What Do you Want to be When You Grow Up?

When we decided on an experiential holday season Irini immediately declared that her choice for experience was "Kidzania!". We'd heard of it before and knew the basic concept but were unprepared for just how awesome this place was!  The concept is that children go thorough experiences that simulate adult employment. Options include being a radio DJ, fire department, recycling facility worker, surgeon, baker and the list goes on and one. To start with the kids visit the bank where they are given Kidzania dollars. They can then either spend them (on things like getting a manicure) or make more by doing things for the good of the community (such as being a paramedic, for example). Each "station" takes roughly half hour and the kids roam through the city doing chores that they've been given by their station. For example, as was perhaps expected, our girls first decided to go to the recycling center. After being given a briefing about how it worked they were given a checklist to find their way to three different businesses in the city and pick up their recycling and return to the recycling center. Other kids were seen delivering packages, surveying customers, etc.

It didn't take long for mommy and daddy to realize just how cool this place was. With every building they passed they were impressed. Crime scenes over here, water treatment centers over there, a flight simulator upstairs. Cool stuff! The girls split up and did what they wanted. Mom and dad split up too, following them around and taking pictures as they proudly went through training and then simulations of work. By the end of our time there (which we all agreed was too short) both girls had received a number of gifts (for example they made their own rolls in the bakery and took them home to snack on later) as well as a good number of extra kidzania money. The girls were proud as can be that they had worked so much to double their initial amount! We happily drove home knowing that a return visit is essential to get all those things we missed this time around!  Awesome!