The world’s largest educational theme park, a hyper-real playground where children aged 4 to 14 are encouraged to immerse themselves in role-play, will soon rise at the Bonifacio Global City.
KidZania, a make-believe world where kids rule, is an interactive play city that is governed by its own language and currency.
There is, for example, a real airplane, with flight simulator used by actual pilot trainees, for children who want to play pilot.
While the characters they play in this world are products of their imaginations, the sense of community and accountability is not.
The lessons they learn mimic that of the real world, arming the children with knowledge they will need when they grow up.
In KidZania University, for instance, children can pursue their “master’s degree.” It’s all play, until children discover that earning higher degrees also translates to better pay in their “jobs.”
In the end, they will want to learn more and be more—all in a healthy play environment.
Achievers
Not only will they turn into achievers, but the people behind KidZania hope they will also develop into better human beings.
The many roles they will play, whether as soldiers, teachers, scientists or artists, will actually make them understand how each person contributes to a better society.
Content in KidZania also includes authentic real-life brands, easily relatable and identifiable, such as Coca-Cola, Dunkin’ Donuts, Honda, Johnson & Johnson, Unilever, Sony, Nike, McDonald’s, Nestlé and more—all scaled-down to kids’ size.
“We introduce children to concepts they will encounter later on in the adult world… This will complement the education of children,” said Maricel Pangilinan-Arenas, KidZania president and CEO of Play Innovations Inc., the local franchise owner of KidZania Manila.
Children learn faster when at play, remembering names associated with shapes and textures far more quickly.
A recent study at Iowa University also said that children who play with their food may be better and faster learners.
Even adults who approach new things with play learn faster.
Adults are not allowed in KidZania, so children will learn independence. However, there will be adult supervision from trained personnel. KidZania will open its doors to children with special needs, assisted by trained specialists. The play city will also be designed to be friendly to children with physical disabilities.
Arenas said parents today invest a lot of money in tutors, but fail to recognize the power of play.
“Educators are now pointing out that unless a child is guided in play by an adult, he or she will not be able to optimize their full capacity, particularly in the development of the right brain,” she said.
The right brain is the seat of creativity, a part that is often neglected in traditional education.
Seed of learning
“Through play, children learn a lot of things—they manipulate, experiment, innovate and create new ideas. We need more right-brained people. Play is the seed of learning. Multiple opportunities to pretend-play will help them understand what it is like to be an adult,” said Maricar Gustilo-de Ocampo, child education expert and consultant.
KidZania recognizes the power of stories. Every child has a story to tell, says Arenas, whether through words, pictures or dance. In KidZania, children are encouraged not only to tell their stories but to also listen to other children’s stories.
In this age of selfies, self-promotion and gratification, it is important to instill early on in children that the world does not revolve around them.
Encouraging them to listen to other people, sharing their time and attention, will make them better adults.
KidZania is anchored on six values: the right to be a child; the right to play; the right to know; the right to share; the right to care; and the right to create.
Play, said De Ocampo, is integrated in all areas of development, such as the physical, cognitive and social language. Allow children to play, make decisions, make mistakes and learn from them.
Not all schools aim to let children’s imagination fly. Recess is only a maximum of 10 minutes. At KidZania, depending on their age, children are allowed to play for up to five hours.
“Children will be challenged to think of possibilities. Education is so focused on developing the left brain, such as memory. But memory is the lowest form of thinking. We want to encourage innovative thinking, problem-solving, critical thinking; for children to collaborate, to talk to each other and see what they can do,” De Ocampo said.
Just recently, KidZania was cited among the Top 10 Best Franchisee for Travelers by CNN, as one of the brands most recognized and trusted by travelers around the world.
KidZania is present in 15 locations in 12 countries. Thirteen new sites are currently being developed, including KidZania Manila.
In the Philippines, the Department of Tourism has already endorsed the soon-to-rise play city.
“Families are now making their decisions on where to go on the basis of where there is a KidZania,” Arenas said.
KidZania is headquartered in Mexico City, franchised locally by Innovations Inc., a subsidiary of ABS-CBN Corp. It will open first quarter next year. Visit www.KidZania.com for more information.