Children Fly High With iFLY Dubai Kids Club At Playnation, Mirdif City Centre

iFLY Dubai, one of Dubai’s most innovative attractions, offers a special club that gives little feet a chance to take to the skies like their favourite superheroes

This summer, iFLY Dubai will welcome children under the age of 12 to soar to all new heights for half the price with a unique flight experience for just 95AED, an offer that can be enjoyed everyday before 1pm.

Offering the thrill of a lifetime, iFLY Dubai can be enjoyed by children as young as five with the chance to feel human flight in a controlled and instructor-supervised environment, along with the use of jumpsuit, goggles and helmet that ensures children are safe just a few feet off the floor in the hands of experts.

Requiring no prior training, iFLY Dubai has established itself as one of the safest “once in a lifetime” attractions in the UAE where children can fly comfortably on a soft cushion of air and come back week after week to learn aerodynamic twists and turns.

iFLY Dubai is part of Playnation, the entertainment destination from Majid Al Futtaim Leisure and Entertainment located in the South Entrance of Mirdif City Centre.

For more information and bookings please call 04 231 6292 or email info@iflyme.com.
 

Chocoa Honors Mothers And Children Of UAE

ChoCo’a, a family-owned chocolate manufacturer, was pleased this year to celebrate Mother’s day and Children’s day in the UAE through a 5 day competition. The children were meant to draw or describe their dream cake, and submit their answers via e-mail, at Choco’a boutiques, via Facebook post, to Al Sada magazine or at the Choco’a booth in Marina Mall.

Hundreds of children participated and shared their dream cake hoping to be one of the four lucky winners. Choco’a carried out a raffle draw and the winners are: Noha Ali AL Riyachi, Farrah Mutahhara, Begad Bilal, and Nafisa Rasim. They all won an exact replica of their dream cake while their mothers received a beautiful Choco’a chocolate arrangement.

Emaar Retail’s Leisure Attractions To Host A Summer Of Fun For Children At The Dubai Mall

Young ones will have the opportunity to enjoy a summer of fun and learning at The Dubai Mall, the world’s largest shopping and entertainment destination.

Emaar Retail LLC, a pioneer in innovative entertainment, leisure and retail concepts, is hosting special five-day summer camps that integrate fun with learning in some of the most popular leisure attractions in the city including At the Top, Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest observation deck with an outdoor terrace. Hosted for the second consecutive year, The Dubai Mall Summer Camp will be held from 9am to 3pm between July 3 and September 1, 2011.

Little ones aged from 7 years and above have the opportunity to take part in an attractive array of enhanced fun events and educational programmes as part of the camp held at Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo, Dubai Ice Rink, KidZania®, Reel Cinemas, SEGA Republic and the newly introduced addition to the camp, At the Top, Burj Khalifa.

The Camp will take the kids on a journey to KidZania® on day one; watching a movie at Reel Cinemas and ice skating at Dubai Ice Rink on day two; experiencing the marvels of the aquatic world at Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo and touring At the Top, Burj Khalifa on day three; enjoying thrilling games and exciting rides at SEGA Republic on day four; and completing the programme with another day of fun-filled activities at KidZania® on the fifth day.

The Dubai Mall Summer Camp offers limited availability. For bookings, contact enquiries@thedubaiaquarium.com or call 04 4485200. Admission to the summer camp is priced at AED 600.

Gordon White, General Manager at Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo, managed by Emaar Retail LLC, said: “The Dubai Mall Summer Camp, integrating all the leisure attractions of Emaar Retail, will be a novel educational experience for young ones. We are setting a new trend in summer camps with specially tailored programmes that offer children a refreshing fun experience. In addition to offering the thrills of adventure games, cinema and skating, the camps also open doors for unique insights into the aquatic world.”

Parents also have the option of enrolling their children for any of the individual summer camps hosted by Emaar Retail at its attractions. KidZania®, the first of its kind edutainment centre in the region, offering professional role-play experiences for visitors, will offer four unique workshops this summer that showcase children’s talent in various professions. These 5-day themed workshops culminate with a performance day open for parents on Day 5. All the themed workshops enhance the concept of education through fun and creativity. For bookings, contact 04 448 5222.

Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo’s Aquarist Programme promises ‘big adventures for little ones’. Children are offered the opportunity to gain a fascinating glimpse of behind-the-scenes action as an Aquarist, and discover the marvels of the marine world. The Junior Aquarists can meet a professional Aquarist, watch a shark feeding presentation, assist in feeding the aquatic animals and ride on a glass bottom boat. The Senior Aquarist experience also includes a cage snorkeling experience for closer encounters with over 33,000 aquatic animals in the aquarium. For reservations, call 04-448 5200 or email enquiries@thedubaiaquarium.com.

At the Olympic-size Dubai Ice Rink, the Summer on Ice programmes will be held again this year. Children can enroll for a four days Learn-to-Skate Programme for AED 750 and enjoy a month of skating for free. An Intensive four days Skate Camp is also being offered where children can master the ice with five levels of ice skating for AED 500 per level. Enrol for all levels at AED 1,750 and save AED 750. For details, call 04-448 5111 or email info@dubaiicerink.com.

At the Top, Burj Khalifa will offer children the opportunity to enjoy the amazing panoramic views and marvel at some of the world’s most inspiring architecture. They will also get a chance to experience a vast array of educational exhibits that touch on the making of Burj Khalifa, state of the art technology and exciting facts.

The Dubai Mall Summer Camp is one of the popular summer events for children, and was attended by several hundred young visitors last year. The emphasis of the camps on fun-based learning appeal to the young ones, and serve as a perfect alternative choice for parents to keep the children productively engaged during the holiday season.

KidZaniareg; Expands Fun-Learning Choices For Children With Six New Professions By Leading Organizations

Adding to the strong choice of over 70 professional role plays already offered by KidZania®, the unique children’s city in The Dubai Mall managed by Emaar Retail LLC, the popular leisure destination has introduced six new fun-learning choices.

Young visitors to KidZania® now have the opportunity to learn the ‘job’ experiences associated with working in a biscuit factory, telecom contact centre, or serving as an installation engineer, customs inspector, comic book artist and car sales representative – all in a fun-filled but true-to-type ‘work’ environment.

The new ‘careers’ have been introduced through the partnerships of KidZania® with the region’s leaders in the respective sectors including Abu Dhabi Media (The National, Majid, Star FM) Britannia, du, Dubai Customs and Chevrolet.

Abu Dhabi Media offers children the work experience of being comic book artists for Majid magazine, in addition to its Star FM operating the radio station and The National headlining the newspaper establishment at KidZania®.

Britannia will roll out the art of baking delicious biscuits and Chevrolet will share the various aspects of being a car sales representative, explaining in detail the features of the company’s diverse models of cars.

The new establishments of du at KidZania® will offer the opportunity for visitors to get a real work experience of serving at the du Contact Centre as well as working in the company’s Installation Centre setting up telephones, television and Internet connections.

Dubai Customs will guide the children in understanding the intricacies associated with the role of a Customs Inspector, explaining to them what goods can be brought in to the country and what are prohibited.

Mr Arif Amiri, Chief Executive Officer of Emaar Retail LLC, said: “It is extremely important that children get a feel of the shifting and fast-evolving career choices in the world. Today, in tune with the shifts in technology, new career opportunities are opening up, and by familiarizing themselves with the varied jobs, children can broaden their knowledge horizons.”

He added: “The new additions to KidZania® reinforces the thought-leadership fostered by the leisure destination in boosting the skills of children, and encouraging the market leaders – both in the private and public sector – to be associated with it. This is a strong statement on the success of the brand, which has evolved as the perfect marketing partner for business leaders.”

Another recent addition to the city is the mosque located on the upper level of KidZania® with separate areas for women and men.

KidZania® has brought a clear differential to the educational environment of the UAE by winning the approval of the UAE Ministry of Education, along with Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo, for field trips as part of the academic curriculum. More than 70,000 students have visited KidZania® already highlighting the increasing popularity of the centre among schools for furthering the skills of students.

