New Experiences to Beat Boredom during the School Holidays

Published on 27 Nov 2023

General Article

Written by Li-Hsian Choo

The year-end school holidays will be upon us soon. Every parent knows that keeping children busy with minimal screen dependency during this period can be a real struggle. We are all familiar with the ‘I'm bored’ chorus refrain that is repeated again and again at this time of the year!

To help, we have put together some new family-friendly experiences around the city that can not only help your children beat school holiday boredom but also keep your whole family engaged and entertained.

Visit the Latest Theme Park

Theme parks provide a variety of attractions in one single location: thrilling and casual family rides (or exciting slides at water theme parks), shows, carnival games, kiosks, restaurants, and even a spot of shopping. A day out at a theme park is rarely a sedentary affair, and may offer some health benefits that you might not even realise. For example, as a typical theme park occupies a vast area, you and your children may walk many miles (and burn many calories!) without even realising it.

Some psychologists classify fears and anxieties as ‘good’ or ‘bad’, and rides are believed to expose us to ‘good fear’. Even though some thrill rides and water slides involve plummeting from multi-story heights, enduring heart-stopping twists, and nausea-inducing turns, our brains are said to perceive these as ‘safe’ and ‘predictable’. So, riding them and overcoming our fears as we do so is good therapy as it helps reduce our stress, especially as we scream out our anxieties!

Sunway Lagoon, Legoland and Genting SkyWorlds are evergreen favourites with many local families but during the coming holidays, you might like to check out GL Play by Gamuda Land, promoted as a ‘one stop play place’ which encompasses the latest attractions around Gamuda Land townships. It includes Splashmania, a new water theme park located in Gamuda Cove (within close proximity of KLIA) that boasts 39 exhilarating slides and attractions. You can also keep an eye out for FunPark @ Gamuda Gardens, an outdoor amusement park located in the Gamuda Luge Gardens. This family-friendly park will be home to six unique attractions, including Malaysia's tallest Ferris wheel. The park is set to open four attractions by the end of 2023 and the final two in Quarter 1 of 2024.

Source: Gamuda Land

Enjoy Eco-Tourism

Also part of GL Play at Gamuda Land is the Paya Indah Discovery Wetlands. Here, visitors can look forward to rejuvenating activities like fishing, camping, or nature sightseeing. The wetlands also offer families a fulfilling eco-educational programme through its newly opened (in August 2023) Wetlands Arboretum Centre. It features a 90-acre arboretum with research areas, tree preservation zones, urban farming, and an educational wetlands exhibition gallery. This Arboretum hopes to eventually introduce over 200 plant species and to actively participate in the preservation of approximately 3,000 trees as part of the Gamuda Green initiative.

There are two adventure tours you can take at the Paya Indah Discovery Wetlands. These are specially curated for children aged 4 to 12 years old. The tours allow children to discover exciting facts about the animals and plants that live within the wetland’s ecosystem. There is the Safari Insta-tour and Animal Feeding option that includes a guided experiential safari tour into the Wetlands with experienced rangers. A safari truck will take you on a drive where you will see 11 picturesque lakes and bamboo trails. Watch and listen carefully as rangers point out passing monitor lizards, brightly-coloured Kingfishers, long-legged Herons, and unique migratory birds. You can also meet Baby and Lily, the two resident hippos you will be feeding as part of the tour. Each hippo can apparently eat up to 70kg of food per day! The second option involves a boat cruise that takes you on a leisurely tour across the lake, where you will be able to spot interesting wildlife along the lake bank. Both tour options end at the Wetlands Arboretum Centre, children can try urban farming, participate in nature-inspired workshops, and learn more about biodiversity.

Source: Gamuda Land

Experience Immersive Digital Art

Are you a family who loves art? You and your children can experience art differently by stepping into digital worlds beyond your imagination at REXKL’s new immersive art gallery EXPERIENCE (RXP.KL). RXP.KL builds on the legacy of the legendary Rex Cinema space by redefining what an art gallery could be through this new, cutting-edge digital art experience that showcases what can happen when technology and creativity converge.

Source: REXPERIENCE

Source: Yap Chee Hong of The Star

In its inaugural exhibition, Other World, visitors will be transported to beautiful landscapes from the cosmic to the natural, and the urban to the abstract. The one-hour show features three main works:

Foreign Nature by Julius Horsthuis and Ben Lukas Boysen that takes visitors on a journey through mathematical landscapes that reveal nature’s intricate patterns found in mesmerising fractals.
Yume by Fahmi Hosnan and Ashish Khilnani that brings iconic Japanese artworks like Snow At Zojoji Temple to Hokusai’s famed The Great Wave Off Kanagawa to life.
The atmospheric Annihilation by Colas Fiszman and Jonas Margraf paints a vivid picture of humanity’s complex relationship with technology through dance, technology, and music.

The show runs every hour daily until 20 January 2024, from 10am to 10pm. More information on the show and how you can buy tickets can be found here .

Attempt to Exit an Escape Room

Escape rooms are popping up around the city as they provide the perfect setting for family outings or for groups of friends (including children) to enjoy together. They can also be highly educational because in order for participants to successfully crack the puzzles and move through the stages, they must be able to draw on essential skills like teamwork, decision-making, problem-solving, critical thinking, and good communication. Some escape rooms even tap into parts of the school curriculum like history, science and technology. They also develop Maths and English skills as many puzzles involve cryptic word puzzles, or calculating number codes using various mathematical operations.

Some popular escape rooms around the city featuring interesting storylines, unique themes, and an all-around fun indoor experience include those hosted by Breakout, Maze Escape Room, Escape Game, and Mission-Q Escape Room. Some rooms are more child-friendly than others, so you might like to make inquiries before making a booking if you are thinking of including your children in these activities.