Wanndo City: A Play Town for Kids at the Sawgrass Mills Mall in Sunrise, Florida

Wannado City is anchored at Sawgrass Mills Mall in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. The idea is based on letting kids do what they want to do. It teaches them about commerce and how jobs are important to their development as adults. But also lets them have a day to do whatever it is that they want to do. It also allows them to experience a job, adult role players help them understand what it takes to fulfill job requirements, and they get to do it all on their own. It's a perfect teaching tool to raise little adults and to open conversations about future careers.

At Wannado City kids are called "kidizens"; this name applies to them because they are treated as little citizens who are in charge of what they want to do, or what they want to learn about. The choices are endless; once you arrive you'll be given a map and a list of things to try. Mark some of your favorites and note if a job is scheduled and what venues are open and at what times. When you enter the kids are given Wongas to spend. This special money works all over the city; it can even be used for discounts in the gift shop.

A few of the features at Wannado City are the Motorola M-Lab. This job takes about twenty-minutes to complete and kidizens are paid $60.00 in Wongas. You will get an M-Lab card if you win the video game, and you also receive a notepad and a pen for trying.

A special venue for girls is The Glam Spot Beauty Salon. Little girls can get their hair done; their nails painted and can experience the setting of a real salon. Parents are not allowed in but they can watch the smiles appear through the window. Kids will be able to pay for the services, each one cost a different price. Upstairs from the salon is the John Casablancas Modeling Studio, so after the girls spend time at the beauty shop, they can model clothes and walk the catwalk. The Modeling Studio has hip music and boys may also participate, but most need bribing. Parents are encouraged to sit in the chairs and enjoy a fashion show.

PGH (Plantation General Hospital) allows for kidizens to play nurses and learn about helping care for newborn babies. They will dress kidizens in scrubs and then teach them to bathe and feed the babies. Kids may also learn about blood work and perform surgery.

There is a Wannado City Fair, there is a height requirement so some kids may get to ride and others won't, there is a play area a few feet down the road so smaller kids can still have fun.

Kids are excited to shop at Publix Super Market. They can pick groceries and check out items, they will be paid and the shopping carts are kid sized perfectly. Parents will delight in seeing what kids choose and how they shop. It can become a learning experience for all when you visit the grocery store in the future.

A new added feature is Frontline Animal Hospital. It just opened at the beginning of November 2007. The view from outside will peak the interest of any child who has a dog. Kids learn about how to take care of animals with videos and a full size dog that they have on an operating table. Kids will receive a sticker and will be paid for their participation.

A sweet intermission can be found at the Wonka Candy Factory. Kids are allowed to make a Wonka chocolate bar and cover it with Wonka squeeze. Parents aren't allowed in but will no doubt enjoy the creation.

Carrion Canyon, Paleontology is located on the first floor and has three parts; each part is twenty minutes long and runs consecutively. This allows for kids to spend at least one hour digging for dino bones, artifacts and rocks. If you have a child who wants to explore and loves to dig this one is a perfect combination.

J. Jewelers allow you spend Wongas and you can make bracelets, it has plenty of chairs so that parents can sit down and help. There is a jeweler there to coach if you need one.

Upstairs has a few other attractions, Strobe Dance Club and The Spirit Airlines Flight Academy. Everyone is considered a Co-Capitan at the flight academy, flights leave every fifteen minutes and they only take four kidizens at a time, so if you arrive late, the dance party area will let them run off some steam before the next shuttle leaves for takeoff.

Parents are allowed at a few jobs. The CNN, Cartoon Network TV Studio will need a parent's presence. This takes about an hour and requires a lot of reading. You can also purchase a DVD of the news cast that your kids present. The DVD cost $10.00.

Ringling Bros. Clown College is a family favorite, it is a scheduled event so check the times so that everyone can participate, don't be surprised if a parent is pulled out of the crowd to spin plates or dance with the other clowns.

The Hall of Justice is for parents also, it has court style pews and can be a resting place too. A mock trial is set up for the kids who attend Marshall & Marshall Crime Lab.

My kids enjoyed working and of course getting paid for jobs, it taught them the value of money too. There is a bank located in Wannado City, they can deposit their money and withdraw it at Wongas ATM's around the park.

The mall is located just outside Wannado City, I only have one complaint, the food at Wannado City was not very good. It seemed overpriced and not very fresh. Your Wannafinder will allow to exit the park to get something to eat since no outside food can be brought into the park. Your Wannafinder bracelet also allows you to locate where your group or children are at any given time by scanning your bracelet at a Wannafinder kiosks.

There is a grown-ups lounge located on the second floor just outside the modeling studio; it's a place for parents to relax while their children are at a scheduled event. Take advantage of this area, it will be a long day and you want to be refreshed for the ride home when everyone is talking at once about how much fun they had.

Here are some helpful tips if you are visiting Wannado City for the first time.

Upon arriving you will have your picture taken; you will be given a photo claim check with a number in the lower right hand corner. You'll want to save these for future viewing of the photos taken of your kids at Wannado City. A good idea is to write the date on the claim check so you don't forget the date you were at Wannado City if you don't view your photos upon leaving the park.

You may also want to bring a backpack that you can carry things in so when kids receive items from a job they won't want to carry them around. Lockers are available but having your items with you might allow for an easier exit at the end of the day.

Also bring a wallet for the boys and a small purse for the girls so that monies don't get lost or combined. Helping the kids stay organized will ensure that they experience the most from Wannado City.

You can bring video cameras or still cameras, and bring plenty of film because it will be an experience for everyone to remember.