Child Magazine | Joburg May 2012

J O B U R G ’ S

b e s t

gu i d e

f or

p a r e n t s

let’s party your one-stop guide to planning the perfect day

better pill

fun ideas and themes for all ages

party 101 be the hostess with the mostest

www.childmag.co.za

free May 2012

ADHD medication – unnecessary evil or life-saver?

health

education

entertainment

Celebrate with us as we commemorate a new record – we now reach 177 000 parents every month!

May is always a time for joyful celebration at Child magazine. This year we have plenty to party about! After nearly nine years of publishing Child magazine in Cape Town and Joburg, this month we launch in Pretoria. I grew up in Pretoria and my mom, at 75, is still teaching there, so it’s great to go back to my roots, so to speak. Welcome to all our new Pretoria readers. We trust you will come to enjoy and rely on us, as many parents in Cape Town, Joburg and Durban do. Child magazine Durban also joins the party this month – it’s our fifth birthday in the city! So, it’s poppers and party hats all round. As usual, our gift to you every “Let’s Party” issue is the Ultimate Party Guide – featuring everything you may be looking for, from balloons and ball ponds to pirate ships and pamper parties. You’ll also find wonderful party themes, games and cake recipes for every age, stage and season. Make sure you hang on to this issue, because we’ve made sure that if you are planning a party, this is your one-stop shop.

Have a happy May.

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Hunter House P U B L I S H IN G

Publisher Lisa Mc Namara • lisa@childmag.co.za

Editorial Managing Editor Marina Zietsman • marina@childmag.co.za Features Editor Anél Lewis • features@childmag.co.za Resource Editor Simone Jeffery • joburg@childmag.co.za

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May 2012

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contents

may 2012

38 upfront 3

13 best for baby – chew on this

a note from lisa

i f your baby swallows some soil, don’t panic. Anél Lewis explains

6 over to you

14 dealing with difference

readers respond

34 dad’s blog

Marc de Chazal’s younger sister learns the hard way that you should never cycle without a helmet

features

38 resource – the ultimate party guide

a list of everyone and everything that can help you create the best birthday party for your child. Compiled by Simone Jeffery

54 a good read

18 the big day

Glynis Horning investigates both sides of the controversial Ritalin debate

L ucille Kemp offers party suggestions for the different ages and stages

new books for the whole family

22 baking from the heart

making the birthday cake with your child means more than just mixing and icing, says Tamlyn Vincent

26 it’s my party

in this new book full of party theme ideas, Arina du Plessis and Bernice van

der Merwe give you some inspiration 30 no alcohol allowed

there is no place for alcohol at a teen’s birthday party. Gary Koen explains the hard truth

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35 party etiquette

who to invite, when and how? Anél Lewis gives some tips 36 always something there to remind me

Lucille Kemp suggests innovative ways to preserve special memories

60 what’s on in may 74 anél’s finishing touch

Anél Lewis promises to remember entertainment for the children at her daughter’s second birthday party

regulars 8 wins 12 upfront with paul

children are individuals and should be treated accordingly, says Paul Kerton

classified ads 71 family marketplace

this month’s cover images are supplied by:

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May 2012

Joburg

Cape Town

Durban

Pretoria

Accessorize www.accessorize.co.za

shutterstock.com

Christie Lee Mann www.colleensevitz.co.za

shutterstock.com

magazine joburg

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May 2012

5

letters

over to you

the smacking debate Lisa Lazarus’s article, “spare the rod” (March 2012), was shocking to read. It is hard to believe that in this day and age parents still contemplate whether to hit their children, or not. The author asks the question “what is a suitable form of punishment?” My question is: why is punishment needed at all? Then mothers are quoted who justify corporal punishment: “redirecting a child’s action”, “stop a child in his tracks” and “punishing a purposefully defiant” child. Aren’t there better and more loving ways to get a child to cooperate? And even if children do not cooperate, does that mean we are allowed to hurt them physically and emotionally?

I find it hypocritical to state, “… it is beneficial to associate danger with a short, sharp pain… from a loving parent”. How is hitting another person loving?

Not only is there enough evidence that the brain can’t learn anything if in a state of fear or pain, but there is also a moral implication: how would you feel if your “loving” spouse hit you because you did something he or she did not approve of? You would most likely call it abuse. Parenting should be about trust and faith, not about outdated notions of discipline, including “timeouts”, threats and punishments.

Angela Kersten

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May 2012

As the writer of the article, I just wanted to make a few comments. Because of the contentious nature of this topic, part of my brief required that I include both sides of the debate (including interviews with parents who both supported and didn’t support smacking).

Child magazine also made it clear in their brief that they don’t condone smacking, for any reason. There is a great deal of research on this topic. Bear in mind that almost all psychological research can be criticised methodologically (i.e. there are problems in the way the study is set up). Understandably, it is very difficult to research people.

I chose the Gunnoe study for a number of reasons: (1) it’s longitudinal, meaning the research will be conducted over a long period of time (20 years if I remember correctly), and will track the children during this period; (2) it included a control group of the “never been hit”, which allowed the researchers to make comparisons (sadly, it is a relatively new phenomenon for children never to have been smacked – hence, the difficulty in finding such a control group); (3) I could include Po Bronson’s interpretation of the findings (namely: it’s not smacking that is good, but consistent discipline),

and lastly, (4) the findings were interesting, relatively recent and worthy of debate. Gunnoe has published previously in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine (visit ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9265877) on aggression and smacking.

Many parents do support smacking. Presumably, they have thought through their behaviour and their responses to their child, and, as such, the article was also addressed to them. It would be patronising in the extreme to assume that such parents know not what they do. On the other hand, child abuse is rampant in this country, and a mild smack, under very controlled conditions, as articulated by the psychologist in the article, needs to be strongly differentiated from any other violent physical act towards children. I would also like to point out that both psychologists whom I interviewed did not support the smacking of children. Personally I also don’t support smacking as an appropriate form of discipline. However, I believe that it is a topic worth discussing, and that there are a variety of legitimate opinions that deserve airing, without shutting down the debate with absolutes.

Lisa Lazarus

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ritalin should not be first choice I am a mother of a two-and-a-half year old, as well as a teacher at a preprimary school, have a degree in psychology and sociology, and I am a qualified facilitator for children with learning disabilities. I myself have ADD, and a mild form of dyslexia, and have struggled with concentration and focus most of my life. I could not agree more with Liz’s letter “don’t contaminate our children with drugs” (February 2012). Teachers and doctors are far too quick to label and medicate. Ritalin may work for some people, but I feel it is merely putting a Band-Aid on the problem rather than correcting it. There are other therapies that improve concentration without medication. There are also study techniques that improve test results and games you can play with your child that will improve their memory and listening skills, and enhance their self-confidence.

