Welcome to all new members of the gang!

Summer is fully in motion. Schools are out, and to noone’s surprise, the malls are cooler than outside. A life-sized Pac-Man maze, a happiness museum, a free AI program for kids, the World Cup quarters, and Looney Tunes taking over an island.

Let's go.

> Kids and Classics — Snow White. TODA, July 11, 11am. Classical music, puppets, and the Seven Dwarfs in a 360° immersive space at Souk Madinat Jumeirah. A beautiful Saturday morning outing. Ages: 3–8. Ticketed from AED 89

> Looney Tunes at The Galleria Al Maryah Island, Abu Dhabi. July 10–19. FREE. Bugs Bunny, Tweety, Daffy Duck — challenges, laughs, family activities across the island. A road trip excuse if you need one. Ages: All.

> Hello Kitty & Friends Pop-Up — BurJuman Mall. Until August 15. Sanrio characters, themed activations, photo moments. A good one if you're in that part of town. Ages: 3–10.

> Pac-Man Live Experience — Al Quoz. From AED 160. Ages 7+. You become Pac-Man — inside a life-sized glowing maze, dodging actual ghost characters while projection technology covers the walls with power pellets and pac-dots.

> Activate Games — City Centre Mirdif. AED 95/player. Ages 7+. The world's first active gaming facility — physical challenges, laser rooms, light-up floors, electronic wristbands tracking your score across dozens of game rooms. 2–5 players per group, 10am–10pm daily. The one for competitive families.

> Dopamine Land — Oasis Mall, Al Quoz. Toddlers under 2 FREE. Nine rooms designed entirely around triggering happiness — a cushion battleground, neon balloon tornado, dance floor that pulses to music, cosmic infinity room, and more. About 50 minutes. Family-friendly, stroller accessible, socks required. Ages: All.

> K-Town Fest 2026 — Al Ghurair Mall. Until July 18. FREE entry. Korean street food, live K-pop performances, interactive games, K-beauty pop-ups. Free to walk around. Check the mall for daily performance times. Ages: Teens especially.

> Future Heroes Summer Camp — Museum of the Future. Week 2: Space. July 13–16. AED 1,299 (without meal plan) / AED 1,599 (with).A Ages 6–11, 9am–3pm. Week 2 (Space) is available now — interactive workshops, experiments, field trips, a "Sound Bytes" podcast recording station, and a Capstone Showcase at the end of the week. Week 3 (AI/Technology) opens July 20–23. Siblings get 15% off. Book fast — Week 1 sold out in days.

> Dubai Health Free Innovation Programme. July 15–30. FREE. Ages 10–13. AI, robotics, virtual reality, 3D printing, gamification — and field trips to Al Jalila Children's Hospital, Dubai Future Foundation, MVRU Innovation Centre, and the Etihad Museum. Free. For the curious 10–13-year-old who wants something genuinely different this summer.

> Sharjah Art Summer Camp at Sharjah Art Foundation. July 6–July 30. Ages 3–15. Creative workshops, for all kids, and it looks like they’re FREE. Please double-check, though.

> Sustainable City Animal Sanctuary — The Sustainable City, Dubai. FREE. Donkeys, goats, chickens, ducks, peacocks, and giant tortoises. A Bee Garden with 100,000 honey bees. A dog park, kids' karting area, horse riding, and food trucks on site. Bring coriander, lettuce, carrots, or frozen peas for the animals. Open to all. No ticket needed.

> Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary — Dubai. FREE. Flamingos in Dubai, literally. One of the city's most underrated free outings — binoculars recommended. Open Saturday to Thursday, 7:30am–5:30pm.

> Dad Club x Mallathon — Dubai Hills Mall. Saturday July 11, 8:30am. FREE. The Dad Club community meetup, Mums very welcome. Walking, connecting, showing up. A lovely free Saturday morning thing. All ages.

> Choose something different: Stargazing and the Milky Way.

> Cinnabon Little Baker Rolling Workshop. Al Barsha Mall, 1st Floor. July 6–15, 2–9pm daily. AED 75/child. Ages 5–12. Kids roll and bake their own Cinnabons in a real kitchen. Genuinely lovely. Book before July 15.

> Dodo Pizza Kids' Academy — JLT. Dubai's first kids' pizza-making studio is now open. Kid-sized kitchens, ages 3–12, hands-on from dough to slice.

> Swingers Crazy Golf — Kids Brunch and Play. Mini golf, food, and activities combined. A casual weekend option that works well for mixed-aged families.

> Children's City — Creek Park. An interactive science and discovery museum built entirely for children — space station, media city, nature center, and an international village. Often overlooked, genuinely brilliant. Ages: 2–12. Tickets.

> Terra + Expo City — Kids Under 12 FREE all summer. Until September 30, 10am–6pm. A consistent summer pick: drop the kids into Terra for free while you grab a coffee at Expo City. Metro-accessible. Ages: Under 12 free.

> Pokémon Bring a Friend Event — Back to Games, Abu Dhabi Mall. July 12 + July 19, 2pm. Ages: older kids / teens.

> Free soft serve at Café du Port, 7am–8pm throughout July. Just show up.

> Mitts and Trays — Dubai Hills Mall, 8–10am. Free coffee. Bring the kids, take the coffee.

> Reform — free pizza every Monday, 4–8pm.

> Free donut at Dunkin' on your birthday. Register on the app, show up on your birthday.

> Giant slide at Mercato Mall. Until August 30. A giant slide. In a mall. The toddler's face will be worth it. Ages: Under 12…or 15 ;)

> The quarter-finals begin this week. Palm Arena 2.0 at Marriott Resort Palm Jumeirah is open free entry, 5pm–3am nightly, all screens, live DJs, food and drink available. Put the kids to bed and go. Or take them. No judgement.

> TODA: Professor Boom — July 19. The interactive science theatre adventure returns. Book early, it sells out.

> Modesh World — DWTC. Open July 3–August 23. Free entry. Dubai's summer entertainment hub is open now.

> Dubai Mallathon. Daily 7–10am, 9 malls, free, through September 15. (website loads slowwwwwly)

> Dubai Sports World + Kids' World soft play. AED 60 for 2 hours soft play. Free gym and jogging track. DWTC. Daily through August 25.

> Abu Dhabi Summer Sports — FREE until August 23. Gym, courts, sports, yoga. Still running, still free for the basic access.

Hope you find something in here that hits the spot.

See you next week.

Parves

PS: Write to me, I read and reply to everything.