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Wannado City

 Kids can try out real-world careers at Wannado City, an interactive role-playing theme park in Sawgrass Mills Mall

It was the brightly coloured shop with shelves and racks stocked with toys that first caught my eye as I wandered around Sawgrass Mills Mall in South Florida. And when I walked in, I noticed the plane.

Yep, a commercial-sized airplane was sticking its back-end out of a blocked-off room. Amid squeals of delight, I could hear strains of a song playing throughout the store, “You can do what you wanna do.”

They really can! Kids can do what they wanna do at Wannado City, an interactive role-playing theme park geared towards children ages two to 14—the first activity center of its kind.

It's only fitting Wannado City is located at the largest mall in Florida, since it alone takes up 140,000 square-feet—the equivalent of three football fields.

Designed to encourage a child’s independence, Wannado City invites kids to choose from more than 250 career options at 60 different stations. Parents are asked (delicately) to step back and let their kids do, well, what they wanna do. 

And with so many fun and educational choices, kids and teens won’t waste any time choosing what they want to do. Going at their own pace, they can find their way around the city, picking their own role-playing activities and freely interacting with other kids.

Activities Galore

A walk around Wannado City is like being in a land of real-life make-believe. The facility has just about everything:

• Hospital
• Theatre
• Movie Studio
• Police Station
• Courthouse
• Radio Station
• TV Station
• City Fair
• Crime Lab
• Library
• Bank
• Circus
• Grocery Store

While the atmosphere at other, ahem, larger theme parks in Florida, can be crowded or overwhelming, here at Wannado, kids running through Wannado are having fun, concentrating on doing their jobs, and playing with other children in their imaginary "real" worlds.

Kids can learn how to be a chef, dentist or palaeontologist, star in a Broadway show, take care of babies at the nursery, or be a CNN news anchor. I was immediately intrigued when a staffer pointed out the candy factory, where kids make your own gooey sweet treats (which made me wonder if maybe I could come back in September for my 30th birthday!).

For every job performed, children are paid in the Wannado currency called Wongas, which they can either deposit at the bank or spend at various spots in Wannado City.

What Parents Wanna Do Too

Parents needn’t fear letting their offspring loose. Kids are given special locator bracelets, and kiosks throughout the park allow Mom and Dad to track their little ones. Handily, there’s even a safe drop-off program for children who are at least eight years old.

But grown-ups that do choose to stay can hang in the comfy lounge and coffee house in the centre of the action that’s equipped with free WiFi, computers and televisions.

While the novelty of Disney World is an experience to be had, it’s great to know that South Florida has such a fun, educational and interactive theme park that’s affordable and designed with the whole family in mind.

If only I were a kid again...

A kid's entrance fee for Wannado City is $40, and is good for the entire day (adults pay $10 each). Park hours vary—check the website for up-to-date information.