Jo-Ann

money-making scheme In response to Granny’s letter, “the odd ones out” (April 2012), she has a strong point. My eldest son is four and recently started preprimary school. When it came to deciding on extramurals, we gave him a choice of three and said he could do two. He chose to do music and soccer. Two-and-a-half months into the school term, I received a statement for his third choice. It seemed that he had been attending these classes on a weekly basis since the beginning of term and we now had to pay.

First, why are these extramurals allowed during class hours? I don’t mind collecting him 30 minutes later so he can attend extramurals. Why was he allowed to leave his class for this activity when he was not even signed up? Why do I have to pay R2 000 for school fees as well as an extra R1 500 a month for extramurals? And I’m

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paying for extramurals not associated with the school.

Ultimately, I agree with Granny and it all seems to be a money-making scheme.

Roisin Losco

We have been in contact with our Australian team and they do sell up to SPF30+, which is used by the majority of people there.

Nomvelo Ngcobo Brand manager, Nivea Sun, Labello and Elastoplast

teenage drinking The article by Gary Koen, “think before you let them drink” (April 2012), clarified many things for me. I often feel pressured to blur boundaries due to peer pressure (“but mom, all my friends are...”), but reading this has made me feel justified in laying down the law and made me determined to stick to my guns for my children’s sake. This article is going to make a difference to this family.

Joy

I do believe there’s some truth in the view that an SPF 100 is really the same as an SPF 50. I wanted to buy an SPF 100 for my face recently and was told the product is being discontinued, because anything higher than 50 makes no difference. In the end, one has to apply common sense.

My children wear long-sleeved protection and hats and we apply sunscreen every two hours or after swimming.

Tessa

be prepared A Saturday morning next to a river on a holiday farm, 25 minutes from the nearest town, turned into a disaster in seconds. It was with horror that we discovered our accommodation had no first aid kit on its premises and no emergency procedures in place. Thank goodness for guests who had a simple first aid kit and who helped in a life-threatening situation. Parents should remember that a first aid kit of a mild painkiller and tummy remedy will not help in emergencies. Also make sure you have the number of the nearest doctor, ambulance and hospital with you.

Diane Davidson

sun facts In response to the letter “here comes the sun” (December 2011/January 2012), statements, such as that a higher SPF contains too many chemicals and that Australia does not allow an SPF higher than 15, aren’t in fact true.

Follow us on twitter.com/ChildMag and facebook.com/childmag.co.za

write to us Let us know what’s on your mind. Send your letters or comments to: marina@childmag.

You can also post a comment online at

childmag.co.za

co.za or PO Box 12002, Mill Street, 8010. We reserve the right to edit and shorten submitted letters.

The opinions reflected here are those of our readers and are not necessarily held by Hunter House Publishing.

May 2012

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wins

giveaways in may soak up softness hip hip hooray Crazy Chameleon creates and facilitates unique and memorable themed party packages for children and adults. They cover everything from birthday parties to baby showers and kitchen teas, and will tailor the event to suit your budget. For more info: visit crazychamelon.co.za One reader stands a chance to win décor for a party of 10 children and a mini candy buffet, valued at R3 500.

Simply enter via childmag. co.za/wins-jhb and use the code “Crazy Chameleon JHB”.

Your details will be made available to Crazy Chameleon.

Baby Soft is running an on pack promotion offering everyone the opportunity to get an instant reward with discount vouchers for Radox foam bath – making sure you delight in life’s little comforts. Look out for promotional packs with Softie the Labrador enjoying a bubble bath.

One reader stands a chance to win a Baby Soft hamper, with Baby Soft and Radox products and a spa voucher for you and a friend, all valued at R2 000. Simply enter via childmag.co.za/wins-jhb and use the code “Baby Soft JHB”.

Your details are made available to Baby Soft.

french flair Jacadi is a premium children’s fashion range that provides children from 0 to 12 with nursery products, clothing and shoes.

They are a French infants and children’s wear concept brand with over 400 shops worldwide. The only store in South Africa is in Hyde Park Corner. Contact: 011 325 6077 Four readers stand a chance to win a Jacadi voucher valued at R500. Simply enter via childmag.co.za/wins-jhb and use the code “Jacadi JHB”. Your details will be made available to Jacadi.

outdoors eco style

baker baker Timber Toys specialises in imported, top quality toys, including ranges from Le Toy Van and Big Jigs in the UK, Uncle Goose and Manhattan Toys from the USA and Moover from Denmark. Coming soon is the new Moulin Roty range from France. Contact Michelle: 071 898 7910 or michelle@timbertoys.co.za One reader stands a chance to win a Le Toy Van Baking Set, with apron, a working cake mixer, baking goodies, birthday cake, stacking sundae and breakfast set, valued at R2 000. Simply enter via childmag.co.za/ wins-jhb and use the code “Timber Toys JHB”.

to enter simply visit childmag.co.za

Extruwood creates products made from 100 percent recycled plastic. These items, such as junglegyms, garden furniture and decking, are strong and do not deteriorate in poor weather conditions. Green and gorgeous is what they do. Contact: 011 617 9200, ewsales@extrupet.com or visit extruwood.co.za One reader stands a chance to win a lapa bench and a toddler table with four chairs valued at R2 243. Simply enter via childmag.co.za/wins-jhb and use the code “Extruwood JHB”. Your details will be made available to Extruwood.

congratulations to our March winners Marc Paravano who wins with Bill Harrop’s Balloon Safaris; Kate Ansell, Natasha Kelly, Rajashree Ramborosa and Margaret Pon who each win Edukits hampers; Claire Fok, LaurieAnne Jones, Rumeshinie Govender and Andrew Newman who each win with Protect-A-Bed®

or post your entry to PO Box 12002, Mill Street, 8010. Entries close 31 May 2012. Only one entry per reader.

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May 2012

and Alison Dippenaar who wins a Polo voucher.

magazine joburg

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May 2012

9

upfront with paul

a measured approach Don’t crush your children’s individuality by comparing them to others, or by charting their progress on a

w

development chart, says PAUL KERTON.

e all have our own ideas of what our children are supposed to be and do, and how they are supposed to behave and develop by what age – roughly. When they are babies it is much easier because they have an official government-enforced percentile chart, known as the Road to Health chart, and if your baby’s weight or height veers above or below the red line for more than a nanosecond then a very enthusiastic midwife will berate you sharply about giving too much or too little food. And if it continues, social workers will be around to bundle your pride and joy into the back of a van, until you get your portions and priorities right. At that critical period of development, standards do have to be rigorously adhered to or the baby won’t make it. Period.

