It’s the UAE Spring Break 2022 and the kids are off school and raring for stimulation. But rather than grappling with the usual choice between sports-style camps and passive screen entertainment, why not take the opportunity to get them involved in something that truly inspires, moves, or even leaves them with a new life skill? Parents, do not despair. With at least one or two weeks left of UAE Spring Break 2022 still to go, here’s our round-up of the best Spring Camps, family-friendly activities and fun things for kids to do in the UAE …
BAKE CAKES AND SEE MAGIC during the Spring Break holidays at Mondoux
Treat the kids to an afternoon of cookery and high jinks with the Dubai Creek Harbour family-friendly restaurant Mondoux’s amazing Spring Break special on Thursday 7 April. The fun kicks off at 2pm, when young bakers can roll up for a hands-on culinary workshop with Mondoux’s pastry chefs to learn the art of baking deliciously moist vanilla-infused cupcakes. Then after the workshop at 4pm, the UAE’s favourite kids’ entertainer Magic Phil will be performing his half-hour show of magic, silliness and comedy to tickle the funny bones of both kids and adults alike.
Details: Thursday April 7 2022, Culinary workshop suitable for kids aged 5-12, Dh150, inclusive of 1.5 hours chef-supervised baking, a t-shirt, and kids’ meal (main course, drink and dessert). Parents may accompany children and will receive 20 percent off their meal. Magic Phil show incurs no extra cost, but spaces are limited and prior bookings are a must. Call +971 50 1189401 to reserve your culinary workshop, and call +971 58 5056183 or email [email protected] to reserve your spot at the magic show.
ENROL AS A SECRET AGENT at OliOli
Experiential play museum OliOli is already the ideal edu-taining, STEM-skills-building Spring Break hotspot anyway, but its fantastic new exhibition will have kids sharpening their sleuthing and problems-solving capabilities. Mission OliOli is inviting children (and parents) to join the OliOli Secret Service (OSS) and outwit Cobra – the leader of the Very Evil Network of Mischief (VENOM). It features interactive challenges and puzzles for little agents to solve, in order to gain access to the OSS headquarters – where they will have to navigate laser beams, avoid trapped doors and more. Kids get their own agent ID, a classified mission file, gadgets and – if they succeed – they will get a badge of honour.
DETAILS: Dh146 (included in OliOli’s Standard Plus ticket) for one child aged four to 16 and an adult. Running from now until June 12. OliOli, Al Quoz 1, close to Oasis Centre Mall, Dubai. Tel:(0)4 702 7300. olioli.ae
LEARN TO HORSE RIDE at Al Habtoor Polo Resort and Club Pony Camp
Has your child ever hankered after horses or fancied learning to ride? The Al Habtoor Polo Club’s Pony Camp will keep the little ones busy with a number of exciting equestrian experiences including horse riding, tacking, and stable management. Let them get active and exercise in the fresh morning air, while learning some real animal-care techniques and practices, and spending time with these majestic creatures, which are are proven to provide therapeutic benefits.
DETAILS: Pony Camp runs until 8 April, weekdays 8am to 10.30am, Dh220 1 Day; Dh600 3 Days; Dh800 5 Days. For booking and inquiries; 056 520 5081, 04 436 2222, [email protected], suitable for ages 5 and above.
BECOME A PHOTOGRAPHY HOTSHOT on an amazing Stu Williamson’s Camera Skills Camping Trip
Teens can get flashy with their camera skills on this incredible-sounding photography camping trip in the Hajar Mountains in RAK. Running from 4-6 April 2022, the well-loved Stu Williamson Photography studio is offering this fantastic residential course, where kids and teens from 12 upwards will enjoy organised treks, swimming and rock climbing, all while using and improving their camera and photography skills, under the guidance of the Stu Williamson Photography team.
DETAILS: April 4 – 6 2022, Dh2,500 plus VAT for two nights, three days course. Transport from the Stu Williamson Photography studio in Al Quoz to RAK is provided, along with meals, activities and accommodation in villa-style tents on a campsite run by Challenging Adventures. Find out more and book here.
MASTER THE ART OF SAILING on SeaYou’s Explore the Ocean sailing camp
Kids from as young as four years old can learn to sail a boat and get comfortable with being on the sea with this fabulous new sailing skills Spring Camp. Running until April 8 2022, younger kids from 4 years old will enjoy a programme that includes kayaking and stand-up paddle boarding, while children from the age of 10 years and over will be taught how to sail a 12-foot Catamaran.
