UK & IRELAND LONDON FOR FAMILIES DESTINATIONS Tried & Tested KIDZANIA LONDON


Piccadilly Circus, and end the day at the theatre. The Lion King and Matilda remain firm family favourites, and Disney’s much-anticipated Aladdin opens next month. Recommend those on a budget visit during Kids Week which, contrary to the name, now runs throughout August, letting kids go free to shows including Jersey Boys, Wicked and Thriller Live.


ABOVE: Escape the


Great Fire of London at


the London Dungeon


Virtual reality is all the rage, but the sort that requires clunky headgear to plunge into a parallel world seems quite a lonely experience. Kidzania, a ‘real’ mini world for kids, however, is virtual reality that can be touched and felt as well as enjoyed with friends. We took our three children, aged 11, nine and eight to Kidzania in Westfield, Shepherds Bush. Straight away, it feels convincing, with an airport check-in- style reception, with boarding passes. Inside, the scale impresses, with a very


real-looking high street and a bewildering choice of activities, from reporting for the Kidzania Post newspaper, to being in the emergency services or working in a supermarket. Options continue on floor two, with the chance to be an airline pilot, report news on TV or try drumming and chocolate-making.


Many activities are sponsored by high


street brands, adding to the sense of reality. Children also learn the value of work, earning Kidzania money to spend. Our four-hour stint sped by, with not everything on the to-do list ticked off, leaving something for the next visit. Book it: Entry costs from £16.50 per adult (15 years and above), £29.50 per child (four to 14) and £10 for an Early Years ticket (aged one to three). london.kidzania.com


Tested by Lee Hayhurst


23 June 2016 travelweekly.co.uk 51


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