction session including an underwater viewing and the rare chance to get up close and personal with penguins! At right the entrance, the kids will think that they are in the ski resort of some temperate countries in December. That’s sounds great! Therefore, your family shouldn’t miss this wonderful theme park when traveling to Dubai.
4. Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo
Dubai has one of the world’s largest suspended aquariums. The 10 million liter tank is home to over 300 sharks and rays and boasts the largest collection of tiger sharks in the world. You can bring the kids to Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo and show them how life under the sea looks like. The kids may curious about animals of marine and this is a good chance for them to learn about a huge variety of marine creatures, their ecosystems, and observe them as they move. It’s really a day of learning and wonder, exploring the underwater world with the whole family.
5. Mattel Play! Town
If your family has kids from 3-16 years old, you shouldn’t miss Mattel Play! Town in Dubai. They provide the children to enjoy music, singing and dancing in Barney’s yard or watch Thomas & Friends come to live in the 4D cinema. Learning the value of teamwork when joining Bob the Builder in building a city.
They’ll solve problems and design buildings, fostering creativity! In Angelina Ballerina’s world kids can learn dance and enjoy dressing up, and even perform center stage at an interactive dance studio, where they can express themselves and have fun! And the great thing is a parent can enjoy together with their kids. Let’s start to explore Dubai and your kids as well on this trip.
6. Burj Khalifa
Dubai has many skyscrapers and quite easy to find a building for the observation deck to see the 360 degrees view of the city. However, Burj Khalifa always the top choice for almost tourists in Dubai because this building is known as one of the iconic in Dubai. The position located in this building is quite suitable to enjoy breathtaking views of Dubai’s skyline, desert, and ocean through the floor-to-ceiling glass walls. Preparing binoculars for your kids and let them discover the city in the bird’s eyes view. The children definitely will like this experience. You should go to this place around 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm since the sunset is really beautiful when you see it from this building.
7. Dubai Garden Glow
If you ever heard about the creative indoor theme park, you should visit the Dubai Garden Glow. This unique recreation park attracts many audiences of all age groups to come to visit the park from 2015. Your family can come here to explore the magic and experience the fun and excitement. Apart from its creative installations, there are live musical shows and other performances from some of the best talents in the UAE. They have 3 Themes and Attractions: The Art Park, the Dinosaur Park, and the Garden Glow that can help you to immerse different worlds. What a good idea for the whole family!
8. Dubai Dolphinarium
Your kids are really a love animal person and they haven’t seen dolphins in real-time? This is a good chance for your whole family to come to Dubai Dolphinarium and see dolphins not only one but a community of dolphins. The performance is really amazing that made your kids could not leave their eyes out of these adorable animals. The show is 45 minutes to showcasing the unique skills of talented bottlenose dolphins and seals.
The dolphins and seals can dance, sing, jump through hoops, perform acrobatic stunts and even paint! Moreover, you and your kids also can learn about the behavior and habits of the majestic mammals and admire their agility and intelligence. Your days in Dubai are sure to be interesting!
9. Dubai Fountain Lake
Dubai does not only has sand, skyscrapers, and desert, but they also have a lake and that is not the normal lake as we used to think about. That is Dubai Fountain Lake, the world’s largest dancing fountain, at over 900ft in length with water shooting up as high as a 45-story building. Moreover, tourists can cruise down the Burj Lake on a traditional Abra water taxi and enjoy a visual spectacle of 6,600 lights, 25 colored projectors, and 22,000 gallons of airborne water.
Your family can enjoy the fountain performs to a range of different songs from classical to contemporary Arabic and world music. The kids may surprise with the huge of 50 colorful projectors create stunning light effects with 1.5 million lumens in up-close range. Therefore, stay by their side and enjoy them this breathtaking moment!
10. Dubai Parks and Resorts
It is not too much when saying that Dubai is a heaven of theme parks in the world. You won’t worry when planning the trip to Dubai with your kids. Let’s visit one of Dubai’s newest parks, having opened its doors in December 2016, Dubai Parks and Resorts lets you experience three mega theme parks – all in one place. MOTIONGATE™ has thrilling themed rides through the best of Hollywood’s blockbusters: The Hunger Games, Ghostbusters, Step Up, and more, as well as a journey to a real-life movie set at Studio Central.
