Now that my family has got snow play and ice hiking out of our system, I’m just about ready to stay indoors for the rest of the winter season. But how should we keep the kids entertained during the upcoming CNY holiday? Enter mine and my kid’s favorite trampoline and video game park in Beijing – Bom Bom Space!

1. Parents can play too

We first fell in love with Bom Bom Space before the move to its current location in Surprise Outlets last October. At the new premises, the area is split into two sections, with locker rooms between. Section A, which is to the right side as you enter, has a more iconic look with its trampoline mats and indoor playground, which is great for a range of kids starting from 3 up to young-at-heart parents. Yes I’m talking about myself – I hogged a trampoline for about 30 minutes to get my workout in, clocking approximately 200 calories. So remember those grippy socks for yourself too, parents!

2. Lots of sports and physical challenges

In Section B on the other side of Bom Bom Space, you’ll find plenty of new entertainment options suitable for slightly older kids, with a nice balance between physical games and mixed reality (MR) entertainment. Under the former category, there’s a rock wall for climbing, an aerial course that tests your courage, a slippery slide where you sit in those big rubber doughnuts, and a maze of artificial caves for kids to explore. Bom Bom maintains a high standard of safety and hygiene by providing sturdy helmets, knee and elbow pads, as well as headlamps for the caves, and disinfecting them after every use.

3. Mixed reality (MR) video games!

Under the second category, Bom Bom’s arsenal of games has expanded to include some cool new MR options like archery, golf, hunting, and the roll-a-ball game where you’re physically rolling a huge yoga ball, which appears as a boulder onscreen. There’s also a high-adrenaline cooperative MR game where you can pair up with your kid or bestie and try to match the challenge shown on the screen. This usually involves contorting your body into funny shapes like a heart, laying flat on the ground to avoid the obstacles, or jumping at just the right moment over turning spikes. It’s a blast to watch, and even more fun to play.

4. Clean restaurant & party rooms

Another nice addition to Bom Bom Space is their in-house restaurant and two private rooms that are perfect for birthday parties! The space is clean, well-lit, and the food is pretty standard for a kids’ play place. Spending over RMB 68 at the restaurant gets you another hour of admission, which is just about enough time to finish your meal if the kitchen is prompt with its service. The day we went, we waited more than 30 minutes for one of the dishes so we overshot our time and were almost slapped with overtime charges – approximately RMB1 per person per minute. Luckily, we explained the delay to the manager and the charges were dropped.

5. Free ice cream cone send off!

Oh, and on your way out, each person is given a small vanilla ice-cream cone; a sweet ending to a fun-filled day of play. This is my son’s favorite bit, aside from the “bouncing bouncing part!” Bom Bom Space’s party packages start from RMB5000 which includes food that must be ordered from their restaurant, decorations (optional) and admission to the park. Regarding admission, note that a standard RMB 328 ticket for one parent and one child (up to 140cm tall) gives you three hours of game play. If you don’t mind playing in the evening, there’s a Night Session ticket for just RMB 120, but play time is restricted to between 5 and 8pm.

Bom Bom Space is located in Surprise Outlet mall, which also houses the 爱伴family乐园 (ài bàn family lè yuán) petting zoo and indoor playground that’s great for little ones, not to mention a host of international clothing and lifestyle brands for some shopping! There are also Kidsland and other toy stores to keep the kids happy, which if you ask 5-year-old Val Wang, is the best part! It’s a one-stop shop for everyone, especially during the upcoming CNY holiday!

KEEP READING: Unlimited Play Time + Massage & Workouts For Parents

Images: Vivienne Tseng-Rush, Shu Qi

It may be a bit of a cliché but now that we’re well into negative temperatures, I’m sorely missing all those quintessential summertime activities. We don’t know what we have until it’s gone, right? But hold up, water sports aren’t off the table quite yet, not while these indoor wave houses are around anyway. So come on down and dip your toe into the lukewarm 28-degree water, which will allow you to splash around in comfort and fun!

Subconscious Heat Wave Player 潜艺视热浪玩家

Don’t let the overly verbose and odd name deter you from checking this place out. Suitable for kids and adults, this wave house has been complimented for its clean water and premises. Located east of downtown Beijing, they even have a hot spring pool too! As for the surfing part, they have instructors on hand, ready to help you get up on the board, or you can simply surf solo if you already know how. A first-time 30-minute trial class costs RMB 168 on Dianping and includes use of the hot spring to unwind either before or after your gnarly surf session. During winter, opening hours are daily from 10am-8pm.

