From Illusions to Cows: Check Out the UAEs Best Museums!

By Nohad Mouawad

 

 

This week was the International Day of Museums. I know, I know, we seem to have a day for everything now, right? And a day for museums sounds like something more for art or history students, not for parents with active kids, right? Wrong.

Museums these days don’t come just in the traditional form of galleries with stiff exhibits to look at. A museum can be everything from a palace to interactive illusions to a place to see a cow being milked! Most of the time, kids and adults alike won’t realize that they’re learning anything. You will be too busy being fascinated by what you see.

In Dubai, there are so many cool museums to check out. Some of kids’ favorites include the Museum of Illusions, where they interact with mind-blowing illusions that will make them think, and that will leave some pretty cool photos for their memories and your Instagram account! If you still haven’t taken your kids to the Museum of the Future, this weekend is a great time. It’s an indoor activity that isn’t at the mall or a play area, so you can take a break from all the noise and money-spending.

To show your kids their favorite celebrities and also explain a little bit of pop culture history, take them down to Madame Tussauds. There are even figures of local Dubai celebrities to take a pic with.

We are raising the Instagram generation, and we all know that these kids love a good picture. That’s why it’s a great idea to take advantage of the family package on offer right now at the 3D World Selfie Museum! No old and dusty paintings on display here, just interactive illusions that make the perfect social media post.

You probably never thought of cows as belonging in a museum, but for a different type of afternoon or weekend activity, check out the Al Rawabi Dairy Farm & Museum, where kids can learn a little more about where their daily dose of calcium comes from.

In Abu Dhabi, you can explore UAE culture, heritage and nature, in a way that you’ve never experienced a museum before. Al Ain Oasis is the perfect spot to shade from the hot sun, and the Al Ain Palace is where you can discover Abu Dhabi’s majestic past, and it’s all for free!

At Emirates Heritage Village, there are workshops of traditional Emirati crafts and you will be transported back in time with demonstrations of traditional daily life. On top of that, there are kids’ camel rides!

Kids will definitely get a kick out of pretending they are at battle, protecting their town, at Al Jahili Fort. Al Jahili is one of the largest historical forts in Al Ain, and your family will love discovering it.

For another free, but different activity, take your family to the Installations at the Special Olympics Garden, where amazing sculptures are on-display by world-famous artists. To your kids, these will just seem like cool structures to look at and take pictures with, but they will make them think and give them an interesting experience.

Who said museums are boring? In the UAE they’re anything but!