Children are naturally curious but they have brief attention spans. To effectively nurture kids’ mental development while keeping their focus intact, educators have long employed the technique called edutainment, a combination of “education” and “entertainment,” which literally means mixing learning with fun.
Bonifacio Global City (BGC), home to top educational institutions like the University of the Philippines and the International School Manila, houses establishments that not only engage in edutainment but take it to the next level, that is, through hands-on experience.
The Mind Museum, KidZania, and Active Fun in BGC provide kids with tools that help them learn how the world works and discover their strengths early on. While it looks like a simple opportunity for play, these establishments cater alternative learning experiences that are fun, entertaining, and age-appropriate.
Apart from the usual videos and pictures, edutainment facilities in BGC have interactive displays and activities that let children experiment and explore things on their own. These establishments provide a complete sensory experience, stimulating all five senses.
The Mind Museum, for instance, inspires exploration, creativity, and understanding for the wonders of everything around and inside us. For kids and kids-at-heart, there’s so much to do like play music at the piano stairs, marvel at a life-sized T. rex fossil and a whaleshark, see themselves in an astronaut suit floating in space, or watch live experiments by resident scientists. Every corner is truly an adventure waiting to be explored.
KidZania and Active Fun, meanwhile, are essentially play cities where kids can run around, climb, and jump as much as they want. In addition, they feature activities that are reality-based, hands-on, and interactive. KidZania allows kids to role-play as adults and have a taste of what it’s like to work at particular jobs while Active Fun holds workshops that tackle practical subjects such as Public Speaking, Entrepreneurship, Personality Development, Instrumental Lessons, and Animation. These provide kids an opportunity to develop and enhance social skills as they come face-to-face with new playmates and deal with other children of different ages.
“Kids nowadays are perpetually glued to their gadgets. And while they can learn things via digital, it is important to take them away from screens every so often so they can develop not only motor skills but real world skills. bgc provides a multitude of 21st century learning opportunities to nurture both mental and physical development,” said Sean Luarca, marketing manager of Fort Bonifacio Development Corp.
For more information, head on over to the BGC website at www.bgc.com,ph or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bonifacioglobalcityph. You may also visit The Mind Museum, KidZania, and Active Fun online.