Katrin Figge

At Miniapolis in Plaza Indonesia, some options for children are that they can ride a train or carousel, or climb the wall while their parents relax. (Photo courtesy of Miniapolis)

Where Having Fun Is Child’s Play

Jakarta offers few recreational options for youngsters, forcing many parents to try to sate their children’s thirst for action at the mall.

So when the Miniapolis children’s zone opened at Plaza Indonesia in Central Jakarta in July, it became a welcome addition to existing playgrounds and child-friendly facilities at shopping centers around the city.

Situated on the third floor of the mall, Miniapolis features a wooden carousel imported from Italy, a play pool filled with hundreds of brightly colored plastic balls, and a trackless amusement park train.

Amelia Gozali, project manager of Miniapolis, said the amusement area was aimed at parents who wanted to add educational value to their children’s mall visit.

This ambitious goal can best be seen at “Doodles,” a creative arts center for children offering music, dance, art and cooking classes.

Miniapolis offers membership at a cost of Rp 100,000 ($10) per child, which entitles members to discounts on all rides and classes and a passport that is stamped when its holder participates in activities. The stamps can later be used to buy merchandise.

Parents who want to spend some alone grown-up time, or need to run important errands, have the option of dropping their children off at Doodles and picking them up at the end of the session.

However, Gozali said that ideally, parents will stick around to spend some quality time with their children.

“We actually don’t want children to come here and play by themselves,” Amelia said.

“We want to promote togetherness during the weekends because on normal weekdays, parents and children usually don’t spend enough time together.”

Another feature of Miniapolis is a large, two-level tree house.

“Many children dream about playing in a tree house when they grow up,” Amelia said. “But most of them don’t have gardens at home or live in apartments. So we built a tree house right here, indoors.”

Next to the tree house is a small stage, on which dance performances and story-telling sessions take place.

There is also a DigiWall, a gaming experience invented in Sweden.

“This is the first DigiWall in Asia,” Gozali said. “There are different difficulty levels, and it helps the children to develop their motor skills and their coordination.”

The DigiWall looks like a traditional climbing wall, but features hand and foot grips with built-in sensors and lights, which the children follow in a number of games and exercises. Also located on the third floor are children’s clothing and toy stores.

“Everything you need for your children, you can find here,” Gozali said. “We have around 45 retail shops that focus on kids.”

When their children get hungry after playing, the parents can take them to Market Street, a small alley with food stalls on both sides selling a range of snacks including French fries, lollipops, yoghurt and ice cream.

At the end of Market Street lies Noa’s Park, a playground with a transportation theme that is designed for children under the age of 7. Here, children can ride bicycles and cars, learn how to read road signs or just play on the slides.

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