We will be visiting Istanbul next week and I was wondering if anyone knows some nice fun attractions for children aged 9-12 in Istanbul or within a short travelling distance.
Thanks

There is a place called "Şişli Bilim Merkezi" its a nice place.. amazing puzzles and informations about possibility and mathmatics... as our Solar Car is showed there for these days-tomorrow is last.. and internet connection is also avaliable there.. very needed basic informations are given to little brains.. i recommend you to try and actually there must be amusement centers in big shopping malls for children...

Thank you SuiGeneris this is a very nice suggestion, I am already in touch with one of the organisers of this place. From their website and the weekly updates I get from them, it seems to be a very interesting place indeed, especially the activities they provide for children on Saturdays and Sundays. I am definitely taking my family their.
I know of a telifrik over the Golden Horn, and one behind the Hilton hotel, I wonder if there are any more Cable Cars in Istanbul.
What about a fishing area for children, is there any over there?
Is there a Zoo or something similar in Istanbul?

Maybe you can think of Tatilya (the biggest indoor amusement park of Europe)


http://www.tatilya.com/turkce/ulasim2/

and a zoo. It's in İzmit but not really far from İstanbul.

Boğaziçi Hayvanat Bahçesi (the name of the zoo) and it's in Darıca, İzmit.

Thanks mltm, tatilya is a very nice place and my daughter is already excited about going there (my wife too, don’t tell her I said that). The site is in Turkish, it was a bit hard to understand a lot about this place. Is it that there are many places in Istanbul that belong to tatilya and you go from one to the other, and did I understand right that there is a shuttle bus that link these places, you buy a ticket and it serves all those branches?? A brief description would be nice if you please!

I checked the zoo as well, it seems to be big and nice, thanks a lot for that. But should I be concerned for reading this haber: “Dozens were injured in Tuesday's twin tremors, which were centered on the industrial town of Izmit and were felt in Istanbul 50 miles (80 kilometers) away. Izmit was severely damaged in the August 17 earthquake.”?

Ramayan, is this the place you're telling me about?
http://www.carrefour.com.tr/magaza_icerenkoy.asp

Ramayan, Any more suggestions you like to add? Looking at your details and photo there must be still some ideas up yours sleeve. How old are you did you say?