Middle Eastern edutainment brand Kidzmondo is set to open a new mini-city site aimed at children aged between two and 14 in Melbourne, Australia.
Located at the Box Hill Institute’s 7,000sq m (75,347sq ft) Lilydale Campus, the project will cost AUS$30m (US$21.8m, €18.7m, £16.6m), with construction expected to complete in 2020.
Similar to Kidzania, Kidzmondo allows children to roleplay a series of adult professions to take part in the active running of a fictitious city. With over 80 professions to choose from, the centres aim to engage children in the four key areas of psychomotor development, cognitive development, emotional intelligence and social development.
The Melbourne Kidzmondo mini-city will have offerings including an airport, fire station, hospital and a race car track for children to ensure the running and upkeep of.
"We need to provide our children with an environment where they can experiment," said Kidzmondo Australia CEO Norman Gray.
"The KidzMondo Educational Curriculum improves the development of interpersonal skills and positive attitudes while motivating creative thinking."
Kidzmondo currently has sites in Beirut, Istanbul and Doha. Ali Kazma, chair of holding company Kidz Holding, noted that the firm plans to expand further into Australia, singling out Sydney and Brisbane as potential future destinations.
The Melbourne branch will charge around AUS$39 for individual admissions, but is primarily targeting school groups, with Gray hopeful for 250,000 youngsters to pass through its doors in its first year of operation.