An award-winning edutainment concept that promotes the physical and intellectual growth of children through professional role-plays, KidZania® sprawls over 80,000 sq ft of the mall in two levels. KidZania® has an assortment of establishments covering the entire fabric of a working economy – including a bank, hospital, university salon, television station, music lounge, and supermarket and fire station, amongst others.

A petrol station, race track and roads, fountains, restaurants, boulevard-like fun events including magic shows and a theatre with outdoor and indoor performances, offer children a world that they can claim as their own. Children are also encouraged to learn the intricacies of basic money management with every visitor being provided a cheque for 50 KidZos, KidZania’s official currency. The KidZos can be used to buy goods and services; or even save them at the bank, which will provide them with an ATM card too.

KidZania® fosters independent thought and spirit in children, allowing them to move freely in the city and make their own choices in the professions they wish to experience. Parents of children over 120 cms in height, have the option of leaving them in the city, secure in the knowledge that KidZania® adopts strict safety standards via RFID bracelets which do not allow them to leave without the parent who “checked” them in. Younger children, under 120 cms in height, however require the supervision of their parents or guardians.

A strong multi-lingual staff strength of over 350 across 50 nationalities are at hand to guide children during the role-playing activities. Parents have the option of spending their time with their children watching them try their hand at being “adults” or relax at the Parent’s Lounge which is equipped with F&B, a TV room, as well as complimentary Internet.

Emaar Retail also manages Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo, which opens a new window of learning by showcasing some 33,000 aquatic animals; the Olympic-size Dubai Ice Rink; the Middle East’s largest and first of its kind indoor theme park – SEGA Republic; and the region’s largest megaplex, the 22-screen Reel Cinemas at The Dubai Mall, and the 6-screen premier boutique Reel Cinemas at Dubai Marina Mall.
 

Children Across The UAE Showcase Their Swimming Talent At FINA World Championships 2010

The FINA World Championships (25m) provided the perfect setting for youngsters across the emirate to showcase their swimming talent to thousands of spectators at the new Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Sports Complex.

Supported by Speedo, the children’s races attracted close to 100 enthusiastic and talented young swimmers from 28 schools in the region. After each morning heat, the children were invited to take part in their swim races in the same waters as the brightest international Speedo swim stars such as Ryan Lochte and Natalie Coughlin had competed in moments before.

On the first day of the championships a staggering 64 children from 15 schools participated in the fun event, with schools as far afield as Al Ain joining the extravaganza in both the fun day and swim school races. The absence of the scoreboard or competitive element allowed for children from the ages of 6 to 17, and across all abilities, to swim together and gain the invaluable experience of swimming at an internationally acclaimed venue.

Talking about the children’s races, James Hickman, Sports Marketing and PR Manager for Speedo International and 5 times World Champion in the 200m butterfly commented; "It’s great to see the World Championships in Dubai has inspired the next generation of children to swim. You can see that they have all enjoyed swimming in the pool where World Records are being broken. I hope this iconic venue, a swimming pool in the desert, will continue to do so for many years to come.”

Although there were no timings to the children’s races, on Friday 17th the competitive stakes were raised when the main pool saw children from local swim schools, including the Speedo Swim School, Australian Swim School and Al Ain School take to the water.

Speaking on behalf of Jebel Ali Primary School, Jason Palmer-Myers, Head of PE at the school commented; “l would like to thank Speedo for organising and supplying the swim kits for our swimmers that swam in the demonstration children’s race. The swimmers thoroughly enjoyed the experience of swimming in the World Championships swim venue. What also made it good for the children was they got to see a former pupil of the school swim for Malta in the Championships.”

Speedo has been supporting talent in UAE since 2006 and supplied all the swim kits, caps and goggles for the participating schools in the children’s races. The Speedo Swim School is made up of the most promising and talented young swimmers in the UAE and is seen as a platform for the next generation of UAE National Team swimmers.