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May 2012

But the older the child gets the more difficult it is to predict what they should be doing by what age, as there is no official development manual. Once your child gets to three, and certainly to four, then you are definitely on your own. All the best baby books, my own included, caution against comparing your child with others or getting deflated because your son is seemingly not as agile or aggressive as the other boys on the rugby field. Parents can literally drive themselves insane fretting over little Jimmy’s lack of ball control or clumsiness on the piano when, really, it matters, but not awfully.

We all coo in awe at child prodigies who can play Ludwig van Beethoven’s “Fifth Symphony in C minor” or paint a perfect copy of Van Gogh’s “Irises” using mom’s discarded mascara brushes. True,

these are extraordinary, gifted children, but it can be exasperating watching them star on YouTube when all you crave is for your child to sit still for half an hour while they do their homework.

Yes, comparisons may be odious, but there is very little else to go on. As with talent, most children find their own level, and generally progress at a similar pace to their peers; with a few spikes and troughs. Official measurements, charts and gauges are largely replaced with personal observations mixed with school performance. An average student at a top school could very well be a top student at an average school, so there is an odd dynamic at work. At least we have moved on from the unsympathetic era of “smart children” and “stupid children” where everything was very black and white and

any child failing to score upwards of 65 percent in anything spent their week in the naughty chair. The recognition of multiple intelligences, and the blend of intelligence that makes up each of our children, has created a more measured and humane approach; allowing a child who is slow at maths to experiment with other subjects more befitting their academic strengths.

Luckily modern teachers are more alert to the signs of “failing” and provide fresh alternatives in an effort to spread the curricula love.

In the end though, what makes us all so beautifully ourselves is that unique and incredibly complex mix of intelligences and abilities that make up each individual. Let’s celebrate, rather than crush it.

Paul Kerton is the author of Fab Dad 2: From Walking to Talking... and Beyond.

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PHOTOGRAPH: MARIETTE BARKHUIZEN

Saskia, Paul and Sabina

best for baby

chew on this Babies explore their world by putting things into their mouths.

ANÉL LEWIS finds out why they do this, and when you need to worry.

PHOTOGRAPH: shutterSTOCK.COM

a

ny parent of a baby or toddler will tell you that as soon as they discover their hands, “everything goes in the mouth”. My one-year-old daughter has a penchant for sucking on stones, has munched a couple of dogfood pellets and recently ingested a clump of garden soil, much to my horror. I was concerned about the germs and bacteria she was now happily popping into her mouth, but Meg Faure, co-author of Baby Sense (Metz Press), says this practice, also called mouthing, is essential for strengthening a baby’s immune system. “Putting their hands or other objects into their mouths exposes babies to manageable types and forms of germs and this allows the immunity to build up incrementally.”

Mouthing is also a natural and vital part of your baby’s development. Faure

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says babies will start placing their hands in their mouths from about three to four months. “Since the mouth has more tactile receptors than any other part of the body, it is used to explore the qualities of not only the hands, but any toy or foodstuff.” As your baby develops and starts to crawl, she will explore her expanding world by putting most of the objects she encounters into her mouth. Speech-language pathologist Suzanne Morris, of Virginia in the USA, explains that the mouth is your baby’s “window to the world”. By exploring a toy or object with her tongue, lips and jaw, your baby is able to discern more about its size, shape, texture, taste and weight.

Faure says while most babies will outgrow mouthing in the toddler years, it is not uncommon to see six year olds sucking the ends of their pencils.

when to worry Faure says, “The only time a mom should worry is if there is a health risk of choking or poison. If objects hold a choking risk, such as nuts or marshmallows, do not allow your

baby to eat these. Or put marbles in their mouths.” According to the Child Accident Prevention Foundation of Southern Africa (CAPFSA), most choking accidents occur between the exploratory ages of five and 18 months. If you notice that your child has put something potentially dangerous in her mouth, but hasn’t swallowed it yet, gently squeeze her cheeks and scoop out the item with your finger. If your child is choking on an object, hold her up by the heels and give her a firm slap on the back. If you suspect your child has swallowed something toxic, contact your nearest poison information centre for advice and medical treatment.

if swallowed, should also be kept out of reach. An often ignored potential hazard is the garden, which may contain poisonous plants and flowers. Plants to avoid include azaleas, daffodil bulbs, hydrangeas, lilies of the valley and clivias. If your intrepid explorer insists on testing some less than palatable substances, such as dog droppings, voice your displeasure or pull a face. Your baby will soon learn to associate the substance with a negative experience and will (hopefully) avoid it in future.

poison information centres

make mouthing safer

Red Cross War Memorial

Any object that can fit through an empty toilet roll can also be swallowed, and should be considered unsafe. Make sure cupboards containing poison substances, household cleaners and medicines are locked. Keep a look out for small objects, such as buttons, safety pins, glass, balloons or small stones that may be lying around. Magnets, which may cause serious internal damage

Children’s Hospital 021 689 5227 Tygerberg Hospital 021 931 6129 (information centre for all nine provinces) Unitas Hospital Pretoria 0800 111 2229 (toll free)

May 2012

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dealing with difference

rethinking

ritalin

Is this widely-prescribed stimulant a solution for your child’s behaviour, or a potentially dangerous substitute for a healthier diet and better parenting?

By GLYNIS Horning

a

mother describes what is becoming an increasingly common scenario in homes across South Africa and the western world. “My son was in Grade 1 when the teacher called me in,” says Lynne Visagie of Johannesburg. “She said he had concentration issues and couldn’t focus to finish work, he was getting bored and walking about disrupting the class.” Lynne immediately braced herself for the threeletter diagnosis currently handed down to an estimated one in 10 children: ADD, or attention deficit disorder. Then when an educational psychologist confirmed it, she braced herself again for the most commonly prescribed solution: Ritalin.

“Today every other child seems to be on it,” Lynne sighs. “But everything I’d heard made me totally against it. I was afraid and confused.”

While the formal definition may have helped end the punishment of many children, it has also created a label some consider stigmatising. And it’s now so liberally applied that it’s been estimated that a million children in the US alone may have been falsely diagnosed.

