A new venue for kids opened in Dubai: XPark Jr. It is located near the Skate Park at Kite Beach, in the old location of The Journey. We were there at the preview and really liked it a lot and the girls didn’t want to leave and asked when we come back again. It has a bit of everything for everybody, indoor and outdoor. Mostly outdoor, which is a plus but with the hot weather coming soon, the indoor area looks more appealing.

I cannot say that we had a “favorite thing” there, as everything was very exciting. The tree houses are the dream of any child. Very big and stretching in the middle of the park, kids can run in different directions, climb and jump, feeling like they are in a real forest. I liked to walk there barefoot on mud paths and green grass. The park has big trees so there is a lot of shadow and there are swings under the tree houses.

I think the water features are quite a success. There are two small lazy rivers where the kids can play with little boats and create cascades by placing rocks in the middle of the water. The splash area is also fun and most welcome when the heat will be around so make sure you have a swimsuit or changing and towels with you. Kids always have a blast when playing with water.

My girls liked very much to play with the mud kitchen. They took sand and water from a little spring and made mud cakes and cooked salad with grass. They build fire camps and even tried to build a tent. Luckily, there are some teepees there, just in case the little ones need a real one for their play.

If your little ones are animal lovers, XPark Jr has a small zoo: a pony, four rabbits and two little birds. The kids can ride the pony and feed the rabbits. I really like the farm style of the zoo, with hay used for stools. Also, the kids can plant and the park has a small vegetable garden.

For indoor, there are two rooms, one small and one bigger. They are crafty rooms for now, but they turn into party rooms for birthday parties. My girls like to color so they spend some time coloring and drawing while taking a beak from running and cooking. The good news for the parents with older kids that can play by themselves, there is a Park House Café, so you can enjoy a cup of coffee and a croissant while the kids enjoy the new adventures.

Opening hours

The park is open from 8.00am to 6.00pm from Saturday to Wednesday and from 8.00am to 8.00pm from on Thursday and Friday.

Entrance fees

Dhs 45 per child with accompanying adult for 2 hours and an extra Dhs 25 for every extra hour. One parent per family can enter free of charge, each additional adult will pay Dhs 25 for 2 hours. Children under 1 year old can enter free of charge. If you are an adult with two kids, for example, the extra kid pays Aed 45. The park is designed for kids 1 to 12 years old.

For the Birthday parties, all you must do is rent the room for Aed 2,000 and you have free entrance for maximum 30 kids and 30 adults. The food and beverage should be ordered from Park House and you are allowed to bring in only the cake.

Contact and address

For more info, please call 043284175 or 0545825561