DETAILS: Running from 4-8 April 2022 at either Dubai Creek Harbour or Sofitel The Palm. At Sofitel The Palm: Dh650 for kids aged 4-6 years (paddle boarding and swimming activities); Dh700 for 6-9 year olds (sailing on an opti for first-time sailors); Dh800 for advanced sailors, who will dinghy sail and windsurf. At Dubai Creek Harbour: Dh550 for 8-10 years; Dh950 from 10 years up (sailing a Catamaran). Schedule runs from 9am to 5pm, depending on activities. Call 0505510238 to book or see www.SeaYou.ae,
GO POTTY OVER POTTERY at The Mud House Studio
Kids can get their hands dirty and unleash all their creativity by learning the soothing, sensual art of pottery. Teens from the age of 13 to 16 can get to grips with Wheel Throwing – the technique of shaping round ceramics using a potters wheel. Meanwhile younger children from 8-12 can get in touch with their artistic side, using their hands to mould cool and tactile clay into fantastic figures and moulds.
DETAILS: Based at The Mud House Studio in Al Quoz, the workshops run daily at 3pm from 29 March – 7 April 2022. Dh150 per workshop. Book on the Mud House Studio website.
BE A ZOOKEEPER FOR THE DAY during the Spring Break holiday at The Green Planet
Does your little animal lover dream of being a zookeeper? Dubai’s only indoor tropical rainforest gives kids the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get up close and personal with some of The Green Planet’s fascinating wildlife and shadow a biologist for the day. Children from 8 years old go behind the scenes to join the bio-dome’s expert team, visit the laboratories and understand how to nurture some of the most incredible and endangered species on the planet. From observing the thrilling frenzy of piranhas feeding, to exploring the region’s only bat cave, The Green Planet is an abode of incredible experiences that can transport its visitors to the deepest tropical jungle. For the true animal lover, there is also the priceless opportunity to talk with a biologist about future career options.
DETAILS: The Zookeeper experience is available from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm throughout the week and additionally from 8:30 am to 11:30 am on weekends, Dh410 per private session. Book your tickets.
JUMP INTO SCUBA DIVING with Nemo Diving Center’s PADI Bubblemaker course
Introduce kids to the fascinating underwater world by enrolling them on an introductory scuba diving lesson under the direct supervision of PADI professionals from Nemo Diving Center. The PADI Bubblemaker course is a fun way to introduce kids to diving where they can also learn to appreciate the natural beauty of the sea. Under close supervision, kids learn how to use scuba diving equipment and properly take their first breaths using oxygen tanks while in confined water. Once ready, they’ll dive in water not deeper than 2 meters/6 feet to practice their newly acquired skills and explore their underwater surroundings with PADI-certified instructors. Activities run throughout the Spring Break holidays.
DETAILS: One-day course, 2-3 hours, runs daily at 9am, 12pm and 3pm, Dh1,200, at Azure Residences on The Palm, Dubai. Book the Bubblemaker course.
CONQUER THE SLOPES with Infinite Ski’s Spring Camp
Kids can become super skiers without even having to so much as glance at a pair of salopettes with Infinite Ski’s awesome indoor Spring Camp. Its groundbreaking Maxxtracks technology precisely simulates the experience of skiing, at a speed and angle that is tailored to the user’s skill level. The equipment consists of a revolving belt to simulate an endless ski slope while utilizing Maxxtracks’ patent-pending MaxxGrass® surface, which genuinely simulates skiing or snowboarding on snow, and is appraised by world-class athletes. The Spring Camp includes ski training, team building exercises, fitness games and lunch, suitable for ages 4 – 12.
DETAILS: Running 4-8 April, 10am-1pm (drop off from 8.30am), Dh840 per week, at Infinite Ski Dubai, find out more.
PROGRAMME ROBOTS AND FLY DRONES at STEM For Kids Spring Camp
Computing fans can get stuck into coding, robotics and engineering projects at this fun and curiosity-inspiring STEM Spring camp (tried, tested and approved by kids of SchoolsCompared.com team). Kids can be dropped off in the morning and will enjoy a schedule of different activities – from designing, building and coding an aeroplane or a satellite, to flying a hovercraft or a drone – while also socialising and having fun with a great bunch of fellow tech enthusiasts during a fabulous day out during this year’s Spring Break holidays.