“The crux of the controversy is that there is still no single definitive biological, scientific test for ADHD,” says Lynne, who today runs the national office of Adhasa in Randburg. This has prompted US educator and author of Walking Targets (CreateSpace), Beverly Eakman, to protest that “children are being forced to take a drug that is stronger than cocaine for a disease that is yet to be proven”. And Dr Mary Ann Block, head of the (antipsychiatry) Citizens Commission on Human Rights and author of No More

Like many parents, Lynne was reluctant to medicate her child with a drug at the centre of considerable controversy, and for a condition that is relatively new and not clearly understood. “ADD has been around some 60 years,” says Terry Wilke, educational psychologist and former director of the Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Support Group of Southern Africa (Adhasa). It was first diagnosed as minimal brain dysfunction, then brain damage. “These children were seen as naughty troublemakers, and beaten in class or kicked out of school.” Around the 1980s, ADD was diagnosed as a separate disorder, and today the favoured term is ADHD, although you can have attention deficit (concentration problems) without hyperactivity (overactive behaviour), or with other conditions such as learning problems, obsessive compulsive disorder, bipolar disorder and depression.

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May 2012

Ritalin (Block Systems), has asked: “If there is no valid test; no data proving ADHD is a brain dysfunction, why in the world are millions of children being labelled with ADHD and prescribed these drugs?” The answer that they have come up with is that it is an attempt by certain teachers and sometimes parents to control “natural childhood behaviour”, which they are unwilling or incapable of coping with, and a conspiracy by pharmaceutical companies, for which Ritalin and similar medications are a multi-million dollar industry. But what are the facts?

exploring the causes There may be no professional agreement on the cause of ADHD, yet most doctors and psychologists say studies suggest a mix of factors, from genetics to smoking and drinking during pregnancy, food additives or dietary deficiencies, magazine joburg

PHOTOGRAPH & ILLUSTRATIONS: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

The crux of the controversy is that there is still no single definitive biological, scientific test for ADHD.

±1 in 10 children is being labelled as ADHD

brain injury, and differences in the way children’s brains are formed or deal with neurotransmitters. “Specialised techniques indicate that ADHD is caused by insufficient levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the areas that control focus, cognitive planning and executive function, leading to distractibility, poor planning and organising and impulsive behaviour,” says Dr Johan Erasmus, a Pretoria-based developmental paediatrician with a special interest in ADHD.

Neuroimaging has shown differences in the thickness of these regions of the cortex with ADHD children, “but the clinical implications of these changes on ADHD are still not clear,” he says. “The problem with conditions of the brain is that, unlike the rest of the body, we cannot take biopsies to see what is wrong. We need to rely on indirect methods, which make diagnoses open to interpretation.” Theories for such differences therefore vary widely. Thom Hartmann, author of Complete Guide to ADHD (Underwood books), suggests that ADHD is an evolutionary adaptation, a throwback to hunter characteristics. But diet, lifestyle, family and personality are now all thought to play a part, and most professionals working with ADHD say these should be attended to before turning to medication.

could your child have ADHD? It’s natural for children to be inattentive, hyperactive and impulsive at times, but if several of the following symptoms are severe and persist, affecting your child’s progress and family life, Adhasa advises professional assessment: • unable to concentrate at school or read for more than a few minutes, • fidgety, • often sick, • generally disorganised, • easily frustrated, • struggles with social interaction, and • under-achieves.

Get professional diagnosis to eliminate other explanations: • parental conflict, divorce or separation, • abuse or bullying, • uncontrolled asthma or other allergies, • hearing or vision problems, and • stress or depression.

Your GP may suggest a child psychologist, developmental paediatrician, child psychiatrist or child neurologist. For recommendations of specialists experienced in ADHD, contact info@adhasa.co.za or visit adhasa.co.za

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May 2012

15

dealing with difference

the Ritalin dilemma Methylphenidate, distributed as Ritalin or Concerta, increases or “stimulates” the dopamine levels that are too low, restoring focus, and functional and impulse control, says Erasmus. “It’s a stimulant, but it calms an overactive brain, so it works in children with ADHD if properly prescribed and supervised,” adds Wilke. “Sadly this isn’t always the case.”

“The dangers of medicating children who don’t need it into submission are quite tragic, and there are parents putting them on Ritalin who don’t have

an option,” says Durban clinical psychologist Robin Vanderplank, a regional coordinator for Adhasa.

Lynne was one. “My son’s school told me unless I put him on Ritalin they wouldn’t take him back. I told them, ‘You’re the teachers, and you should be able to handle him without resorting to drugs.’ Then I changed schools and started other treatments.”

how risky is Ritalin?

• hypersensitivity,

Ritalin is safe to use and has been in use for more than 60 years, says Dr Johan Erasmus, a developmental paediatrician. “Like any medication it can cause sideeffects, but these subside if the medication is stopped or the dose adjusted, and no long-term side-effect has ever been described with it. Most of the negative effects people are concerned about were seen with the injection, which was taken off the market many years ago, not the tablets, which get metabolised.” Ritalin should not be taken by children with: • high anxiety and agitation, • glaucoma, • uncontrolled epilepsy, and • motor tics or Tourette’s syndrome.

• nausea,

Recognised and reported possible side-effects are: • nervousness, • insomnia or drowsiness,

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Ritalin can have an important role in managing ADHD, but it’s only number 10 on the list of things to try.

May 2012

• loss of appetite, • weight loss, • dizziness, • headaches, • abdominal pain, • dyskinesia (involuntary movements), • blood pressure and pulse changes, and • palpitations, tachycardia, angina and cardiac arrhythmia. Ritalin, like many medications, should be used with caution by those with heart defects or abnormal heart rhythms.

“Reports of Ritalin encouraging addiction are a myth,” says educational psychologist Terry Wilke. “ADHD children not on Ritalin are more likely to use recreational drugs to ‘self-medicate’.”

“Ritalin can have an important role in managing ADHD, but it’s only number 10 on the list of things to try, including diet and exercise,” says Vanderplank (see “managing ADHD”).

Lynne passionately agrees. She put her son on a low-GI diet with omega and vitamin supplements and minimal sugar, and encouraged him to swim competitively and cycle. “He got super-fit and his focus improved, but not enough to complete tasks,” she says ruefully. When academic pressures mounted at high school, she finally agreed to try Ritalin. “It was amazing from the get-go – my boy listened, his marks improved, he blossomed. I felt guilty for not trying it earlier.”

But side-effects slowly set in. “He’d get emotional when the Ritalin wore off, then one morning he came in from a bike ride with serious heart palpitations.” She rushed him to a cardiologist and has since learnt that this is a rare side-effect of Ritalin, and children predisposed to heart problems should not take it.

Today Lynne’s son is 16 and off medication. “He still eats well, takes supplements and exercises, but he’s up and down again with the ADD.” She has the following advice for parents who call Adhasa for help. “Bottom line is that it’s a personal decision,” she says. “But I tell them Ritalin works. If your child is properly diagnosed and monitored for side-effects, go for it. I’ve seen a bad side, but I’ve also seen it can be a life-saver for some children; improving their behaviour, helping them socially and academically, and giving them the confidence to fly.”

