Come 2012, Malaysians will be able to bring their children to a theme park where they can play adult roles, such as working to earn money, and spending money.

KidZania Kuala Lumpur will be a 60,000 sq ft child-sized replica of a city, complete with buildings, ATMs, shops and roads. Children can choose to “work” as doctors, firemen and scientists, and earn a currency called “KidZos”, which they can spend in the city or save in their bank accounts to earn interest. It is aimed at children aged 3 to 13. Daily, there are two five-hour sessions – from 10am to 3pm, and 4pm to 9pm.
KidZania is the brainchild of Mexican entrepreneur Xavier Lopez Ancona. The first KidZania, opened in 1999 in Mexico City, has maintained an annual average attendance of over 800,000 visitors. While prices for KidZania Kuala Lumpur have not been fixed, Ancona says that in Indonesia, the entrance fees are US$12 to US$13 for children (depending on the age group) and US$9 for adults.

The project is a joint venture between Themed Attractions and Resorts Sdn Bhd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the government’s investment arm, Khazanah Nasional Bhd, and Boustead Holdings Bhd. It will be located in Petaling Jaya’s Mutiara Damansara in a new seven-storey building sited diagonally across from the Curve shopping mall. Commercial partners will brand each establishment in KidZania with their products, processes and technologies. In Kidzania Tokyo, Japan -- where tickets have been sold out daily since it opened in 2006 -- sponsors include Coca-Cola, Sony and Mos Burger.