The Nickelodeon Playtime family attraction in Shenzhen, China is gearing up for its launch in November.

Developed in partnership by ViacomCBS and new leisure group, China Leisure, the family entertainment centre (FEC) will bring the likes of Spongebob Squarepants, Dora the Explorer, PAW Patrol and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to life for the Chinese market.

China Leisure has worked with experience designers JRA and Forrec to create the 1,800sq m attraction, which features more than a dozen attractions across five themed zones and a performance stage.

The attractions are centred around active and immersive play and include drop slides, themed soft play areas, foam pits, interactive games, climbing walls and playground obstacle courses.

Aimed at children aged between two- and eleven-years-old, entry to the attraction costs US$30 for one child and one adult.

Speaking exclusively to Attractions Managementmagazine for an interview in the next edition, China Leisure president Linda Dong said the FEC sector could be "the future" of the attractions sector.

“We see rapid growth in family entertainment spending in China; Children's Entertainment Centres are really gaining a lot of traction here,” she said.

“Malls are actively looking for experience-based tenants right now – it's F&B and children's experiences that are really driving traffic.

“Theme parks are massively capital-intensive and much slower to build out in terms of government permits.

"FECs are very fast to build out and pretty much all the malls want them."

The attractions at Nickelodeon Playtime are child-directed, with no customer journey – families are able to choose how to use the facilities and in which order.

“We're seeing a growing trend for immersive play in China,” Dong said.

“It's not just about telling a really good story and having lots of themed lands and shows, it's about allowing the guest to create their own story.

"Our play is non directed – it's up to the families and kids to decide how they want to use the space. Chidlren have such great imaginations – our goal was to create amazing, immersive lands and zones for the kids to do their own thing in."

Dong was interviewed for the upcoming issue of Attractions Management. To make sure you don't miss out on your free digital edition, click here to sign up.

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