For more information about Speedo visit www.speedo.com

The film about the race is now on Speedo’s youtube channel, please visit wwwyoutube.com/speedointernational to view it.
 

75 Children Win Tickets To Dubai International Film Festival Through Annual Painting Competition

Seventy-five children from around the UAE have won red carpet gala tickets for their families or screening tickets to the Dubai International Film Festival through DIFF’s 2010 painting competition, the Festival announced today.

Impressed by the creative outlook of children from around the country, DIFF this year expanded the prizes to include 51 runners-up, who will each receive two tickets to films in the Festival’s ‘Cinema for Children’ programme.

In addition, each of the top 24 winners receives a family invitation for four to the Cinema for Children red carpet gala screening – this year The Nutcracker in 3-D on Friday, December 17 – and their painting is reproduced in the annual DIFF calendar. Other films in the Cinema for Children programme this year include The Magic Tree, The Magic Silver, Oblivion Island and Eleanor’s Secret.

More than 500 students from 26 schools across the UAE took part in the painting competition, and the entries were evaluated according to the age of the participants by a jury comprising Colette Mol, Arts Manager, Dubai Community Theatre & Arts Centre; Rachael Brown, Head of Special Projects, The JamJar gallery; and children’s author Julia Johnson. Several of the children drew on new trends in filmmaking as their theme.

Mahsa Motamedi, Director of Marketing and Sponsorship, Dubai International Film Festival, said: “The entries this year clearly highlight the growing interest of the children in DIFF and the new trends in filmmaking, with several entries focused on 3D and IMAX cinema experiences. It is interesting to note that children are now not only impressed by the on-screen heroes but also by technological advancements that make them love cinema even more.”

Jury member Julia Johnson said: "There is obviously a great deal of talent amongst young artists in Dubai and Sharjah. I was struck by the wonderful array of pictures, and of how much thought, imagination and enthusiasm had gone into their creation. Some of the most appealing pictures were vivid and adventurous, bold and vibrant; others showed minute attention to detail; several were considerably thought-provoking and some showed a delightful sense of fun and humour. It was quite amazing to see so many different interpretations of the theme, ’What DIFF means to me’! Although it was certainly a difficult task to choose the winners, some of the pictures stood out for their composition, use of colour and originality. Congratulations to all!"

The painting competition, themed ‘What does Cinema and DIFF mean to you?’ was open to students in the age group 5-12. Students were invited to submit drawings and paintings in any medium, including crayons, watercolours, acrylic and oil paints, through their schools.

Participating schools include Al Noor Training Centre for Special Needs, Al Mawakeb School, Alliance Francaise, Lycee George Pompidou – Oud Metha, Lycee George Pompidou – Sharjah, Lycee Libanais Francophone Prive, Arab Unity School, Delhi Private School – Dubai, Delhi Public School – Sharjah, Dubai International Academy, Emirates National School – Sharjah, Gulf Indian High School, Horizon School, Indian High School – Dubai, Indian High School – Ajman, International School of Arts & Sciences, Latifa School for Girls, The Millennium School, The Philippine School, Pristine Private School, Uptown Primary School, Regent International School, Raffles International School, Our Own English High School, Jumeirah Primary School, and Jumeirah English Speaking School.

The seventh edition of Dubai International Film Festival 2010 will be held from December 12 to 19. DIFF 2010 is held in association with Dubai Studio City. Dubai Duty Free, Dubai International Financial Centre, Dubai Pearl, Emirates Airline and Madinat Jumeirah, the home of the Dubai International Film Festival, are the principal sponsors of DIFF. The event is supported by the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority.

DIFF 2010 box office locations are: Cinestar Mall of the Emirates, Madinat Souk and the CNN Building in Dubai Media City. Tickets can also be purchased through DIFF’s Dial-a-Ticket service at (04) 391 3378 and from the website www.dubaifilmfest.com.

