Gang, can you believe Etihad Rail is actually almost here? After years of "soon," we finally have a real date: June 30.

The first passenger trains start running between Abu Dhabi and Fujairah — 1 hour 45 minutes, and you're on the other coast. Fares start from AED 55 in Comfort Class, and AED 120 in Premium. You can book tickets here. My kids have never been on a "real" train in this country, and I'm taking them on this one purely for the novelty. Dubai and Sharjah stations will open later this year. For now, it's Abu Dhabi to Fujairah. We have a national train network. Wow.

If a 1h45 train feels ambitious for week one, here's the toddler-sized version:

➤Mini Train Sledge Ride — Hot Spring, Al Ain. AED 25/person. Free parking. A little sledge train winding through the mountains near Al Ain's Hot Spring. Not exactly the Orient Express, but for AED 25 and a free park to run wild in afterward, it's a proper half-day out.

➤ Grand Hyatt Dubai — Indoor Tropical Garden. FREE to walk through. The hotel's central atrium is a full tropical garden with streams, bridges, and koi ponds — 37 acres of grounds wrapped around it. Free to wander, even if you're not staying. The best-kept secret use of a hotel lobby in this city. Ages: All ages (but let’s be honest, it’s a quick in and out)

➤ Abracadabra — new soft play. They claim to be bigger and badder. Friends, you’ll have to tell me about this one. Ages: For the younger kids.

➤ Illusion City — The Wharf Mall, Bluewaters Island. Open daily. It's a full sensory playground — holograms, 3D effects, rooms designed to flip your sense of gravity. The Vortex Tunnel messes with your balance, the Anti-Gravity Room makes furniture cling to the walls, and the whole place is built for toddlers, teens, and adults equally. Budget 90 minutes. Right next to Ain Dubai. Ages: All ages.

➤ Abu Dhabi Children's Library — Al Hosn, Cultural Foundation. FREE membership. Spread across three floors and 5,250 square meters, with more than 35,000 books in Arabic, English, and French, it's built to feel like stepping inside a giant pop-up book. Sand-dune soft play, sensory treehouses, a "Book Mountain" auditorium. Free membership for UAE residents.

And if you’re in Dubai, you know you can’t miss this one. And guess what, they have a Children’s and Young Adult’s Library inside. Ages: 5+. (I went on Saturday, it was busy, but because it’s huge and has 7 floors, it doesn’t feel like it)

➤ Danube Sports World — Multi-Sport Kids Summer Camp — Business Bay. Ages 8–14. The camp runs Monday to Friday, 8:30am–1:30pm, with activities tailored to the age group. Padel, badminton, tennis, football, cricket, table tennis — across academies, including the Sania Mirza Tennis Academy and a Bela Padel Academy partnership. If your kid needs more than a single sports outing this summer, this covers a few weeks properly.

➤ Dubai's First Family DJ Day — July 3, 3–6pm. FREE. Ages 5–15 with a parent. Kids and parents step behind real decks together — beginner DJ lessons, professional equipment, and a parent-versus-child mixing challenge. Here.

➤ Saturday Kids' Theatre at Courtyard Playhouse — Al Quoz 1, every Saturday. Ages 4–11. Every Saturday morning at the Playhouse is Improvised Kids' Storytime — kids of all ages direct the actions of the actors, volunteer to help on stage, or jump up to give suggestions. Free to attend.

➤ Bluey — Kinokuniya, Dubai Mall. Friday June 26, 5pm. Ages 2–8. Bluey, in a bookstore. If your toddler somehow hasn't had enough Bluey this summer, here's one more chance.

➤ Sharjah Science Museum — Sharjah. A proper hidden gem. Hands-on science exhibits where kids learn without realizing it, and parents end up just as hooked. I’ve been here many times, and if you have kids 10 or below, they’ll enjoy it.

➤ Gracia Community Farm — Al Bahia. AED 20–30. Fish feeding, mini cars, water boats, desert rides — a small farm theme park, easily covered in one visit.

➤ Discover Mleiha — Summer Family Fun Package. Sharjah. Mleiha National Park includes an Archaeological Centre, under-the-stars glamping, and stargazing, tucked into Sharjah's quiet desert. The summer package includes access to the Sunset Lounge, free fossil workshops for kids, complimentary stargazing, access to the archaeology center, and refreshments. Ages: All ages, especially 8+.

➤ Ripe Market — City Walk. June 27–28, 10am–10pm. Indoor courtyard. FREE. Indoors, so the heat's a non-issue. Same makers, same food, same easy energy.

➤ Ibn Battuta Mall Family Fun Walk — June 28. FREE. A walking challenge through the mall, aiming for 12,000 steps as a family.

➤ Magic Planet — City Centre Deira, City Centre Al Zahia, and City Centre Ajman. Every Saturday, July 3–August 29, 6–8pm. Face painting and magic shows, every week, all summer, across three locations.

➤ Ace SummerFest: Sun, Fun and Family — June 27–28. FREE. This one’s for smaller kids.

➤ Festival Land Ajman — AED 5 entry. And they have all the games for AED 5 going on till July 15. A proper community festival, and great value for a teenager who wants a few hours out.

➤ Dubai Summer Surprises 2026 begins July 2, running through August 30. DSS 2026 brings The Great Dubai Summer Sale with discounts up to 90%, the return of the Beat the Heat DXB concert series, and a new DSS Performing Arts Fest with live performances across malls citywide. In early August, the first-ever Back-to-School Carnival runs August 7–8. Full calendar drops over the coming weeks.

➤ Al Qana Summer Camp — National Aquarium, Butterfly Gardens, and Adventure Park combined. July 6–August 28. Mon–Fri, 9am–2pm. AED 250/day or AED 899/week. Three of Abu Dhabi's best attractions in one structured camp. The Butterfly Gardens alone is home to around 10,000 butterflies across climate-controlled domes.

If I’ve missed something, let me know! Happy to add to our Instagram.

PS: I’ve written a small something about Kids and the utter chaos and delight they bring to our lives. If you’d like to read: here it is.

See you next week.

Parves