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Are you looking for new ways to spend your precious weekend and holiday time with the kids? Playtimes offers some suggestions for interesting ways for dads and kids to reconnect and have fun, with or without mum.
Car racing
Well, simulated racing, that is. In a town where many of us adults don’t even drive, Sideways Racing Club offers us and the kids the chance to pretend we’re professional drivers. Sideways says their simulators are the best available, endorsed and used by racing drivers around the world. Boys, girls, dads and mums – anyone can strap in and start zooming around the virtual course. The recommended minimum age is eight, but they’ll try to accommodate smaller kids with booster cushions. Be sure to book ahead to avoid disappointment.
Sideways Racing Club
LG/F, 1-2 Chancery Lane, Central
T: 2523 0983 | www.sideways-driving-club.com
Paintball
Gather some friends – you’ll need at least eight people for a booking – and head to Paintball Headquarters in Kowloon Bay. Your group will have the entire indoor, air-conditioned gaming course to yourselves, and you can choose which games to play from a long list that includes “Capture the Flag”, “Kill the Zombies”, “Bunny Hunt” and many more. Players must be at least eight years old and 130cm tall, and the company will provide all the gear you need, including safety goggles which must be worn at all times.
Paintball Headquarters
Unit No. 2-3, G/F Po Lung Centre, 11 Wang Chiu Road, Kowloon Bay
T: 3106 0220 | www.paintballhq.com.hk
Ice skating
You don’t have to be coaching the next Wayne Gretzky or Michelle Kwan to enjoy some time on the ice with your kids. Despite the sub-tropical climate and densely packed buildings, Hong Kong offers a surprising number of modern, safe and accessible rinks. All of these have rental skates available, and most offer hockey skates for kids under 12. Group and private lessons are available as well.
The Rink
G/F, Elements, No. 1 Austin Road West, Tsim Sha Tsui
T: 2196 8016 | www.rink.com.hk
Mega Ice
Unit 1, Level 10 MegaBox, 38 Wang Chiu Road, Kowloon Bay
T: 2709 4020 | www.megaice.com.hk
Sky Rink
8/F, Dragon Centre, 37K Yen Chow Street, Sham Shui Po, Kowloon
T: 2307 9264 | www.skyrinkhk.com
Ice Palace
1/F, Cityplaza, 18 Taikoo Shing Road, Taikoo Shing
T: 2844 8688 | www.icepalace.com.hk
Glacier
Festival Walk, 80 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon Tong
T: 2844 3588 | www.glacier.com.hk
Driving range
If your kids aren’t up to spending a whole day on the rinks with dad, why not spend an hour or two hitting a bucket of balls at the driving range?
Garden Farm Golf
8C Tseng Tau Village, Shap Sze Heung, Sai Kung
T: 2791 9003 | www.gardenfarmgolf.com
Bowling
Funny shoes, lots of excitement and a sport the entire family can play together? What’s not to love about an afternoon of bowling? Choose the game that suits your family best, including adding bumpers to the gutters to make things more interesting for the kids who can’t quite bowl strikes on their own yet.
Thunder Bowl
1st Basement Site 8, Whampoa Garden, Hung Hom
T: 2122 9822 | www.thunderbowl.com.hk
Sai Kung Promenade
The Promenade in Sai Kung Town provides free or low-cost fun for toddlers, kids and adults. Spend a leisurely Saturday morning strolling along, stopping to look at the fish, boats, vendors and colourful life happening all around. There’s more than enough to see to keep all but the most cynical teenagers engaged. If your kids are up for it, choose your own seafood from the tank to enjoy for lunch. If that’s not for you, drop into any one of the many local or Western restaurants and order from the menu.
Sai Kung Promenade
www.exploresaikung.com