Notes / Dubai
Things to Do with Kids in Dubai
Where Dubai families actually take their children, sorted by season, age and budget. Indoor essentials for 45°C summers, outdoor wins from October to April.
The brief
- Dubai splits into two cities for parents. October to April runs outdoors: beaches, deserts, Hatta, Al Qudra, Global Village. May to September runs indoors: malls, theme parks under glass, ski slopes, trampoline parks. Plan one indoor anchor every summer weekend.
- The theme-park core is Dubailand and Jebel Ali. IMG Worlds, Motiongate, Bollywood Parks and Legoland cluster on Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road. Day passes AED 295 to 450 (USD 80 to 122). Annual passes pay off after three visits.
- Aquaventure at Atlantis and Wild Wadi are the top water parks. Aquaventure runs AED 360 to 425 a day adult; under-3s free. Laguna at La Mer is the cheaper, calmer alternative for under-8s at AED 100 to 175.
- Free wins for residents: Kite Beach, JBR open beach, Al Qudra cycle track, Mushrif Park, Zabeel Park, Creek Park, the Frame deck at AED 50, winter Global Village at AED 25 weekday entry.
- OliOli at CityLand is the best stand-alone children's museum in the city, sized for 2 to 11. AED 99 to 150 a child. KidZania in Dubai Mall sits in a different register: role-play city for 4 to 14 at AED 195 to 260.
- The best Dubai day trip is Hatta. Kayaking on the dam, swing photos, mountain biking, heritage village. 90 minutes east.
- Match the activity to the child's age, not the brand. Toddler picks: Children's City, Green Planet, Laguna. Primary: OliOli, Aquaventure, Legoland. Tween and teen: IMG, Motiongate, Ski Dubai, Hatta zipline.
Dubai weather sorts the calendar before anything else. From late April to October, daytime temperatures sit at 38 to 45°C with coastal humidity pushing the heat index higher. Outdoor parks, beaches and deserts are unusable in daylight for most of summer. From October to April the city flips: rooftop pools open, the desert cools to t-shirt weather by 8 am, and every outdoor venue runs at capacity. Prices below are 2025-26 indicative; resident promotions shift weekly.
Theme parks and water parks
The Jebel Ali cluster on Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road carries the headline rides.
IMG Worlds of Adventure. The world's largest indoor theme park by floor area. Marvel, Cartoon Network, Lost Valley dinosaur zone, Haunted Hotel. Fully air-conditioned. Day pass AED 345 (USD 94); annual AED 695. Best for ages 8 and up; younger children find the dark queues and adult-scale coasters intense.
Motiongate Dubai. Outdoor park with covered queues and indoor sections. DreamWorks, Sony, Lionsgate zones, Hunger Games coaster, Madagascar Mad Pursuit. Day pass AED 295 to 365 (USD 80 to 99). Workable November to March; closed sections only most other days.
Bollywood Parks. Same Riverland complex as Motiongate. Dance and stage-show led, lighter on rides; strong for Indian-resident families and tweens.
Legoland Dubai and Legoland Water Park. The single best park for ages 2 to 10 in the country. Miniland, Driving School, Lego Ninjago. Combined ticket AED 365 to 450 (USD 99 to 122). The water park is gentle and shaded; viable in summer with timed swim slots.
Aquaventure Waterpark at Atlantis. Expanded in 2021 to become one of the largest in the world. Trident Tower, Leap of Faith, the shark lagoon. Adult day pass AED 360 to 425 (USD 98 to 116); children 3 to 11 AED 295 to 360; under-3s free. Annual resident pass AED 1,295 pays back at the fourth visit.
Wild Wadi. Smaller, older, attached to Jumeirah Beach Hotel. Quieter than Aquaventure, easier with toddlers and primary-age children. AED 309 adult, AED 259 child. Burj Al Arab as the backdrop.
Laguna Waterpark at La Mer. Surfing zone, slides scaled for under-12s, attached to a public beach. AED 100 to 175 a head (USD 27 to 48). The everyday winter pick for under-8s; a half-day fix in summer with shaded cabanas.
Indoor anchors for summer
May through September is when the indoor list earns its keep. The picks below run on aircon every month of the year.
Ski Dubai at Mall of the Emirates. Real snow, 22,500 square metres of slope at -1 to -2°C. Snow Park ticket from AED 220 (USD 60); ski lessons AED 380 to 620; Snow Penguin encounter AED 250. Two hours is enough for most families. Bring socks; jackets and boots included.
KidZania Dubai Mall. Role-play city for ages 4 to 14: pilot a plane, run a bank, fix teeth at the dental clinic. AED 195 to 260 a child; one adult per two children at AED 95. Strongest for 6 to 11. Tweens lose interest fast.
Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo. Walk-through tunnel in Dubai Mall, plus a small upstairs zoo with otters, penguins and crocodiles. Standard ticket AED 169 (USD 46); the tunnel viewing from Dubai Mall is free and works as a 20-minute add-on to a mall day.
Green Planet at City Walk. Indoor rainforest biodome. Sloths, snakes, ring-tailed lemurs, free-flying birds. AED 105 to 135 a child. One hour gets you round; pair with City Walk for lunch.
OliOli at CityLand. Interactive children's museum opened 2017. Eight galleries, water table, air-flow play, art studio. AED 99 weekday, AED 150 weekend per child. Ages 2 to 11; under-2s free. The single best indoor day for primary-age children outside of theme parks.
Trampoline parks. BounceX at Marina has a tween-skewed warehouse with foam pits and ninja runs (AED 95 for 60 minutes). Trampo Extreme at Times Square runs the same format closer to Al Quoz schools.
Adventure HQ at Times Square. Indoor adventure course, climbing wall, zipline, cave run. AED 120 to 200 (USD 33 to 54). Ages 5 and up; height requirements at the top tier.
Dubai Mall and Mall of the Emirates both function as air-conditioned playgrounds in summer. Reel Cinemas at Dubai Mall and VOX at MOE run children's and family-cinema screens; both malls keep indoor play zones (Magic Planet, Hub Zero) at AED 50 to 120 a child.
Beaches and the waterfront
Open beaches are free, lifeguarded in the marked sections, and best November to April at midday, or May to September before 9 am and after 5 pm.
Kite Beach on Jumeirah. The default family beach. Kite surfing, paddleboard rental, pop-up cafes, a covered children's playground, skate park, public toilets and showers. Free entry; parking free. The Burj Al Arab is in every photograph.
JBR Open Beach. Long strand fronting The Walk at Jumeirah Beach Residence. Inflatable water park (AED 80 to 120 a child for a session, seasonal), pedalo rental, beach soccer. Restaurants and shops one minute behind the sand.
La Mer and Laguna. Pedestrian beachfront promenade with sand zones, slide structures and seafront restaurants. Laguna sits within. The beach itself is free; food and rides are paid.
Sunset Beach (Umm Suqeim 3). Quieter strip next to Kite Beach, with the best Burj view and surfable waves in winter. No paid amenity. The local choice when Kite Beach is busy.
Hotel beach-club day passes. Atlantis, Le Meridien Mina Seyahi and Habtoor Grand run AED 250 to 700 (USD 68 to 191) for adults, children half-price, with pool, beach and food credit. Useful in summer when residents need a shaded lounger.
Discovery, museums and learning
Children's City at Creek Park. Edutainment centre across nature, space, the human body, world cultures. AED 15 to 20 entry. Creek Park itself has a cable car, train, mini-golf and large grass lawns. A near-free Saturday for ages 4 to 10.
Dubai Frame at Zabeel Park. 150-metre golden frame with a glass-floor sky deck and Old Dubai / New Dubai exhibitions either side. AED 50 adult, AED 20 child. One hour, photogenic, cheap. Pair with Zabeel Park playgrounds.
Dubai Safari Park at Al Warqa. Reopened 2020 across 119 hectares with Africa, Asia, Arabia and Explorer villages. Drive-through and walking trails. Standard ticket AED 50; safari journey upgrade AED 175. Closes mid-May to late September. The big winter family day.
Dubai Garden Glow at Zabeel. Seasonal light-art park, dinosaur park, ice park, magic park. AED 65 to 90 a head. November to April only; sundown to 10 pm.
Global Village on Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road. Winter-only cultural festival (October to April). 90+ country pavilions, food street, fairground, stunt shows. AED 25 weekday, AED 30 weekend. Free for under-3s and over-65s. The best low-budget evening out in Dubai for a family.
Etihad Museum on Jumeirah Beach Road. The story of UAE unification, in pavilions and original documents. AED 25 adult, AED 10 child. Quiet, well-lit, hour-long. Suits 8 and up.
Free and low-cost picks
Dubai is expensive, but the free list is longer than parents expect.
- Beaches. Kite, JBR Open, Sunset, Mercato, Black Palace, Al Mamzar. All free; some have paid parking on weekends.
- Public parks. Zabeel Park (free weekdays for children, AED 5 weekends), Mushrif Park (AED 3), Safa Park (AED 3), Al Barsha Pond Park, Mamzar Beach Park.
- Al Qudra Lakes and cycle track. 50 km of paved track through the desert, free to ride, lakes with flamingos at the central rest stop. Best at sunset October to March. Bike rental from AED 60 an hour.
