Kids’ theme park educates them about finance

KidZania Mumbai has teamed up with India's YES BANK to get visitors roleplaying as bank tellers in order to teach them about the finance skills they will need later in life.

Regular readers of Springwise may remember our coverage of the STEAM Carnival, the science and maths-themed circus that aimed to engage kids with tech and engineering. Now a similar venture – KidZania Mumbai – is getting visitors to roleplay as bank tellers in order to teach them about the finance skills they will need later in life.

Collaborating with India’s YES BANK, the theme park features a realistic looking bank which the children must visit before they can use the other attractions. Upon entry, each child is handed a KidZania traveller’s cheque, which they must cash at the bank in exchange for the local currency – called KidZos. They can choose to store some of the KidZos in the bank for later withdrawal and the venue features ATM machines located around the center where children can get out extra cash. As they work their way around the park they also have the chance to earn more KidZos to add to their account.

KidZania is a chain of ‘edutainment’ centers based in Mexico that take the form of miniature villages where children can roleplay as adults. The Mumbai location was opened this month and ticket prices range from INR 600 to INR 900. Are there other ways that entertainment can meet education in a way that is both fun and beneficial for kids?