Search 潜艺视热浪玩家 qián yì shì rè làng wán jiā in Dianping to pre-book your tickets

Wavorhouse 威波豪欺冲浪俱乐部

Wavorhouse goes all out to promote that sunny lifestyle, as seen from their sandy beach backdrop and surfer van decorative set up. Their local coaches have received rave reviews, so this may be the place to go for a surf class if that’s what you’re looking for. They also offer group classes at RMB 198 for 30 minutes. Pro tip: On your birthday you can join the group class for just RMB 99 instead! Opening hours are Tuesday through Friday, 1-8pm, and weekends from noon-8pm.

Search 威波豪欺冲浪俱乐部 wēi bō háo qī chōng làng jù lè bù in Dianping to pre-book your tickets

Surf Park 冲浪公园 探水冲浪体验店

Calling all Instagrammers and aspiring models/influencers! This wavehouse offers an in-house videography and photography package for RMB 283 so you can forever capture the moment when you successfully stand up on the board and hit the waves. A first-time hour-long experience – which consists of 10 minutes of instruction, followed by 45 minutes of surfing – costs RMB 328. Note that this place is only open on Mondays and Wednesdays through Sundays (i.e. closed on Tuesdays) from 2 to 9pm.

Search 探水冲浪体验店 tàn shuǐ chōng làng tǐ yàn diàn in Dianping to pre-book your tickets

KEEP READING: These Snow Parks and Ice Rinks Are Open!

Images: Dianping

We checked out the 2021 Miyazaki Hayao & Ghibli’s World Animation Art Exhibition at Today’s Art Museum in Shuangjing to bring you the highlights, plus we put together a little Quiz Mission to help your kiddos stay focused while exploring the show!

First, the highlights!

• Kids under 1.2m get free admission! Meanwhile, an adult ticket will set you back RMB 88 if you book it online (even if you do it at the door, which I did) on a weekday, and RMB 118 on weekends. You can also get a VIP ticket that gives you Fast Entry for RMB 158. If you’re going on a weekend, definitely get this or you might spend over an hour just waiting to enter!
• The exhibition spans three floors in the museum, with the option of elevators for those with strollers and wheelchairs.
• Dress up as your favorite Studio Ghibli character for photo opportunities with Totoro from the acclaimed Miyazaki film My Neighbor Totoro, and step into the film’s fantastic Cat Bus!

• Grab an exclusive postcard on the activity floor (second story) but don’t smudge the freshly-inked stamp! You can also color it at the drawing tables provided.
• Hold on to your wallets – there’s plenty of adorable merchandise available towards the end of the exhibition so be sure to discuss with your kids ahead of time how much they are allowed to spend. Insider Tip: The No-Face character (Spirited Away) battery-operated coin bank is quite expensive at RMB 520.  Conversely, the regular museum shop has some cheaper and equally fun offerings, such as Djeco wind-up music boxes.
• The museum is located in a pretty nice and clean neighborhood that the kids can explore afterward, so planning to go early will allow you time to enjoy an afternoon stroll plus an early dinner at Plan B down the road.

While the exhibition’s display is entirely in Chinese, the main draw (haha geddit?!) for any Studio Ghibli lover is the hand-drawn sketches, which require no translation for all to enjoy. Of course, if you’re interested in the technical details of bringing these images from the page to the screen, then be armed with your translator app.

Next, to help your little ones make the most of your visit, we’ve put together a Quiz Mission to keep them engaged throughout the exhibition.

Miyazaki On A Mission!

Alright kids, here’s your mission – find all the answers to the following questions as you make your way through the exhibit!

