Adding dynamism to the regional family entertainment centre landscape in the Middle East in order to offer something that bit different is the aim for the Ideacrate Edutainment Company.
In an interview with Images RetailME, CEO Shifa Ysuffali explained the ethos behind the newcomer to the FEC operating set-up in the region that boasts brands Orange Wheels, Orange Hub and Orange Seeds.
Ysuffali wanted stimulating and safe environments for her children that would be entertaining while being educational and improve motor skills and creativity. The first Orange Wheels was borne of this DNA and was launched at Al Wahda Mall in Abu Dhabi in 2016. Orange Wheels caters for children aged between six months and eight years.
“We have added those unique touches by creating an environment at Orange Wheels where children could engage in role play,” she explained. Within Orange Wheels there are playgrounds, climbing walls, a toddler village, arts and crafts studio, gym as well as a salon and spa.
“In the toddler village, young children can enact the roles of the barber, chef, fire fighter and so on.“
Orange Hub – currently with two facilities in Al Wahda Mall and Mall of Um Al Quwain – is aimed at seven-year-olds up to teenagers and follows a more traditional FEC blueprint with arcade games and redemption but with more of an eye on social interaction.
She told the website: “We have attempted to encourage more group activities. Owing to electronic gadgets, isolation is becoming an issue for children these days. We wanted to break that pattern by promoting the idea of group activities and active play in an FEC environment. Even when we select arcade games, we opt for ones that allow multiple players.
Orange Seeds, also located in Abu Dhabi, is a British curriculum nursery that caters for children aged up to four years.
While Orange Wheels encourages creative play, Ysuffali and her team are introducing new technologies in Orange Hubs, where the emphasis is on active play and group activities.
“We are sourcing our virtual reality-oriented rides and games in a manner that allows children to sit in groups or play as a team. It’s important to create a cool place for teenagers and young adults,” she said.
