FREE Chocolate Factory Tours for Children in Cheras!

Chocolate and Children……

A combination which may just appeal to some of you so I thought I would let you know about the new Chocolate Factory Tours available at Benns Ethicoa!

FREE tours for children under the age of 12 and just RM30 for adults, you can be taken on a journey into their world of chocolate as they introduce you to their Bean-to-Bar artisanal chocolates.

Located in Cheras, these fabulous tours are guaranteed to educate the whole family on the intricate making and producing of chocolate. From sorting and roasting, to tempering and moulding, Benns do everything from start to finish using only the best produce supporting Asian farmers in the region.

They use only 3 natural ingredients (cacao nibs, cocoa butter and unrefined cane sugar), our chocolates are 100% natural, vegan, gluten-free and nut-free.

As well as their factory, Benns offers an onsite cafe and shop. Your Chocolate Factory Tour will conclude with a FREE taste of a chocolate pastry and a beverage so it’s the perfect opportunity to indulge in some of their amazing products, all of which have been halal-certified.

If you’d like to enjoy the Factory tour experience, these run Tuesday to Sunday, on the hour, from 11am to 5pm. (The cafe is open from 10am until 6pm if you fancy trying it out!) Each time slot is for a maximum of 8 people and as these tours are pretty popular, especially on the weekends, so please be sure to book in advance by emailing factorytour@bennsethicoa.com or calling or +60 3 9082 0955

Anyway fancy a treat?! S x

The New-Look TTDI Library is OPEN!

Look at this!

It’s been renovated, it’s reopened, and it’s ready for you!

The TTDI Library is now officially back in operation and it looks amazing! Thanks to Perpustakaan KL who have got some great photos of the new-look public library, we can take a sneak peak inside!

Launching new services, and the latest collection of books, the whole library has been transformed, but it’s the dedicated children’s library that really caught my eye!

Its bright colours and illustrated walls are just the beginning: the upgrade to their facilities now means that they have an internet corner, games lounge, a movie room, and modern features such as their interactive tables!

Definitely worth a visit, but also keep an eye on their FB page for news of special events like storytelling sessions, and children’s activities!

Find the library here:

Pusat Komuniti TTDI,

Lot 31204, Jalan Athinahapan,

Taman Tun Dr Ismail,

6000 Kuala Lumpur.

Their opening hours are:

Monday (2pm – 6.45pm)

Tuesday to Friday (10am – 6.45pm)

Saturday to Sunday (10am – 5pm)

Closed on public holidays and first weekend of the month.

Just another reason to love reading and to get the little ones to enjoy books! S x

The New Book Sharing Scheme for Families at The Linc KL

I’m going to add a splash of colour to your Tuesday morning with this gorgeous little set-up at The Linc KL.

They have recently added this cute ‘Book Sharing Corner’ on Level 2 of the mall where you can donate your pre-loved books and exchange them for books already left there by others.

It’s a great initiative to help save paper, encourages your children to recycle/reuse, saves you money, helps those less fortunate and, of course, inspires your little ones to love books and reading.

It’s open every single day from 10am to 10pm so pop along, drop off some books, pick-up some books, and have a little read….. I love this idea! S x

Sunway Velocity Mall: A Child-Friendly Mall to Add to the List!

It’s time to update one of my most popular albums and give you yet another option of a FREE indoor playground before the school holidays arrive again!

I will give you the main details now but feel free to check out my entire album here before you leave to get some ideas of FREE play areas to visit in differing malls around the city next time the little ones are off school!

This colourful set-up at Sunway Velocity Mall can be found up on the second floor of the mall near Parkson and Toys”R”Us. It’s a great enclosed space that includes multiple slides, tunnels, monkey bars, and climbing opportunities, ideal for children under the age of 12.

For those of you who didn’t already know, Sunway Velocity Mall also has a “VeloKiddie” Club for children up to 12 years old, which offers extra benefits around the mall, as well as invites to special family events and activities available exclusively to VeloKiddie Members!

Membership is completely FREE of charge, you just need to sign up online, and then collect your card (and a FREE gift!) next time you are at the mall! Definitely worth the few minutes will take you to fill in the application form so what are you waiting for?! Click here to register!

While this play zone isn’t a new addition to the mall, I’ve only just found out about it thanks to a couple of my lovely followers who mentioned it to me!

Definitely a family-friendly mall with great children’s facilities to add to the list!

Enjoy, S x

Father’s Day Competition to win FREE tickets!

Last month we celebrated the mums, this month we celebrate the dads!

Father’s Day is fast approaching so I have teamed up once again with the lovely people over at The Parenthood for this week’s amazing competition.