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managing ADHD “At a recent ADHD world conference, every delegate agreed that medication on its own is not enough to manage the effects,” says clinical psychologist Robin Vanderplank. Adhasa supports these steps:

avoiding colourants, preservatives and other additives, as well as trans-fats and the sugar, caffeine and white flour some suspect cause spikes and dips in blood sugar levels. Adhasa also advocates professional testing for food sensitivities.

exercise This helps channel natural energy and brings mental focus by releasing feelgood endorphins.

reduce stress “This is a major contributor to ADHD, because to cope with increased stress levels we use up vitamins and minerals meant for our other important functions,” says Vanderplank.

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drink water 2 Dehydration impairs concentration; we need six to eight glasses a day. eat healthy foods Avoid fast foods high in fat and refined carbohydrates, and serve protein and unrefined carbohydrates at each meal. Encourage a child to eat often if concentration slides.

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diet A 2011 review by researchers from the Chicago Children’s Memorial Hospital of studies on diets and supplements showed “limited evidence” that these help ADHD, says Durban-based dietician Priya Seetal.

But anecdotal accounts abound, and Adhasa advises

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take supplements 6 Our bodies can’t make essential fatty acids, vitamins and minerals. We get these from food, and some studies suggest today’s food is less nutritious because of soil depletion from poor agricultural practices. Give a quality omega oil supplement and multivitamin. keep a calm home “No one can think clearly and work things out when angry or upset,” says Vanderplank. “Don’t shout, rather say ‘let’s talk about this’.” Also, make sure children get enough sleep.

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encourage emotional growth “Try to see things from your child’s point of view,” Vanderplank urges.

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respond differently “Those with ADHD have challenges and opportunities on a different scale to ordinary people,” says Vanderplank. “They’re among our brightest and most innovative members of society,” adds Johannesburg psychologist Anita Decaires-Wagner. Work with professionals to learn what the unique problems are that your child needs to sort out. Explore behavioural therapy, which uses positive reinforcement to help them learn to control their impulsivity.

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use medication wisely “Ritalin may be crucial at times,” says Vanderplank, “but unless a child is in danger of abuse from frustrated parents, it should be a last resort.” Dr Johan Erasmus, a developmental paediatrician says, “If all other interventions don’t improve the child’s quality of life, medication must be considered to prevent the serious long-term consequences of inadequately treated ADHD. With it, many relationships and careers have been saved.” A study by Rodrigo Escobar, a doctor and medical researcher in Madrid, showed that the quality of life of people with untreated ADHD is much poorer than that of people with untreated asthma. “But we don’t have a problem treating asthma, even with a medication that has side-effects way more dangerous and that can be longlasting.” It’s safe if well-controlled, he adds.

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ideas

the

day

It’s your child’s birthday, and you want to celebrate it in style. LUCILLE KEMP gets some tried and tested ideas from moms on how to throw a memorable party.

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any say that the simplest parties are often the ones where the best time was had, so though you may feel the pressure to produce the goods on the day, you don’t need to break the bank to do so. Half the battle is won with a good, solid party theme and a little imagination. Cape Townbased working mother of three and parttime caterer, Taryn Copeman advises, “Plan ahead, pick a theme and stick to it without overdoing it. For instance, if you’ve decided on a Cars theme you can use red, black and

white checks for décor, and maybe buy just one or two more expensive Disney-themed

Angie Cameron from Durban and mom to three-year-old Mackenzie, says the

I find the process enjoyable probably because I keep the end goal in mind – to have fun and be happy. For this I know I don’t have to go to great expense, so I don’t put pressure on myself. items to pull it together. Bake your own cake, if you can, as it makes it more personal, otherwise order well ahead of time.”

planning tends to become quite involved, so she starts organising her ideas in advance and keeps an eye out for odds

and ends when she’s at the shops. “I find the process enjoyable probably because I keep the end goal in mind – to have fun and be happy. For this I know I don’t have to go to great expense, so I don’t put pressure on myself. I’m hoping to keep my parties home-made, so my sister and I, for one, put a lot of energy into planning the cake.”

For another Durban mother, Catherine Jenkin, mom to three-and-a-half-year-old Cam, parties are strictly a family affair.

“We keep it small, and stick to Cam’s immediate family and closest friends.”

parties through the ages the one year old Key Their first birthday is a real milestone, but remember it’s more of a celebration for the parent.

You therefore don’t need to invite 15 one year olds, as Taryn informs me she did for her son Casey’s first birthday. As long as you’re within sight of your birthday girl or boy and the party falls in line with their sleep routine, it will be a success. Nancy Cockcroft from Cape Town kept the focus on one-year-old Georgina with a sweet gesture. She served only snacks that Georgie was able to eat and cut up foods to “Georgie-size”. Nancy says, “There were oaties, cucumber sticks, grapes, raisins, viennas and quartered sarmies. Party hats were worn to make it festive and I made cupcakes with sprinkles and put a candle on one for Georgie to blow out – more like for mom and dad to blow out – for a photo opp.”

Ideas If you want to inject a little fun into the first birthday while still keeping focus on the child, you could play dress up. One creative blogger says she dressed up her birthday baby as an eighties-inspired aerobics instructor, complete with a hand-embroidered, felt boom box.

Key Keep it simple and keep them active.

Toddlers are busy so have something that they can bounce on, slide down, twirl around or ride on. For this, all you need is your back yard and a hired inflatable apparatus, or a park where there’ll be a jungle gym, swings, a merry-go-round and seesaws.

Also focus on free play. Your toddler doesn’t sit still for long and gets sidetracked easily, so structured play, such as a craft workshop, is unlikely to work. Janine describes her son Connor’s second birthday party as a great success. “We hired a Lightning McQueen jumping castle with attached ball pond, which the children loved and spent most of the day playing in.”

Angie’s daughter, Mackenzie, had a jungle-themed second birthday with a monkey-face cake and a home-made mural, which they worked on for three weeks. Her third birthday was a low-key picnic in the park, but it still popped thanks to the giant cupcake-style cake and the park’s resident ducks, which the children enjoyed feeding.

Barbara du Randt from Durban and mom to five-year-old Noah, says, “The most special party for me and Noah was his third birthday; when he really understood that it was his birthday and could blow out his candles for the first time.”

Ideas When it comes to a theme for this age think cars, trains, teddy bears, fairies or Barbie. Activity venues are popular, or you can entertain with a storyteller. For simple dress-up ideas, moms have done a great job transforming their daughters into princesses and toddling boys will make cute little lions.

