A must-visit Beijing winter getaway for kids: A 20,000-square-meter indoor family playground—one day isn't enough

Number of days: 1 day
Time: December
Average cost: 149 yuan
With whom：parents and children
The author went to these places: Beijing

It turns out the saying that having a baby lets you relive your childhood is actually true!

My daughter, Little Sunflower Seed, just turned one this month. Sadly, I had originally planned to take her on a world tour, but due to various circumstances this year, I haven't had the chance to go much since she turned one. So, I found Baoyan Amusement Park, one of Beijing's larger indoor parent-child amusement parks, at the Dahongmen branch, and took her on a new adventure.

Location | Baoyan Paradise, 3rd Floor, Baoyan Shopping Mall, Dahongmen, Fengtai District

We live in Tongzhou. What motivated my husband and I to wake up early on a cold winter morning and head straight to Baoyan Paradise in far-flung Dahongmen, Fengtai? The main attraction is the large, year-round constant-temperature water park, which maintains a constant temperature of around 37 degrees Celsius. This package for 2 adults and 1 child includes various themed parent-child interactive experience areas and a massive heated water park. Be sure to arrive early!

Strategy | Try the non-water attractions first (Castle Park). After lunch and a break, hit the water. 🏊‍ 🏊‍ 🏊‍

After a full day of exploring for our family of three, here's my advice for first-time visitors:

1. Try the indoor non-water attractions first.

Entering the Baoyan Paradise experience area, I'm sure many mothers will share my feeling: "Oh my god, this is so dreamy! I want to be back in my childhood." This place practically fulfills all the dreams of our generation playing house.

The carousel: You can ride it as many times as you want, haha. Parents can play with their babies, but younger babies still need to be supported. Our baby, Sunflower Seed, was playing on it for the first time, so he was both nervous and happy, laughing and crying at the same time. We laughed our ass off. Bank/Post Office/Bookstore/Kitchen/Hospital/Firefighter/Supermarket: These experience areas are suitable for children under three. Parents and children can play pretend with their children in different professions, allowing them to learn about the roles of different industries in daily life. The supermarket is especially suitable for preschoolers. Although Sunflower Seed can't talk, he was delighted by the various simulated fruits and vegetables in the supermarket and even imitated the older children by loading a cart with fruit. Slide Park: Baoyan Park's slides are a real highlight. Not only does they have a thrilling 90-degree slide area, but I also noticed that slides are installed in many play areas. The height of the slides is thoughtfully designed to accommodate babies of all ages. I took Sunflower Seed down the slide from the baby area all the way to the slide park. The 90-degree slide was for older kids and adults, and you could even put on a pink Tigger jacket while you played. It was incredibly daring. With my baby and I watching expectantly, Dad finally gave in and donned the pink Tigger jacket and went for the 90-degree slide. He was initially hesitant, but after trying it once, he got hooked. He went back and forth several times, saying, "It's fun! This is so fun! It's so exciting! Let's do it again! You guys wait for me a while!" Hahahahahahaha.

There's also a castle park, a dynamic VR park, a building block world, a sand pool experience area, a parent-child baking workshop, a parent-child reading room, a parent-child craft workshop, and more, perfect for bringing your baby along. A packed morning allows you to explore 5-6 areas, while a more in-depth experience might take you around 3.

2. After lunch, relax at the 5D/7D Experience Hall.

The restaurant at Baoyan Park is beautiful and offers a wide variety of dishes. Lunch is available; scan the QR code to order and the staff will deliver your meal to your seat.

If your baby is smaller, you can order the children's pasta, noting that it should be cooked softer for younger babies. If you bring your own formula or rice cereal, you can also eat in the restaurant. Hot water is provided at the order counter.

The overall taste of the meal was unexpectedly delicious. The large fries were amazing. The little foodie in our family devoured a whole one in one bite and couldn't put them down! After lunch, you can relax at the 5D/7D Experience Hall. If your baby is tired, you can let them take a nap in the designated lounge (which comes with a bed). After about an hour of rest, you can head to the water park for some fun.

3. The water park—just this alone wouldn't be enough for a whole day.

Baoyan Park's water park opens at 11:00 AM in winter. I had planned to wait until my daughter had a nap before taking her into the park, but I didn't expect that because there's a glass wall separating the restaurant and the water park, my daughter kept staring at the next door while we ate, getting incredibly excited. So... not long after we finished eating, we went out to change.

The water park is in a separate area, and you have to exit the storage area and walk through a store before entering.

Honestly, I've been to many heated water parks, but the water at Baoyan Park is truly warm, like a hot spring. The water in the play area is very shallow, making it safe for babies to swim. Teaching your baby to swim or just playing with them is a real joy here.

There are mineral water vending machines in the rest area, and you can also use the sauna, which is very convenient.

The bathing and changing areas are very clean, and I really enjoyed them.

Then there were swim rings available for rent at the front desk, which was very convenient.

What's even more amusing is that our baby got tired after just a short while in the water and actually fell asleep. I had to quickly wake her up so I could take her bath and change her clothes.

On the way back, the little one couldn't stop giggling. I hadn't had time to spend with her in such a long time, and this was the first time I'd seen her giggle so long and so happily.

Finally, I used to think it wasn't necessary to take my baby out to play, but that view has completely changed. Today, I suddenly understood the true meaning of combining education with entertainment. For example, she'll actively learn to do things older kids do, like putting fruit in a basket, using an abacus, and sorting blocks by color. We teach her a lot of these things at home, but she's never been keen. It's just amazing.

TIPS:

1. Baoyan Amusement Park is very large, but it's also very popular. There are quite a few kids on weekdays, and even more on holidays, so you can experience different attractions at different times.

2. There are both electronic and regular lockers. Electronic lockers cost NT$5 per day and can be retrieved free of charge mid-trip. Regular lockers are free, so if you don't have valuables, there's no need to use the electronic lockers. 3. Once inside the amusement area, it's recommended to wear thicker socks for non-slip comfort. You can also wear specialized non-slip socks. 4. The park recommends wearing long-sleeved clothing when playing on the slides, but there are free one-piece tiger suits on the largest slide. 5. You are not allowed to bring your own food; it's recommended to eat in the restaurant. 6. Please bring your own swimsuit and swim cap; swim rings are available for rental. 7.