BOLLYWOOD PARKS™ combines interactive rides and multimedia shows with Bollywood’s famous celebrities. Come explore a world where the LEGO® brick comes to life at LEGOLAND® Dubai and LEGOLAND® Water Park. This is the best destination for families with kids aged 2-12!
11. KidZania Dubai
Almost we had a dream about our future occupation when we were young and your kids also are not excepted. KidZania Dubai was established because of that reason. This is the place that parents can let their kids have experience with their dream job and understand what is your children’s dreams.
The kids will get to perform “real world jobs” and learn about how they are a part of a community as they develop cognitive and motor skills. All the while, they’ll be learning how to manage money through the in-house currency of Kidzos. It’s an amazing all-day experience for kids and adults alike!
12. La Perle by Dragone in Dubai
You won’t believe everything you see in this show – La Perle by Dragone in Dubai, this is really a spectacular show, one of the most popular live shows in the city. With a cast of 65 artists, the mysterious storyline is woven onstage with incredible feats of acrobatics, aerial displays, and talented performances that have roots from its Broadway-seasoned producers.
The show also features a pit of water, adding the most realistic touch to its aquatic scenes and depictions, with the stage providing you with a 270-degree view of the entire performance. If your kids from 2 years old, then you can enjoy this performance with them. What you need to prepare is book the ticket for this show 10 days in advance since they may be sold out at the show quite famous in Dubai.
13. Dubai Ice Rink
After your Dubai trip, if someone asks you about an experience on this trip. You can share with them that they can do ice skating in Dubai. What funny sharing! However, this is true! Let’s come to Dubai Ice Rink with your family and take photos to show everyone knows about this place in Dubai.
Forgetting about the weather in Dubai and enjoy like a skating pro and show off your slick moves drifting around the Olympic-sized rink. Take this chance to train your kids how to play ice skating and be a safe and fun place to cool down in the middle of the Emirati desert as you skate through the ice!
14. Laguna Waterpark
You would like to know how is the feeling when playing a water park in the Middle East country? Let’s come to Laguna Waterpark with your family. You definitely will have a huge day of fun and excitement. This is the newest waterpark located on North Beach La Mer! Join the kids in the Splash Pad with its multitude of interactive water elements, or jump around in the Aqua Play and climb the watery structures. Brace yourself and leap onto the surf at WaveOz 180, a fully controlled surfing experience that’s Laguna’s star attraction, or slide down the Constrictor and the Manta, just two of the state of the art waterslides you’ll find in the park.
Floating and relax on the Lazy River right on a green oasis. You should ask the lifeguard for lifejackets since it is provided for free inside the waterpark. This place is really suitable for your kid’s summer vacation before starting a new semester.
15. Dubai Water Canal Dinner Cruise
After a full day of challenges, play hard, and entertainment, your family need an easy time to relax and recharge energy for the next day or simply just need time to stay beside each other. Dubai Water Canal Dinner Cruise will be recommended for you. This is a spectacular dinner cruise along a Venetian-style canal, located in the heart of Dubai. Besides a delightful international buffet that includes various Arabic specialties and unlimited soft drinks, your family also can watch a traditional Egyptian dance performance known as Tanoura while onboard the cruise. Having fun with your loved ones when the cruise passes through the iconic attractions of the Dubai skyline, such as the Business Bay Bridge, Dubai Festival City Mall, Burj Khalifa, Dubai Water Canal Bridge, JW Marquis Hotel and Westin Hotel.
Forgetting about sands, deserts, and hot weather when you think about Dubai – Middle East city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates. This city was changing and growing up so fast that they have many things to do not only for adults but also for kids and family. They have a heaven of theme parks (indoor and outdoor), kid-friendly attractions, and family activities. You only need to check your timetable and choose a period of time to come here with your family. Don’t need to worry to find places for your kids. They have more than what you expected.