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PHOTOGRAPHs and illustrations: shutterstock.com

the toddler

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ideas

the preschooler Key Keep them stimulated.

Janine, currently based in Guernsey, England says, “For Connor’s fourth birthday party my husband and I made a pirate ship out of cardboard and added a plastic slide, which we already had lying around the house. They had to climb through a tunnel to get into the pirate ship and then slide down to get out. It was a huge hit. They spent most of the day in it and it cost us nothing. We had hot dog boats for lunch with fruit and chips, and I made a pirate treasure-chest cake, which Connor loved.”

Ideas A cute and stand-out dress-up idea for a boy or girl is Wall-E or you could dress them up as a bunny and let them have fun with it by showing them how to hop around.

the prep schooler Key Be on theme. Build the party’s look and feel around your child’s favourite TV character, which will probably be Hannah Montana or Ben 10.

This is really your time to get creative and think outside the box. At this stage, your child has developed his own taste and special interests, so be prepared to hear him out and don’t be surprised if you are building an entire party around a science theme or your child makes a special request for a mosaic party. Your child’s imagination is in full bloom and professional entertainers can help to consolidate the party theme and keep the children’s attention. A magician will work well. For the eighth birthday of her stepdaughter, Kyla, Taryn organised a fairy party with a real fairy entertainer playing host. At this age, your daughter is likely to invite girls only, while your son may well want to stick to boys.

Cindy Perry, Cape Town mom to eight-year-old Josh, threw a Survivor party for 20 boys that was a roaring success despite its minimal cost. The venue, a grassed park situated on a family-friendly beach, was free and the eyeball cake was home-made.

Costs were kept low by using simple items for the games, which included a wooden jigsaw puzzle, made by a friend, leopard crawl, cupto-container and water balloons. The biggest expense was probably the lucky packet prizes of tattoos, stickers and animal figurines.

Ideas Popular themes for this age group include pamper parties, boot camp and parties outside at the pool. Girls like anything that is pretty and feminine, so simply decorating the venue with polka dots or holding a fancy-dress tea party, will be a success. Boys will enjoy anything involving physical activity or a hobby. Dress up your son as a ninja, and your daughter as Madame Butterfly.

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the young teenager Key Get them involved, let them feel like the grown-ups they aren’t and reduce the guest list because at this age, they’re all about their BFFs anyway.

Your tween is asserting her independence, and is likely to make her own party request. Taryn was initially taken aback when Skyla shunned her offer of a cake and instead requested a chocolate fountain for her 11th birthday party. Another popular idea at this age is a sushi-making party.

You may want to invite your immediate family, in-laws and your daughter’s best friend’s parents to celebrate the milestone 13th birthday, so include drinks and snacks for the adults.

Ideas Your child feels like a young adult so she’ll probably want a disco, a pool party, a sleepover, a movie night, a braai or, if it’s winter, a dinner party. If you’re feeling energetic and creative, why not throw a murder mystery dinner party?

Some great ideas for girls include a make-your-own-cake party or a pamper party at a spa. Boys at this age will love a paintball party, which can also be a great winter option, or you could splash out and hire a Hummer limo to fetch your birthday boy and a few friends from school on a Friday, take them to the movies and then home for pizza and a computer game party. Volleyball with friends on the beach is also a great idea for summer babies.

the slumber party This is a popular winter party option; Cindy’s daughter has been voting for a “sleepover” party since she was 10 years old. Your daughter probably won’t invite boys at this age, but if she does there isn’t a “yes or no” rule. Do what feels comfortable and judge the specific circumstances – you don’t want to invite mischief so stick to good friends only. Trust your instinct – you’ll know if your daughter is trying to pull a fast one and if the boy is more than just a friend. Have the party guests over before the sun sets so you can have the children around the pool, serve finger foods to snack on and when it’s time to take it inside, you can play games such as freeze dance, charades, general knowledge and cotton-ball pass.

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how to

Sharing precious moments with your child while baking a birthday cake is the perfect gift. By TAMLYN VINCENT

a rewarding experience I get the same sense of reward from baking birthday cakes for my son. For his first birthday, I made a teddy bear cake.

The icing didn’t go quite as planned, so I decided to decorate it with coloured vermicelli. Birthday number two demanded a train cake. The concept was simple: cut blocks of cake, ice and top with sweets or biscuits. Oreos worked well for wheels and liquorice made good train tracks. But again, my baking skills didn’t quite live up to expectations. Hayden still loved it, though. Come to think of it, many of my attempts at baking end up flopping. But I’ve come to realise that my son doesn’t care whether the cake is perfect or not.

He is happy simply because I have made something special for him.

bake a memory Baking a cake with him, is also about creating a special memory, one that will hopefully become a family tradition. I have fond memories of baking with my mother, especially of licking the icing off the spoon once she had finished. I have passed this tradition onto Hayden and he thoroughly approves. My mom taught me a lot of things about baking, such as how to prick the cake with a needle to see if it’s done and how to make a marble cake. I loved those moments in the kitchen with her, and this is why I bake now. I hope I too can

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share some special moments with my son, and pass on these experiences.

learn while you bake It can be fun getting your child to help with the baking. Hayden is still young, but he insists on helping me break the eggs, pour in the milk and mix the ingredients together. He even tests everything, and has discovered that straight cocoa doesn’t taste quite as good as the final baked product. Baking teaches children about more than just what tastes good. They will learn the importance of washing their hands when they deal with food, and how to tidy up afterwards. It will help them learn valuable skills, and give them a sense of accomplishment. Use your time in the kitchen to teach them about basic maths. By measuring flour, counting eggs or working out the icing powder to water ratio, your budding cook is unknowingly brushing up on important mathematical principles. They will also learn about time by watching the clock while the cake is in the oven.

time-savers Creating these special memories is about much more than making the perfect cake.

If the thought of baking a cake from scratch fills you with panic, there are many ways you can cut a few corners, such as buying cake or icing mix, hiring a cake mould, or using shop-bought decorations.

What matters more than the final product is the time you spend creating that special memory for your child. My son is turning three soon, and has requested a SpiderMan cake. I don’t think my novice baking skills extend quite that far, so perhaps I’ll outsource this one. But then again, I do like a challenge. magazine joburg

PHOTOGRAPHS: TAMLYN VINCENT / SHUTERSTOCK.COM

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like to think I can bake. Admittedly, I don’t always get it right. But there is something so satisfying about making a batch of muffins and eating one straight out of the oven. My two-year-old son, Hayden and, of course, my husband, are always there, waiting to sample one of the freshly-baked treats.

to get you started This simple cake recipe can be used for a large square cake, a layered round cake or even muffins. Replace two to three tablespoons flour with two to three tablespoons of cocoa to make a chocolate cake.

