Think Dubai is not the right place to take your little ones? Think again. The emirate has a number of indoor and outdoor activities to keep toddlers entertained. Here are our picks of the best things to do with toddlers in Dubai.

 

Teach Them How To Live In A Grown-Up World In Kidzania Dubai

Designed to look like a city, KidZania Dubai is a good idea to take your toddler to for a number of reasons. First, it teaches them how to interact in the real world; second, it is thoroughly entertaining; third, it is a break from Dubai’s crippling heat; and fourth, it is located inside Dubai Mall, so you can get some shopping done as well.

The ‘city’ is where kids learn to adult, i.e. earn their own money by choosing their careers and spend it on any of the fun activities available. So, your toddler can be a fireman, a policeman, a businessman, or anything else he desires, and work to earn his own cash (known as kidzos). Of course, you’ll have to accompany him as he’s too little to be left on his own, but he’ll have a fun time along with the other kids around, nevertheless.

 

Watch Flamingos At The Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary

A marshy wetland close to Dubai’s glitzy skyscrapers, the Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary houses hundreds of flamingos as well as other birds. The sight of these soft pink birds feeding and chattering is bound to entrance your toddler. The sanctuary has three viewing platforms – Flamingo, Mangrove and Lagoon Hides. We recommend Flamingo Hide as it is an airconditioned platform that might be more comfortable for kids not used to Dubai’s heat. You can also view some of the other 170 bird species in the sanctuary.

 

Frolic Around In The Dubai Miracle Garden

There’s rarely a toddler who can resist a chance to run around in a beautiful garden – and the Dubai Miracle Garden is the best out there. Your kids will gape in wonder at the giant flower installations of Mickey Mouse, Giant Teddy Bear, Floral Castle, and more, and enjoy wandering around the expansive space. The Dubai Miracle Garden is the largest natural flower garden in the world and the natural scents of the blooms will leave you spellbound.

 

Check Out The Amazing Marine Life At Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo

Home to 140 species of sea life, including stingrays, sharks, penguins, crocodiles, and a wide variety of fish, the Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo is bound to leave your toddler mesmerised. There’s also a 48-metre walk-through tunnel known as the Dubai Aquarium Tunnel, where you can see the aquatic animals swimming around you. The 10-million litre Dubai Aquarium tank is located on the ground floor of The Dubai Mall and is the largest suspended aquarium in the world.

 

Get A Dose Of Culture At Global Village

Part theme park, part market, Global Village has something for everyone. The market has stalls from different parts of the world where they sell local handicrafts, products and snacks. The stalls themselves are designed in the form of the city or country they represent – so there’s a Big Ben for London, Leaning Tower of Pisa for Italy, Taj Mahal, for India, and so on. But apart from the usual food, shopping and entertainment, this cultural extravaganza also has a giant wheel, a vintage carousel, a dancing fountain display, a stunt show with monster cars, a fun fair, and a floating market to keep the kids occupied.

 

Indulge Your Love For LEGO® At LEGOLAND® Dubai

Enjoy LEGO®-themed adventures, with more than 40 interactive rides, water slides, shows, and LEGO® building experiences in this theme park which comprises of both LEGOLAND® Dubai and LEGOLAND® Water Park. The park is open for children as young as two, and your toddler will have oodles of fun prancing around it.

 

Get Some Fun Food At Rainforest Cafe

This is one place that even the most fussy of toddlers will enjoy eating at. Recreating a tropical rainforest, with waterfalls and vegetation, the cafe has a special kids’ menu, where you can choose from pizzas, hot dogs, sandwiches, macaroni and cheese, grilled chicken, and more.

 

 

Jump On Trampolines At Bounce Dubai

This freestyle playground is where you can leave your toddler in peace without any fear of him getting hurt. He’s guaranteed to have a fun time and use up his pent-up energy bouncing around on the wall-to-wall trampolines. The park also has a Mini BOUNCE programme, specifically for kids between 3 and 5 years of age, where they learn to build stability, agility, and balance.

 

Entertain The Kids (And Yourself) At Air Maniax

There are many theme parks across Dubai, but the reason Air Maniax makes the cut is the fact that it has a dedicated area for small kids known as the Mini Warrior Assault course. At this indoor inflatable park, kids under the age of 4 are provided with interactive physical activities to keep them entertained for hours.

 

Meet Your Favourite Characters At Mattel Play! Town

If your toddler is a fan of Bob the Builder, Angelina Ballerina, Barney, or Thomas & Friends, he’ll love visiting this park. Mattel Play! Town has 5 different socio-educational play zones where kids can enjoy live shows, puppet shows, and interactive activities. For example, in Barney’s yard, kids can make music on the piano, see fishes in the koi pond, and jump around the themed playground. If this isn’t fun for a toddler, then what is?

 

Take A Pony Ride At Desert Palm Riding School

If all this indoor activity is making you feel cooped up, go into the outdoors by taking your toddler horse-riding at the Desert Palm Riding School. Your kids will be in safe hands as experienced professionals guide them on pony rides, and they also have open-air stables for the toddlers to interact with horses.

 

Get Your Hands Dirty At Café Céramique

Indulge your child’s creativity by taking him to this cafe-cum-artists’ studio, where he can learn painting, pottery, art and more. The Kids 4 Art Club encourages kids to use stamps, brushes, paints and other art supplies to create artwork and ceramic keepsakes with their hand or foot imprint. Besides, the cafe serves delicious European food with a separate kids’ menu.

 

Indulge In Hands-On Activities At Olioli Children’s Museum

Kids are free to wander, wonder and discover at this children’s museum, which was specially created for families to come together. Let your toddler indulge in hands-on activities such as making giant bubbles, paintball, treasure hunt, science demos and explosion shows. The museum has 8 galleries and more than 40 interactive exhibits.

 

Interact With Dolphins At The Dubai Dolphinarium

Take your toddler to watch dolphins perform synchronised dances and fun splashes at this park. There are also dolphin, seal, and bird shows on offer, where the animals and birds perform funny skits./.