DETAILS: Running until April 8 2022, throughout the Spring Break holidays, camp runs from 9.30am to 1.30pm (drop off possible from 8.30am), at either Rove Hotel Downtown Dubai or Studio One Hotel near Arabian Ranches. Suitable for 4-6 year olds (Little Explorers) and 7 to 9 year olds (Junior STEM camp). Dh975 per week, Dh225 per day, sibling discounts available. Book here.
HANDPAINT MASTERPIECES at Ceramic Corner Cafè
For a truly chilled way to spend an afternoon with the kids, this gorgeous, newly revamped café lets you pick a naked ceramic – from plates, mugs and moneyboxes to figurines and plant pots – and then paint it in whatever design you like. Children can let their artistic juices flow as they flick, swirl and dab their imaginations onto the pottery in every imaginable colour of the paint palette, while parents can join in with their own masterpiece, or simply sit to one side and enjoy a coffee and a scrumptious breakfast or lunch. Once the painting is finished, you leave your creation at the café to be fired and glazed in the kiln resulting in a gloriously glossy piece of wonderment for you to collect a few days later.
DETAILS: Price of ceramic varies depending on the piece. Full food menu available, Ceramic Corner Café, Jumeirah Town Centre in Jumeirah 1. If this location isn’t convenient then you can also try Step Up Ceramic Café in Motor City, which also has resi pouring and other workshops available, or Café Ceramique on The Palm.
IFTAR WITH A BANG at Global Village
Ramadan is nearly upon us and The Global Village is going big with its Ramadan activities this year. Hosting Ramadan Nights from 6pm to 2am, and serving sumptuous iftar and suhoor every night, you and your children are in for exciting and eclectic food, shopping and plenty of entertainment. The Majilis of the World Tent will serve iftar and suhoor meals, while several pavilions will offer a range of fast-breaking foods. Kids will be thrilled to see the Iftar cannon firing at sunset to signal the end of the daylong fast, and if you are looking for unique gifts for family gatherings, the pavilions will be filled with perfect Ramadan and Eid gift items.
DETAILS: The Global Village, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road, April 1 – May 7, Daily 6pm to 2am, Dh15 adults, Dh15 children 3-12yrs.
GET A WHOLE NEW PERSPECTIVE at The Frame Dubai
As playtime heads slowly indoors with the warmer weather, it’s time to visit Dubai’s and the world’s biggest picture frame to learn more about Dubai’s history. Watch little one’s awe-struck faces as they zoom up the elevator 150 metres to the top of the Frame, and then taking hair-raising photos through the stomach-churning glass floor. With views of Old Dubai on one side and the modern Dubai on the other, the exhibitions will give parents and children an inspiring overview of how the city and emirate came to be.
DETAILS: Dh20 for children, Dh50 for adults, Dubaiframe.ae.
INSPIRE AWESTRUCK ART APPRECIATION at The Theatre of Digital Art
Inspire young minds this week with a nicely air conditioned visit to the incredible Theatre of Digital Art, based in Madinat Jumeirah. While the immersive Monet to Kandinsky exhibit will teach children about the history of art in an innovative and unusual way, the Interactive Room is a permanent installation which is free to enter for ToDA ticket holders and has been specially designed for children. Featuring multidimensional spaces with secret passages and portals to magical worlds, it allows interaction with the installations in a playful way and will help instil a life-long love of art in your little one.
DETAILS: Dh100 per adult, Dh50 per child, book online in advance, Toda.ae.
GO BACK TO THE FUTURE at The Museum of the Future
If you and your kids are mourning the wind-down of Expo 2020, sink your teeth into another ambitious and far-reaching Dubai project at the newly opened Museum of Future, the self proclaimed “Most beautiful building on Earth”. The kid-dedicated Future Heroes exhibit borrows from the best of what video games offer and then applies it to the real world. Each child becomes a player – A Future Hero – who is encouraged to explore areas and activities, taking on challenges and collecting rewards. The game they play is designed to encourage critical thinking, courage and confidence. These qualities are rewarded with badges that celebrate making positive contributions to the Future Heroes world by helping, solving problems, creating something new or trying something you’ve never done before. Players can collect as many of these badges as they want and can save them between visits. A must-experience for this year’s Spring Break holidays.
DETAILS: Dh145 per person, under 3s free, book here.
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Are we missing a fabulous day out adventure for families in the UAE for the Spring Break holidays that you wish to share, or which you think should be shared? Please contact me at [email protected] for us to celebrate too.
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