Dubai is a great place to take kids to. Here are some experiences your kid will always remember: from roller coasters to trampolines, from sunken chambers with sharks and treasures to meeting the real penguines, from an amusement park where everything is made of LEGO to a cafe where everything — including burgers — is made of cake. Oh and you do not have to be a kid literally and officially to enjoy most of the places from this collection.
Tip: plan your time ahead and buy tickets online — usually it will be much cheaper. To avoid queues at popular family destinations keep in mind that Sunday is a working day in the UAE and Friday is a holiday.
If you’re in the Souk area of the Dubai Mall and especially if you are with kids, go and see Dino. Measuring over seven meters high and 24 meters long it is a genuine fossil of a Diplodocus longus, a long-necked creature that lived more than 150 million years ago.
More or less complete dinosaur fossils are extremely rare. This one was found in Wyoming, USA in 2008 and displayed at the Houston Museum of Natural Science, but later bought for exposition in the Dubai Mall. It is the most original skeleton finding of a Diplodocus longus in the world today (less than 20 percent of bones had to be replaced).
Meeting Dubai Dino is absolutely free of charge.
An enormous fairground at the outskirts of Dubai. Аlmost a hundred various national cultures (and cuisines!) are represented in Global Village. 25 pavilions imitate famous landmarks like London’s Big Ben or Indian Taj Mahal.
On weekends the place is overcrowded with tourists and local families, attracted by shops and restaurants, fireworks (on Thursday and Friday from 9pm) and concerts, arcade games and breathtaking roller coasters, street performers and “Monster Stunt Show”, packed with action, featuring drifting cars, stunt bikers and the monster truck.
Global Village is open November through April from 4pm till midnight. Monday is a family day (it means that only women with children are allowed).
If you do not drive, the cheapest way to get to Global Village is taking a bus (route 106 from Mall of the Emirates Metro Bus Stop).
An experimental play area where kids have fun and boost their ingenuity, creativity and curiosity at the same time. There are 8 galleries (Air, Water, Toshi’s Net, Creative Lab, Future Park, Fort Building, Toddler Gallery and Cars & Ramps) designed for kids aged 2 to 11 years old.
At Air and Water kids learn some physics in a fun way, at Creative Lab they are encouraged to construct robots, vehicles or whatever they want and The Toshi's Net is a giant macramé interactive sculpture by Japanese textile artist, Toshiko Horiuchi MacAdam. The reviews by 4-year-old art critics are glowing (so are the reviews of the whole experience).
Parents can join and take vivid photos or enjoy a healthy meal in a cozy vegetarian-friendly La Petite Treehouse Cafe.
Entrance fee: toddler (12–23 months): 63 AED, child (over 23 months): 126 AED, adult: 42 AED. Online booking in advance is required.
Dubai Safari Park opened in 2017 as a replacement for the old Dubai Zoo, which was criticized a lot for poor conditions for animals. In the new Safari Park about 2,500 animals (including elephants, lions and white rhinos) have an open habitat spread across 120 hectares of land. The safari is divided into African, Asian and Arabian villages, with each village accommodating animals from those respective regions. You move through the territory in an air-conditioned bus.
Tickets: from 20 AED for kids, from 50 AED for adults.
An international edutainment franchise: a city where kids can play grown-ups by trying on various jobs — from policemen to doctors, from TV-stars to pizza makers. For their work children earn ‘kidZos’ money to spend at KidZania’s shops and establishments. Mostly enjoyed by 2-16 year-olds.
Parents can enjoy shopping at Dubai Mall while kids have fun at Kidzania (but children up to 120 cm must be accompanied by an adult). Children need to have some basic knowledge of English to get instructions.
Tips: buy tickets online and arrive early (the place gets crowded after noon).
Entrance fee: kids 4-16 years: 195 AED (economy) or 260 AED (premium), adults (17 years and above): 80 AED, toddlers (2-3 years): 110 AED, baby (0-1 year): for free.
The largest waterpark in the UAE, one of the largest in the world, and one of the most beautiful: with myth-styled attractions and lush tropical greenery, set on an apex of Palm Jumeirah island. It had been increased by a third in size in 2021, adding 28 new rides including the world’s tallest waterslide of its kind and the longest family water coaster in the world.
Children need to be taller than 120 cm to enjoy many of the park’s slides, but little ones are welcome in the Splashers Children's Play Area – a maze of kid-friendly tunnels, tubes and slides.
The pure adrenaline moment is riding the near-28 metres, near vertical Leap of Faith slide. However some people find The Poseidon's Revenge scarier.
There are many cafes on the territory so you have a choice: from steaks to milkshakes.
Entrance fee: all-day access to Aquaventure Waterpark and The Lost Chambers Aquarium costs from 149 AED for adults and from 129 AED for children up to 120 cm.
Home to 65,000 fish and other sea inhabitants, including sharks is a huge aquarium at the Atlantis Hotel. Underwater world is stylized to look like sunken Atlantis. We recommend you to come during feeding — it is a fascinating show.
