Things to do in the Dubai this week: Family activities, fitness deals and dining offers you don't want to miss

Dubai: Another week, another reason to get out of the house. Whether you're planning something for the kids, hunting down a good deal, or simply looking for a new spot to settle into for the day, here's what's worth your time across the UAE this week.

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If you've been trying to get a friend off the couch, now's the time. Until Saturday, 2 May, VEO Fitness members can bring a guest to any location for complimentary gym access, no booking required, just walk in together. First-time visitors also get a complimentary PT assessment thrown in.

For those not yet committed to a membership, the newly launched Social Pass offers a full day of premium fitness for AED 200, covering gym and padel access, one class (subject to availability), pool time, and a matcha or coffee. Available at VEO Hayya Lakes and VEO Meadows Town Center, it's the kind of day pass that makes it easy to see what the fuss is about.

Rove Hotels has quietly become one of the better spots in the city for a long, productive day out. For AED 69 per person, guests across all UAE properties get breakfast at The Daily from 6.30am to 10.30am, followed by unlimited tea and coffee until 6pm, making it a solid option for a laptop day, a casual catch-up, or a meeting that doesn't need a conference room. Running daily until 31 August, it's worth bookmarking.

And if an overnight stay sounds appealing, the hotel's 36-Hour Stay offer lets guests pay for one night and check in as early as 9am, with checkout at 9pm the following day. Available on bookings made through their website until 20 May.

Dubai is full of kids-eat-free deals, but not all of them are worth the fine print. These home-grown options across the city keep things genuinely simple.

At Roasters on Palm Jumeirah Mall, a complimentary croissant and drink comes with every visit, one of the easier breakfast stops for families on the Palm. Nearby, Beyond Velvet offers free kids' meals Monday to Friday with every main course ordered, and runs an afternoon tea for two at AED 159 on Wednesdays and Thursdays between 3pm and 6pm.

Bateel keeps it straightforward with a complimentary kids' meal alongside every main course, any day of the week, with ladies getting a complimentary dessert on Tuesdays.

The Noodle House joins in every Friday, one child per adult, up to 12 years old, with a minimum adult spend of AED 80 and also offers 30% off online orders with free delivery.

Over at Circle Mall, Maxzi runs kids eat free all day on Sundays from 9am to 5pm, giving families a full eight hours of flexibility to make a proper outing of it.

Cooking classes have become one of the better things to do at the weekend for families, after-school groups, and anyone looking for a birthday plan with a bit more personality than the usual dinner out.

Mamalu Kitchen on Palm Jumeirah Mall runs daily sessions from 4pm to 5.30pm where kids learn and cook their own dinner, a genuinely useful weekday activity that works any day of the week.

On weekends, Le Majlis takes a different approach, combining a kids' cooking class with a full sit-down brunch for parents. At AED 150 per person, it runs every Saturday and Sunday from 9am to 2pm, giving everyone something to look forward to.

For something that doubles as a birthday plan, Shvili offers cooking masterclasses for both adults and kids, with birthday packages starting from AED 99. No six-week wait for a reservation and considerably more memorable than a standard dinner booking.