For more and updated information about DIFF, please visit www.dubaifilmfest.com

Award-Winning Animation, Adventure Films From Six Nations In Dubai International Film Festivals Cinema For Children Segment

The secret life of forgotten toys, a magical tree, a quest to recover the silver that transforms day into night and the classic Christmas tale of an enchanted nutcracker are some of the stories included in this year’s ‘Cinema for Children’ segment at the Dubai International Film Festival 2010.

The five films in the popular family friendly programme combine Japanese anime, live action and 3D technology to bring to life stories from France, Poland, Norway, Japan, the United States and Russia.

From Poland, the fast-paced The Magic Tree, one of the most awarded children’s films of the year, begins with a huge old oak tree cut down by people unaware of its power. The hundreds of objects made from its wood retain the tree’s mysterious powers, including a red chair that can walk, fight and fulfill the wishes of anyone who sits on it. When the chair finds its way to a new home with three young children, it’s the start of a series of incredible events.

From Japan, Oblivion Island: Haruka and the Magic Mirror suggests what happens to childhood treasures after we become adults. Sixteen-year-old Haruka accidentally stumbles upon a host of unlikely creatures who sneak into our world from a different dimension to gather the ditched and forgotten memorabilia and use them to build their own city. The award-winning film combines Japanese anime with Western-style 3DCG animation.

A second animation film, Eleanor’s Secret (Kerity: La Maison Des Contes) from France, tells the story of a young boy who fights to save fairytale heroes. Although he isn’t interested in reading and doesn’t read very well, seven-year-old Nathaniel inherits his aunt’s collection of old books. When his parents decide to sell the books, Nat realizes they are the only shelter for the timeless characters of children’s literature, including Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland. If the books are sold, they and their stories will disappear forever.

Elsewhere, deep inside the Norwegian mountains, blue gnomes guard the silver that transforms day into night. When the silver is stolen, gnome princess BlueRose has to overcome her fear of the outside world to retrieve it and save the world from darkness – and thus begin the adventures of Magic Silver.

Myrna Maakaron, programmer for DIFF’s Cinema for Children segment, said each selected film has been well received internationally and is sure to delight UAE families, children and the young at heart.

“This year the segment presents an eclectic mix of whimsical, entertaining, and imaginative films that will appeal to kids and adults alike,” Maakaron said. “We’ve got stories of adventure, fantasy, childhood heroes and festive cheer, slices of different cultural backgrounds. These very special films are not only highly entertaining, in many cases they share valuable lessons.”

The ‘Cinema for Children’ programme will be led by the star-studded The Nutcracker in 3D, based on the same story that inspired the world-famous Tchaikovsky score and ballet. The film tells the story of nine-year-old Mary (Elle Fanning) whose dull Christmas is livened up after the arrival of her Uncle Albert (Nathan Lane) and his gift of an enchanted nutcracker. On Christmas day, the nutcracker comes to life and takes Mary on a journey into a magical world of fairies, sugarplums and other Christmas toys come to life.

In addition to cast members John Turturro, Frances de la Tour and Richard E. Grant, the film also features eight new songs from Oscar-winning lyricist Sir Tim Rice of The Lion King and Evita fame. The Nutcracker in 3D will be the Cinema for Children red carpet gala screening and will have its international premiere in Dubai on December 17, 2010.

The seventh edition of Dubai International Film Festival 2010 will be held from December 12 to 19; the box office will open in late November. DIFF 2010 is held in association with Dubai Studio City and supported by the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority. Dubai Duty Free, Dubai International Financial Centre, Dubai Pearl, Emirates Airline and Madinat Jumeirah, the home of the Dubai International Film Festival, are the principal sponsors of DIFF. Accreditation for DIFF 2010 is now open.
 

Dubai Customs Employees Distinguished Children Awarded

Dubai Customs recently awarded employees’ distinguished children academically in an honor-awarding ceremony. 70 male and female students from different school stages who scored highest grades in their schools were awarded.

Mr. Fahed Hamad Bin Fahed, Executive Director of HR, Finance and Admin Division and Mr. Khalifa Abu Jamhoor, HR Department Manager at Dubai Customs attended the event.

