KidZania London – Review

KidZania in London is one of 26 KidZania’s dotted around the world from Mexico to the Philippines and with many more to open in the near future it will fast become a recognised brand and an activity day out for families.  We were kindly gifted tickets to visit KidZania in the Half-Term holidays to see what they have to offer.

What is KidZania?

KidZania is an indoor city, run by kids.  Advertised for children aged 4 -14 blending learning and reality where children can get a job to earn KidZo’s (KidZania currency) to spend in the gift shop or on other activities.  Earn enough money and they can open up their own bank account, earn interest and get their very own debit card.

Entry prices do vary it seems depending on the day but for us it would have cost £16 for an adult and £27 each for a child.

Where is KidZania London?

KidZania is situated in the Westfield Shopping Center (W12 7GA).  Nearest tube stations are Shepherd’s Bush and White City on the Central Line or Wood Lane and Shepherd’s Bush Market on the Hammersmith & City Line.  KidZania is well signposted with Westfield so you can easily locate where you need to be.

What is there to do in KidZania?

Your ticket allows you to stay in KidZania for up to 4 hours and whilst this may seem like a long time, it will actually go really fast and if it’s busy then you’ll spend some of that time queuing.

I would recommend taking the time before you even get to KidZania to research the types of activities you can do and the jobs your children want to do first, this will save some time in just idly wandering around whilst they figure out what they want to do first!

On entry to KidZania you’ll feel like you’re in an airport and at check-in you’re presented with 50 KidZo’s to start you off on your journey.  They’re also hot on child safety so each of you (adults too) are fitted with a security bracelet which is fitted with a radio frequency antenna and an identification chip which upon exit no child will be able to exit KidZania without being matched to the adult who was present at arrival.

As an adult you aren’t allowed to enter each job area, instead you can find a seat and relax or watch from a distance of course!  But essentially children (over 7) have free reign to explore the city on their own.

Here’s a handy map that you can find on the KidZania website and which you can also download.

Jobs range from being a doctor, pilot, musician, burger chef, WWE superstar, fireman, vet, detective and scientist.

What did we think of KidZania London?

My boys are 10 & 12 (with the eldest almost 13) and whilst they were enthusiastic to begin with, they did feel that they were too old for a lot of the activities unfortunately.  It was also super busy inside so there was lots of queuing and waiting around which again for children isn’t great and soon they were getting bored.

I can however see that if you time it right and visit KidZania when it’s a little quieter perhaps first thing or later in the evening then I would imagine it being a much more successful experience.  On paper KidZania sounds amazing and if your children are willing to dress up and role-play then this would be a great day out for them.  I do feel that the age range is a little high based on my own children, but having said that if your children are willing to give it a go then they are likely able to get something from it.

So whilst we perhaps didn’t get the most out of KidZania I would definitely still recommend it to families with the right aged children and with the right mindset to just enjoy everything to its fullest.

Have you been to KidZania?  What were your thoughts?