We have been eagerly waiting for the first kids’ attraction using interactive technology to land in KL, after visiting places like KidsStop in Singapore. So when we heard about Kiddomo Universe we made a beeline for Starling Mall, one of the newest shopping centres in town.
Kiddomo Universe calls itself “an innovative playland specially designed to bring your imagination to life like never before.”
The journey starts by putting on an electronic wristband, taking a selfie and setting yourself an avatar. By flashing your wristband at different activities you will get an overview of your visit in the end.
Activities at Kiddomo Universe
The first activity is the Artbox with four large touch screens. For once you have a license to doodle on artwork and add mustaches – and to no other than masterpieces like Mona Lisa and the Scream.
There are two different spots where you can colour in shapes, scan them and watch them appear on the big screens on walls. My younger one still loves to do this but having seen it abroad, the novelty is starting to wear off. When they were younger they though this was like magic, and kept on scanning new images with distinctive colours and writing on them.
At Kiddomo they’ve taken this activity to another level: after you colour in your bus, boat, hot air balloon or space rocket you can get it printed to a sheet that can be folded into a 3D model.
In the large dark room there are other activities, too. The big fluorescent balls are a sure hit with toddlers.
In this area there is also a game where you play the conductor for an on-screen orchestra, another where you unlock stuff by moving a magic wand and a slide to let out steam. There is also a karaoke room for kids, that we didn’t try due to a sudden but serious burst of stage fright.
The family favourite in this area was the game where you burst balloons on the screen by moving your arms and legs – I seriously had concerns that my husband would have a heart attack from trying to beat the top score. Have a look at the video in the end of this post for a good laugh!
The large ball pit in the middle of Kiddomo Universe enjoys plenty of natural light from the huge windows, making it one of the most pleasant spots in town to hang around by the play area.
All in all the Starling Mall is bright and airy for a mall. There are dinosaur eggs hidden in the sea of balls, and once you find one you can scan it to find out what type of a dino it belongs to. The scanner was not working very well when we visited, but the kids were kept entertained by the search.
Another cardiac arrest almost happened when husband though he found an egg amongst the balls only to realise it was the head of a child lying still on the floor, covered by balls. The child poked his head out to see who was grabbing his head, giving the husband a fright of a lifetime, screams and all. Needless to stay this was the second highlight of the trip.
There is a café by the ball pit, with mostly sweet desserts and ice cream on the menu. From the this review it looks like they have included a few savoury dishes since our visit. There are plenty of other dining options at the Starling Mall, as well as the only cinema in town specially designed for toddlers, the Kecil by MBO.
We would say that Kiddomo Universe is best suited for pre-school kids and a bit older, my 7 year old thought it was a lot of fun, but did not want to do most activities more than once hence we only spend about an hour and a bit trying them out. When we went it was also very quiet, so we can’t say how the activities work if the kids have to wait for their turn.
There is a small area for toddlers, and while they will love the ball pit, they would probably not appreciate most of the digital activities. I would happily bring along a younger sibling but tiny ones would probably enjoy a good old-fashioned tumble-and-run-type of a playground more.
Had this place been around when my kids were a few years younger, I would have loved to sit and chat with friends in the bright area in the middle while watching the kids play in the ball pit.
Often times outings with kids are a good way of prying them off screens – one must wonder whether the trend of indoor play areas turning digital is helpful in that. Some of the games and ball pit offer a bit of physical activity, as do the slides and lit balls, so Kiddomo Universe has some balance to it.
Prices:
The rates for weekday tickets currently priced at RM55 and weekends RM65. Members get a RM10 discount. Adult guardians are RM15, and kids under 2 are free. You can read more about Kiddomo Universe on their website. There is ample parking at the Starling Mall’s car park.
Here is glimpse to Kiddomo Universe, the Starling Mall:
This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are our own, and always honest.
