What is Kidzania?

As an American, I had never heard of Kidzania. Can you believe that?! I didn’t know what I was missing. For those of you similarly in the dark, Kidzania is an experimental learning theme park. Think somewhere between a hands-on museum and tech school. Kids of all ages come to the Kidzania “city.” After getting your boarding pass and tracking watch (to keep track of funds and in case anyone gets separated) you proceed through the airport. Finally, you reach Kidzania! A proper tyke-sized city! Kids cash their first paycheck and proceed to find work and pay to do activities. 

Learning Opportunities at Kidzania Noida

You can spend your hard earned money in the candy factory for example where you make your own candy or the Kellogg factory where you make your own cereal! My kid’s favorite activity was being a firefighter. After gearing up and waiting at the fire station, the alarm rang and they went in the truck. At the hotel, fire hoses were set up for them to put out the “fire.” I also loved watching them in the hospital taking care of the newborn babies. Older kids can be an EMT or even a surgeon. Over 100 professions are represented. Kids learn how cities function, how professions work together and the value of money. Kidzania is a wonderful place for kids to get engaging, hands-on learning. What a great opportunity to start learning the value of a dollar at a young age.

Video of Kidzania Noida – Press play below!!

Kidzania coming to the US?

Fear not, my fellow Americans, Kidzania will be coming to the USA in Dallas and Chicago by 2019 and New York in 2020!

Here are ten things to know before visiting Kidzania Noida (New Delhi)

Timing is key

I thought that visiting on a weekday morning would mean fewer crowds but I was very wrong. Weekdays are dominated by school field trips and it was loud, crowded and chaotic. After 3 pm, however, we basically had the place to our selves. So if you are visiting as a family weekdays after 3 pm will be the least crowded. Note- Kidzania Noida is open until 8 pm. Weekends are busy as well with the family crowd.

Find the right line

There are two separate lines for each activity. One for school children and one for families. If you visit on a weekday there are mostly school children so there is essentially no wait. You just stand on the opposite side of the entrance and you’ll be ushered in ahead of the school crowd.

Is it good for toddlers?

There are more than 20 activities that toddlers are able to do. My kids were 2.5 at their first visit and loved it! Younger toddler will still find things to enjoy but your trip would likely be shorter. Check out the toddler only zones where you will find art projects, a bouncy house, ball pit,  and the coolest toy kitchen I have ever seen.

It’s even better for kids aged 4+

For kids over the age of 4, there are more than a hundred activities! You’ll get an entire day of fun out of your visit!

Photography is allowed – but not everywhere

When an activity is done in a private room, you cannot take pictures inside the room. You can, however, exit the room and take photos through the glass. If you really want photos in the room you can ask one of the in-house professional photographers (who are permitted) and purchase the images afterward.

There is only one way to earn more money.

After the Kidzania dollars from the initial paycheck are over,  you HAVE to work for more. Since my kids are only 2, I tried to see if I could buy more Kidzania dollars with real money and was denied. The kids have to go to work. The higher paying jobs pay $8 but most activities cost $12 so it’s really a great lesson for kids.

Consider buying a longer pass

The length of your pass decides how big your initial paycheck will be. If you are traveling with toddlers, it might be worth it to pay a bit extra because they are very limited in what paid jobs they can do. More Kidzania dollars upfront takes some of the stress out of it.

Repeat activities

If your child is particularly interested in an event they can repeat the activity as many times as they’d like. If there’s no line, they can even do it consecutive if there aren’t other kids waiting. For example, my kids needed to earn some more money to pay for more activities. We headed to the grocery store where they earned $2 for filling up a cart. They were having lots of fun so they filled up 3 carts and earned $6 each instead.

Ask for help

Ask for assistance on your first visit especially if you are visiting on a busy day. A worker can help you find the bank and your first activity.

The cleanest restrooms are at the entrance

Use the restroom at the entrance before you head in, it was very clean since hardly anyone uses it.

Don’t eat the pizza

The pizza looked and smelled delicious so we ordered a few personal sized ones. Unfortunately, they decided to put a bizarre layer of artificial cheese sauce on it and it tasted pretty odd.

Kids (even toddlers) are encouraged to go things independently.

Independence is highly encouraged at Kidzania. For some activities, parents are asked to take the sideline. For example, the preference is for parents to walk behind the fire truck, not ride along inside it. I was also told only kids were permitted inside of radio city. If your toddler needs you by their side you can explain the situation and they should make an exception. Just be prepared to make a case for it. During most of the activities though, I was encouraged to accompany my small children.

Consider booking your visit ahead of time

We initially had to cancel our first trip to Kidzania Noida because the day we had planned to visit was completely booked out. Think about booking online ahead of time, or at the very least, check the website the morning of before heading over to make sure tickets are still available.