Entrance fee: from 90 AED.
30 different water attractions, including the 32 meters high Jumeirah Sceirah slide, an artificial surf ride, the largest wave pool in the Middle East, and an 18 meters high waterfall. The water park overlooks Burj Al Arab.
While kids have fun at Juha’s Dhow and Lagoon, a giant playground offering a number of different slides, adults can relax in a private cabana.
Local cafes offer a great choice of foods: from burgers to smoothies. There are also shops selling swimwear and souvenirs.
Find and download your photos taken by the staff at the park’s by using the QR code on your bracelet.
Entrance fee: an all-day ticket costs 270 AED for adults and 220 AED for children. Check the official site for special offers.
.A huge indoor amusement park (140,000 sqm) can welcome more than 20,000 guests a day. There are Cartoon Network and Marvel zones (where you can meet Spider-Man, Hulk, Iron Man or Thor) and Lost Valley — a Dinosaur Adventure zone with animatronic prehistoric animals and roller coasters. One of the particularly popular attractions is The Haunted Hotel with spooky mazes. Fun for the whole family. The park features a lot of cafes and food carts and stalls.
Entrance fee: 299–465 AED. Buy online to skip queues.
This family complex consists of a few leisure themed parks featuring more than 100 indoor and outdoor roller coasters, rides and attractions. Legoland Dubai (and also Legoland Water Park) is the ultimate entertainment for families with kids. Bollywood Parks Dubai offers a journey to the shiny and colorful world of the Indian pop culture. Motiongate Dubai is the closest to Disneyland type with movie-themed attractions inspired by Ghostbusters, Madagascar, Hunger Games, Kung Fu Panda, How to train your dragon, Shrek and so on.
Entrance fee: 275 AED for one park or 295 AED for 2 parks being attended in 1 day. We recommend spending 1 day in 1 park. Some hotels offer discounted rates for these parks - check with your hotel's reception. Use the additional service Q-Fast (priority queue) so you will have time to see/try more.
Tip: if some family members don’t enjoy this kind of fun they can go shopping in Outlet Village nearby.
6 themed areas and over 40 rides and attractions -- from kids’ motor-racing circuit to roller coasters that reach speeds up to 60 km per hour. In Miniland, you can explore large-scale replicas of all famous buildings of Dubai, built with Lego bricks. In the Imagination zone, you can invent and test robots. The youngest visitors will find something interesting in the Duplo zone, while those who are older can entertain themselves at the Constructor Academy.
Visit LegoLand Waterpark to try over 20 water rides or even build your own raft.
Legoland Dubai is perfect for kids aged 2 to 12. There are many cafes and a gift shop. We recommend booking your visit online. To avoid crowds, try going to the farther end of the park, or buy a Q-Fast to avoid waiting in lines.
This park is all about Hollywood movies and animated films, so is interesting for visitors of any age. There are themed zones with activities inspired by Kung Fu Panda, Shrek, Madagascar, Smurfs, and other films. Children can enjoy a variety of rides, as well as a visit to the remarkable Smurfs’ Village.
There are 8 restaurants to choose from, as well as 15 gift shops.
Entrance fee: 275 AED.
An artificial winter place occupies a 22,500sqm area inside the Mall of Emirates. Ski Dubai is an indoor ski resort with an 85-metres tall indoor mountain with 5 slopes of different steepness and difficulty. Here are also various features for snowboarders (boxes, rails, kickers), а quad lift and a tow lift. Ski Dubai actually offers a huge variety of activities, from ski lessons to meeting the penguins.
The price varies but be prepared to spend no less than 300 AED per person. And book the ticket online to avoid the lines that could be enormous. All the equipment is provided and there is also a shop selling winter sports clothes, snowboards, etc.
Indoor Trampoline Park Dubai Bounce is one of the greatest playgrounds in Dubai. You can jump there or learn difficult tricks - throwing balls into a basketball hoop, doing flips or running on walls when being on trampolines. Whatever your age, you will find trampolines and attractions in Bounce Park. The Mini Bounce Zone is suitable for children aged three to five who are just learning to jump. The Wall or Big Bag attraction suits more experienced and daring. There is a cafe where you can wait for the children. We recommend you to bring a change of clothing and some water.
Tickets: 50–110 AED.
Dolphins and seals perform for 45 minutes.
Entrance fee: children: from 40 AED, adults: from 70 AED. Swimming with dolphins: from 349 AED.
The park is located near the Children's City and the Dubai Dolphinarium. There are more than 300 plant species so the locals call it the botanical garden. It is interesting for children to observe how peacocks and squirrels are walking in the park. Besides playgrounds, the park has the children's railway. The whole family can rent a boat or gondola and explore the bay. Also, you can have a picnic in the barbecue area. In the evenings, performances for children and adults take place in the amphitheater.
Entrance fee: 5 AED, children under 2: for free.
