Kidzania

Last weekend we took the girls to Kidzania.  They had already been there once with Antonia and were trying to describe what it was, but it was really fun to go see it for ourselves.  It's an indoor kid-oriented space that is set up like a miniature town, complete with cobblestone streets, shops, banks, restaurants, bakeries, a university, the whole nine yards.  At each location, the kids go in and play the roles of the various people.  For example, at the Jumbo (grocery) store some kids play cashiers, some play shoppers, baggers, or shelvers.  Here's Bugs as a shopper at the store.

The shoppers are given a list of items that they have to locate in the store.  The scanners that the kid cashiers use really work and the items appear on the computer screen.  At the end of the "transaction" the shopper receives a printed receipt (although no actual money passes hands).

Kidzania actually does use a special currency, though:  Kidzos!  On arrival each kid is given a check made out for $50 Kidzos.  They have to go to the Banco de Chile to cash the check.  The money is then used as entrance fees into certain venues.

There are also ways that kids can earn more Kidzos, although it doesn't seem to be entirely based on what society actually pays people for.  For example, in the art studio you can earn $10 Kidzos by painting a picture.

Meanwhile, onboard the airline (yes, they have part of a real jet plane in the building with the nose of it sticking out the side of the building into thin air so the kid who's playing the pilot really feels like they are flying!) the pilot has to pay $20 Kidzos to "fly" the plane, the flight attendants earn $10 Kidzos, and the passengers have to pay $5 Kidzos--but get real snacks onboard.  Parents aren't allowed on board the aircraft, but can view what is happening via the nifty b&w security cameras.

Bear in her flight-attendantly duties

It was a great flight!

There were opportunities for kids to work for Chilexpress (Chile's version of FedEx) where they actually deliver packages to other businesses in the village.  Kids could be a fashion model, or do nails and hair in a salon.  Others could work for various utilities and were seen riding the "utility vans" around through the streets wearing their hardhats.  Kids could be construction workers, police officers, or even fire-fighters--they had one building that obstinately would "catch fire" every half hour or so.  There were huge fire hoses trained on the building and the fire truck would come "careening" through the streets (at 2 mph!) with sirens blaring, the kids would hop out, blast the hoses upon the building until the "fire" went out.  The whole thing is cleverly set up like a fountain/pool so the kids can spray real water.  It's very well done and they even have some sort of steam machine so the building has "smoke" pouring out of it and is as realistic-looking as you can get for not being real.

Other venues include a university, a dentist's office, a medical clinic, architectural firm, various restaurants and bakeries, cooking school--wow, I'll never be able to list them all.  The whole thing is quite well done.  Here are the girls in the candy-making factory.

And at the bakery, where they rolled out real dough...

And in the chocolate-making factory..... (unsurprisingly, the girls preferred the activities where they came out at the end with something to eat!!)  :-)

All in all I was highly impressed with this place.  Maybe someday they'll build one in the States.  In the meantime, this link shows the current and planned future locations.