An Autumn Outing with My Little Monster in Shanghai
They say you're already thirty. I say, thirty is just the beginning. Hi, I'm Little Meatball, a woman who doesn't want to be defined by age. I'm a native Shanghainese. At 27, I married Lao Xue for love. Both of us have stable incomes and no mortgage stress, so we lived a carefree life—shopping, watching movies, enjoying afternoon tea, and cherishing our couple's world.
Until one day, a little boy suddenly dropped into our lives. His arrival shattered our couple's world, turning me into a mom and Lao Xue into a dad overnight. Our life changed dramatically, and our second life began.
Our sleep time shortened, and the word 'lazy morning' no longer existed for us. Our free time dwindled as we revolved around this little creature 24/7. Our need for a car surged; weekly outings with the baby made a car essential. Our living space shrank—the study was transformed into his little den.
As you can see, our needs kept changing along with our new roles. When it was just the two of us, we didn't really need a car. In a big city like Shanghai, the metro or ride-hailing services easily solved all transportation issues, plus we avoided parking hassles. Our home didn't need to be big, just enough for two. But after the baby arrived, a car became a necessity, and we wished for a larger house. So we bought a car, renovated our home, all to give our little one a better environment.
On our baby-outing adventures, our travel radius expanded. From then on, our romantic weekend trips turned into cozy family outings.
When it comes to family outings, Shanghai has plenty to offer—from museums to amusement parks, from the city to the suburbs, you can pack every weekend full. The places I love taking my baby are those suitable for both adults and children; otherwise, how can it be a true family trip? Only when we both find something interesting can we make the most of the lovely weekend. So, taking advantage of the crisp November weather, I've picked some classic and fun routes, and with my little monster, we set off on a two-day, one-night family adventure.
The Museum Most Loved by Shanghai Kids
Shanghai, a city home to all sorts of museums—from nature to culture, from science to daily life—each has its own charm. But if you ask me to recommend one suitable for kids, it has to be the Shanghai Natural History Museum! It's the museum most beloved by Shanghai children, thanks not only to its lifelike animal specimens but also its many interactive experiences. Lao Xue and I both love museums; even before we had a child, we had secretly visited it. Now with a baby, we're even more eager to let his imagination roam, travel back to the Jurassic era, explore the mysteries of origins, and in this wondrous world, step into a vibrant realm of life.
We drove through streets and alleys to the Shanghai Natural History Museum in the city center. The museum has no parking, so I recommend parking in the shopping mall across the street.
After parking, we entered the museum. Tickets can be bought online in advance, and entry is with your ID card. The Shanghai Natural History Museum is the nature branch of the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum, one of China's largest natural history museums. The old museum, with a 50-year history, closed in 2014. The current museum is located inside Jing'an Sculpture Park, and it boasts over 290,000 items in its collection. It's the most detailed, comprehensive, and diverse natural history museum I've ever visited.
And this acclaimed museum costs only 30 yuan per ticket—truly the king of value. Just avoid Mondays, as it's closed then. As the prologue of the museum, the 'Mysteries of Origins' exhibition uses telescopes and explains their principles to briefly and cleverly trace humanity's quest to understand the universe and the origin of life.
Following the ramp, we reached the 'River of Life' exhibition, one of the children's favorites. It features once-dominant species and present-day biological stars: the dinosaurs that met a tragic end in the Cretaceous, ancient reptiles like turtles, amphibians that move between land and water such as lizards, crocodiles, and giant salamanders. The specimens are incredibly lifelike, and electronic displays beside each one bring these creatures to life.
Nature is like an arena. After billions of years of evolution, every species has developed its own unique skills. Their distinct feeding tactics and reproductive strategies are two key weapons for survival. My baby might not understand the underlying principles, but just seeing so many novel creatures is fascinating enough.
When you reach the African section, don't miss the film screening. Wild animals from Africa, along with baobab trees, stand realistically on the simulated savanna. When the film starts, you feel as if you're right there on the grassland—zebras, giraffes, lions, jackals—feeling the wind and the thrill of running across the plains.
The museum has many halls, and if you take your time, you could easily spend a whole day. My baby is still young, so he can only grasp things on the surface and can't explore in depth, so a morning was enough for us.
