Make a Day of It: Dining, Play Options Abound at This Weekend's International School Expo

This weekend’s Beijing International School Expo at the Kerry Center (with over 40 schools represented) is upon us, and we suggest you make a day of it!

Brought to you by our sister magazines beijingkids and Jing, the fair features plenty of kid distractions and places to eat in the immediate area around the Kerry Hotel and the Kerry Center (and even more if you expand your horizons to the connected China World Mall next door)

The Beijing International School Expo 2015 is sponsored by HealthPro.

None of these choices will require you to go outside to reach -- a good thing given Beijing's wintry weather and the ever-present threat of smog. And while we're on the subject of smog, rest assured that the air at our event will be fully protected via a bevvy of top-of-the-line IQAirs courtesy of our sponsor HealthPro.

As for kid-friendly distractions, we'll have three on-site play areas at the expo itself, but should you tire of those, right next door is the Kerry Hotel's Adventure Zone, a massive indoor play paradise for kids. Three additional attractions are just across the sky bridge in the China World Mall: Page One Bookstore, the Le Cool Ice Rink and the Broadway Cinema Palace (check here for their showings -- unfortunately the site is in Chinese only, though they do show Hollywood films in their original language).

As for food, there's great choices in the hotel itself, as well as in the remodeled Kerry Mall (and plenty more once you head over the skybridge to the attached China World Mall as well).

Here’s a few of our favorites in the Kerry Center:

-- Kerry's Kitchen For the buffet types you can’t go wrong feasting out at Kerry’s Kitchen

-- Kerry's Pantry The perfect spot for a quick cup of joe and a sandwich before you head into the fair.

-- Hatsune Hands down our favorite Japanese restaurant in Beijing has a location in the Kerry with plenty of seating.

-- Bellagio Taiwan’s finest has a spot in the Kerry

-- Comptoirs de France If you’re looking for a quick pick-me-up or a first-class authentic French pastry, this is your go-to spot.

-- Element Fresh A family favorite with an emphasis on fresh California-style cuisine.

-- The Horizon Chinese Restaurant Fancier fare, serving one of the city’s best roast ducks.

-- Wagas Sandwiches and salads from this Shanghai import. This one’s a bit tricky to find as the entrance is on the outside of the building – go out the east side of the mall (next to the office tower) and turn left, it’s on the corner.

-- Ippudo The Japanese ramen sensation who finally landed in Beijing last year. Expect lines as for whatever reason, people have gone nuts for their bowls of noodles that you can order cooked al dente if you so desire.

This article originally appeared on beijing-kids.com.