A New Summer Kid-Friendly Experience: Indoor Family Water Fun at Shanghai Baoyan Paradise Flagship Store!

Summer vacation is here! Every year when summer arrives, my biggest headache is keeping the kid entertained. The moment school's out she's clinging to me at home all day, begging me to take her out to play in the water. I thought about playing in the water in this scorching heat – neither of us wanted to get sunburned, and looking after a kid alone is tiring. I wanted to find a more relaxed option that could cover all the things kids love. After searching for quite a while, Baoyan Paradise ended up being the perfect fit. Baoyan has one of Shanghai's biggest indoor, year-round, temperature-controlled water parks – no need to worry about the weather, awesome! One ticket includes the Water Park, Castle Park, and Cute Petting Zoo. You need to reserve a time slot in advance to enter. Come explore with me!

Baoyan Paradise flagship store is located at No. 11, Lane 3825, Dushi Road, Minhang District. You can get there by subway or car. After parking, I smoothly checked in at the front desk. Everyone gets a paper wristband, which allows you to come and go as you please. Jojo was super excited even before we entered – this is truly a kids' paradise. I was also looking forward to a hands-free, brand-new parenting experience. (Parking is free for the first 4 hours; after that, it's 6 yuan per hour.)

Summer is all about playing in the water! I had done my homework before bringing Jojo to Baoyan Paradise. Besides all kinds of indoor fun, it boasts a huge indoor, year-round, temperature-controlled water park – about 37°C, clean and comfortable. (You need to prepare swimsuits, swim caps, towels, etc. Don't worry if you forget – they’re sold in the park.)

We played after eating. As soon as lunch was over, Jojo couldn't wait to hit the water. The moment we stepped in, wow! So many water slides – you can get up close and personal with the water.

The super-long rainbow slide and all kinds of different shapes are true Instagram-worthy spots. Playing in the water during summer means no worrying about bad weather. The indoor water park keeps the kids happy and makes parents more comfortable.

Jojo and I tried a slide together once. She used to be too scared to try, and this time she really impressed me. Maybe a child's growth happens in a split second, through a tiny, unremarkable thing.

Besides slides, there's plenty more to do in the water park. Adults can join the kids in the water for some parent-child interaction, or bring water guns and splash around with friends.

Jojo absolutely loves slides – with water, without water, doesn't matter. In the children's area, there are several different slides, and she was having the time of her life, even dragging me along to try them with her.

Before I knew it, most of the day had slipped by, yet she didn't seem tired at all. The gentle little slides, splash pads, and seesaws were even more to her liking.

We're usually so busy with work that we rarely get to take her out. I need to seize this rare summer parent-child time and really bond with her, so I played and experienced everything alongside Jojo the whole time.

In the kids' zone, I saw many parents playing with their children. When they got tired, they'd sit in the water and chat – a truly relaxing way to spend time with the kids.

No matter how old the kids are, they can all find something they love in the water park, along with plenty of photo-worthy scenes. You can easily while away a whole afternoon here.

Maybe because I was playing right there with Jojo, she was especially excited. Sometimes she'd try swimming on her own, and even if she swallowed water, she was super brave. Seeing that huge smile on her face made me completely content.

When we got tired, we headed to the whirlpool spa to relax and recline for a bit. This park really understands what parents want – that's probably why it's always so popular!

The whole Baoyan Paradise has five floors with tons of attractions. For me, not having to be out in the sun and being able to bring the kid along in full air-conditioning is pure bliss. The first floor is a slide park – something Jojo really enjoys. (For the slide area, long sleeves, long pants, and non-slip socks are required to prevent scratches and slipping.)

Nowadays many parks have slides, but the number here is almost uncountable – it's like a giant slide castle. Rows of different colors and heights are lined up. Jojo put on her anti-slip socks and excitedly pulled me toward the top of the slides.

Jojo actually chose a relatively high slide, something she'd never tried before. I watched her, sensing she was a bit scared, but she overcame her fear and bravely took that first step – just amazing.