Top Floor – where you start

• As you enter the exhibition and walk through Howl’s Moving Castle, what color is the arrow pointing at? (Red)
• In the room with all the movie posters, how many animal heroes can you see featured on the posters? (At least eight)
• Still in the poster room, how many female heroines can you see featured on the posters? (At least 18)
• What does Totoro carry in his hand? (Umbrella)
• What is hanging off of Kiki’s broomstick? (An old transistor radio)
• What is the color of Porco Rosso’s plane? (Red)
• What is the color of Susuke’s pail? (Green)
• What does Arietty use to tie up her hair? (A clothes peg)

Third Floor

• What year was the first film that you see, Nausicaa and the Valley of the Wind, made? (1984)
• How many raccoons or tanuki do you see in the poster for the film Pom Poko? (Nine)
• How many forest spirits are there in the wall mural of Princess Mononoke? (At least four)

• Can you count how many of Ponyo’s sisters are swimming next to her on the wall mural? (At least 24)
• How many books are on display in the glass shelves in the grey-walled room with the jar of colored pencils? (Seven)
• Just for fun, make a wild guess how many colored pencils you think are inside the huge jar in the room!

Hopefully, these questions help your kids get to know the wonderful films of Miyazaki Hayao and Studio Ghibli a little more. If you want to watch the films, download the Pumpkin movie app or others like it to watch it on local servers here!

KEEP READING: What I Learned From Hiking Six Miles With My 6-Year-Old

Images: Vivienne Tseng-Rush

Winter is coming. As the breezes get brisker and chills get chillier, we need more indoor places for our kids to play. So welcome to our new Tuesday series, where we’ll share all our latest findings for winter play spots! Comment if you have suggestions.

The Imaginarium Zone is like a funhouse for budding photographers. Nestled in the basement of a building off Baiziwan Road, it’s the perfect new place to pop into after an inspiring weekend trip to Today Art Museum and before dinner and drinks at Plan B. If you want to do something invigorating and different with the kids but don’t have a lot of time, the Imaginarium Zone could fit right into that after school/before dinner slot.

But what is it? That’s a good question, and before experiencing it, I had trouble explaining it to my kids. “A funhouse where you take cool pictures” is the best way I could translate the description on their site, “highly immersive and imaginative set designs for dazzling social media moments!” They were a little wary before entering, especially because the bare white staircase taking you to the basement doesn’t feel inviting to a six-year-old, but it didn’t take long for them to get into the groove.

First, you place your belongings in a locker, including your shoes. Then, you head for doors clearly marked “In” and “Out,” where the adventure begins! Employees time participants well so there aren’t too many people inside at any time, which is good because it’s easy to walk into someone else’s frame.

Inside is a series of rooms where everything is on the ceiling or creates an optical illusion. With the right angle and expression, it’s easy to turn your photos upside down so they look really cool!  Luckily, an employee takes you through and will coach you on how to make the coolest photo for posterity. The concept is a little hard for kids to grasp, at least as young as mine are, so here are a few examples of our successful and almost successful photographs:

Most successful

This was by far the easiest to grasp (pun intended). It’s all about the facial expressions.

Moderately successful

You wouldn’t know the one on the right is the little brother, would you?

They were tickled to hear this is similar to how the hobbits were made to look smaller in The Lord of the Ring movies.

Almost made it

All we needed for this one to look better is to stand on his tiptoes.

Gravity works against us

If I could have just found a way to make their hair fall, this photo actually works!

I absolutely want to return, especially after reviewing the photos together and practicing how to make it look like you’re upside down even if you aren’t. Older kids would get the concept faster and probably have more patience for being directed by an employee, but we still had a great time! It’s such a unique place for kids to play and use their imaginations.

If you have kids ages 14+, right across the hall are three separate escape rooms: one ice-themed, one horror-themed, and one called “The Tattooist” which looks more frightening than anything I would ever do, but seems perfect for thrill-seekers. And again, the neighborhood surrounding these experiences is absolutely worth the trip as well!

Imaginarium Zone
10am-10pm (appointment required). C2-01, Basement 1, Pingguo Community North Area, Building 6, 32 Baiziwan Road, Chaoyang District (138 1059 9351)
尖叫空间 奇幻馆, 朝阳区百子湾路苹果社区北区6号楼负一层C2-01

Price: RMB 98 (Dianping promo price RMB 68). Free access for children under 100 cm. Children under 12 years old must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Images: Cindy Marie Jenkins

It was the first nice day in what seems like weeks. I know I’m exaggerating, but the terrible smog over Christmas was enough to make me want to drown my sorrows in far too much spiked eggnog, which is, by the way, not the best parenting methodology. So, on December 30, I took them to Solana, to their famous Kid’s town, so they could run out their cooped up energy. It was too cold for outdoor romping, but the to and from in sunny blue-sky weather put me in a good enough mood to accept the ticket cost.

