A unique family day out!

May half term was an extremely popular week at KidZania London, with most days being SOLD OUT! During half term is the perfect opportunity for a family day out in London, where kids can explore our unique indoor city situated in Westfield London, Shepherds Bush, and have the freedom to be whoever they want. It was fantastic seeing so many smiles on kids' faces, enjoying our range of immersive, real-life activities.

There were many exciting events happening in the city over the course of the week, including a special visit from the well-known Pokémon character Pikachu, British Airways ambassadors at our Aviation Academy and a Mayor ceremony to hand over the keys to our new Mayor, Livia!

Read on to find out what we got up to and don't forget to book your tickets for a fun family trip this Summer, we have limited availability!

Say cheese!

Situated outside the KidZania London Theatre, we were extremely lucky to have a very special Pokémon, Pikachu, taking pictures with our visitors!

For those who don't know, Pikachu is one of the most popular Pokémon in the world. Pikachu are an Electric-type Pokémon that evolve from Pichu when Trainers max out their friendship. Eventually, Pikachu can evolve into the powerful Raichu or Alolan Raichu when exposed to a Thunder Stone. Pikachu are covered in yellow fur with horizontal brown stripes on their back. They have a small mouth, long, pointed ears with black tip and red cheeks which contain a special pouch for storing electricity. At the base of their tails is a small patch of brown fur. Female and male Pikachu have different tail shapes, with female Pikachu having a heart shape at the tip of their tail, whilst male Pikachu tails resemble the shape of a lightning bolt. Pikachu make fantastic Pokémon partners and can communicate amongst themselves using squeaks and tail-shaking as friendly gestures!

Both kids and adults were thrilled to see Pikachu in the city with many memories and smiles being captured! If you got photos with Pikachu, share them with us by tagging us on social media @KidZaniaLondon as we'd love to see the fun you had!

Our Pokémon Creative Studio let's kids explore the role of an animator or trading card game designer. They will learn to create their very own stop motion animation using character, storyboarding and production software. Alternatively, they can explore how to create their very own trading cards, using image elements, colour, background and character statistics! 

Learning with British Airways!

Our British Airways Aviation Academy in the city is an extremely popular activity, giving kids the opportunity to take on the role of a pilot or cabin crew.

Take to the skies and learn how to fly an actual A-319 plane with flight simulators, overcoming the different challenges that a pilot might find in the air! Cabin crew are also a vital part of our team, where kids will be responsible for learning how to attend to passengers on a plane, acknowledging safety precautions and first aid tips.

Over half term we had special British Airways ambassadors welcoming our aspiring pilots and flight attendants into our Aviation Academy. They were answering any questions kids had, giving them insight into the world of working for an airline and the different roles available.

Check them out in their uniform!

Our town crier had a special announcement...

Hear ye! Hear ye! As our town crier rang the clock tower bell and proceeded to the balcony, the KidZanian community watched from the town square as we celebrated the handover of the key to the city!

Kishan who has served us well in his time as Mayor of KidZania, being a model citiZen, hard-worker and incredibly dedicated, handed over the city keys to our new Mayor, Livia. Kishan was kind enough to write a farewell speech for us, check it out below...

"Kai KidZanians,

Being your Mayor has been a real honour.

I became Mayor of KidZania on 30th May 2018 and so much has happened since then. I have been incredibly lucky to have had so many experiences and opportunities, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed every moment. ZanK-U to all those who have read my blogs, watched my videos and said ‘Kai’ when walking by.

I’d like to thank all of the staff at KidZania for being so friendly, helpful and for supporting me all this time. You are all amazing!

I will really miss being your Mayor, but the time has come for me to hand over the role. I love KidZania and will continue to visit regularly. I wish Livia the best of luck as the next Mayor of KidZania London.

I hope to see you soon.

Kishan Shah, Mayor of KidZania London"

After the spectacular ceremony, Livia then read aloud our Oath, promising to uphold her role as Mayor and support the KidZanian community. You can find out more about Livia here, including her favourite hobbies and school subject.

Be sure to give Livia a big smile and a wave if you ever see her in the city!

Our visit to Heathrow!

This time, we took our own special visitor to Heathrow Terminal 5 during half term, Urbano! Urbano is one of six our RightZkeepers and represents the Right 'to Know'.

The RightZkeepers of KidZania represent the ideals that are the basis of our Nation's reason for being. They are considered the "Guardians" of KidZania's most important RightZ: to Be, to Know, to Create, to Share, to Care and to Play. They all together join a great scope of diversity, characteristics, tastes and profiles. 

Urbano is mindful, experimental and curious and loves inventing and conducting crazy experiments! We were excited to take him to Heathrow Terminal 5, where he took pictures with British Airways staff members and passengers before boarding their flight.

He will also be visiting Heathrow on selected days during June and July, so be sure to watch out for him and give him a big wave!