Interactive children's zone unveiled for Abu Dhabi National Aquarium

Abu Dhabi’s 9,000 square metre National Aquarium, situated in the waterfront destination Al Qana, has added a new interactive children's zone called Bella and Rio’s Playground.

The new zone is named after the aquarium’s hyacinth macaws Bella and Rio and is located in the Flooded Forest section of the aquarium.

The National Aquarium’s dedication to educating today’s children through interactive learning was an inspiration for curating the exciting yet informative games in this zone. The new kidzone aims to enthral children with a range of entertaining and engaging activities, such as colouring their favourite animals in unique and creative ways and watching it come to life on an animated wall display. Through these displays, children can also interact with their artworks to learn more about those living in the Flooded Forest, such as hyacinth macaws, anteaters, monitor lizards, and capybaras and others.

Other zones in the aquatic attraction will also let children video map their own volcano, interact with the plankton and play with the ice-age interactive, plus learn through touch screens and guides with more than four languages available.

The National Aquarium General Manager, Paul Hamilton (a marine biologist and keen surfer who grew up in New Zealand) advises “at The National Aquarium, we are always looking to develop new and exciting ways to educate young visitors on the everyday lives of our residents, and the Bella and Rio kid zone does just that with its fresh and engaging activities.

“The aquarium has always been envisioned as a wonderland for families to come and explore, enjoy, and engage their curiosity and we are even more certain that the launch of Bella and Rio’s playground will contribute to our success and growth as it serves as a hub of learning and laughter within The National Aquarium.”

The National Aquarium opened in November 2021 and was the first project to open in Al Qana, a waterfront destination that stretches 2.4 kilometres. The aquarium is home to 46,000 creatures from 300 species spread across 10 zones.