When my daughter was about a year old, indoor play areas at Solana and other local shopping centers were around RMB 40 per single entry, and purchasing a card made it even cheaper. How is that in only three years, finding a spot under RMB 100 (which is the price of this place, for a single entertainment area; RMB 200 if you want to try all of the areas) seems like a difficult task? The indoor play center at The Indigo Mall is RMB 150 per kid, for instance. I am shaking my head right now.

Nevertheless, this spongy, bouncy, colourful, kid-giggle-inducing spot was worth the RMB 200 it cost me before I took everyone out for lunch. The kids were fully engaged.

My daughter loved the carousel of squishy hanging stars, the kid’s size doll house, and the balls. My son was all about the spongy shapes and the little foot-propelled cars. They never stopped running between playthings. The place even had some air filters for bad air days, though I can’t comment on their brand or effectiveness. Two full hours later and it was hard to pull them away for lunch before getting my son home for his nap.

There is also a card you can purchase, of course, but the good news is that kids can play all day for that price, so at least I know that for the nap-free future. Of course, by the time my son is no longer napping, I’d better prepare myself for triple the price!

Photos: Courtesy of Ember Swift

Whoops! The kids are home unexpectedly, and let’s face it, there’s no way you’re taking them outside. Instead, it’s the perfect excuse to make the holidays come a little earlier. Craft, cooking, and movies are great ways to keep little ones busy, create memories, and bring the family together. We’ve had some fantastic winter themed posts on the blog and in the magazine over the years. We dipped into our archives to bring you our best so you can keep your kids cheerfully entertained as long as the red-alert, school-closing pollution lasts. This is a two-part blog post. You can find part one here.

Recipes

Christmas Cupcakes
Those delicious looking festive cupcakes up top are courtesy of Lollipop Bakery. With recipes for classic vanilla, gingerbread, candy cane, and spiced apple cupcake batters, as well as a simple buttercream frosting.

Gingerbread Cookies
Of all flavors, ginger is the sweet and spicy king of Christmas baking. Cookies can also double as tree ornaments.

Sugar Cookies
Ginger may be a little harsh on some younger palettes, these sugar cookies are sweet, firm, and last well if stored correctly.

Keep your Cookies Fresh
If you do start your holiday baking today, find out how to keep your handiwork fresh and tasty all season long.

Mulling Spices
Mix this spice mix with wine or apple juice to make a delicious warming beverage. Kids can join in pounding the spices and peels with a rolling pin.

Potato Latkes
These are hearty enough to make a delicious brunch or lunch, or if made smaller, a party canape.

Movies
Settling down in front of the television is a great wind down activity at the end of the day. Sit back, crank up the air-purifier, and snuggle under a blanket while you watch one (or two!) of our picks. Now would be a great time to tuck into that baking you did earlier.

Photos: beijingkids, and courtesy of christmasstockimages.com, deviantart.com, www.markmerrill.com, petitshoot (flickr), The Bloom Family Photography,

Whoops! The kids are home unexpectedly, and let’s face it, there’s no way you’re taking them outside. Instead, it’s the perfect excuse to make the holidays come a little earlier. Craft, cooking, and movies are great ways to keep little ones busy, create memories, and bring the family together. We’ve had some fantastic winter themed posts on the blog and in the magazine over the years. We dipped into our archives to bring you our best so you can keep your kids cheerfully entertained as long as the red-alert, school-closing pollution lasts. This is a two-part blog post. You can find part two here.

Music
Nothing gets me in the holiday mood faster than classic Christmas music. Create a family playlist for the holidays or find a track list online. As well as all the traditional songs and hymns you’ll find every genre of Christmas music, from jazz to Latin to reggae.

Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree
If you haven’t already done so, today might be just the day to put the tree-up. Find inspiration for your decorations here. We’ve got a gingerbread tree, a woolly warmer tree, a Beijing-themed tree, and more. If you haven’t bought your tree, you don’t even have to leave the house! You could try buying your tree on taobao, but perhaps tried-and-tested family favorite Liangma Flower Market (south of the Kempinski hotel) is a better bet.

