ABU DHABI // Visitors to yesterday's preview of Summer in Abu Dhabi were dazzled by three South African sea lions who performed a balancing and dancing act.
The sea lions, brought in from the Emirates Park Zoo, will give three 20-minute shows a day during the fifth running of the annual event .
Their performance was a pleasant surprise for Jennifer Golden, a mother of two.
"I was really impressed by how they actually interacted with the audience," she said. "When I heard there would be sea lions, I first thought they would just be there for us to look at. But the children were able to see them in action and they loved it."
The show, which officially begins today, is organised by the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority (ADTCA).
Other activities include The Lost City Adventure, an obstacle course with 12 challenges where children try to successfully walk through "rolling logs of doom" and swing themselves over the "snake pit of Azurah".
The main attraction, Ice Age Village, offers visitors an opportunity to engage in 10 snow-themed activities, from snowball fights to iceberg climbing.
With more than 90 activities sprawled across 21,000 square metres at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, visitors are not short of options.
Faisal Al Sheikh, events manager at ADTCA, said last year's Summer in Abu Dhabi attracted 95,000 visitors, of which 20 per cent came from the GCC. This year, the authority hopes to attract 100,000 visitors with at least a quarter from the GCC.
Entry is Dh40 for adults, and Dh30 for children 12 and under. Admission covers all seven signature character shows, including Snow White on Ice and The Jungle Book Live, as well as The Lost City Adventure and Ice Age Village. Individual skill games and rides are excluded and cost between Dh5 and Dh15.
"We've added more games, made them more challenging and more creative," Mr Sheikh said. "All with the aim of both entertaining and educating both the society and visitors of the emirate."
Among the popular activities was the Rodeo Ace challenge, where participants had to throw a lariat from a distance on to makeshift horses. Unlike many of the other games, most of those taking part were adults.
Adrian Watkins, 44, was among them. Mr Watkins normally travels home to the UK every summer, but this year, he decided to delay his trip. He heard about the event through the grapevine and decided to take his one-year-old son, Jake.
"This is a really good idea," he said. "The only other option during the summer heat is going to malls."
The only down side was the price of tickets, he said.
"For an entire family that can get expensive, especially since the games are not included."
Meanwhile, Ms Golden said the event was perfect for families spending their summer in Abu Dhabi.
"Children are able to run free and engage in a lot of physical activity without having to be outdoors in the heat," she said. "It presents a good option for us, and it's certainly much better than the alternative, which is for children to stay indoor and inactive."
The fact that the hall was not full of junk food to lure children also scored points with the American mother.
"I like how the area is not run overrun with snacks and sweets, which you often find in kids' play areas," she said. "Here it's all about the activity."
Meanwhile, a group of Emirati students from the British International School said there were not enough options for teenagers.
"All the activities are for children," said Abdulla Al Katheeri, 15. "I'm the man of the house, we're all men now and we need more activities suited for our age."
Yet the group still seemed amused by a team of two stunt clowns flown in from the UK to teach children about the art of physical humour.
One of the clowns, Sam Man, was particularly enthusiastic about his first performance in the UAE. "We heard there was a clown shortage in Abu Dhabi, and we came running," he said.
Summer in Abu Dhabi runs until July 19 and is open from 3pm to 9pm on weekdays, and 2pm to 10pm on weekends.
