With a whoosh and a drift
Two must-try rides – and neither is for the queasy – are the drifter coaster (also called Yolo Works) and the air racer (also called Loop Works). The first is a roller coaster except, in addition to moving forward and up and down at full speed, you’ll also be drifting sideways. Good luck walking in a straight line right after that. The air racer is a doozy that rotates 360 degrees vertically and horizontally. Best not to get in right after the roller coaster.
Superhero to the rescue
Fun Works is broadly divided into the video-game area, the rides, Wizz Works and My Works, which are a set of “pavilions” where children can explore topics such as art, energy, recycling, baking, building, shopping and performing arts. Within My Works is Super Works. In that land of superheroes, computer graphics and simulation, kids get to choose their superpowered avatar. But with great power comes great responsibility and here that means players are thrown into scenarios where they have to use their newfound superpowers. And after all that, you can kick back and watch a video of your superhero avatar in action – complete with the little one’s face superimposed onto the action figure. And if you like what you see, you can even buy the video.
High five
In the middle of Fun Works is a mammoth, maze-like structure with five levels of jumping, sliding, hanging, bouncing, climbing and exploring. Wizz Works boasts nearly 200 options – from a trampoline to slides, and zip line to punching bags – to test kids’ agility and energy. A day in that jungle costs Dh60 per child, on top of the entry fee. For toddlers, there is a smaller, less mind-boggling space called Mini Works. It costs Dh30 per child.
Keen to be green
Recycle Works is a mix of games and art projects using recycled paper. In one game, Ocean Clean-up, the deep sea is projected onto the floor along with fish, dolphins and other sea creatures. Players are given wands and collect points by swiping away any debris before it gets to the ocean floor. If rubbish hits the ocean floor, a sea creature dies. The final score is total garbage collected minus dead animals. Desert Clean-up follows the same idea, except the desert creatures seem hardier and able to survive some blowing refuse.
Clues and cakes
The Bake Works and Clever Works pavilions are not open yet, but the concepts are so much fun we had to share them. At Bake Works, children will get to make and decorate cupcakes (which are put into an oven by an adult) and then take them home. Clever Works is all about playing detective at a crime scene with an assortment of tools, including magnifying glasses and UV lights. There are clues in the form of CCTV footage, fingerprints and a potential list of suspects. Collected evidence is sent to the lab, where the amateur detectives get to analyse it and deduce who committed the crime. Bake Works and Clever Works are expected to open by the end of the month.
• Fun Works is located on Level 1 at Yas Mall, Abu Dhabi. Ride and video-game cards can be purchased for Dh100 and Dh150; entry fees vary for My Works, Wizz Works and Mini-Works. For more information, visit www.funworks.ae
kramgopal@thenational.ae