In a palm-fringed lagoon on the Palm Jumeirah island, you can meet bottlenose dolphins and even play, swim and dive with them. You can save about 100 AED by booking at least 14 days in advance. Age and swimming skills are not necessary.
The price — 695-1000 AED — includes unlimited access to the Aquaventure water park during the day and a guided tour.
A clean and well-kept beach with a sporty active vibe. People come here to play beach volleyball and football, for kayaking and kitesurfing. You can rent equipment and hire an instructor to try your hand at kitesurfing (or you can at least take some beautiful photos of colorful kites with Burj-Khalifa in the background).
There are lots of food trucks and cafes around.
Free entrance.
A relatively new and very popular beach: clean, well-maintained, decorated with Instagram-worthy street-art. There is a promenade with a huge variety of eateries; a large parking lot, toilets, changing rooms, charging stations. Laguna Waterpark and trampoline park Hawa Hawa make it a great place for kids.
One of the biggest and the most popular beaches in Dubai stretches along The Walk, a promenade lined with boutiques, restaurants and cafes. Judging by choice of restaurant JBR beach is definitely the best. The beach is also extremely instagrammable because of the view at Dubai Ain Ferris wheel, Palm Jumeirah and Dubai Marina skyscrapers.
The beach goes into the sea gradually so it is perfect for children. There are splendid water play areas for kids, a free outdoor gym, and a running track. You can rent jet skis, a kayak, a pedal boat, surf, flyboard, parasail, paddle board, banana or whatever. Toilets, showers and changing rooms are clean and comfortable.
Free entrance. If you rent a sunbed (110 AED) you can use showers for free. Parking: 30 AED per hour.
AquaFun is the largest inflatable waterpark in the world. Giant inflatable attractions, slides and trampolines are directly in the sea. Clearing barriers, climbing and falling into the water is a good alternative to relaxation on the beach. You can take turns between these pleasures — buy unlimited access to trampolines for the whole day.
The trampoline park will be interesting mostly for teenagers and adults (it can be difficult for small kids to cope with barriers).
The minimum age for visiting the trampoline park is 12 years old.
Entrance fee: 120 AED.
Located next to Dubai Miracle Garden but in contrast to it, Butterfly garden is open all year round. More than 15,000 butterflies live in 9 domes. Great photos are guaranteed. Comfortable temperature is maintained, so being inside is pleasant not only for butterflies but also for visitors.
We recommend visiting the park on weekdays (to avoid crowds) and in the morning (after 5 p.m. the butterflies fall asleep).
Entrance fee: from 55 AED, children under 3 years old: for free.
One of the main reasons for both kids and adults to get to Abu Dhabi (2,5 hour by bus or 1–1,5 hour and 250–275 AED by taxi). This 860,000sqm park holds the world record for largest indoor theme park. It features attractions and multi-sensory simulators, souvenir shops and Italian restaurants. The most popular attractions in the park are Flying aces (roller coasters with a loop at a height of 63 meters with an angle of 51 degrees at a speed of 120 km/h) and Formula Rossa (the fastest roller coaster in the world, wagons reach speed up to 240 km/h in 4.9 seconds at height of 52 meters). Probably it is the closest one can get to feeling like a F1 racing champion.
The official site features a filter to check if your kid is grown-up enough for any particular ride (often a height over 110–120 cm is required).
We recommend planning a full day for a visit. Choose days from Monday to Wednesday for a visit to avoid queues.
Simulated rainforest where birds and animals move around freely. Watch sloths and parrots, see bats’ feeding, take vivid pictures. Green Planet's friendly staff has a lot to tell about the creatures.
The ticket price at the box office is 120 AED, online is cheaper.
The main attraction of the park is Dubai Frame, a 150-metres frame, an excellent setting for a family photo. Besides, there are many interesting things in the park. This is one of the largest and most beautiful parks in Dubai with many children's playgrounds. Older children will especially love the unique solar system maze. The whole family can ride an ATV or a catamaran on an artificial lake, have a picnic or eat in one of the park's restaurants.
Entrance fee: 5 AED, children under 2: for free.
A large indoor ice skating rink in the Dubai Mall is a perfect place for family fun. Skating prices may vary with the time of a day: it is cheaper to skate in the morning and late evening. Skates can be rented, as well as "partners" for inexperienced skaters - large plastic penguins, which can be leant on. A visit to the ice rink may go along with shopping or a visit to the Burj Khalifa observation deck. Shopping bags can be left in the storage room.
Skating session (105 minutes): AED 40 for children up to 100 cm, AED 70 for adults.
Ideal place for a family brunch on Fridays from 12:00 to 4:00 p.m. For parents — a buffet with exquisite dishes from Beijing roasted duck to Yorkshire pudding. For children — a special buffet with sweets and healthy snacks and a free children's room, where the animators of the Fairmont hotel will entertain them with games, competitions, magic shows or face painting.
Cost: adults 255 AED, children 100 AED. Brunch attendees — 50% off beach entrance at Fairmont.