Though LB did really well and enjoyed clambering up and down rocks and ruins we wanted to do things just for her. This site was very helpful on practicalities.
After the Citadel we braved Amman traffic and headed to the mall. That’s right, the mall. With summer being long and hot malls in Jordan have set up cheap, air conditioned, playzones. For 4JD LB was free to run, jump, bounce, swing, and otherwise play on a variety of mostly plastic playground equipment. You can even leave your kid and go shopping. Just hand over your (local) number to the young person running the place.
And when I say young, I mean young. The kid running the play center looked like he hadn’t entered his teens. Same goes for the kid at concessions. They were so cute, especially as they so carefully practiced their English with this weird foreigner. I wanted to pinch their cheeks and pat their heads. We decided that at least one of us should stay to keep an eye on LB.
On Friday we went to the local Children’s Museum, 3JD, where we spent ALL DAY. Which still was not enough as far as LB was concerned! Most kids seemed to be dragged away kicking and screaming or holding on tightly to the bribe their parents used to shut, I mean, quiet them. This place is that fun. There is a learning playground outside and multiple play areas inside. They’ve got running, jumping, costumes, puppets, games of operation, giant puzzles, robots, a cafe, and more.
For parents the fun comes from watching our little ones enjoy themselves. Which brings joy to the heart for almost half an hour. We then took turns checking out the car museum next door. They’ve got a Tron bike over there! It’s also very obvious how much the late King Hussein was and still is loved.
Saturday we had a late night flight so we were able to spend the day at the Haya Cultural Center. Designed especially for children, this center has a library, a playground, interactive classes, theater, and more.
At the Children’s Museum LB mostly played beside the other kids, but here she played with them. I think this was mostly because there were only a very few other kids around when we showed up and only one was her age. Other kids trickled in and sort of joined the group. At least three different languages were spoken, but they all seemed to communicate just fine.
LB could have spent the entire vacation at any one of the places.