- City Walk and Boxpark. Outdoor pedestrian zones with playgrounds, fountains and street art. Free to walk; food and rides paid.
- Last Exit food trucks. Highway-side themed food parks with playgrounds and live music. Free entry; food from AED 30.
- Burj Lake fountain show. Every 30 minutes from 6 pm at the foot of the Burj Khalifa. Free.
- Al Marmoom desert and the Al Qudra cycle path. Sunrise camel sightings on the path; free if self-driven.
Day trips
Hatta. 90 minutes east, in the Hajar Mountains on the Omani border. Kayak or pedalo on the green-water Hatta Dam (AED 65 for 30 minutes); Hatta Wadi Hub has a zipline, mountain carts, archery, and the photographable wooden swing over the dam. Heritage village. The best day trip from Dubai for primary-age children. The drive back across the desert at sunset is part of it.
Al Qudra Lakes and Love Lake. 45 minutes south of Downtown. Free entry. Bike, scooter, picnic, flamingo spotting at Lake 6. October to March only.
Desert dune drives, camel rides and bedouin camps. Operators along Al Qudra and toward Al Awir run morning or evening dune drives, camel rides, sandboarding, bedouin dinner camps with falconry and henna. AED 200 to 450 a head (USD 54 to 122). Children usually need to be 3 or older for dune bashing. Avoid summer afternoons; sand temperatures exceed 60°C.
East Coast (Fujairah). 90 minutes northeast. Snorkelling at Snoopy Island, calmer beaches than the Dubai coast, hilly drives. Cooler water year-round than the Persian Gulf side.
By age band
| Age | Best in summer (May to Sep) | Best in winter (Oct to Apr) |
|---|---|---|
| 0 to 3 | Children's City, Green Planet, OliOli toddler zone, mall play | Creek Park, Mushrif Park, La Mer beach, Kite Beach mornings |
| 4 to 7 | Legoland and Legoland Water Park, OliOli, KidZania, Aquaventure splash zones | Hatta Dam pedalos, Dubai Safari Park, Global Village, Garden Glow |
| 8 to 11 | IMG Worlds, Aquaventure, Wild Wadi, Ski Dubai, BounceX | Al Qudra cycle, Hatta Wadi Hub, desert camel ride, Frame deck |
| 12 to 16 | IMG coasters, Motiongate, Ski Dubai lessons, Adventure HQ | Hatta zipline, dune-buggy, JBR water sports, Global Village stunt shows |
| Budget | Half-day picks |
|---|---|
| Free | Kite Beach, Burj Lake fountain, City Walk playgrounds, Al Qudra ride, public parks |
| Under AED 100 | Children's City, Frame deck, Garden Glow, Global Village, Mushrif Park |
| AED 100 to 250 | Green Planet, OliOli, Laguna, Trampo Extreme, Aquarium tunnel |
| AED 250 to 500 | Aquaventure, Wild Wadi, IMG, Legoland, KidZania, Ski Dubai Snow Park |
| AED 500+ | Hatta full day with kayak and zipline, hotel beach-club day passes, desert safari with dinner |
Related reading
- Best areas for expat families in Dubai
- Cost of living in Dubai for families
- Best international schools in Dubai
- Moving to Dubai with kids
FAQs
What is there to do with kids in Dubai in summer?
From May to September, plan indoors. The reliable summer rotation is IMG Worlds, Legoland Water Park, Ski Dubai, OliOli, KidZania, Green Planet, the Dubai Aquarium, BounceX or Trampo Extreme, and Aquaventure or Wild Wadi early or late in the day. Hotel beach-club day passes open shaded loungers for AED 250 to 700 a head. Outdoor venues become viable again from mid-October.
What does a day at a Dubai theme park cost a family of four?
Indicative gate-price 2025-26: IMG AED 1,380 (USD 376); Legoland combined with Water Park AED 1,460 to 1,800; Aquaventure AED 1,440 to 1,700. Annual passes pay back at three visits. Most families bundle through Entertainer or Smiles app deals rather than paying gate price.
Are Dubai beaches safe for young children?
The Jumeirah strip from Kite Beach through Sunset Beach to JBR is shallow, calm, and lifeguarded in marked sections. Currents pick up at the headlands near the Palm and at Black Palace; the open beaches between are the safer everyday choice. UV is extreme year-round.
How early do you need to book in winter peak?
December to February peaks across all paid attractions. Aquaventure, Legoland and Ski Dubai sell out timed slots 24 to 72 hours ahead through January. Hatta accommodation books out 4 to 6 weeks ahead for the Eid and National Day long weekends.
Prices and operating hours are 2025-26 indicative ranges. Confirm directly with each venue before travel. Currency conversion at AED 3.67 to USD 1.00, the pegged rate.