Crazy fun for kids

Want to spoil your children with lots of fun to mark International Children's Day? Here are some tips.

Beijing Happy Valley (欢乐谷, East Fourth Ring Road, Jingshen Expressway Intersection) promises to make your precious ones scream with excitement and joy. Happy Valley has just launched a special festival for children. Visitors can enjoy more than 100 games and seven cinemas with their children, and numerous themed areas inspired by such civilizations as Mayan Central America, Minoan Greece and Shangri-la.

A special buffet in Elements (元素阁, 1 Dongfang Lu, Dongsanhuan Beilu, 5865-5000 ext. 5020) features a mind-boggling array of special treats for youngsters on Sunday, including a wide range of dim sum favorites, freshly prepared pasta and noodles, home made cakes and ice cream, not to mention a chocolate fountain. An entourage of live performers and magicians will keep children entertained for hours.

Head for some frenzied shopping at SOHO Shangdu (SOHO尚都, 8 Dongdaqiao Lu, Chaoyang district). The cartoon doll, music box and toy shops here promise to amaze young shoppers. Performances and cartoon exhibitions will be held tomorrow. There will also be a special charity donation party for Sichuan quake victims.

For the first time, those under 10 years old can walk into the National Center for the Performing Arts (国家大剧院, 2 Xichang'an Jie) to catch performances. The Beijing Children's Theater will bring You Look Like Delicious (Ni Kanqilai Hen Haochi), to the theater on Children's Day. Adapted from the work of renowned Japanese illustrator Miyanishi Tatsuya, the show tells a story that takes place in the Cretaceous period, where an evil Tyrannosaurus rex longs to be the father of another small dinosaur.

(China Daily 05/31/2008 page6)