Mattel Play! Town develops children’s social skills through play and fantasy

Since opening in April last year, the Mattel Play! Town in Dubai’s City Walk precinct has presented an environment that has stimulated children’s imagination and love for fantasy in order to facilitate the development of social skills.

The family ‘edutainment’ centre, with attractions aimed at children between two and 10 years, is an important element of the Meraas developed urban living destination by Meraas.

Developed in partnership with global toy company Mattel, the 5,000 metre2 Mattel Play! Town features engaging and stimulating play experiences built around five world-renowned brands: Barney, Thomas & Friends, Bob the Builder, Angelina Ballerina, and Fireman Sam.

Featuring live shows to create long-lasting memories, Mattel Play! Town is based on the innovative ‘eduplay’ concept that integrates play-based learning and highlights the importance of stimulating children’s imagination and love for fantasy to facilitate the development of social skills.

As well as the five play zones and live shows, Mattel Play! Town also features a 4D cinema and birthday party rooms, making it an ideal venue to host children’s parties.

In addition, the on-site Mattel Play! Café serves healthy and nutritious meals and snacks while a well-stocked toy store exclusively retails the latest merchandise from Mattel including plush toys, souvenirs, accessories, clothing, school supplies, toys and books.

Engaged by ISG Middle East LLC in May 2015, Sim Leisure Gulf Contracting LLC provided the theming and attractions for the facility.

Sim Leisure Gulf Contracting LLC Business Development Manager Tim Hopcraft explains “working closely with ISG, Meraas and Mattel, we jointly produced the construction drawings and layout of the attractions paying particular attention to the details of each brand.

“From the moment guests enter Mattel Play! Town™ the distinct characters come to life (with) beautifully decorated façades along with striking graphics and fresh, unique attractions combine to provide a truly captivating experience.”

According to research from the Dubai Statistics Centre, the pre-teen population in the United Arab Emirates has more than doubled over the last decade – outpacing the growth of the rest of the region by 66%.

In developing Mattel Play! Town, Meraas anticipated the need to provide this demographic with a unique, child-friendly and safe environment for families.

Mattel Play! Town images courtesy of Sim Leisure. 

19th December 2016 - FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT CENTRES TO THRIVE IN THE UAE

9th November 2016 - AEG OGDEN TO MANAGE NEW DUBAI ARENA 

6th September 2016 - WORLD’S LARGEST INDOOR THEME PARK OPENS IN DUBAI 

12th February 2016 - DIGITAL AMUSEMENT PARK COMBINES PLAYTIME AND LEARNING

10th December 2012 - SIM LEISURE POISED TO EXPORT ADVENTURE PARK BRAND

21st November 2012 - SIM LEISURE OPENS NATURE-BASED ADVENTURE PARK

24th April 2012 - POLYSOFT PRESENTS LANDSCAPE AND AQUATIC SURFACING SOLUTIONS