If you have recently moved to Dubai or are intending to relocate soon, you may be wondering what activities the kids can do when temperatures hit the 40’s? Most of the schools are geared up for the heat and offer after school activities such as gymnastics, ballet, drama, basketball etc. that can all take place in-doors but what do you do with the kids at the weekend and holidays? Babies and toddlers can keep cool in the excellent play centres that are dotted all over town, but ever wondered how to entertain the older child? Can’t bear to see your child wasting hours in the arcade areas of the malls or worse – staring blankly at the TV? Expat Echo Dubai have put together a list that will help you so that, hopefully, you’ll never hear the words “Mum I’m bored!”

Adventure Sports

Skiing
Ski Dubai
Location: Mall of the Emirates
Timings: Sun-Wed 10am to 11pm, Thu 10am to midnight, Fri 9am to midnight & Sat 9am to 11pm
Get the kids skiing or snowboarding and register them for a set of lessons.  All equipment including clothing is provided.

Indoor Paint-balling
DN Paintball Services
Location: Encounter Zone at The Wafi Mall
Timings: weekdays 10am to 10pm, weekends 10am to midnight
Minimum age 9 years old. 4000 sq ft air-conditioned facility. Night paint-ball facilities available.  They provide overalls & masks.

Shooting & Archery
Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club
Location: Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club, Emirates Road (20 mins from Dubai)
Timings: Sun – Thu 12.15pm – 10pm | Fri 10.15 am – 10pm
‘Bull’s-Eye’, is a firearms shooting course targeting specially beginners and intermediates. The registration is open for everyone above 7 years of age; applying a condition that participant with an age of less than 18 must be accompanied with parents/guardian. Archery courses are also available.

Indoor Karting
Kardrome
Location: Dubai Autodrome, MotorCity
Timings: Check website as varies everyday
The Kartdrome offers a fleet of leisure Karts that deliver an excellent racing experience and ensures high safety in a range of specifications to satisfy those aged 7 and up. The Kartdrome offers special Karts and Karting sessions for children from the ages of 7 to 12. Arrive & Drive sessions for kids take place every day at the Indoor Kartdrome. Kids Arrive & Drive sessions take place daily at the Indoor Kartdrome on the challenging circuit with no adults present on track.

Laser Tag
Location: Dubai Autodrome, Motorcity
Paintball without the Pain(t) and without the mess. Players are sorted into two teams (maximum 10 players) battling against one another with laser guns. Set in a medieval castle type environment of 400 square meters featuring huge dayglo dungeon style decoration with lighting and artificial fog aimed at confusing vision and making the objective of tagging opponents a challenge. Ideal for groups and children.

Emirates Kartzone (outdoor)
Location: Oud Metha (near Latifa Hospital)
Timings:  Sun – Wed 3 – 10pm | Thu – Sat 3pm – midnight
Outdoor carting in a Formula 1 style circuit
Minimum age:  14/minimum height 140cm

Climbing
Climbing Dubai – The Wall
Location: The Club, Dubai International Hotel Apartments, Sheikh Zayed Road (nr Trade Centre)
Highest outdoor climbing wall with the first 10m World Cup standard Speed wall section in the Middle East. The climbing centre has got special programs for children & adults. You can walk in and enjoy climbing for the day where they have a selection of equipment ready to use. The wall is complete with speed wall, overhangs, and lead routes with a variety from Grade 3 to Grade 7.

Adventure HQ
Location: Times Square Center, Sheikh Zayed Road
They have a climbing wall plus a cable climb – great fun for kids and adults

Playnation
Location: Mirdif City Centre, Mirdif
Timings: Sun – Wed 10am to 10 pm | Thu – Sat 10am to mid-night
Sky trail is a multi-faceted obstacle course that is suspended along the ceiling of the mall (13 meters above ground) that truly tests the physical and mental ability of the participants. Located adjacent to an 8 meter climbing wall, Sky trail can be accessed directly through an auto belay system or for the more adventurous, by climbing the wall.

Witbit – Arabian Water Parks
Location:  The Beach JBR
Timings:  8am – mid-day & 3 – 7pm
Floating climbing walls and trampolines anchored off the beach at JBR.  Fully manned by life-guards and life jackets supplied.Children 6 years and above

Flying
The Emirates 380 Flying Experience
Location:  Dubai Mall & Mirdif City Centre
Timings:  Sunday – Wednesday: 10am – 10pm | Thursday – Saturday: 10am – 12 midnight
Experience what it’s like to be the pilot of the world’s largest aircraft as you soar through the skies in our realistic flight simulator at Dubai Mall. Choose your destination, select your time of day and even set the weather before you take off. Fly over your choice of 12 different destinations on a number of different flight paths. You’ll be guided by a trainer, so it’s perfect for beginner pilots. Enjoy 30 minutes of realistic flight in The Emirates A380 Experience.
Minimum age:  9 years old

Skateboarding
Rage Indoor Skate Park at Dubai Sports World
Location:  Dubai World Trade Centre
Skate or BMX at the Rage Indoor Skate Park at Dubai Sports World.
Lessons and camps available

Rage Bowl
Location: Dubai Mall
Timings: Sun to Wed 10am to 10pm, Thu to Sat 10am to 12am
Indoor venue for skateboarding, lessons given – bring your own skateboard.