Right outside the museum is Jing'an Sculpture Park, the only specialized sculpture park in downtown Shanghai, an open urban park. During cherry blossom season, its cherry blossom corridor always draws crowds.
Across the sculpture park, on the other side of the road, there's a restaurant specializing in crab roe noodles. In autumn, Shanghai is the season of plump crabs with rich roe. Shanghainese love noodles, and having a bowl of seasonal crab roe noodles—combining two treasures, crab and noodles, in one bowl—is simply the best of both worlds.
The noodle shop is small, and a bowl costs 88 yuan. Golden and fragrant, you pour the crab roe over the noodles, pick up a chopstickful, and swirl it in the roe so every strand is evenly coated—rich, fresh, and tender.
The Amusement Park with the Most Old Shanghai Charm
After a satisfying meal, we took the baby to our second stop—Shanghai Great World!
Got into the car, adjusted the seats, and we're ready to go! Simply voice-navigate to 'Shanghai Great World' to get there. Shanghai Great World is a famous entertainment center and a landmark of old Shanghai. After I grew up, it was closed for 14 years and later reopened after renovation. It's filled with childhood memories for Shanghai kids. Put on some vintage clothes and let's star in our own old Shanghai story!
If you want your child to learn about old Shanghai, Great World is a great place. It has four floors, accessible by elevator, so no worries about strollers.
The first thing you see upon entering on the 1st floor are the vintage distorting mirrors! Although they've been updated, they still recall many memories, and for today's kids, they remain a favorite.
In the corridor on the 2nd floor, lanterns decorated with intangible cultural heritage elements hang everywhere, perfect for photos. At the other end of the corridor is a whole glass wall made of cartoon dolls, and there are various handicrafts like tie-dye and sand painting that kids can try making themselves.
On the 3rd floor, the rest area features tables and chairs made from flower drums, which can be used for resting and also let kids drum on them playfully. There are four intangible cultural heritage themed areas, full of Chinese style, great for photo ops.
The 4th floor is my favorite, with rich content. I strongly suggest starting your visit from the 4th floor and working your way down.
The '1978 Old Shanghai Street' recreates the old Shanghai of that era: long articulated buses (called 'dragon buses'), public phone booths, Shikumen lanes, and more—so many memories! Sharing stories of our generation with the child is really fun. This area is great for vintage-style photos, so wearing qipao or retro clothing works perfectly.
The Fantasy Kaleidoscope is like a giant kaleidoscope; walking inside feels like entering a magical space.
Besides watching shadow puppet performances, you can also buy shadow puppet dolls. There are fun intangible cultural heritage activities like sugar blowing, dough figurines, and sugar painting, all childhood memories for us. You can't help but admire the craftsmen's exquisite skills.
Shanghai's Most Beautiful Autumn Street
Shanghai in October is the most comfortable season of the year. The air is tinged with autumn, warm sunshine, and fresh air. We wanted to take advantage of the sunset glow and bring our baby to stroll along the most beautiful autumn streets, stepping on the fall foliage, so we headed toward Wukang Road.
When out with a child, you're always taking photos, and phone batteries drain quickly. Luckily, the car has a wireless charging pad—just place your phone down and it charges automatically, super convenient. Driving through Shanghai's streets, the car played soft lullabies for the baby, isolating us from the outside noise and letting him take a little nap.
If Shanghai entrusts its splendor to the Bund and Lujiazui, then it hides its gentleness and delicacy within the deep courtyards of its villas and lanes.
And Wukang Road is just such a never-fading Shanghai dream. Only by walking here can you see the myriad charms of Shanghai: quiet, elegant, with a touch of the patina of time.
In November, the plane trees on Wukang Road start to turn yellow, their leaves drifting past the European-style buildings lining the street, gently falling with the breeze.
Wukang Road has many boutique shops and cafés hidden in old villas. WIFY's viral ice cream is my baby's favorite; its signature sea salt caramel flavor is rich and intense. Every time we come, there's a steady stream of people checking it in—holding their ice cream in front of the old villa, under the tree shade, showing off this trendy treat.
And next door, LOKAL is also a well-known Western restaurant on Wukang Road, specializing in brunch and afternoon tea.
Even though we arrived late, it didn't stop us from enjoying delicious food. Sitting outdoors, we savored the last rays of sunshine and wrapped up our day's journey.
