Kidzania, Westfield is a world where children take charge

In a small corner of London there is a world where children are in charge.

And I'm not talking the kind of in-charge which involves chocolate for breakfast or bed at midnight.

But the kind of in-charge where not only do they have to take on the jobs that make the world go round, they have to earn and save their money and even have to clean up after themselves. Can you IMAGINE??

OK, so this is some kind of imaginary world.

Don't let me lead you into thinking their bedrooms at home will suddenly be spotless and little people will start lending a hand left, right and centre.

But for a few hours inside the extremely unique Kidzania at Westfield Shopping Centre in White City this is exactly what happens.

Armed with 50 Kidzos in spending money, youngsters enter a world in which they can apply for jobs, earn money by working, have fun, spend money, open a bank account and generally get out in the 'real' world and find out what it's all about.

From cabin crew and pilots on a British Airways flight to treating babies at Alder Hey Children's Hospital, Kidzania is a myriad of little streets full of shops, medical facilities and eateries which require the help of children in order to operate.

Participants can either choose to earn money - indicated with a plus sign on maps and signage - or spend their pretend money on something fun - indicated with a minus sign.

(In typical girl fashion it didn't take my daughter long to start spending with a visit to the Cadbury chocolate factory).

But it's not all fun and games - well it is - but you know what I mean.

Alongside working in department stores, flying planes for BA, feeding tiny babies in the special care baby unit or joining a dance at the nightclub or theatre performance are more gritty jobs such as delivering the post, cleaning windows, servicing air conditioning and managing building repairs.

And in my case my children (disappointingly?) lived up to their gender stereotypes with Oscar most keen on flying British Airways planes and climbing the outside of buildings requiring repair while Liv gave a huge thumbs up to supermarket shopping, tending to special care babies which needed feeding and bottoms changing and making hotel beds.

'I liked the girls' jobs' she exclaimed. Safe to say I'll be having words with her later.

And perhaps, despite my children's choices for gainful employment, once all the fun and games have been had Kidzania shows them a world of possibilities and has definitely started many a 'when I grow-up I want to be' conversation since.

Although I am now waiting for one of them to suggest they clean my windows at home or post a letter in return for payment.

I can pay them in our left-over Kidzos right?

Five things you may want to know about Kidzania before visiting:

1 Getting there

While the majority of our outings are in Kent, the children without a doubt enjoyed the adventure of a journey into London. It is the holidays after all!

We chose to drive to the O2 at Greenwich where we parked and caught the tube from North Greenwich to White City. It involved one change at Bond Street, you can use contactless debit cards to go through the gates and children under 11 travel free (terms and conditions apply).

For us it was the most straightforward and cost effective way to get there.

2 Have an idea about what they might want to do

Kidzania say there are more than 60 activities to take part in and it's hard not to be entirely overwhelmed when you arrive.

A brief walk round the streets and some idea about what you might want to take part in will help your children get going quickly and make the most of their allotted time (normally four hours) inside.

Although prepare for some UN style negotiations when one wants to go one way and the other in another.

Children under eight must be accompanied to each activity so if you're taking more than one child and they're unlikely to enjoy the same things preparing them that they'll have to take turns throughout the day might be an idea.

3 Don't be put off by the queues

Most activities will require some queuing.

Joining the fire brigade was Oscar's longest wait at about 20 minutes, which I didn't think was too bad for the school holidays.

Signs on the wall outside each activity will tell you how many children each session can take and its duration to help you work out your potential wait. But most move really swiftly.

4 It's a time to be brave

This is a world for children.

Adults therefore have to say outside of each activity if they happen behind a door - albeit usually a glass one.

Others like the postal delivery service or window cleaning can see parents accompany children on their rounds.

The staff are brilliant and support and direct children with the task required so they won't be left at sea - for example giving them a clipboard and tick list of jobs when tidying up the messy hotel room - but this isn't a place for parents to be involved so it is worth talking to your children about the fact that they will need to go it alone in some job roles.

5 Be clear about where Kidzos can be spent

Gather 75 kidzos and you can open a bank account - complete with debit card and access to cash machines.

It became apparent about halfway through our visit that one of mine thought with enough money they could overdose on snacks in the cafe or have a spend in the souvenir shop with their earnings.

Kidzos can be used to buy activities in Kidzania but they aren't for spending on anything 'real'. It is worth making that clear to the little people.

For ticket prices, information on how to book and further details visit the Kidzania website.