The sk8 Factory
Location:  Street 14c, Al Quoz 4
Timings:  Tue – Thu 1 – 8pm | Fri – Sat 10am – 10pm | Sun 1 – 8pm
Indoor skate park with challenging layout of ramps and street obstacles, to improve and enjoy their chosen sport further.

Zoo Skatepark
Location:  Warehouse No 1 Al Manara Street (Al Quoz)
Timings: Mon – Thu & Sun – 1 – 7pm, Fri 12 noon – 8pm

Dubai’s largest indoor skate venue, located next to the Middle Easts Original Surf store.

Scuba Diving
Al Boom Diving
Location: various
Offers the full spectrum of courses from “Bubblemaker” through to Advanced course. PADI courses start from 8 years old.

The Pavillion
Location: Jumeirah Beach Hotel
Offers an array of PADI courses even offering the choice of training to become a professional.

Ice Skating
Al Nasr
Location: Al Nasr leisureland, Oud Metha (close to Lamcy Plaza)
Quiet ice-rink where you can skate and take lessons.  Equipment provided.

Galleria
Location: Hyatt Regency, Deira
Open to the public for skating and lessons – equipment provided.

Dubai Ice Rink
Location: Dubai Mall
Timings: see website as different each day but generally 10am to 10pm
Skating lessons from babies through to adults including equipment, public sessions for people that can skate already, disco nights.

Trampolining

Bounce
Location:  Al Quoz
Timings:  Mon – Wed & Sat – Sun 10am – 10pm | Thu 10am – midnight | Fri 9am – midnight
Fully air-conditioned facility filled with trampolines.

“Bounce is a spring-loaded urban playground, a fantasyland for free jumping and all that’s made possible when hard surfaces are replaced with circus-grade sponge and spring.  Bounce is accessible – a training ground for air-sports acrobatics or just a platform to burn energy the fun way.”

Water Parks

Wild Wadi
Location: Next to Jumeirah Beach Hotel
Timings: seasonal so check website
Wild Wadi offers 30 rides and attractions for all the family. Wild Wadi is themed around the tale of Juha, a known character from the Arabian folklore.

Aquaventrue
Location: Atlantis Hotel
Timings: seasonal so check website
Enjoy the thrill of the largest and most exciting water park in the Middle East. Aquaventure Dubai is set in 42 acres overflowing with fun including Master Blasters, speedslide, rivers, rapids, Splashers children’s play area, lush tropical landscapes and a private beach.

Dreamland Aqua Park
Location: Umm Al Quain
Timings: seasonal so check website
Great family waterpark at with the entry price at a fraction of the waterparks in town, slides, lazy rivers, wave pool, aqua park, water twister, raft rides.

Wadi Adventure
Location: Al Ain
Timings: seasonal so check website
The Middle East’s first man made whitewater rafting, kayaking and surfing facility.

Iceland Waterpark
Location: Ras Al Khaimah
Timings: seasonal so check website
Waterpark based on an ice world theme.

Arts & Crafts

The Jam Jar Studio
Location: Al Quoz 3
Timings: contact directly
The studio is equipped with easels, paints, art supplies, a coffee bar and music, providing a complete creative experience. thejamjar’s friendly and inspiring environment is perfectly suited for all age groups, families, teams and skill levels.

Dubai Community Theatre & Arts Centre (DUCTAC)
Location: Dubai Mall
Timings: dependent on course
Provides courses on art, dance, theatre and music.

Indoor Field Sports

Soccer Circus Dubai
Location: Mirdif City Centre
Timings: Sat to Wed 10am to 11 pm, Thu to Fri 10am to 12am,
This is a fully interactive football attraction, engaging visitors in a series of exciting, football challenges. There are three, five-a-side pitches where football skills can be further enhanced, these pitches have a degree of flexibility and allow for other sports such as indoor cricket, indoor field hockey, badminton and indoor volleyball to be played and enjoyed.

Insportz
Location: Al Quoz (just behind Dubai Garden Centre)
Fully air-conditioned facility offering facilities for indoor cricket, football, basketball, hockey, table tennis and others; all in a professionally managed environment which includes coaching.

For more activities to do with your kids take a look at Expat Echo Dubai’s Summer Camps

PLEASE DOUBLE CHECK TIMINGS DURING THE HOLY MONTH OF RAMADAN