17 Awesome Things To Do During The Midterm Break

Dubai's much-loved outdoor market is back this weekend, and there's plenty for the family to enjoy such as kids' activities, a farmer's market and shopping stalls offering items from fantastic homegrown brands.

Plus, while you grab a picnic spot and dig into yummies from a wide selection of cafés and eateries, you and your littles can bob along to the tunes of entertaining live music.

Dubai has done it again! October 22nd will see the launch of the world's largest fountain at The Pointe. Spread over 14,000 sqft of sea water, the fountain’s super shooter will stand tall at 105 metres and come alive with over 3,000 LED lights. The attraction is the only multi-coloured fountain in Dubai.

Head down to The Pointe with the family to enjoy an entire day of festivities, with all-day events and competitions from The Pointe’s restaurants and, starting at 4pm, a range of live entertainment including multiple DJ sets, dance shows, performers, a magical fireworks show. Once the clock strikes 8pm, you can enjoy the breathtaking views of The Palm Fountain show from 30 different restaurants at The Pointe.

The Clubhouse is an exciting pop-up concept that includes more than 200 complimentary workshops, kids’ activities and fun-filled sessions that will help your kiddos explore their imagination through entertainment and creative freedom, providing the ultimate family bonding time.

Located in Zone D at Gate Avenue, The Clubhouse provides more than 21 days of complimentary activities & workshops, interactive learning and creative sessions for families with children aged three to 10 years.

The carefully selected programmes have been curated to provide a variety of activities and workshops including immersive art and crafts, scientific experiments storytelling and cookery classes for budding chefs. Families also have a chance to win lunch at the South Food Market, Gate Avenue if they find a golden apple during the weekend treasure hunt.

Each activity takes into consideration health and safety requirements and has been designed to enable social distancing and offer a safe environment for learning through play.

Add this family experience to your Dubai bucket list, and go camping at Laguna Waterpark! Enjoy an incredible night under the stars, every Thursday and Friday evening, with a full itinerary of super exciting activities.

The camping fun kicks off at 5:30pm with a breezy check-in service and refreshment station. Guests can then head straight to the slides and catch an epic sunset over the Arabian Gulf, hit up the WaveOZ 180 FlowRider, or choose to tuck into unlimited BBQ classics until 10pm. Favourites include mouthwatering burgers to delicious flame-grilled chicken.

After dinner, campers can fill their evening as they please and choose from a range of exciting and relaxing activities. Whether its quality time with family over a classic board game, or a campfire singalong – the options are endless.

As night falls, guests can get cozy on a beanbag and catch a family-friendly movie under the stars. One thing is for sure, no one will want to miss out on the campfire and gooey marshmallow combo or grilling delicious buttery corn on the cob – camping goals!

Campers are advised to rise early to catch the breathtaking sunrise and enjoy a walk or swim at the picturesque La Mer beachfront, the ultimate way to start the day. Each guest will receive a basket filled with fresh breakfast ingredients to whip up at live cooking stations, or with guidance by the expert team.

Check out is at 10am the following morning, however, guests are encouraged to leave their belongings in the guest storage room and spend the rest of the day soaking up the sunshine and enjoying the endless excitement of Laguna Waterpark’s star attractions, inclusive of unlimited food and beverages.

Also back in season is this must-try family attraction that brings you four theme parks all in one place; Glow Park, the largest glow-in-dark garden made of millions of energy-saving bulbs and yards of recycled luminous fabric. Dinosaur Park, the biggest Dinosaur park displaying more than 120 animatronic dinosaurs. And don't forget to chill out over at the Ice Park where you and your littles can experience polar-climate in the middle of the desert and be amazed at marvellous ice sculptures (entry comes at an extra fee). Last but not least, if you want to have your mind blown, you can enter a visually stunning world of mesmerizing optical illusions at the Magic Park (entry at an extra fee).

Keep your kiddos active this half-term break in a fun and exciting multi-activity holiday camp! Children can enjoy a range of sports and creative activities with professionally qualified coaches in a safeguarded venue. The camp is offered and operate by Infinite Holiday Camps of Infinite Sports, and is available at the following locations: Jumeira Baccalaureate School (Al Wasl), Horizon International School (Umm al Sheif), and Uptown Internatonal School (Mirdif).

Drop-off is 8:00am to 08:45am, and pick-up is 2:15pm to 03:30pm

Looking for a new, cool, and fascinating experience for you and the kids? The Theatre of Digital Arts is set to open it's doors, and you'll want to be there. The Theatre of Digital Art (ToDA) is set to further elevate the booming art scene in Dubai. It combines all three formats of digital art including multimedia exhibitions, contemporary immersive installations, and art in virtual reality making it a cool art, educational and entertainment hub.

The art space spans 1,800 meters and will display digital shows that combine high-end technology with classical art. And for a truly multi-sensory experience, it will be accompanied by stunning visual effects, classical music and surround sound. You will literally be stepping into some of the most famous paintings created by the world's most famous artists.

ToDA will also feature several sections including an area for children with interactive exhibits, a virtual reality area, and more.

Make your way through the largest mobile maze in the world, stretching over 25,000 sq. ft., with nearly 3,000 meter of paths. Spend hours laughing together and at each other as you and your family members try to make your way out.

