Indoor play in Dubai: where to go when it is 45 degrees

Indoor play in Dubai splits into four types, and mixing them up is how you end up paying ninety dirhams for something your toddler cannot use. Here is how we choose.

Soft play, for under fives

Ball pits, foam blocks, low slides, padded everything. Sessions are usually charged per child per hour, with the adult free. Look for a separate baby area, because a two year old in a space designed for six year olds is a bad afternoon.

Trampoline parks, from about six

Free jump areas, foam pits, dodgeball courts. Grip socks are compulsory and always sold separately, so factor that in. Most parks set a minimum age or run separate toddler sessions.

Adventure and ninja parks, from about eight

Climbing walls, ropes courses, obstacle circuits. These are the ones that actually tire out an older child, and where an hour is genuinely enough.

Immersive attractions, for a one-off

Light installations and themed worlds are expensive and not repeatable, but they work for a birthday or visiting family.

What to check before you drive

• Session length. An hour is standard, ninety minutes is better value.
• Minimum age and height, published on the venue's own site rather than on aggregator apps.
• Grip socks: bring last visit's pair, they are usually accepted.
• Weekday afternoons are half the price of weekend mornings at most venues.

The venues below are the ones our readers rate highest. The full list of indoor play centres is in the directory, filtered by area.