Fun out of the sun: 8 of the coolest indoor play zones in the UAE for families

Courtesy Mattel Play! Town

Courtesy KBS Communications

Courtesy Fairytales

Photo by Racha Hallak

Courtesy Fun Ville

Jeff Topping / The National

Courtesy Flip Out Dubai.

From an interactive theatre to a two-storey trampoline park, kids have a lot of indoor options this summer. Jessica Hill compiles a list of new play zones where they can go on an adventurous trip with their favourite cartoon characters. The sunglasses are out and the air conditioning is back in action. Yes, as the mercury begins to rise, it is that time of year when families start swapping outdoor fun for cooler indoor options.

Here are eight new or recently expanded indoor play areas where the kids – and parents – can chill while mercury rises.

Tasleeh Shooting

This new shoot’em up playzone is not for the faint-hearted.

Tasleeh opened its first shooting-zone, at Yas Mall, last year. At 10,000-sq-feet, the World Trade Centre version is smaller, but does have a branch of the Khalashnikov Café to refuel between games, and a greater variety of shooting ranges on offer. However, it is missing the Battle Zone and retail store.

There are four long ranges to test your aim, plus four shorter ranges and three mazelike courses, which vary in difficulty to suit shooters from age five and upwards.

Must try: On the long range, rather than just standing and firing, you can also choose to shoot on your knees or on a stool.

• Beside the new food court at World Trade Centre Mall, Abu Dhabi, 10am to 12am, Dh200 for 300 shooting credits or Dh100 for 120 credits, which you put on your Dh20 rechargeable games card. For more information, call 02 555 5303 or visit www.tasleehshooting.com

Mattel Play! Town

This 16,400-square-foot attraction, which has its grand opening today, has five themed playzones, each of which bring to life one of toy company Mattel’s popular characters – Barney the dinosaur, Thomas the Tank Engine, Bob the Builder, Angelina Ballerina and Fireman Sam. Themed activities include a train ride and 4-D cinema show with Thomas and Friends, and an aerial adventure maze with Fireman Sam. The challenges for girls, in Angelina Ballerina’s dance studio, seem somewhat less adventurous – a make-up table, magic mirror and an interactive dance wall. The cafe offers hearty meals, from vegetable lasagne to salmon skewers.

Must try: Kids can design buildings in kinetic sand and operate diggers with Bob the Builder's construction crew.

• City Walk, Jumeirah, Dubai, 10am to 10pm, child pass Dh95, adult pass Dh55. Call 800 637227 or visit www.playtowndubai.com for more details

Adventure HQ

The latest Adventure HQ spans 20,000 square foot, including an adventure sports store. Kids can tick caving off their bucket list, as the playzone features the only man-made caving tunnels in the Middle East. There is also a climbing pinnacle, a zip-line and fun walls.

Must try: Kids can climb – Indiana Jones style – over a wobbly bridge of ropes and across a cobweb of nets.

• Yas Mall, Abu Dhabi, 10am to midnight Thursday and Friday, 10am to 10pm Saturday to Wednesday; the minimum session (30 minutes) for each activity costs Dh60. For ages four and above. Call 02 565 0996 or visit www.adventurehq.ae for more details

Fairytales

No noisy electronic gadgets at this haven of good old-fashioned imaginative play, which aspires to live up to its storybook name. Kids can dress up and play pirates in a beautifully crafted ship, or play princess in a two-storey castle. There’s also a tree of knowledge to climb, and an assortment of traditional toys, props, and puzzles.

Must try: Kids classes starting this month include hip-hop, cooking in French and learning Arabic through play.

• Ground floor, Jumeirah Town Centre, Dubai, 10am to 10pm daily, Dh50 for the first hour and Dh35 per additional hour for children over the age of one. Membership rates available. Call 04 344 5030 or check @fairytalesdxb on Instagram and Facebook for more details

Little World Discovery Centre

Little World opened two years ago but has expanded to include some new features.

We loved reaching into their touch-tank aquarium to feel starfish, crab, sea urchins, snails, sea cucumbers, and of course, the Nemo-like clown fish.

There is also a new back Yard-themed area, offering a year-round green oasis where kids can clamber across wooden bridges, climb a large rock, scale a pyramid, stand guard in a hut and dig in a sand pit.

They can also nurture their imaginations in the new Black Box interactive theatre (shows cost Dh40 to 60, in addition to the general entry fee). The dark theatre room offers a sensory explosion of bubbles, fog, lights, shadow puppets, a tepee tent and costume accessories.

Must try: At Little World Café, you can chill with a latte while your child plays on nearby wooden playframes. They're about to launch interactive science-themed cooking classes, where kids can make pizza rockets, energy meteors or space tarts.

• Nation Galleria Mall, Abu Dhabi Corniche, Sunday to Wednesday 10am to 10pm, Thursday to Saturday 10am to midnight, Dh95 per hour for non-members for children over the age of 2. Visit www.littleworlduae.com or call 02 681 8824 for other rates

Fun Ville

Fun Ville has two play centres, the latest, in Al Seef Mall, just off Abu Dhabi’s Al Salaam street. The second outlet is at Al Hamra Mall in RAK. Playzone, a soft-play area, offers space to slide, run, climb and jump. It is clean and not too big, so you can still clamber in to rescue small children having a meltdown at the top of the climbing frame. About 30 electronic games are available, too. There’s also a separate baby and toddler play area, Fun ‘n’ Learn with a pretend kitchen, and dress-up and arts and crafts zones.

Must try: Kiddie rides and video games for only a dirham, every Monday.

• Al Hamra Mall, RAK, and Al Seef Mall, Abu Dhabi, 10am to 10pm Sunday to Thursday, 10am to 12pm Friday and Saturday; games cost from Dh3 to Dh12, the play zone is Dh45 all day. Visit www.funville.ae for more information

Bounce

Bounce’s two-storey trampoline park has proven such a hit that two new centres are coming soon – “during or after Ramadan”, we are told – one in Al Ain and one in Abu Dhabi’s Marina Mall. The 20,000-square-foot warehouse space-turned-trampoline park in Al Quoz is divided into a free-jump area with 52 trampolines, a dodgeball court, an airbag-fitted section and a performance area with five Olympic-grade trampolines.

Must try: Mums can get airborne at ladies night every Monday from 7.15pm to 10.15pm.

• Al Quoz, Dubai, Sunday to Wednesday, 10am to 10pm, Thursday 10am to midnight, Friday 9am to midnight, Saturday 9am to 8pm; first session costs Dh80 (Dh70 for 3 to 5-year-olds). Call 04 321 1400 or visit www.bounce.ae for more details

Flip Out

Australia’s largest trampoline park operator has chosen Dubai as the location for its 46th venue, which is expected to open within the next month. It is so flippin’ huge, at more than 40,000 square feet, that they are describing it as a trampoline city. The facility will have more than 200 interconnected trampolines, as well as 10 bouncy attractions, including a double decker kids’ trampoline arena, trampoline football, volleyball and basketball, a dodgeball court and 3-D wall runners. There is also a half-pipe trampoline connected to its own foam pit, and a 50 sq metre foam pit with two olympic-size trampolines.

Must try: Archery Tag – the ultimate game of tag. Dodgeball and paintball merge, Hunger Games style, as players target each other using safe, foam-tipped arrows.

• 4th Street, Al Quoz 4, next to the Speedex Showroom, Dh70 adults, Dh60 kids for an hour, including instruction. Visit www.facebook.com/FlipOutDubai for more details and the opening date