We are looking for 5 lucky winners to win a complimentary ticket each, to admit one child and one accompanying adult to one of the three Parenthood playlands here in KL; choose from their centre at Sunway Putrq, Sunway Pyramid, or their newest centre at Mytown Shopping Centre.

To enter the competition, pop over to my FB page and answer the following question:

What is your ideal way to spend a day with your little one(s)?!

Ladies, if you’re entering on behalf of your husband’s, be sure to tag them so they can enter too and you’ll double your chances of winning!

This competition is open to my Kuala Lumpur Kids followers ONLY but also be sure to show your support to The Parenthood FB page to keep up to date with offers and future events!

To be in with a chance of winning, here are the rules and regulations:

1. This competition is only open to people who have liked my Kuala Lumpur Kids FB page.

2. Participants must be 18 years of age or over and currently residing in Malaysia.

3. Entrants need to leave an answer in the comments of my FB post linked here.

4. The deadline to enter is at midnight (Malaysia) on Friday 14th of June 2019.

5. 5 (five) winners will be picked at RANDOM with the announcement being made via my Kuala Lumpur Kids FB page on Father’s Day (16th of June 2019)

6. Winners must be contactable via FB and respond within a week of the winner announcement. After this time, an alternative winner will be chosen at random.

7. Winning tickets will be valid for 1 month after the winner announcement has been made.

8. Upon winning, winners must submit their details (name, child’s name and age, contact number, email, and preferred outlet)

9. Any additional tickets for family and friends must be purchased at the regular price.

10. Tickets need to be collected from the chosen Parenthood Outlet.

This promotion is no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook. Please do not include any personal information in the comments below and understand that any information given is being given to the owner of this Facebook page, and not Facebook itself.

Any entries after midnight on Friday 14th of June 2019 will not be included in the draw.

Good Luck, Sarah

Kuala Lumpur’s Lake Gardens by Night.

I can’t say that you’ll often find us out late in a park, but with the recent heat, it was a very welcome change to still be strolling around the Botanical Gardens with friends at sunset.

The park (also known as the Lake Gardens) took on a whole different feel as the colours changed, and night fell upon the lake. As vibrant as always, we went to one of our favourite KL playgrounds where my two never get bored of the immense amount of structures and slides to attack!

We made our way through the Sunken Garden before heading to the lake to make the complete tour of the water. We weren’t the only ones with the slightly cooler temperatures hitting at the end of the afternoon, we were joined by joggers and many a family with little ones on scooters and tricycles, which only added to the ambiance of the park.

The Botanical Gardens are open daily to the public from 7am to 8pm, and are completely free of charge. Set around the main lake, you will find a host of different features from a Deer Park, waterfalls, two separate playgrounds, bamboo play structure, fountains, and the Sunken Garden.

Of course we have visited the Gardens on many occasion during the day, so to check out that review, click here.

Proving that there’s always something new to discover, a new take on something familiar, I’m glad we found ourselves seeing Perdana Botanical Garden through new eyes.

Have a great week ahead everyone, S x

Free Indoor Play Zones in Kuala Lumpur Malls.

I’m starting the week looking at some of the malls in the city that have implemented FREE play areas for the little ones.

After you enjoyed my last album on Kids Cafes in KL so much, I thought it would be good to have an album on the child-friendly malls offering a free play zone to enjoy when the kiddies (and maybe you!) need a break in the middle of a shopping spree!

We’ve been impressed by the likes of MyTOWN Shopping Centre and IPC Shopping Centre for being so family-orientated, and it seems department stores like Parksons are also introducing more play zones for children to enjoy, at no cost at all.

Slides, climbing frames, swings, and a dedicated space to run around a bit, it’s a really great idea! There are also malls offering free reading corners, rain forest walks, nature experiences, and even water splash areas, but for now, I will dedicate this collection to play zones, with a view of keeping this updated when I find something else to add to it. So, save it, share it, pop back….and let’s see what else we can find to keep us busy in Kuala Lumpur!

Have a great week, S x

1 Utama Shopping Centre:

1 Utama Shopping Centre

They introduced this lovely colourful, safari-themed zone in 2018 and it’s a really nice addition for families when on a shop at this massive mall!

Not only this, but of course they also now have their Kids Splash Pool located downstairs just next to FlowRider which is is also free of charge, perfect for a cool off, and in sight of plenty of eateries!

Sunway Pyramid:

Sunway Pyramid

One of the most recent playgrounds to pop up is located right at Starbucks on LG1 of the infamous Sunway Pyramid.

Set mostly outside, but with a few small pieces of equipment indoors as well, I think this will be a firm favourite with parents wanting to enjoy the shade of the coffee shop terrace while the kiddies enjoy the free play area.

