There’s nothing wrong with an educationally valuable day spent learning about dinosaurs at the local museum, but kids need to let off steam. For that, there are few places in Malaysia that are more fun than Sunway Lagoon.

As the name suggests, the Lagoon offers an array of water-based adventures. Chief among these is the Surf Beach, which is great for both professional and aspiring surfers as the pool can churn out perfectly shaped surf waves of up to 2.5m. Kids will love the fascinating 23m high man-made volcano sitting majestically in the middle of the surf beach that erupts with fumes, smoke and fire every few minutes.

As you sit back and relax in the sun, the youngsters can race their friends in the Congo Challenge (a headfirst six-lane racer water ride) or brave the heights and speed of the intense Cameroon Climb. You may even hear your little darlings scream in exhilaration as they drop a steep 15m and shoot up eight metres in the double tube water ride.

Newer attractions are the Voodoo Adventure River decorated with African themed items and the Kalahari Kids, an African village-themed children’s play area. This play area is specially designed for younger children with a wading pool only 30cm deep.

That’s all fun, but the theme park has come a long way from its initial Water and Adventure lands, expanding into whole new (and water-free) areas. The most popular of these is Sunway Scream Park, which is proving to be a big success after its recent opening.

Based on the hit Fox TV series, Prison Break, visitors can have a taste of the Fox River Penitentiary in the Prison Break ‘Live’ experience. Just like in the show, you’ll have to race against the clock to make it out of the disorienting labyrinth filled with frightening surprises – both real and imagined.

A more relaxed activity is the Sunway Wildlife Interactive Zoo, another new attraction opened at the end of last year. The zoo features an interactive wildlife experience that houses more than 90 species of exotic, small and friendly birds, reptiles and mammals.

What makes the park special is that visitors can touch, feel, play and learn about animals such as the blue-tongue skink, prairie dog, sugar glider, macaw, hedgehog and giant tortoise among others at Nature’s Living Class Room.

In the Extreme Park, be prepared to get active in a host of thrill-seeking sports and activities. Explore the lush greenery of the rainforest along strategically designed tracks within the park, hang on tight to a Jet Boat as it spins you around the park’s lake or, if you prefer a bit of peace and quiet, enjoy the lake’s serenity in a kayak or a swan ride.

If you and the family have any energy left then head over the Wild Wild West where visitors are transported back to an old cowboy town. Get wet on the exhilarating Niagara Falls Flume Ride or be swirled around the raging waters of the Grand Canyon River Rapids. There are many fun family rides such as Chief Crazy Horse Carousel, Apache Pots, Butch Cassidy’s Trail and many more so the little ones are not left out as well.

This land features majestic tigers, the world’s largest Scholar Rocks exhibition and the world’s longest Pedestrian Suspension Bridge (measuring 428m in length) that offers a breathtaking view of the whole park from a dizzying height.

Whatever you choose to do to fill your day, you can guarantee one thing at least – by the time you’re done the kids will be thrilled and exhausted, offering you the greatest two luxuries of all: happy memories and an evening of silence.