Dadu, Children’s Museum of Qatar, is pleased to announce the reopening of the Dadu Gardens, located at Al Bidda Park, in the heart of the International Zone at the Expo 2023 Doha, on 12 October 2023, cementing its status as a beacon of education and fun for children aged under 12, along with their families and caregivers. Under the theme: Gardens’ Adventures, Dadu Gardens, which have been operational for one year, are set to offer a range of activities and programs designed to engage and educate children, fostering their development through play and interaction with nature, and will remain in Al Bidda Park beyond the duration of Expo 2023 Doha.

As the first-of-its-kind publicly funded national entity in Qatar, the Dadu, Children’s Museum of Qatar aims to make the local community feel empowered through its collective contributions towards enriching the cultural, environmental, and social ecosystems in the country. Spanning an impressive 14,500 square meters, the Dadu Gardens serves as an outdoor gallery and living classroom of the Museum.

Mr. Essa Al Mannai Director of Dadu, Children's Museum of Qatar, , said, "We are delighted to reopen Dadu Gardens , where it takes its permanent location here in Al Bidda Park, as part of the Expo 2023 Doha and to welcome children and their families to explore, learn and thrive through a range of hands-on experiences and activities. The Dadu Gardens Adventures puts in its core the same values as the Expo 2023 Doha, highlighting sustainability, the green economy, healthy habits, and the environment. We invite the public to discover our programs, where children will have the opportunity to get involved in meaningful activities that will equip them with the skills to set and achieve their own learning journey, furthering our mission at Dadu to encourage all types of play to support and enhance children's learning."

Under the development of Qatar Museums, the construction of Dadu, Children’s Museum of Qatar is being facilitated through unprecedented collaboration between Qatar’s public and private sectors. Donors making contributions of 3.65 million riyals or more become members of The Dadu Founding Family, a group that currently includes: HH The Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Awkaf (Ministry of Endowments & Islamic Affairs), Baladna, ConocoPhillips, DAAM, ENI, ExxonMobil, Intesa Sanpaolo, Baladya (Ministry of Municipality), Ooredoo, Shell, SLB, Total Energies, Supernova and Uniqlo. In addition, Rumailah Group has generously donated to Dadu, two six-seater golf carts for the Gardens Adventures. The golf carts will be used for transportation across the grounds and improve the day to day running of Dadu Gardens especially now during Expo 2023.

Dadu Gardens has been distinctly designed to cater to children aged under 12, offering a diverse range of activities that encompass physical play, creative exploration, narrative adventures, and more. It uses the power of authentic play and engagement with nature to support children’s development. As such, Dadu Gardens feature nine distinct facilities where activities and programming are scheduled to take place:

1. Edible Garden: A working garden where children and families are invited to be gardeners and tend to plants that provide harvest for programming activities taking place across the Gardens but most especially in the Garden Atelier.

2. Garden Atelier: An indoor/outdoor space that supports workshops for children, families, and adults. Both spaces can be turned into kitchens for cooking workshops. As a multipurpose space, it can also host many other activities.

3. Community Garden: The Community Garden with its raised beds and gardening facilities, enables children and families to be farmers in the middle of the city, meet new people and strengthen community ties through the common interests of gardening, farming, and using fresh produce.

4. Permaculture Showcase: The Permaculture Showcase is the beginning of what will eventually become Doha’s first City Centre Food Forest. This area is dedicated to showcasing permaculture in action. Permaculture offers a holistic approach to farming, one that seeks to work with and not against nature.

5. Kashta: A space that nurtures a love for nature exploration. Mud kitchens, a DIY adventure course, and messy sensory play set in nature encourages children to get comfortable with the natural world. Kashta is a tribute to the popular pastime of camping out in the desert during the cool winter months to enjoy the clear starlit skies and natural environment.

6. Amphitheatre: The Amphitheatre is a family-friendly, multifunctional performance space. Its versatile stepped seating can be used in many ways including story picnics or as construction platforms for giant blocks.

7. Events Plateau: The Events Plaza occupies the highest point of the Dadu Gardens site with views over Al Bidda Park to the Central Business District in the West and the Cultural Quarter to the East.

8. The Promise Plaza: The Promise Plaza features a specially commissioned sculpture, by KAWS. The Plaza can host programmes, busking activities and smaller exhibitions and art installations.

9. Al Marj: This is the site for our future playground. In the present, this is being used as a gathering space for games and more. Al Marj, or meadows, are often cultivated by families in Qatar to create a scenic and cooler grassy area for socialising.

Activities at the Gardens’ Adventures, during Expo 2023 Doha, will include making art with natural materials, exploring the edible garden, learning about the world of worms, participating in gardening programs, and gaining valuable insight into recycling. The gardens will also feature monthly themes, including Health and Wellness (October), Dadu Children Month (November), and Heritage and Culture (December), as well as special events to keep visitors engaged and excited. Dadu Gardens will be open to the public during on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays: 4:00pm to 8:00pm.

To ensure a safe and optimal environment for play, Dadu Gardens also follow a unique entry policy: every adult must be accompanied by a child under 12 years, while children need to be accompanied by an adult above 18 years. Youth between 12 and 18 are welcome to visit when accompanied by both. To register for the Gardens’ Adventures, please visit www.qm.org.qa/tickets/select-tickets/

Source and cover image credit: Press release

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Cassandra Pallagud

Content Writer

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