Review of Eco-Educational Indoor Games at Fun Works

Amruta Khemkalyani

The scorching sun already started impacting our lives in UAE, the days of indoor play areas have already started. As summer vacations are approaching parents in UAE are on the lookout for activity places to take their children. But this time I know where to take my son to have a day full of fun and some Eco-education as well! Fun Works in Abu Dhabi’s Yas Mall is that place!

At 3 Rs, my son is trying to read
Yas Mall is a certified Estidama green Building with 2 pearls rating. My special connection with this mall is, my husband who is also a sustainability professional was commissioning authority on this building. Every time we visit Yas Mall, we appreciate the sustainable features of this building. To name few, daylighting, passive cooling and the way they have brought nature to indoors at the atrium. So it’s not a surprise, the play area of the mall boasts Eco-educational games.
The first thing about fun works you notice is that it’s huge! There numerous rides, games and activities for a varied age group of kids. But obviously, all my attention was grabbed by the Eco games, a great way to make kids Eco-aware in a fun way.
My son particularly liked playing at Recycling Works, where kids are supposed to segregate the waste and they get points for correct segregation. The waste is basically foam cans, bottles, tetra packs, etc. This game was too fast for 3 years old but my son still had fun. Watch all fun of recycling game at Recycling Works in this video
Most of these Eco games are for older kids but I would still recommend parents to play with their preschoolers. Because even if they don’t play is right, they still understand it. Their grasping power is astonishing. It is a great way to introduce them to sustainable habits.
There were few interactive games related to energy and power generation at Energy Works. I became a kid for a few minutes and played one the game and frankly, I loved it. An enlarged electrical circuit is made where we need to generate power with our hands for a huge bulb. Watch the video here.
Recycle Works
There are many educational and science games at Fun works, so I would say it’s a great way of teaching kids about science experiments via practical games. That reminded me how my mother used to create those fun experiments at home to teach me the basics of science when I was in secondary school and we used to treat it more of play than study.
The bake works is another great activity where kids make cakes and those are later baked and given to them. Even otherwise we need to involve children in cooking and other cores at home. That way they learn important life skills, become independent and get even creative.
While I was lighting a bulb at Energy works my boys found their way to Car Works, from where it was next to impossible to get them out. My son is a car addict like my husband. So when I joined them, they were assembling a V8 engine. I think later we played there more than our son. It’s a dream of any mechanical engineer to assemble a car. Our dream came true through this kids assembly line, where foam car parts are to be assembled on a metal frame! LOL!
At the end my son actually could drive the car, it is a first electric car in the world powered by V8 engine!
Now don’t be surprised if you see us playing with our son with equal enthusiasm next time you visit Fun Works at Yas Mall!