CHILDREN learn faster and better when they play and have fun. It stimulates brain development, especially during early childhood, and helps increase concentration and social skills.
But in this digital age where everyone's focus is often on their smartphones, play also promotes family bonding and the joy of learning through first-hand experience.
This prompted Lilian Chan and her husband, Leroy Lee, to open the NextGen Family Edutainment Theme Park in Petaling Jaya in September last year.
Chan, a former banker, said she found her true calling in parenting support after becoming a mother herself 14 years ago with the birth of her son.
"I started Happy Baby, where I focused on providing advice and help for young parents, including breastfeeding classes.
"After my third child came along, I realised that there weren't many places we could go to have fun together as a family. My family is the reason NextGen exists today," she said.
Although the couple's plans to roll out NextGen was delayed by two years due to the Movement Control Order restrictions, the wait has turned out to be well worth it.
The 45,000 sq ft edutainment centre eventually earned a place in the Malaysia Book of Records as the biggest edutainment theme park in the country.
Their inclusive approach to family fun also warmed more hearts than they expected. Within the first four months of operations, NextGen recorded 100,000 visitors and garnered plenty of positive social media reviews.
"There was this family from Shah Alam who could not afford to buy a PlayStation 5 (PS5) for their five children. So they came all the way to the centre just so the kids could enjoy playing the PS5. Plus, that was also the first time the kids saw their father play a video game, which made the memory even more wonderful.
"The parents also said they felt like teens again when playing video games. Many parents think that video games are bad, but I feel that if you can control the time that your children spend on games, they can improve one's response time and promote critical thinking," she said.
NextGen features three main play structures — Ninja Challenge, Obstacle Course and Imagination Playland — and has something for everyone at an affordable price of RM55 for adults and RM48 for children.
"Once you have bought your ticket, you can go in and out of the theme park throughout the day. On weekdays, we also offer a 50 per cent discount from 7.30pm onwards."
Among the fun activities are the Trampoline Zone, Bubble Bang, Rock Climbing, Arcade Zone, Karaoke, Gaming Zone, Party Room and a cafe.
Chan said the company planned to set up eight more similar theme parks nationwide in the next two years.
"I'm more of a marketing person while my husband is more of a strategist. He has always had good leadership skills, even when we were in school.
"Our three kids are always contributing ideas and suggestions on how to make the business better. My two sons, aged 14 and 10, were the inspiration for our obstacle course while my daughter (age 5) was the one who inspired us to have the Imagination Playland.
"I think one should never stop learning. Even as adults, we can learn from our kids, learn from social media," she added.
The writer was a journalist with the 'New Straits Times' before joining a Fortune Global 500 real estate company. This article is a collaboration between the 'New Straits Times' and Tradeview, the author of 'Once Upon A Time In Bursa'.
