Part of what makes Dubai such a wonderful place to raise a family is the wide range of activities on offer for children of all ages.The city is also a remarkably safe place, aside from some of the obvious things such as traffic. If you find yourself living in one of the quieter villa compounds or one of the newer, purpose-built apartment complexes, there's often a lot of safe outside space, that many expat parents don't mind letting their kids run around in with their friends unsupervised. Families can enjoy a lovely outdoor lifestyle for most of the year, and even during the sweltering summer months, there are still plenty of ways to have fun and keep cool. 

October to May
During the cooler months, kids can enjoy the parks and beaches around Dubai, which house playgrounds for varying ages, as well as tennis and basketball courts. Try the boating lake in Safa Park, the petting zoo in Mushrif Park, and the camel and pony rides in Creek Park. There are also water parks in and around the city; however, while swimming is obviously popular, there are very few public pools. Mushrif Park has separate women’s and men’s pools but, outside the hotels and health clubs, the only other options are villa compound pools or the beach. 

June to September 
During the warmer months (June to September) the many amusement centres and indoor play areas keep your brood from getting bored. Check out soft play areas Fun Corner, Fun City and Mini Monsters, to name a few. Kidzania and Magic Planet are also ever-popular choice. Many sports and activity clubs run after school activities and summer camps. Visit uae4kidz.biz for regular updates. Keep an eye on the local press too as there’s usually something going on for families, whether that’s ice shows, exhibitions or one-off entertainment. Many malls have specific kiddie entertainment during Eid, DSF and other popular calendar events.