Tree-Decorations
Adorn that tree with these super easy crepe-paper garlands, gingerbread men paper chains, painted dough ornaments, or felt decorations.

If you do venture out to buy your tree at Liangma Flower Market, you’ll find a tremendous amount of decorations for sale. The market can do deliveries by flatbed bicycle or mianbaoche for RMB 10-100, depending on the quantity, distance, and your haggling skills. Ask for pointsettias (yīpǐnhóng, 一品红), mistletoe (hújìshēng, 槲寄生), holly (dōngqīng, 冬青) or Christmas wreaths (shèngdàn huāhuán, 圣诞花环).

Liangma Flower Market亮马花卉市场
Daily 8.30am-6.30pm. South bank of Liangma River, 758 Dongsanhuan Beilu, Chaoyang District (6504 2446) 朝阳区东三环北路758号, 燕莎商城南, 亮马河南岸

Other Decorative Projects
A door wreath is a cozy welcome home and reminder that Christmas time is here. Our step-by-step paper wreaths can be made from old books, and discarded plastic bags and cardboard, so there’s no need to leave the house for supplies.

Pomanders are clove studded oranges which you can hang around the house, on your tree, or display as a table centerpiece. This is an easy craft for kids, and again, you may already have the ingredients lying around at home.

A cluster of these tea-light lanterns would make a pretty entryway focal point. Or try your hand at a snow-globe or Christmas crackers.

Wrap it Up!
Make your own paper, decorate it with vegetable stamps, and add some custom gift tags.

Photos: beijingkids, and courtesy of christmasstockimages.com, deviantart.com,
www.markmerrill.com, petitshoot (flickr), The Bloom Family Photography,

In the October issue of beijingkids, we compiled a list of places to see the fall leaves. Although with all of this snow the autumn foliage might be a little damp, if you act fast you can still pick up some leaves and try the following crafts at home.

Leaf People
have your kids create an entire leaf family by drawing the faces of the under side of the leaf and even use different colored leaves for different members of the family.

Leaf Tree
This is bound to get messy. Paint your leaves different colors and press the painted surface on a clean sheet of paper before the paint dries to create a beautiful tree.

Thanksgiving Wall Art
A great way to get ready for the holiday. Get an old board or picture frame and have the kid(s) glue leaves into the shape of a turkey or maple leaf. Use multi-colored leaves to get a more dramatic effect.

Leaf Lanterns
Create lanterns by gluing leaves inside a glass jar, (for example using mod podge which can be bought on Taobao).

Leaf Place Cards
For a personal touch at Thanksgiving dinner let kids create their own place cards. Head to the nearest art supply store for stiff art paper then add leaves, paint, glitter, and write people’s names using a sharpie.

Look for other fall crafts leaves ideas on www.diycrafts.com

Photo: diycrafts.com

Looking for ways to cool the kids down now that the weather’s getting hot? How about taking them for a visit to a real-life version of Frozen’s icy world? Can anything be "cooler" than that?

Beijing’s Water Cube is hosting a Frozen-themed indoor ice-sculpture show from now through August, and get this: it’s not just a knock-off, it’s officially authorized by the Walt Disney Company.

It’s bound to be a hit with the 7-and-under set, particularly those little princesses who have memorized the lyrics to "Let It Go" and belt it out at a moments’ notice.

The show features a 3,000sqm indoor ice sculpture gallery and a 2,000sqm “World of Frozen” ice cave. 

The ice cave uses music and movie clips to bring the Frozen fantasy to life. Kids will also get a chance to mingle with many of the characters from the film such as Elsa, Princess Anna and Kristoff.

There is also a marketplace for authorized merchandise from Disney, Pixar and Marvel’s most popular franchises, including Mickey Mouse, Cars, and Big Hero 6.

The dioramas will mostly be there for photo ops, while there is an additional play area with ice slides.

The show runs now through August 12 and is open 9am to 8pm. Tickets on weekdays are RMB 98 for adults, RMB 78 for kids and seniors; on weekends and holidays the ticket prices jump to RMB 108 for kids, RMB 128 for adults.

Beijing National Aquatics Center 国家游泳中心
11 Tianchen East Rd
Chaoyang District
8437 0112  

Photos: Water Cube