Top 10 Things to Do in Cairo with Kids - Family Friendly
An enjoyable afternoon means something entirely different to a six-year-old than to a thirteen-years-old. That’s why we prepare for you a the top activities & attractions for kids in Cairo that will suit any age group, no matter you have a kid of 5 years or a teen of 16 years old, everyone will find something to do in Cairo and enjoy, it will be not just an entertainment activity but an educational trip as well. here are the top 10 things to do in Cairo with kids.
1. Pharaonic Village
If you are travelling to Egypt with children and you want to introduce them to the history of Egypt in less than 3 hours, visit the Pharaonic Village. It can be one of the best family-friendly places while visiting cairo. Dr. Ragab the founder of Pharaonic village transformed Jacob island into an educational living museum in 1974 to educate the youth of Egypt and visitors. He planned 5000 trees to provide a natural barrier from modern Cairo.
The tour in the village begins in the viewing boat, which departs every 30 minutes. As you board your boat and ride through the Canal of Mythology, you will travel back in time and hear the stories of the ancient Egyptian gods. Each statue has a legend to convey. Next, one hundred actors and actresses perform daily to reenact ancient Egyptian life. In the outdoor scenes the young men and women recapture the art of weaving and sculpting, the making of wine, pottery, papyrus paper, and perfume, and the techniques of farming. At a temple, you disembark from the boat to walk through a nobleman’s house and then compare it to a peasant’s house.
Different routes and museums are available including Nefertari Yacht cruise along the Nile.
2. Children Museum
First opened on May 30, 1996, then closed for renovation and after some years re-opened back. This fully child-friendly interactive museum welcomes young learners and introduces them to the history of Egypt. The exposition is divided into 3 levels which will lead you from the Nile Valley to the ancient history of Egypt and finally modern state. You can visit just one exposition or 3 at once. Since the exhibits are all interactive children will not get bored and at the end of the tour a small quiz will let them check the information they got.
3. Children’s Lego Museum
Sixteen LEGO models from the exhibition “Secrets of the Pharaohs” are now permanently a part of the Children’s Museum in Cairo, located at the basement of Egyptian Museum of Antiquities in Tahrir square. Thanks to cooperation between Cairo Egyptian Museum, the LEGO Group in Denmark, and the Royal Danish Embassy in Egypt who initiated the transport of the LEGO models from Denmark to Egypt.
The exposition was first conceived in 1991, and has since traveled throughout the world starting with Denmark, the home of LEGO, and passing through Germany, Italy, Spain, France, Japan, and Canada. LEGO models of ancient Egypt present the major part of the museum. About 502,836 LEGO blocks make up the sixteen models on display and it took 2,430 hours to construct them. Models of deities such as Isis and Osiris, a mummy and embalming equipment, a scribe, a sphinx, a mask of King Tutankhamun, a model of pyramid building, and another model of sculpting represent various aspects of ancient Egyptian life and create a more exciting display for children visiting the Children’s Museum.
4. Balloon Theatre
The theater is located in Agouza, across the street from the Nile, by the 26 July bridge. The children’s theater presents programs throughout the year in Arabic, sometimes a folkloric troupe performs.
5. Egypt National Circus
It is a place to be. The performers are all Egyptian, under the big top, the excitement mounts with each act. There are jugglers, acrobats, tightrope walkers, trapeze artists, trained dogs, magicians, knife-throwers and more. The show is a little over two hours but the acts are really fun, so you will not notice the time. This is truly a family outing. The National circus has recently moved from its long-time location on the Nile to 6th of October City.
6. KidZania Cairo
At KidZania you will find a unique learning environment that is as close to reality as it can be, role playing at its best. Children explore the world by doing what is natural to them: playing as adults, taking on their roles, gaining new experiences while having lots of fun! Here children try different professions, learn new things, take decisions, even make mistakes but learn from them and develop new skills.The following activities are available: Acting academy, Air Kidzania, Al Ahram news paper, Berber shop, Body art, Cadbury chocolate factory and candy factory, Chipsy potato factory, City tour bus, Construction company and Culinary school, Fire station and Dental care, Hospital, Toy shop and a lot more.
7. Fagnoon Art School
On the road to Saqqara, children and adults have the opportunity to experience fun educational activities like painting, jewelry making, pottery and clay, woodcrafts, iron bending, and silk painting. Group and individual sessions are available daily from 9 am to 5 pm. Parents are welcome to stay with their children. Le 70 per person includes entrance fee and 1 activity of your choice, extra activity 45 Le.
8. Cairo Puppet Theater
The theater is located at the end of the road where the Azbakeya Park begins, the building is decorated in blue and white tiled vertical spears. Although the surroundings are rather dilapidated, the theater is clean and air-conditioned. Puppets and props are colorful. Performances are in Arabic and specifically for children 7 years old and younger. But there is enough colour and animation in the show to entertain even the non-Arabic speakers. Each season the theater presents a new show.
9. Giza Zoo
The Giza zoo was founded in 1891, and remained under the directorship of the British until the revolution of 1952. The zoo is a maze of sidewalks winding around an assortment of enclosures containing animals from all over the world. You can see a three-hundred-year-old giant tortoise from Galapagos Islands, and Nile crocodiles, the zoo has an amazing assortment of animals, reptiles, and birds. Fridays and holidays are crowded, but the remainder of the week is quiet.
10. Suzanne Mubarak Science Exploratory Center
This interactive science technology center opened in the Hadaeq Al Qubbah district in July 1998. The objective of the museum is to encourage children to explore science by providing them with opportunities to learn about theories of physics, space, and the environment through hands-on experiments. Unfortunately, the center has not been maintained well and at the present time it has not lived up to its potential.