Some slides are really high, including a 90-degree vertical drop. It looks thrilling. Whether kids are Jojo's age or older, they can all find their own slice of happiness here.

Next to the slides is a VR experience zone with cool lighting effects. Kids sit down, put on the VR headsets, and start a fantastic adventure!

After the slides, Jojo and I headed to the Cute Petting Zoo right across from it. That's right, you didn't misread it – there really are all kinds of little animals living here, an indoor petting zoo. We bought grass and carrots that the animals love, and Jojo got down to business feeding them one by one very seriously. (Little gloves are needed for feeding.)

At first, Jojo was a little wary of the alpacas, but then she grew bolder. Whether big or small animals, she accepted them all and fed them with lots of care and responsibility.

There’s quite a variety of animals in the petting zoo: alpacas, bunnies, cats, hedgehogs, birds, and more. Each area has the animals' names and introductions labeled, so kids can learn new things while they feed them.

The second floor is a huge indoor playground. Everywhere you look are macaron-colored ocean balls, and inside the ball pit stands a candy castle with all sorts of little slides.

This is perfect for kids around Jojo's age. My friend and I got pulled into the ball pit to slide and throw balls at each other. And honestly, it was super healing – I felt like I'd gone back to my own childhood, all my worries instantly gone.

When I got tired, I'd sit on a nearby bench to rest a bit. Jojo could play in the ocean balls for ages by herself, which truly freed up my hands – parenting became so effortless.

Inside the playground, there's also an area for drawing. Jojo loves Peppa Pig, so she decided to paint a Peppa Pig to take home. The staff at Baoyan were incredibly attentive, guiding Jojo like a teacher and showing her how to paint.

Look how focused Jojo is! First, she painted the yellow balloon, then dressed Peppa in a blue outfit. As for me, I got to keep sitting, resting, and even reading a book I like.

One painting took about half an hour, and the result was pretty good. She could take it home afterward. If you don't like painting, you can also paint dolls like this – it helps cultivate a child's sense of color and patience from an early age.

After drawing, Jojo went back to playing. The playground is huge, so she could also meet lots of other kids. Nowadays, many kids warm up to strangers instantly, unlike us who were more reserved as children.

Ocean balls, trampolines, and all kinds of adventure games – this place is such a stress-reliever. Kids today have so many classes from a young age, so coming here during the holidays is really just perfect.

Right next to the playground is a family-friendly restaurant. Jojo was tired from bouncing and it was just about mealtime. You can order various snacks, drinks, and desserts that kids love – even the restaurant’s color scheme is pink and dreamy.

After eating and drinking our fill, we hit another game zone on the second floor. There are loads of fun experiences here. You need to exchange game tokens at the counter, then you can enjoy all your favorites. Bumper cars are free!

Kids are generally more into bumper cars and motorcycles – these two attractions have lots of people, especially the boys, who want to ride again and again.

The block world is also great. The blocks here are relatively large, and the space is big – it's a mentally stimulating activity. Jojo was still too small to play, but she watched the older kids for a long time.

Jojo wanted me to play with her, so we chose a super fun car that can spray water to put out fires. And if your aim is good, there are even rewards!

Finally, up on the fifth floor is the outdoor experience zone. Walking up there feels like stepping back into Jurassic World. Climbing walls, a little train, pirate ship – all great for kids.

There's even grass sliding here. When you exit the elevator on the fifth floor, a small blackboard lists the opening times – check it before you queue up.

The carousel is a perfect fit for little girls. Jojo was already beaming from ear to ear. As an amusement park, Baoyan really has packed in every experience. You'd be hard-pressed to find another place where you can effortlessly hang out with your kid and satisfy all their needs. What's even more precious is that during our visit, I saw my child grow and discovered a whole new side of her. I'll definitely bring her back when I have time.

【Summer Holiday Operating Hours】(July–August) Weekdays 9:30–19:30, Weekends 9:30–20:30, Water Park 11:00–18:00

【How to Get There】Baoyan Paradise Flagship Store address: No. 11, Lane 3825, Dushi Road, Minhang District. You can take the subway or drive.