1. Giddy Up
Saddle up and ride a horse at Equuleus. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced rider, qualified bilingual instructors can guide you through the basics or help refine your skills. Daily 7am-12pm, 2pm-6pm (call ahead). Equuleus International Riding Club, Sunhe Zhen, 91 Shunbai Lu, Shunyi District (8459 0236, 6432 4947, equuleushorse@yahoo.com.cn) www.equriding.com 顺义区顺白路91号孙河镇
2. Tango with Life-Size Dinos
Get up close and personal with some of history’s largest and fiercest reptiles. At Dino Dream Park’s three exhibition halls, kids can oogle a collection of fossils as well as interact with life-size mechanical dinosaurs. Closes August 31. RMB 90, RMB 60 for children under 1m and senior citizens. 9am-8pm. 300m north of National Stadium (Bird’s Nest), Olympic Green, Beichen Lu, Chaoyang District. Tickets on sale at Piao.com.cn (400-610-3721, ponypiaoen@hotmail.com) www.en.piao.com.cn, www.dinodreampark.com (Chinese only)朝阳区北辰路奥林匹克公园
3. Make a Splash at Sino-Swiss
Beat the heat with a swim at Sino-Swiss Hotel’s Splash Recreation Club, which has an outdoor and indoor pool, a sand volleyball court, a playground, a gym, and ping pong tables. After splashing around, kids can monkey around at the playground while parents enjoy a drink from the poolside bar and restaurant. Weekdays: RMB 50. Weekends: RMB 130 (Adult), RMB 65 (Kids 90-120cm), Free (Kids under 90cm), after 6pm: RMB 65 (Adult), RMB 35 (Kids 90-120cm). Daily 8am-10pm. Sino-Swiss Hotel Beijing Airport, 9 Xiao Tianzhu Road Capital International Airport, Shunyi District (6456 5588 ext 1217) www.sino-swisshotel.com 北京国都大饭店浪花俱乐部 首都国际机场顺义区小天竺路9号
4. Spot a Dragon
Dragon boating may be over, but there are still dragons to be spotted. Spend a sunny afternoon or lazy evening at Longtan Park, where you’ll find dragon statues, dancing red lanterns, and paddleboats for rent. Enjoy the waterfalls and the two amusement parks as you wander through this enchanting park. Daily 6am-9pm (May-Sep), gates close at 10pm. RMB 2 (RMB 1 for students, free for children under 1.2m). Longtan Park, 8 Longtan Lu, Chongwen District (6714 4336) 龙潭公园，崇文区龙潭路８号
5. Get your Thrills at Happy Valley
Fifteen minutes south of Sihui subway station lies one of Beijing’s thrilling theme parks. At Happy Valley Beijing, kids will feel as small as ants while roaming Ant Palace, located in the kid-friendly Ant Kingdom. Kids may also want to test out Frog Hopper and get wet on The Odyssey water ride. Lively performances and parades held daily. A word to the wise: picky eaters should bring their own picnic. RMB 160, half price for children between 1.2-1.4m and ages 65-69, free for children under 1.2m and ages 70+. Daily 8.30am-10pm. Happy Valley, Wuji Beilu, Dongsihuan Lu, Chaoyang District (6738 9898 ext 0, 6205 0088) 北京欢乐谷, 区东四环路小武基北路
6. Enjoy a Weekend Trip
If you’re looking for a great weekend holiday just outside Beijing, why not spend a night at the Hyatt Regency in Jing Jin city resort? The Hyatt features a pool, golf course, spa and bowling alley. They also have an extensive range of kid-friendly outdoor activities, supervized by one of the Hyatt’s friendly staff members. Hyatt Regency, 8 Zhujiang Lu, Zhouliang Zhuang, Baodi, Tianjin (22 5921 1234, jingjin@regency@hyatt.com) 天津市, 宝坻区珠江路8号
7. I Spy a Fish
What’s more exciting than a day with fuzzy mammals and sea-faring creatures? Kids will love seeing sleek dolphins, colorful fish and friendly sharks as well as towering giraffes, roaring lions, swinging monkeys, and furry pandas. Tickets to the zoo can be paired with admission to the Beijing Aquarium.
8. Swim with Sharks
Founded in 2003, SinoScuba is Beijing’s first professional dive operator, and offers courses in both Chinese and English for all ages and levels. Feel at ease with one of China’s leading shark experience and aquatic awareness teams with a 100 percent safety record. Participants, ages 10 and up, can dive with turtles and sharks in Shark Adventure at the Blue Zoo Aquarium. Certified divers of any age can join the Dolphin Experience and swim with bottlenose dolphins at the Beijing Aquarium. For more details, contact Steven Schwankert at 135 0116 3629 or steven@sinoscuba.com. www.sinoscuba.com
9. Set the Sails Loose
It’s the perfect weather to head for the open sea! The ocean breeze, the clear skies and the lap of the waves offer the perfect short escape from Beijing’s busy and dusty streets. Kids and parents can enroll in one of Beijing Sailing’s numerous camps and weekend trips. Contact Beijing Sailing for details (150 0118 9580, sailing@beijingsailing.com) www.beijingsailing.com
10. Meet an Ogre
Scheduled to open in Beijing theaters on August 16, Shrek graces us again with his lovely ogre presence in what promises to be the movie franchise’s final chapter. In Shrek Forever After, Shrek, his wife Fiona, his chatty sidekick Donkey and the clever Puss in Boots embark on another courageous adventure. As always, the film will be filled with kid-friendly action and smart, subtlety mature jokes. This time, the lovable green giant is up against the evil Rumpelstiltskin.
