Manila, Philippines

KidZania

Kidzania may just be the cutest activity we have done on all of our travels. At KidZania Manila, children run the world for a fun-filled day that allows them to learn through realistic role-play. They get to do jobs as kids they dream of and make money When you step foot into KidZania, it feels like a mini city where you find banks, police stations, city buses, and buildings replicating different industry sectors full of movement as kids run their world. After kids participate in each job, they are paid and can even spend their money called ““kidZo”, at a store within KidZania operated by other kids. It made our son feel so independent as he worked and owned his money for the day.

We watched our son do jobs such as McDonald’s cook, firefighter, mailman, news anchor, dentist, dancer, and more. It was educational and a joy to watch. At KidZania they stress independence greatly so parents are not allowed to enter any of the activities with their child, but can watch their children at all times from a window. At each station, they have KidZania staff who help facilitate the activity and guide the children as you watch them flourish throughout the day.

While we loved KidZania and it was perfect for our 5-year-old, but unfortunately it was not as appropriate for our 2-year-old, as she was too young to participate in 95% of the activities. Keeping a 2-year-old happy all day while she watches her older brother have fun and get to enter each room was quite the task. There is a small play area for kinds under 4, but after about an hour our daughter didn’t want to play there anymore. Also, some role-play activities such as Climbing, Building, Fitness Lab, and Stadium require athletic shoes and specific attire, so dress accordingly so your kids don’t miss out!

Kidzania is open Tuesday to Friday from 9 AM – 4 PM and Saturdays & Sundays 10 AM – 5 PM. They are CLOSED on Mondays. Their prices are as follows:

DreamWorks DreamPlay

DreamPlay is an indoor attraction park by DreamWorks and has tons of activities inspired by some of our favorite DreamWorks characters. Our kids were 2 and 5 when we visited and they had the most amazing time. We found the half-day that we spent there was well worth the price. It isn’t extremely large, and would say a few hours to a half day is more than enough time to spend at DreamPlay.

One of our favorite activities at DreamPlay was definitely the cookie baking class where Shrek and Donkey joined in on the fun! It was a fast paced hands-on activity perfect for keeping those little ones intrigued and engaged while making our older son laugh. There’s only a limited amount of spots available for each class, so make sure you sign up so you don’t miss out.

Our kids also loved spotting the DreamWorks characters as they walked around DreamPlay. We met Shrek, Puss ‘n Boots, and Kung Fu Panda during the few hours we visited.

As you can see from the map, there are tons of activities to keep the kids entertained. The kids played for a long time on the slides and climbing areas. The fact that it was indoors was a huge bonus to beat the heat while they ran around and explored. We went mid-day during the week and felt like we had most of the place to ourselves which was wonderful.

We didn’t know what to expect from DreamPlay to be honest, but were pleasantly surprised. They had tons of activities from a fun jungle gym structure with giant slides, learning how to animate, a cooking class with Shrek and Donkey, and a fun activity where you build a dragon and race it down a zipline. Our kids were 2 and 5 when we visited and they had the most amazing time and we found the stop well worth the price.

Verdict: KidZania vs DreamPlay

We absolutely adored KidZania and thought it was one of the most brilliant educational places we have ever been to with our kids. Our son had the most magical day there and talked about it for months, so I think for ages 4 -12 KidZania is the clear WINNER. With that being said, if you have children younger than 4 I would choose DreamPlay as there are a much larger variety of activities for them to do. I also would recommend DreamPlay if you know you will be traveling near another KidZania as they have locations all over the world, but DreamPlay is truly unique to Manila.