The Best Outdoor Park for Kids
The next day, we went to a large outdoor parent-child park, Jigao Rabbit Nest Parent-Child Park. Since having the baby, we've visited amusement parks big and small all over Shanghai, but this one has been on my bucket list. I wanted to pick a crisp autumn day to enjoy it thoroughly.
Rabbit Nest is a large outdoor parent-child park newly opened in Shanghai this year. There are many amusement parks in Shanghai, but one focusing on outdoor parent-child fun, and on such a large scale, is rare. It's right next to Shanghai Disneyland and Yioulai. From Luoshan Road Elevated onto the Outer Ring Expressway, just step on the accelerator, full of power, and you'll arrive in about an hour.
On the way, the baby wasn't bored. He would chat with 'Little WEY' from time to time: 'Xiao V, open the panoramic sunroof,' 'Xiao V, turn off the AC'... Xiao V can do so many things. After chatting, he could watch a cartoon on the in-car iQiyi app, and we always worry he'll refuse to get out of the car.
For those who love the outdoors, I highly recommend bringing a tent, a stroller, comfortable clothes, spare clothes for the baby, and some delicious food for a great family outdoor trip. Every time we go outdoors, we need to bring a lot of stuff. Before, Lao Xue had to carry everything himself; now with the car, it saves a lot of effort, and we always pack the trunk to the brim.
With the sensor-controlled electric tailgate, we grabbed all our bags and headed into the park for some fun!
It's about a 5-minute walk from the parking lot to the park entrance. We bought tickets online in advance. If you love sunshine, picnic, or live nearby, I strongly suggest buying an annual pass; just two visits will make it worth the cost. Once inside, you're immediately dazzled. The park creates all sorts of dreams for children with bright colors and fresh, cute cartoon animal shapes, as if you've entered a miniature world. Climb a colorful castle, sit on a giraffe's neck, jump from one silly rabbit to another adorable one—dreamy and fun.
Rabbit Nest is mainly divided into three areas: Rabbit Kingdom, Growth World, and Creative Bay. Right opposite the main entrance is Growth World, like a little castle with a lovely name—Sky Castle. Climb to the top, and you'll feel closer to the sky. In Growth World, there are many play projects rarely seen in Shanghai and even across China, like a super-long zip line and complex tower combinations—truly a children's world.
Beside Growth World is a large lavender field. Unfortunately, the lavender blooming season had passed. But Rabbit Nest always has different surprises: even without lavender, there are vast expanses of verbena and a rose garden, adding a brilliant touch to this autumn.
Exiting Growth World, right across is Rabbit Kingdom. Just the name sounds adorably cute. This area is designed for younger children, with slides, climbing, and more—nothing is missed. In addition, swings, sand pits, climbing, racing, zip lines, go-karts, and slides are all concentrated here.
The most eye-catching feature in Rabbit Kingdom is the several viral rabbit statues in the Rabbit Castle area. The macaron-colored rabbit castle shape is full of fairy-tale charm, with soft sand below. Kids can weave through the rabbits and slide down from a giant carrot—so adorable.
Besides these viral rabbits, each themed section has different little animals—giraffes, caterpillars—that draw children into this colorful fairy-tale world. They climb up ropes and then slide down, playing for half the day. In Rabbit Nest, there's certainly no shortage of slides and sand; almost every play area has them. So even if the park is crowded, visitors are spread out, and it doesn't feel too packed.
Besides these climbing areas, the arena is also a great place for parent-child interaction. There are bikes and bumper cars, all free.
Unlike ordinary parks, the large lawn here is not only for picnics but also has various swings, viral pin art boards, and other toys. Parents can rest, bask in the warm sunshine, and accompany their children at play.
In short, here children can explore the secrets of dinosaur fossils; experience magical musical fountains; enter a fairy-tale world; and spend joyful time with mom and dad. When they're tired, they can find suitable food experiences on the lawn or at Rabbit House.
Someone asked, 'Do you regret that this little boy disrupted your old life?' I smiled. Being a mom is tough. But his little smile melts all worries away.
Thinking of giving him more space, thinking of taking him to see a bigger world. Thankfully, with you, my life after thirty has become more wonderful.
