More and more shops are opening at the massive Dalma Mall in Mussafah, including the bright Fun City. We loaded up our two little editorial assistants and headed over to check it out
With its wide array of games and rides, Fun City is a great place for indoor play. With plenty of rides for smaller kids like trucks, diggers and race cars, most cost between AED 3.50 and AED 5, but our little guys were content to sit in just about every seat, "steering" and pushing buttons, without swiping the card.
In addition to the one and two seat rides, Fun City also features several options that are a bit more thrilling and interactive but still appropriate for small kids – we especially loved the Kangaroo, the spinning honeycombs, the flying balloon ride and the tilting pirate ship.
If rides aren't your thing, older kids will love the bright and lively arcade games, skill games and pool tables.
We learned the hard way it's sometimes harder to pry daddies away from those ticket spewing games than it is the kids – even better, those tickets can be redeemed for prizes in the aptly named Redemption corner.
Like most of the other smaller kids, ours made a beeline for the elaborate multi-tiered climbing jungle gym.
You'll want to be sure they're really going to spend the whole time there before you shell out AED 30 a head for only one hour (although once they discovered the foam ball shooting gallery, ours were well and truly occupied). Ditto the Fun 'n' Learn Centre where – for AED 25 a child – kids zero to four can play if supervised by an adult and kids five or six can play on their own.
In just a few months, the mall’s extensive food court will open, but until then you can get drinks and snacks on site or something a little more substantial at the nearby Caribou Coffee shop.
Why go?
In a word, convenience – if you live off the island, you can take the kids for a play, do your shopping at the colossal Carrefour, pick up what you need from the Centrepoint stores and even do your banking at locations of institutions including NBAD, Emirates NBD and HSBC without having to make the dreary drive to Marina Mall. Throw in on-site toilets, a baby changing room, face painting, a kids' hair salon and the fantastic party team, and you've got the recipe for a great day out.
Why not?
The packages at Fun City are great. Buy AED 60 and get an extra 30 free, buy AED 120 and get 80 free, buy AED 240 and get 200 free or buy AED 500 and double your money with AED 500 free but watch those cards – if you have a card with credit left on it from another Fun City location, it won't work anywhere else, and if you use the reload machine, you don't get the bonus credit. Info: Open 10am to 10pm Sun to Wed, 11am to 11pm Thurs and Sat, 11am to midnight Fri and holidays. Call 02 550 6111.
Dress fancy at Fun City
On 1st April, Fun City is holding its annual Fancy Dress Fun competition at all Fun City locations across the UAE. Bring your children dressed in their favourite costume from 5.30pm to 8pm; registration starting at 5p is just AED 60 and all participants will be treated to a yummy meal. The competition will be divided into three age groups, two to five, six to eight and nine to twelve year olds and three winners will be announced in each of the categories. For more information, visit www.funcity.ae.
Laura Fulton
