The sassymamadubai.com founder talks watching sharks swim, riding sand dunes, and hidden gems…

There’s so much to love about being a mum in Dubai, but what tops the list are the endless possibilities of adventure.

One day we might be watching sharks swim, the next we’re riding down dunes. We live fairly close to the beach and a morning on the sand is one of our very favourite things to do – my eldest son is a member of a fantastic kids’ group called Pirates Surf Rescue which forces us all to be at Kite Beach every Friday by 8am.

We’re a foodie family, so the rest of the weekend might see us heading to the local fishing harbour to pick up some fresh fish to barbecue, or treating ourselves to lunch out – the kids are obsessed with xiao long bao (Chinese dumplings) at Din Tai Fung so we’ll occasionally give into those cravings.

When it comes to brilliant play areas, there are two that stand out for me – the recently opened OliOli play and discovery centre is kiddie heaven and encourages children to use their imagination across eight separate beautiful galleries. We all love it.

The other is X Park Junior – a natural garden play area just near Kite Beach where children can explore, climb, play in a lush green setting. It’s magic.

One of my absolute favourite spots is Desert Palm where the children can have a pony ride before rolling down hills and picnicking under palm trees – it’s the closest thing to the ‘countryside’ feeling and it’s the perfect place to be proper kids.

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