Less than four hours away from Hong Kong is Shenzhen – a surprisingly kid-friendly destination. Wondering what to do in Shenzhen, we took a leaf out of @Boaysontheloose ‘s itinerary and ventured to Shenzhen, via Hong Kong, for a multigenerational trip.
With two grandmothers, two tweens, one teen in tow, two millennial mums (or aunties) set out to several family-friendly spots in Shenzhen.
Naturally our pace would be slower given how we had a bigger group and three generations to appease. When planning what to do in Shenzhen, our destinations had to have activity options suitable for everyone of different ages.
Here’s what we recommend if you’re looking for more family-friendly spots and things to do on your travels to Shenzhen, China.
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What to Do in Shenzhen: Family-friendly Spots and Ideas
1. Red Cube Shenzhen – Science & Technology Museum
The Red Cube is a large, futuristic complex consisting of three museums in four buildings.
Besides the Science and Technology Museum, it has a Public Art and Urban Planning Museum, Children’s Palace and Book City. It is located in Longgang, which was a 30-minute Didi ride from Dongmen where we stayed.
Since the purpose to heading to Red Cube was for the Science and Technology Museum, we made a beeline there. Entry is free and foreigners can register at the registration counter.
Consisting of five floors and five main exhibition areas, the exhibitions revolve around the solar system, human anatomy, science and innovation, evolution of video games and natural disasters.
If you’re familiar with Science Centre Singapore, Red Cube’s Science and Technology Museum is a larger version in Mandarin. Perfect for some Chinese immersion perhaps?
The second floor of the museum was a large children’s playground more suitable for younger children. It had nature themed areas where they could learn about bugs, block building areas and also slides and ball pits.
Since I had a tween with me, we went around deciphering the explanations in Chinese. There were also accompanying English texts for some of the exhibits.
We loved the opportunities to interact with a robot with a game of shuffleboard or hockey board and other immersive activities like landing a space shuttle, earthquake experiential room, and rooms that might trigger vertigo.
The kids gravitated to the Fruit Ninja station where we saw the evolution of the game from a PC game, console to one using sensors.
While some parts of the Science and Technology Museum such as the VR machines were not operational, we still enjoyed exploring the museum and trying out various machines.
You could even order a drink or cotton candy that the robot prepares at the end of the visit.
Other Red Cube Activities
For families interested in art and design, visit the Public Art and Urban Planning Museum. Children can learn about the role of art and design in daily life.
Children’s Palace could be suitable for older children as it has video games and rock-climbing activities.
Bookworms will enjoy Book City where they can browse and shop for books.
2. OCT Bay – Shopping Mall
Dedicate a whole day at OCT Bay. OCT Bay overlooks Shenzhen Bay and has an expansive shopping and entertainment development with many shops, restaurants and entertainment facilities.
There was so much to do here for families and one day was clearly not enough. It also seemed to be a popular hangout for local families during the weekends, which was unsurprising given how many child-centric establishments there were.
Apart from the Cave Discovery indoor amusement park and Nicklelodeon-themed indoor amusement park, we were spoilt for options as there was an aquarium, insect museum, VR activities and an outdoor pirate ship obstacle course in Happy Coast Shopping Mall alone.
Let’s take a deeper dive into some of these attractions apart from the main mall.
3. Cave Discovery Indoor Amusement Park for Tweens and Teens
The kids were knackered from their Cave Discovery visit since they had to solve puzzles in Chinese. Yes they took the puzzle solving route since they were old enough to navigate the caves on their own. (Yay to drop-offs and mummy shopping time!)
Do note that the Chinese puzzle route is probably pegged at the Singapore secondary school Chinese standard.
While it was great fun with the tweens and teens given a NPC role each to find treasure, they definitely had a rather intensive Chinese immersion which gave their brains a rude shock.
We would recommend dedicating 1.5 hours to puzzle solving and 30 minutes to play in the playground since each ticket allows 2 hours of play.
Even though our kids had no time for the playground, they seemed pleased to have solved the puzzles and even got some rewards upon exiting the park.
4. Pipikingdom Pirate Ship Outdoor Playground
After a hearty lunch, the two tweens and one teenager agreed to take on something less mentally stimulating at the Pipikingdom Pirate Ship Outdoor Playground. The challenge was to head up to the top of the pirate ship after overcoming several obstacles.
We decided to just pay for an hour’s admission fee and have the kids take on physical challenges with the climbing walls and obstacle course.
Each child had their harnesses and helmets on and were led in small groups by an instructor through the course. The highlight was the flying fox at the top of the ship then a slide all the way down.
Then the kids could choose to play at the sand playground, a rope playground or scale the climbing walls.
5. Electric Boating at the Bay
Our third activity at OCT Bay was boating!
Given the lovely cool weather, we couldn’t resist going on a boat. It was an electric boat that just required steering. We could enjoy views of the bay while navigating the course and steer clear of kayaks and other boats.
With that, it was the end of a long yet fruitful day at OCT Bay.
Other OCT Bay Activities
Since there are several malls in the area and even more dining establishments at the bay area, food options are aplenty.
I would recommend the Yunnan restaurant – Nan You Yun 南有云near the Pipikingdom playground entrance, it had hearty hotpot chicken soup ideal for warming the stomachs. Everyone loved the spread and you know it’s a winner when the whole pot of soup was gone by the end of the meal.
We also sat down for a cuppa at the OCT Harbour. Sitting by the water with a warm cup of cocoa or coffee while admiring the views was an activity everyone relished.
Within Happy Coast Mall, there was a Hologram Zoo with virtual animals seen through 3D glasses, Dream Aquarium with seal performances, Insect museum, panda-themed VR park and more.
6. Lian Hua Shan Park
We decided to head to the park for some fresh air and visited Lian Hua Shan Park to check out the spring flowers. Kids can try kite-flying with many vendors selling kites and other toys.
If you’re curious about drone food delivery, there is also a kiosk here where you can experience it.
For children below 12, there is a playground for play with swings, rope courses and an exercise corner for the adults.
It is a lovely spot to take those family photos too since there were vibrant blooms on display and quaint Chinese pavilions right next to the ponds.
7. Dapeng Fortress
Eager to venture further out of the city, we decided to visit Dapeng Fortress a Qing Dynasty fortress for a historical perspective. The didi ride took an hour from downtown Shenzhen and we took the time to soak in the views of the coast.
The quaint cobbled streets and stone walls were strikingly different from the scenery we had been used to.
We visited the General’s home, checked out the architecture of the ancient town and also strolled by the many shops selling treats. The kids enjoyed fried baos, stinky tofu, honey coated frozen strawberries, coconut drinks and even soy beancurd.
Dapeng Fortress is said to be very crowded during weekends, hence we would recommend visiting on a weekday to avoid the crowds. It was also pleasantly quiet when we visited without hordes of tourists.
Visiting Shenzhen with Older Kids and Grandparents: Plenty of Things to Do in Shenzhen
The ease of travelling makes Shenzhen an accessible destination for families travelling with kids and grandparents. The city has something for everyone – dining, shopping, play and also scenic places within reach.
Shenzhen can also be paired very easily with a trip to Hong Kong. We chose to fly in and out of Hong Kong International Airport since flights were slightly cheaper. Opt for a private transfer to and fro the airport for a comfortable trip to Shenzhen.
Happy holiday planning!
