The humble children’s ride is evolving into a sophisticated, interactive experience, writes Simon Liddle.
CHILDREN’S rides are ubiquitous everywhere around the world, whether located in FECs, supermarkets, bowling alleys or airports, for example. These rides are a staple part of the amusement experience for younger children and, thanks to a new generation of designs, increasingly diverse and sophisticated in terms of their technology.
As manufacturers and operators explore the possibilities of interactive game elements and ticket redemption capabilities, this category of machines is experiencing a significant period of development. As we move away from the traditional, simple motion-based rides, to
ever-more sophisticated and interactive games, is there a danger that the audience for children’s rides will become limited? Opinion, it seems, is divided.
The reason that children’s rides have become such a fixture at locations as diverse as seaside arcades and shopping malls is simple – they are strong revenue generators that require little maintenance or staffing.
“Kiddie rides are a vital component of the leisure mix,” said François De Freitas of UK-based Jolly Roger, a manufacturer of kiddie rides since 1988 that was acquired, alongside RG Mitchells, by Photo-Me International in 2005. “By creating a child-friendly environment,” he continued, “parents with young children are more likely to visit the retail location and will stay for longer as they combine shopping with entertainment and sometimes dining. Rides can also help reduce the stress of shopping with young children and make parents more likely to shop for longer - increasing sales.”
According to David Robinson of World of Rides, who started producing and selling rides in the UK in 1969 after a youth spent repairing fairground rides with his father, children’s rides work in any location that children frequent with their parents as, after all, it is the parents who supply the coins.
“Although traditionally used in seaside locations, where they were used as front-of-house attractions in amusement parks and arcades, World of Rides formed an operating company in 1970 called In-Store Amusements and began to site them in supermarkets and shopping centres throughout the UK, with great success,” he said.
Read the full article in the October issue of InterGame.
