Istanbul trips · KidZania Istanbul
KidZania Istanbul School Trip: Learning by Playing at Jobs
KidZania Istanbul is a child-sized city where children try out different jobs, from firefighter to pilot and from doctor to chef, by playing them. On a school trip, the children become "citizens" of this city for a day: they work, earn, spend and follow the rules. Because it supports learning goals such as getting to know professions and taking responsibility through play, it is a particularly meaningful trip for primary school groups.
What is KidZania like?
KidZania is designed like a scaled-down version of a real city, with streets, buildings, shops and places such as a hospital, fire station, bank and TV studio. As the catalogue also notes, the city has its own constitution. Here children play by imitating the adult world, and every activity is linked to a profession.
The Istanbul centre is in Akasya shopping mall. As it is indoors, it is not affected by the weather, so it is easy to plan on rainy or cold days too.
What do children do there?
The day is spent taking part in activities the children choose themselves. In each activity a staff member introduces the job, gives the children a short role and runs the session. For example:
- Being a firefighter and putting out a "fire"
- Caring for patients as a doctor or nurse
- Preparing food in a kitchen
- Presenting the news in a studio or doing a radio broadcast
- Getting ready for a flight as a pilot or cabin crew member
Which activities are open that day and how the queues work depends on the centre's own arrangements. On our tour you get unlimited use of all units at KidZania, so the children can join as many activities as they like during the time on the programme.
Key learning outcomes of the school trip
The catalogue notes that this trip supports learning goals such as getting to know professions, responsibility and money management through play. Here are a few ideas on how you can build on them in class:
Getting to know professions
Before the trip, ask the children "What do you want to be when you grow up?" and write the answers on the board. Ask the same question again when you are back. Let the children who changed their minds explain why.
Money management
At KidZania children earn by working and spend what they earn. Afterwards, the question "Did you spend what you earned or save it? Why?" is a good starting point for talking about money in an everyday context.
Rules and responsibility
Because the city has its own rules, children get a sense of why rules are needed in community life. It is a good opportunity to talk about your class rules again.
The day's schedule
The KidZania Istanbul Tour is a day trip lasting about nine and a half hours:
- 08:00 Departure
- 10:00 Akasya shopping mall; unlimited use of all units at KidZania
- 12:30 Lunch break (lunch can be added as an option)
- 15:00 Departure for the return
- 17:30 Arrival
Departure and return times are kept generous, allowing for Istanbul traffic and the location of your school. As Akasya mall is on the Asian side, schools coming from the European side know how important this margin is. We confirm the times with you at the quote stage, based on where your school is.
Practical notes for teachers
- Age rules: KidZania's age rules are set by the venue. Please state your group's age range in your quote request.
- Groups: Splitting the children into groups of three or four and assigning a teacher or chaperone to each group makes it easier to keep track of them in the crowd.
- Meeting point: Set a clear meeting point and time inside the centre.
- Food: Lunch can be added as an option. If you do not add it, share the packed lunch arrangements with parents in advance.
- Manage expectations: Some popular activities may have queues. Telling the children "we may not be able to do everything, so we will choose" prevents disappointment.
A short information note for parents
Your information note to parents should include: the date of the trip, departure and return times, lunch arrangements, what the child needs to bring and a contact number. For parental permission and all the preparation steps, see our school trip checklist.
If you are curious about other indoor programmes for children, take a look at our article on LEGOLAND and SEA LIFE.
A careers board in class after the trip
Making the students' experiences visible in class after KidZania extends the impact of the trip. A simple method is to draw a "city of jobs" on the class board. Each student writes a job they tried that day on a small piece of paper, explains in two sentences what that job involves and sticks the paper on the matching part of the city: the hospital, fire station, bank, studio and so on.
Then you can discuss these questions as a class: How are these jobs connected? What other jobs does a firefighter need in order to do their work? What would happen if everyone in a city did the same job? This conversation is an easy way to explain cooperation between professions and the importance of every role in society, starting from the children's own experience. Inviting parents to the class to talk about their own jobs rounds off the activity nicely.
This kind of activity brings the different interests in the class to light and gives the teacher a new window for getting to know their students.
Frequently asked questions
Where is KidZania Istanbul?
KidZania Istanbul is in Akasya shopping mall on the Asian side.
What ages is KidZania suitable for?
KidZania is a centre for children. Age rules are set by the venue; simply state your group's age range in your quote request.
Is lunch included on the KidZania trip?
The catalogue states that lunch can be added as an option.
How many activities can children join at KidZania?
On our tour you get unlimited use of all units. The number of activities joined depends on how busy it is that day and on the children's choices.
