"MaMi, can buy this for me?" Sometimes the children may think that I am able to churn out money effortlessly. Little do they know how hard it is to earn money! So when we planned our family trip to Taiwan, I thought that this was the must-go place for the children - BabyBoss (職業體驗任意城). If you have heard of Kidzania, BabyBoss is basically the Chinese version. The children get to experience various occupations, earn their money (BabyBucks) which they can spend on other activities or toys.
8 Tips for Conquering BabyBoss
Tips #1. Let your children decide which occupations they want to try
Some occupations that you think are interesting may not be interesting to your children. Before the trip, I showed my children the official website of BabyBoss, and they chose a few occupations that they wanted to try.
Tips #2. Bring the children's passports to get discounts
You can check the ticket price in the official website of BabyBoss. For non-Taiwan citizens or foreign passport holders, we can enjoy 20% discount by showing the children's passports to the staff at the ticketing counter.
Tips #3. Be there early, not on time!
Be there at least 15 minutes before the session starts. After purchasing the tickets, you will be given the schedule of the day. Take this time to plan - mark out the occupations that your children had chosen based on Tips #1, then look at the timing and plan the sequence. Well, do think of alternative plan, because some popular occupations would be taken up very early. Take note that the schedule changes every day, so do not print out our copy and plan based on that!
Tips #4. Run!
The moment when the themed park was opened, everyone ran!!! So no choice, our children ran too. It would be nice if everyone can enter in an orderly manner without running.
Our children wanted to be flight attendant, which is one of the most popular occupations. 10 seconds after we reached that station, the first session was full!
Tips #5. Do not queue for your children
Please do not queue on behalf of your children when they are still trying out another occupation. Let's not forget that the objective of visiting this place is for the children to learn to be responsible. In fact, it is the policy of BabyBoss that children must queue up themselves in order to take part in the activity.
Tips #6. Saving money on lunch
One of the occupations that our children wanted to try was pizza chef, so when I planned the sequence using the schedule (See Tips #3), I planned for the slot at 11+ a.m., so that the children could have the pizza that they made for lunch! Take note that in order to take part in this activity, the children need to work beforehand, so that they have 35 BabyBucks to pay for this activity.
Tips #7. Manage your children's expectation (and maybe yours as well...)
Before we went to BabyBoss, I told my children that they may not be able to experience all activities that they wanted to try, because there may be many people. And true enough, when we visited BabyBoss, there was a preschool having their outing there. Since each session of an activity can only accommodate 10+ children, our children did not manage to experience some of the popular activities. I am glad that they were flexible to try something else.
Tips #8. Redeem gifts with the remaining BabyBucks
The children earn money called "BabyBucks" which can be deposited into BabyBoss account and can be used during the next visit. For tourists like us, we may not visit BabyBoss again soon, but don't waste the BabyBucks! Our children redeemed some stickers with their remaining BabyBucks.
Our Working Day at BabyBoss
We visited BabyBoss on a Friday morning. There are 2 sessions on Fridays, weekends, public holidays and summer / winter vacations - morning session 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., and afternoon session 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. Remember my Tips #3 - be there early!
Our children started the day by taking up the job as flight attendants. Each parent of the flight attendant was given a boarding pass, and got up to the "plane" as passenger. But photo-taking was not allowed during the "flight". Pei Pei took up the duty to demonstrate to the passengers how to use seat belts, while Hao Hao took up the duty to distribute blankets to the passengers.
In the same station, the children can choose to be the pilots instead of flight attendants, you can still see them in action via a big TV outside the plane.
After collecting their salary and certificate which was a card, we went to Fire Department. However, the slots for the next session were all taken! So we executed Plan B - went to Police Station which was just next door. After the training inside the room, the traffic police patrolled along the "street".
The children had earned some "money" from two jobs, they spent 35 BabyBucks each to be pizza chefs. They made their own pizza which became their lunch!
We went back to Fire Department to be fire fighters! The children had training on fire safety, before they slid down the fireman's pole and got on the fire engine, which brought them to the fire scene to fight fire!
Next, we went to the gas station where the children took up the job as gas attendants. They learnt how to serve the customers, fill the petrol tank and clean the car.
When Hao Hao saw the car, he wanted to drive, but he had to spend 5 BabyBucks to attend driving lesson and get a driving license, and needed another 50 BabyBucks for rental and deposit of car. However he didn't have enough money to do so, and also we didn't have enough time. Instead, he spent 10 BabyBucks to get a ride driven by the staff. This was a good lesson learnt for him that in order to get what he wants, he has to work for it!
The last job of the day was test engineer at the model kit company. The children spent 15 BabyBucks to get a set of Gundam model, and to build from scratch! Although it was stated that only 8 years old and above were allowed to take part in this activity, the staff was nice enough to let Pei Pei and Hao Hao to take up the challenge. With the help from the staff, the children were able to build their Gundam models!
Now the children understand that earning money is not that easy! After the trip, when I asked them which activity that they enjoy most during the Taiwan trip, both of them said "BabyBoss!"
BabyBoss 職業體驗任意城
Website: https://www.babyboss.tw
Address: 台北市105松山區八德路四段138號7樓 (No. 138, Section 4, Bade Rd, Songshan District, Taipei City, Taiwan 105)
How to get there:
Take Metro Songshan Line (松山線) to Nanjing Sanmin (南京三民). From Exit 2, walk a few minutes along Jixiang Road to Core Pacific City (京華城). Take lift no.5 or 6 to level 7.