The best part is that you can visit again and again since the maze is designed and developed in modules – so the system of the paths is changed regularly. Make it to the center and you'll find a viewing platform towering 5 meters high. There is also a direct “Quick Exit” route out of the maze, without having to walk all the way back again.

You don't have to fly anywhere for an authentic safari experience - Dubai Safari Park promises you and the family just that, and its right here at home. Dubai Safari Park is home to more than 2,500 animals from all over the world, and prides itself on the ethical treatment of all its inhabitants, making a visit to the Park a safe and fun experience for you and the family.

The Park is divided into several 'villages', which you can enjoy using the hop-on-hop-off service, grouping animals according to geographical themes- Asia, Africa, Arabia, and the Explorers' village which is home to the Kings of the savannah: the mighty lions. The little ones can also enjoy an interactive experience with some of the animals- activities include Giraffe Feeding, the Kids Farm, and the Grand Aviary housing tons of birds.

Dubai Safari Park is also home to the world's first drive-thru crocodile exhibit, and the UAE's only drive-thru hippo and tiger exhibit. They also run a daily schedule of fun shows, so the kiddos will have a blast watching the animals perform different tricks.

Various food and drink stalls are available throughout the venue.

It's cozy, it's colourful and far from basic - it's The Screening Room!

Whether you're looking at hosting a different kind of birthday for your little one, a fun gathering, or even a family movie night- you can now book your very own private screening at Studio One.

Complete with a 165'' screen and Dolby Surround Sound, the Screening Room is the perfect venue if you're looking for something a little bit different.

How about taking the little ones out for something super exciting and FREE? This immersive show combining 30 fountains, lights and surround sound, IMAGINE is a feast for all your senses and is sure to amaze both you and your kiddos.

IMAGINE shows run daily from sunset.

Join It’s Just Football, a Dubai home-grown football academy this school holiday for their Volta, Futsal, Pana camp! The fun and energetic programme includes small sided games, high intensity sessions to improve individual technical skills and maximise the players’ time with the ball.

The camp is available at GEMS Wellington Academy – Silicon Oasis, and Dubai Sports World at Dubai World Trade Centre.

Pop over to the new community mall in Al Khawaneej where you and your kiddies can watch the place come to life with a magical light show, every weekend until 31st October between 6:30pm and 11pm. Inspired by the natural landscapes and heritage of the Al Khawaneej neighbourhood, this light show illuminates the picturesque pond that fronts the destination as floating flowers and colourful birds move through the community space in synch to the enchanting musical score.

Taking inspiration from 13 Hollywood blockbuster films, this adventure land brings your kids face to face with the likes of The Ghostbusters, Shrek and The Hunger Games. Four of the five zones are dedicated to Hollywood's most legendary film studios including Dreamworks, Lionsgate and Columbia Pictures and promises a thriller of a day for the whole family!

So if you and the kids are up for a ride with Toothless through enthralling caves, a battle through New York with the Ghostbusters, and even a spooky trip to Hotel Transylvania where you can meet Dracula and the gang, this is the place to be!

Book your tickets with Kidzapp and get over 50% off your entry tickets!

Leave the city behind and head for the picturesque mountains of Hatta, which makes for the perfect ecotourism adventure destination in Dubai’s most spectacular National Park. There, you can try out one of the many activities available at the Hatta Wadi Hub activity centre, or book one of the most unique overnight stays in the UAE - glamping at its finest.

Only 90 minutes away from the city, the Hatta Wadi Hub is a perfect escape for the adventure and activity seeking visitors and offers a wide range of experiences.

The activities on offer include both paid and free options that range from mountain bike (MTB) coaching and rentals, to downhill mountain biking, downhill carting, a human sling shot, axe throwing, archery, freefall jumps, Dr Rock station, adventure rope courses, rope bridge, wall climbing, kids and adult’s trampolines, as well as twin and kids' zip lines.

You can also find attractions and activities such as the Hatta Zorbing, Hatta Drop-in, Asia’s first water jump park, with a crazy jump, crazy slide, drop-in donuts and drop-in tracks.

You can also book for a kayaking or hiking experience for the entire family, or even make a vacation of it by spending the night. Stay at the Hatta Sedr Trailers which offer vintage trailers repurposed as boutique hospitality experiences, or opt for staying at the, soon to be opened, Riad Hatta which is inspired by the traditional Riad.

What better way to spend a beautiful evening than on the stunning grounds of Umm Al Emarat Park, watching all your favourite family movies? Be sure to check out the movie schedule, so you don't miss your little one's favourite characters up on the big screen.

From this coming weekend to the end of the midterm break, you can plop down for movies such as Frozen 2, Trolls World Tour, Dr. Dolittle and Brave.

Dip your toes in the sand and spend a relaxing day out with your family at Kite Beach Center. You can simply lounge by the beach, enjoy many water sports on offer, including surfing, kitesurfing, kayaking, hydrofoil and even scuba diving. If you're an avid camper, this spot is perfect for your family! You can bring your own tent, rent one, or spend the night in one of their cozy bungalows. The place is stunning and there's so much on offer for your entire family!