Last Wednesday we were up super early to drive and park, walk to Alton station, catch the train to Clapham Junction, take the overground to Shepherds Bush, walk to Westfield shopping centre and inside find.....
......KIDZANIA!!!
The children have been so excited about this, ever since I showed them this video when we booked to be part of a home education group, organised by a wonderful Home Ed mum, a couple of months ago.
It was very busy to get in (when it was booked we hadn't thought that there'd be loads of school trips as it's close to the end of term) and check in is just like getting on a plane, complete with British Airways staff and an entire plane above your heads!
The children got 50 "Kidzos"....
...... each and we were all fitted with electronic wristbands so that the children can't leave the place without me. Inside it was amazing, a proper child-size world with permanent dusk above and street lamps to light it all. At first Papaya and Povey were a little overwhelmed and stood stunned. Papaya wanted to open a bank account straight away (you need a minimum of Z50 to do so but you can still access the money and it even earns interest) Povey wanted to see about getting a hotel room as I think he wanted some kind of base...
....unfortunately the hotel isn't a real one, just a front where you can work as a receptionist or go behind and learn how to make beds etc. Instead he got into the queue to work as a courier and Papaya got in the queue for the bank.
They had each almost reached the front when suddenly alarms started going off and we were told to evacuate. In fact the whole of Westfield Shopping Centre was evacuated!
This was why....
WESTFIELD EVACUATED BECAUSE OF WARTIME BOMB
The problem was that because we all had on the electronic wristbands, and because a lot of children were already in the middle of jobs we had to be all corralled and kept together. we were slowly fed outside over the course of an hour and then back in again. It was right over lunch too so we were starving! Povey had at least brought some entertainment.
Eventually we were back inside and Papaya ran to be first in the queue for the bank :)
Whilst the bomb scare was inconvenient and uncomfortable at the time it actually worked in our favour in the end. The duty manager for the day kindly allowed our group to stay until closing time (6.30pm rather than the time we were meant to leave at 4.00pm) to make up for the earlier time lost. This allowed the children to relax, take stock and figure out what they wanted to do.
Papaya did fashion design....
Then they both were Textile Recycling Engineers....
Having earned a bit of money Povey then spent some in the department store...
The queues remained too long all day for the fire department but we did enjoy seeing them put out a fire every half hour or so... that old hotel just kept going up ;)
They both decided to be cabin crew for British airways... and I got to be their passenger!
Papaya then finally decided to spend a little of her money on a tattoo in the brilliantly realistic tattoo parlour ;)
The tattoo is still there 5 days later!
After that she decided to be a nurse at the Special Care Baby Unit....
...and Povey did some courier work again to quickly earn some Zidzos....
....so he could make his own Innocent smoothie!
Certain "jobs" you have to pay Zidzos to do rather than being paid for them, but often you get something out of it, like in this case a smoothie to drink.
He then went to be a cashier at the supermarket...
...she also managed to fit in a quick round as a beautician...
...before they both went to be Producers for Capitol Radio...
...and then to work at Accident and Emergency, which included a ride in the mini ambulance!
Papaya then worked as a receptionist at the hotel...
....and as a reporter for the newspaper....
....and Povey used up the last of his time learning how to be a DJ.....
Once Papaya was done she came along to dance...
They did so much and yet there are still loads more jobs you can do! We left with Papaya having around Z80 in her bank account and Povey Z30 in cash. They will be able to use those next time we go with another Z50 each on top! We'll probably leave it until schools go back in September now, but we will definitely be back. Next time we won't do all the travelling on the same day either. It was wonderful fun but totally and utterly exhausting!
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