District 21: reviewed by little daredevils

Whoever designed District 21 must have had a lot of fun. For those unfamiliar, District 21 is an apocalypse-themed indoor activity park in iOi City Mall in Putrajaya. It’s all about bent steel, exposed pipes and industrial waste strewn about to mimic an alien/monster attack – including an upturned school bus – and makes quite an impression.

When it comes to the attractions, don’t expect to be whisked away on joy rides while you sit back and enjoy the thrill. District 21 is all about active amusement. So with that in mind, on a particularly loooong school holiday, the kids and I set out for an adventure. Lucky for us, the place wasn’t full. There were no queues nor limitations to how often the kids could repeat activities.

Here’s a review of some of the attractions by my three energetic under 8’s.

Cast of characters 
J: A 7-year-old boy, a competent biker, keen on anything on wheels, willing to try something new for a thrill.
I: A petite and agile 6-year-old girl, athletic and tireless, unafraid to scale heights.
S: A tough-on-the-outside-soft-on-the-inside 4-year-old who prefers dolls and flowers to scooters and sports shoes.

At the entrance
J: These free socks and mittens are super cool and sticky!
I: Why is it called District 21 & why does it look old and rusty?
S: (Upon seeing a snake-like alien head popping out of the ceiling) I don’t want to go in, Mommy.

The Maze
J: That bus was fun to climb. I wish it was bigger so we could go even higher up.
I: The small maze is easy. This big maze is AWESOME and we found our way out by ourselves. 
S: I like both. The big maze is a bit hard.  I almost fell in the hole. But I didn’t. There’s a fun, crazy slide.

Go Pedal
J: I loved it! And it was easy to drive. But it’s so much funner when there’s someone else to race with.
I: I tried it once. It’s ok. Kinda boring going in circles. The ropes and climbing’s much better.
S: The lady helped me and she had to push me a little bit because my arms were short a little bit. But it’s okay because I could drive around a little bit.

Low Ropes
J: It’s for babies and small kids. I’m going to do the bike track. Bye!
I: I really like the bridge and the flying fox (zip line). I just had to go on tippy toes to push my rope forward. But I did the whole thing 4 times! 
S: I was scared and I cried a little at first because it’s hard a little bit but I did it! I did it more times than 4–I did it like 1 million hundred times, Mommy. It’s my favorite!

Power Station
J: So much cooler than the wall climbing in school! I did it all and it was really scary going up the building towers but I did it! And it was awesome jumping off it.
I:My favorite!!! I climbed everything except for the top of the tower because I couldn’t climb higher. I think I was too light. I was not scared at all.
S:That’s only for grown ups. I’m too small. I’m going to the jump place now (trampolines). 

Aside from these attractions, J tried the Free Fall which tries to mimic that ‘leap of faith’ parachute jump out of an airplane (“I thought I was going to die, Mommy.”)  and all three went down the Tubby Ride (with the little one firmly held in place by Mommy) several times until they tired of pulling their tubby rides up the ramp.

There is a carousel and a few extra rides upstairs at an extra cost but the girls did it anyway just as a “cool down” from all the active play. It’s easiest to come out of District 21 and access the rides area from the outside.

The grown-up view of District 21

If you have active, adventurous kids, this is so worth it. It’s an extreme playground where young and older kids (who can enjoy even more attractions than those listed above, including the very scary looking high ropes) can spend an afternoon. They are harnessed, supervised and put in safety gear when necessary so you can sit back at the little parents’ area and stare out the big picture windows – or, as in my case, dive in and join in the fun!

District 21 is a great alternative to an indoor theme parks in KL, but there is nothing for toddlers to do – the height limit is 90cm. There is a little play-area by the window, next to the parents’ area with chairs and tables, in case you have older kids and a little sibling that is too young to take part in the activities.

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Tips for visiting District 21

• Note that District 21’s opening hours are 12-8pm during weekdays and 10am-8pm on weekends and public holidays.
• The big slide at the Power Station can be scary for kids; encourage them to watch first before signing up. Same goes for the free fall.
• You need to wear sports shoes and grip socks and gloves (come with your entry ticket).
• Ticket prices are RM68 per person on weekdays and RM85 per person on school holidays, weekends and public holidays. Non-Active Ticket:RM10 per person.
• There are lockers you can rent and access throughout the day.
• Minimum height is 90cm and minimum weight 15kg – see the photo below.
• There are plenty of food options at the mall
• The mall is huge, take not where you parked!

For more information on District 21 IOI City Mall check their Facebook page here. Please be informed that the park is limited during the RMCO to 120 active customers & 30 non-active customers during the RMCO period.

Written by Marite Irvine