Ingredients: • 2 cups caster sugar • ¾ cup butter • 4 eggs • 2½ cups cake flour • 2¼ teaspoons baking powder • 1 cup milk • 1 teaspoon vanilla essence Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line and grease two round cake pans.

Cream the butter and sugar together. Add the eggs and beat until well mixed.

Sift in the flour and baking powder, and add the milk and vanilla essence. Beat together until smooth. Don’t overbeat.

Divide the mixture between the pans and bake for 30–40 minutes, until golden brown on the top. Cooking times for muffins or a single cake may vary.

Turn out onto a rack and allow to cool.

butter icing: This easy icing recipe can be spread or piped. Add a few drops of food colouring, or use two to three tablespoons of cocoa for chocolate icing.

Ingredients • ¾ cup butter • 3¼ cups icing sugar • 2½ ml vanilla essence • 3 tablespoons boiling water Beat the butter until soft.

Sift in the icing sugar (and cocoa if necessary).

Add the vanilla essence and boiling water and mix well.

fun ways to decorate cakes: Biscuits make great decorations, or they can be crumbled over the top.

Break up Flakes or grate chocolate over the cake.

Cake glitter adds sparkle.

Sweets can be used to write words, make a picture or simply to decorate.

Ice-cream cones work well as turrets on a castle cake or as jets on a rocket.

Try using nuts, fruit or glazed fruit.

Sprinkle icing sugar, cocoa or cake sparkles over cut stencils.

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book extract

it’s my party Take the stress out of planning your child’s special day with these imaginative ideas from Party Magic 3 for Boys and Girls

by ARINA DU PLESSIS and BERNICE VAN DER MERWE.

ducks in a row Duckling cupcakes • 12 cupcakes • 500ml pale yellow butter icing • 4 x 250ml candied popcorn, coloured yellow • 12 pale yellow marshmallows • 24 orange or red mini Smarties • 60ml black butter icing • white marshmallows, to complete Before you begin: Cover a tray with blue paper and turn it over. Using stiff blue cardboard or foam paper, make a collar for the tray that is slightly higher than the tray itself. Cut a wavy pattern in the collar and attach it to the tray with double-sided tape. Make the candied popcorn and leave to cool completely.

step 3

Ice the cupcakes with the yellow icing.

Press two mini Smarties onto the marshmallow for the beak using icing. Pipe eyes with black icing. Place the rest of the yellow icing in a piping bag with a thin nozzle and pipe a twirl of icing on each marshmallow.

step 2 Cover the icing with the popcorn, leaving a space in the centre for the marshmallow.

Place a marshmallow upright on each cupcake, using more icing if necessary.

Set the scene Cover the table with a large yellow tablecloth and use stiff blue cardboard for place mats.

Draw small white air bubbles on each mat using white or pastel-coloured chalk. Decorate the table with pale yellow feathers (available from gift and stationery shops), balloons, blue sponges and yellow plastic bath-tub ducklings.

Duck sarmies Make cheese sandwiches using white bread and thinly sliced cheese. Use a duck-shaped cookie cutter to cut shapes from the sandwich. Lightly spread each sandwich with margarine and decorate with a tiny amount of blue cake sprinkles.

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step 4 Snip the white marshmallows into tiny pieces and clump them together to look like bubbles. Arrange on the covered tray.

The invitation • A4 sheets of stiff blue cardboard • white corrugated cardboard • white cardboard • pinking shears • yellow foam paper • white pen • orange and black paint

Banana smoothie Blend sliced bananas, natural yoghurt and mango juice until smooth. Pour into small plastic tumblers and decorate with blue cake sprinkles. Serve with straws.

Cut a sheet of blue cardboard down the middle. Trace the shape of a bath onto white corrugated cardboard and white cardboard, and cut these out. Glue the bath to the blue cardboard. Using pinking shears, cut an oval shape out of blue cardboard and glue it onto the bath to look like water.

Cut a duckling from the yellow foam paper and glue it to the water (the duckling should look like it’s bathing). Decorate the rest of the card with a white pen. Paint orange dots on the duck’s body and a black dot for the eye. Write the party details on the back of the card.

Goody bags to take home Buy small plastic containers with lids and handles from a plasticware shop. Glue a yellow feather and a plastic duckling to the top and give each guest a container filled with a variety of yellow sweets. magazine joburg

PHOTOGRAPHS: David Briers / shutterstock.com

step 1

art class

building site

Painting and easel cake • 1 slab cake • wooden board, slightly larger than the slab cake • 600ml bright blue butter icing • kebab stick • 4 red liquorice rolls • 100ml each yellow, red, orange, pink and purple mini Smarties or similar sweets • jelly beans • a few candy-coated liquorice sweets in the same colours as the mini Smarties • 60ml black butter icing • 125ml green mini Smarties, yellow Smarties and Smarties Mini Eggs • Nine or 10 quantities brightly coloured sweets (such as jelly sweets, Smarties and liquorice sweets) • thick black cardboard • ruler • cardboard cutter or heavy-duty scissors • double-sided tape

Bulldozer cake • 1 large loaf cake • 375ml orange butter icing • 2 kebab sticks • 8-10 chocolate wafer biscuits • 125ml brown butter icing • tinfoil • 125ml small brown liquorice sweets

step 1 Neaten the sides of the cake with a sharp knife and place in the middle of the wooden board. Cover the cake with bright blue icing.

step 2 Use the kebab stick to draw the outlines of a vase, table top and flower stems on the cake.

Start by forming the table top with the red liquorice rolls. Then cover the vase with mini Smarties, jellybeans and candycoated liquorice sweets in a pattern of your choice. Place the black icing in a piping bag with a thin nozzle and pipe around the edges of the vase.

step 4 Cut the top and legs of the easel from black cardboard and secure at both ends to the cake board and table with doublesided tape.

Set the scene Most children love drawing and painting, and the ideal party theme for budding artists is a creative art class. Cover the table in large sheets of cardboard in different colours. Paint each guest’s name on a smaller piece of cardboard and use as place mats. Leave enough space for them to do some painting of their own. Supply water paint, crayons and brushes so that everyone can draw and paint to their heart’s content. magazine joburg

125ml blue mini Smarties 2 flat orange jelly sweets 2 red Smarties 2 red mini Smarties 1 cardboard tube from a toilet roll 2 coloured ice-cream sticks 2 blue candy-coated liquorice sweets

The invitation • stiff blue, green, yellow and red cardboard • small paintbrushes • plastic water paint sets • yellow raffia Cut the cardboard into rectangles (10cm x 7cm). Punch two holes along one long side (to hold the paintbrush) and one in the middle of each short side. Make a hole at each end of the paint set. Write the party details on the back of the card. Insert a paintbrush through the holes on the long side. Thread the raffia through the holes in the paint set and the holes on the short sides of the invitation, and tie.