Mr. Bin Fahed said:" Dubai Customs believes that knowledge is the key to society’s development and advancement stemmed from Customs mission towards creating a future generation that aspires to achieve and think creatively in order to build the country in the different fields; scientifically, academically, economically and socially. Thus, this annually organized ceremony comes as part of our endeavors in fostering and supporting excellence among employees’ children and encouraging them to keep their academic excellence up.”

Parents of the awarded children expressed their appreciation to Dubai Customs for this kind gesture and organizing such events which help further their children’s performance and education and increase employees’ satisfaction and loyalty.

Dubai Womens College Raises Donations For Children In Cambodia

Around 20 students from Dubai Women’s College (DWC) recently organized at the college campus a fundraising event entitled “Dirham a Day” for the disabled children in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The funds raised during the event amounted to 4000dhs.

DWC Students ran “Dirham a Day” collection, asking all students and staff to donate just one dirham each. The funds were used to pay for a number of activities including an outing, which the children look forward to once a year.

Dr. Howard Reed, Director of DWC said the habit of sharing and giving is well established at DWC. Students learn that even small amounts of money can make a big difference in the lives of many people.

Donna Behl, DWC Chair of Bachelor Year 1 Department, who presented the cheque at the Center, said “As we toured the Damnok Toek Center, the smiles on the faces of the children were very heartwarming. The charitable gesture from our DWC students made a huge difference to this very poor Center. I was impressed with the cleanliness of the Center and the caring staff.” Donna added that the Center was very basic with no frills or extras and they are looking for another place which would have a bigger outdoor area. “However, the children are happy and well fed, they have a bed to sleep in and we know the money we have donated will be put to great use. The children who have such severe disabilities and loss of limbs really appreciate support from us. We hope to continue with further fundraising for these lovely kids in the new academic year which starts on 13th September 2010,” she pointed out.

DWC Students heard the stories of the Damnok Toek Center for disabled children in Cambodia, learnt about their hardships and realized how fortunate they have been growing up in a protected and safe environment in the UAE. The Damnok Center is a residential care home for around 20 children with intellectual or physical disabilities and who have been rescued from dreadful circumstances. Some of the children have been victims of human trafficking, sold by their families out of desperation, and rescued by the Goutte d’eau organization. Others have been rescued from the rubbish dumps in Phnom Penh and brought to this wonderful centre which provides a caring family environment for the children. The children are taken by bus each day for schooling according to their special learning need, then return to the centre in the afternoon for play, meals and sleeping.
 

Children Tent Attracts 200-500 Children Daily

The children’s tent which is presented by the 9th Ramadan Forum organized by Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing ‘DTCM’ receives between 200-500 children from 10 pm to 12 midnight every day. The children enjoy the games, competitions and entertainment facilities as well as the program for discovering young religious talents. The tent is sponsored by the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai.

Al Anood Al Balooshi, member of the organizing committee and supervisor of children’s activities in the forum said: “The activities of the children’s tent aims for providing children between 4-12 years old with a suitable place allowing their parents to attend the lectures of the 9th Ramadan forum noting that children are only allowed to enter the tent with their mothers with a certain tag number according to an electronic system in order to guarantee the safety of the children and ensure that their parents attend the lectures with no worries”.

Al Anood Al Balooshi, member of the organizing committee and supervisor of children’s activities in the forum indicated that the tent is sponsored by the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai with a number of supervisors and teachers to guarantee security and discipline. It also organizes awards to encourage children to know more information about their religion and nation noting the abidance of both parents and children with the rules of the tent let to the success of the activities during the past days.

Al Anood also explained that children under four are only allowed to enter the tent with a help to guarantee their needs when required noting that she and her colleague Enas found great assistance from parents and children. The tent is designed to fit excessive numbers without any problems and all facilities are suitable for children at all ages.

“The tent has become one of the main attractive means for the audience as some children encourage their parents to visit the forum daily either to enjoy their games or give their parents the chances to attend the lectures and receive gifts. The supervision committee does not allow the child to enter the tent without their mother taking a serial number”, Al Anood concluded.