The main outdoor play structure complete with colourful slides, climbing and tunnels, resembles a boat and is set in the garden area. Add to that some small equipment for younger children and you’ve got a great place to hang out in the middle of a shopping spree!!

Not solely for Starbucks clients, this is for everyone, but I guarantee it’s a busy place, especially on the weekends!

IPC Shopping Centre:

IPC Shopping Centre

This second floor of the mall in Mutiara Damansara went under quite the renovation. They opened up ths great little free play zone with slides, swings, roundabouts and ‘plyground games’ etched out on the floor.

Not only this, they have cleverly placed this space near to some cafes, so you can compbine a play with grabbing a snack or having a coffee.

(One of our family favourites is just nextdoor: Bucket B Cafe!)

MyTOWN Shopping Centre:

MyTOWN Shopping Centre

This is a great family-friendly mall with lots of outlets aimed at children. But in addition to that, they have multiple play zones which are all free of cvharge to use.

There are two areas up next to Molly Fantasy (on level 2) which are great for toddlers and younger children, and also a couple of zones ( in-sight of Ikea) which has a large slide and a colourful playground for all children up to the age of 12.

The Curve, Mutiara Damansara:

The Curve, Mutiara Damansara

There’s not one, but two play zones, plus the wonderful added feature of a relaxing aquarium to wander around. Their signage says that the playground is aimed at children aged 5 to 12 but I’m pretty sure this great and used by younger ones too! It includes slides, tunnels and climbing areas, all located on the 1st floor outside Mothercare and the LEGO shop.

You can then head over to their sea-themed zone where little ones will love checking out the fish in the aquariums before playing in, and sliding down, boats! They sanitize the space daily but just know that this takes place between 3.30pm and 4.30pm daily so you won’t be able to use the area then!

Centrepoint Bandar Utama:

Centrepoint Bandar Utama

There is a colourful little playground with enough pace to run around just in front of the Hawker Food Centre. It’s got the usual suspects of climbing frames, slides and a roundabout, and will undoubtedly be a welcome sight for most children in the middle of a shopping trip!

Parkson:

Parkson

I’ve written a couple of posts over the last year about different Parkson Department Stores adding little FREE play zones to their Children’s Section, and I have to say, i love this idea.

They vary in size, and can sometimes just offer a little slide and some stepping stone cushions, but others offer climbing, sliding, rocking animals, ball pools and some great space for a bit of a time out from shopping!

Here you have pictures from 3 venues that I know to have this free play space; namely DA MEN Mall, Sunway Pyramid, and Pavilion KL

(For Da Men Mall, find them located at Shoes Gallery by Parkson /Little Monsters on the 3rd floor)

If you’re heading for the ou department, this will give the minis a chance to play while you stay nearby!

Free Play Zones at The Curve in Kuala Lumpur.

Today we are off inside to take a look at another mall with some great FREE facilities for families!

Not a new addition, but as I look at putting together a new album for you all, here’s a little look at the playgrounds offered at The Curve, Mutiara Damansara.

There’s not one, but two play zones, plus the wonderful added feature of a relaxing aquarium to wander around. As per their signage, the playground is aimed at children aged 5 to 12 and includes slides, tunnels and climbing areas, located on the 1st floor outside Mothercare and the LEGO shop.

Next, you can head over to their sea-themed zone where little ones will love checking out the fish in the aquariums before playing in, and sliding down, boats!

They sanitize the space daily but just know that this takes place between 3.30pm and 4.30pm daily so you won’t be able to use the area then!

A big shout out to Seng Meng Lim one of my avid followers over on my FB page for sending in great photos of the space before they opened- perfect! Thank you!

Look out for a new album coming soon, S x

Lantern Festivals In Malaysia This Chinese New Year

My favourite part of Chinese New Year?!

It has to be the lantern festivals that light up temples around the country. The glow of thousands of lanterns that brighten a night sky is breathtaking.

If you haven’t yet been this year, you still have the duration of CNY to take the family out and enjoy this stunning sight!

Thean Hou Temple in Kuala Lumpur is simply amazing and one that we make a trip to regularly with visiting friends and family. For those wanting to venture a little further, the lantern festivals at both Fo Guang Shan and Kek Sok Li Temple Penang also look stunning in these photos below and I’ll have to pop them in my to-do-list!

Fo Guang Shan Dong Zen in Jenjarom (Kuala Langat) have their CNY Lantern & Flora Festival running until the 19th of February 2019. Photos courtesy of Jenjarom

Wherever you go, whatever you do, enjoy the festivities with your friends and family this Chinese New Year, S x

Kek Lok Si Temple Penang 槟城鹤山極樂寺