How to get there:
Take Metro Songshan Line (松山線) to Nanjing Sanmin (南京三民). From Exit 2, walk a few minutes along Jixiang Road to Core Pacific City (京華城). Take lift no.5 or 6 to level 7.
Our Taiwan Travelogue 2017:
- Taiwan Family Travel 8D7N Free & Easy Itinerary (December 2017)
- 10 Tips for Planning a Trip to Taiwan with Children + Elderly Parents
- How to Get from Taipei台北 to Taichung台中
- Accommodation in Taichung: 53 Hotel 寶島53行館
- Accommodation in Taipei 台北: York Design Hotel
- Taipei 台北 – Shilin Night Market 士林夜市
- Taipei 台北 – Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall 中正紀念堂
- Taipei 台北 – Kao Chi @ Yong Kang Street 永康街高記
- Jiufen 九份
- Changhua 彰化 – Changhua Roundhouse
- Taichung 台中 – 玩One Pizza (DIY pizza buffet with indoor play area)
- Taichung 台中 – Taichung Second Market 台中第二市場
- Taichung 台中 – Miyahara 宮原眼科 & Fourth Credit Union 第四信用合作社
- Taichung 台中 – Fengjia Night Market 逢甲夜市
- Taichung 台中 – Rainbow Village 彩虹眷村
- Taichung 台中 – A Liang Mushroom 阿亮香菇園 and Master of Mushrooms Restaurant 菇神
- Taichung 台中 – Lavender Cottage 薰衣草森林
- Taichung 台中 – Chung-She Flower Garden 中社觀光花市
- Taichung 台中 – Gaomei Wetlands 高美濕地
- Nantou 南投 – Cingjing Farm Green Green Grassland 清境農場青青草原
- Nantou 南投 – Puli 埔里 – Guangxing Paper Mill 廣興紙寮, King Garden 元首館
Our Taiwan Travelogue 2015:
- Taiwan with Children 7D6N Free & Easy Itinerary and Accommodation (December 2015)
- 8 Tips for Planning a Trip to Taiwan with Children
- Taiwan Child-friendly Accommodations with Slides
- Free Gifts for Travellers @ Taiwan Visitors Association(Singapore Office)
- Shifen 十分 – Sky Lantern
- Yilan 宜蘭 – Child-friendly Accommodation with Slide自然捲北歐風格旅店
- Yilan 宜蘭 – Jimmy Square, Free Factory Tour, Themed Restaurants, Hot Spring
- Miaoli 苗栗 – Flying Cow Ranch 飛牛牧場
- Miaoli 苗栗 – Strawberry farm, Railway Museum, High Speed Rail
- Taipei 台北– Rilakkuma Cafe 拉拉熊咖啡廳
- Taipei 台北– BabyBoss 職業體驗任意城
- Taipei 台北– Raohe Street Night Market 饒河街觀光夜市
- Download our printable Taiwan 7D6N Free & Easy Itinerary
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Looks like they had a lot of fun! Thanks for the pizza free lunch tip Hahah
ReplyDeleteSince my children love pizza, I thought it was a good strategy!
DeleteWhat a great place to visit but I'm not sure if that teaches them the hardship of earning money! Too much fun for the kids.. Hehehe..
ReplyDeleteAt least they can learn that some tasks have to be completed in order to earn money!
DeleteDidnt have chance to visit Baby Boss (TW) but we managed to go for big boss n land in JB which actually adopted the idea from Baby Boss. Hope to be there someday .. am sure Baby boss is so much fun!
ReplyDeleteOh, didn't know there is such place at JB!
DeleteOh my! Thanks for sharing about Baby Boss! Didn't know they have this is TW. Looks like fun, actually I'm more keen to do the activities then my girls I think! LOL!
ReplyDeleteLol! I wanted to join my children to make Gundam model!
DeleteWe visited BabyBoss when Dana was only 4. Even though she was so young and all the instructions were in Mandarin, she enjoyed it lots! Till today, she has fond memories of BabyBoss and wants to return.
ReplyDeleteIt is a good opportunity for the children to practise speaking Mandarin!
DeleteOh good that there is something like Kidzania and you got a chance to visit it. Stepping in the shoes of different occupations is so much fun for kids.
ReplyDeleteI like the concept of exposing the children to different occupations!
DeleteI was terrified of stepping into Baby Boss when we were there during the school holidays because I reckoned it would be filled with Singaporeans and I would feel like I never left Singapore. LOL... We ended up going to their sister playground called Bon Bon City at Zhongli.
ReplyDeleteWe met a few Singaporeans, but thought it was nice to hear familiar slang as we were waiting for our children. Think my children are too old for Bon Bon City, lol!
DeleteThanks for sharing this post Waiwai. Will definitely link it to my KidZania Dubai / Singapore posts (if I have your permission). It is so similar but as you said, the Chinese version. I love the engineer part where they build toy robots they can relate to. :-)
ReplyDeleteSure, Meiling!
DeleteThe concept of making them work and earn their lunch is very cool! For the while there, I read your blog title as "BabyBus" hahaha!!!
ReplyDeleteHaha "BabyBus"!
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