Deliver by hand.

step 1 Cover a cake board with paper and plastic.

Evenly slice the top off the loaf cake. Cut off a third of the loaf and place this part on top of the cake, at the back. Sandwich in place with icing and insert two kebab sticks to keep the cake in position. Cut the sticks the same height as the cake.

step 3 Form the stems with green mini Smarties turned on their sides.

Now, make as many brightly coloured flowers as you like with the quantities of jelly sweets, Smarties and liquorice sweets.

• • • • • • •

step 3

Place names Shop around for small blackboards in wooden frames to use as place mats. Find small pieces of wood for palettes, or buy plastic palettes. If you’re using wood, attach two wafer biscuits to each palette with butter icing. Press a few brightly coloured sweets, such as Smarties, on the biscuits to represent paint pots. Make a “paintbrush” by using a red liquorice roll and piping thin lines of black butter icing for the bristles.

Shape four wafer biscuits for tracks and attach. Pipe brown icing on the inside. Cover remaining biscuits with tinfoil for windows.

Edge with brown icing, pressing in brown liquorice sweets around the windscreen. Arrange blue mini Smarties on the bonnet and use jelly sweets and Smarties for lights.

step 2 Cover the entire cake with orange icing.

step 4 Cut open the cardboard tube and cover one half with tinfoil. Press the icecream sticks to the sides of the cake, letting them rest on the cake board.

Pipe a thin line of brown icing where they end, and place the covered tube on the icing. Fill the bucket with sweets. Finish by sprinkling coloured desiccated coconut around the cake on the cake board.

Set the scene It’s construction time! Cover the table with brown corrugated cardboard, and decorate with building blocks and toy tools. Use pale blue sponge paper for place mats, wooden cutlery and orange containers for sweets and snacks.

Packed lunches Workers on a building site work hard and have hearty appetites. Pack a lunch for each guest: a box with cubes of cheese, sausages or cold meat, sandwiches (cut into wedges) and finger veggies (such as baby tomatoes and carrots).

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book extract

board games Snakes and ladders • 1 square butter cake • ruler • pins or toothpicks (to use as markers) • 500ml bright green butter icing • 5 strips shoelace liquorice • 1 x 150g packet white chocolatecovered pretzel sticks • 4-6 jelly snakes • 2 x 45g packets of Astros • 1 large, brightly coloured flat sweet • 80ml black butter icing • 2 square liquorice sweets • silver balls (optional)

step 1 Cover a square cake board, about 2cm larger than the cake, with paper and plastic.

Centre the cake on the board. Divide the cake into five panels of equal width. Insert markers at the top and bottom of the panels. Then mark off five panels of equal width down the remaining two sides of the cake, and insert the markers.

step 2 Cover the entire cake with green icing.

Carefully separate the shoelace liquorice

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into strings. Place these thin strips of liquorice from marker to marker and press lightly into the icing, dividing the cake into 25 squares.

Remove the markers.

step 3 Cut off the parts of the pretzel sticks not covered by chocolate and keep these to one side (they will form the rungs of the ladders). Arrange jelly snakes on the cake.

Build ladders from two chocolate-covered pretzel sticks each. Cut the offcuts into smaller pieces and use as rungs.

step 4 Place Astros in the lefthand corner of each square, as the number.

Decorate the starting line and place the flat sweet in the last square. Make dice by piping dots of black icing on the liquorice sweets. Press Astros or other sweets into a line of icing around the cake. Make eyes for the snakes by pressing silver balls into a dot of icing.

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Set the scene This is an ideal theme, especially in winter, for older children who enjoy board games.

Use a green plastic tablecloth and cut stiff black cardboard for place mats. Place all the board games you have or can borrow on the table for the guests to amuse themselves.

The invitation • small white gift boxes with a lid • small round, red stickers • flexible red cardboard Stick the stickers on the sides of the boxes to make the figures one to six, so that the boxes resemble dice. Cut strips (15cm x 5cm) from the red cardboard and write the party details on them. Fold the cardboard to fit, place in the boxes and deliver by hand.

Macaroni and cheese bowls Cook a packet of macaroni until al dente.

Make a thin white sauce, season and add a little grated Cheddar cheese.

Stir through the macaroni. Spoon into individual ovenproof bowls and sprinkle with a mixture of grated Cheddar and Gouda cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 190°C or until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown. Leave to cool slightly.

Tip: Add ham or sausage cubes, thinlysliced tomato or crisply-fried bacon to the macaroni and cheese sauce.

Goody bags to take home Use gift boxes with built-in handles, available from any stationery store, as goody bags. Paint a game such as noughts and crosses on each box. Fill the boxes with toy packs of cards, dice and inexpensive games. Put any leftover sweets in the boxes as well.

Mango smoothie Peel ripe mangos and cut into chunks (or use canned mangos). Keep in the fridge until the party is about to start. Blend until smooth with ice-cold orange juice and natural yoghurt (adding some honey, if you wish).

Pour into plastic take-away cups with lids onto which dice have been stuck (available from toy shops). Place on the table.

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about the book In Party Magic 3: For Boys and Girls (Human & Rousseau), Arina du Plessis and Bernice van der Merwe suggest more than 20 creative party themes that will delight children of all ages. There are stepby-step instructions for making the cake, ideas for the invites, décor and party food, as well as suggestions of what games to play at each themed party. Parents low on time will love the short cuts, tips and simple templates, and the recipes for the basic sponge cake, swiss roll and cupcake mix are easy to follow. This is a one-stop party planning guide that will inspire you to make your child’s next birthday the most memorable one yet.

For more party theme inspiration, click on childmag.co.za/content/ theme-recipe

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straight talk

no alcohol allowed Parents need to be vigilant when hosting parties for their teenagers, as the temptation to drink can have devastating effects. GARY KOEN offers useful advice.

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and not having the cool, fantastic and fabulous time that everyone else appears to be having. It’s little wonder then that so many teenagers deal with the devastating possibility of rejection by falling down drunk at the party.

A party should teach teenagers how to overcome shyness and awkwardness when socialising, and how to hold a conversation with someone they have just met. They should discover that they have the resources to overcome their anxiety and possibly take a few social risks. These include: learning how to accept or decline an invitation; preparing for the party, including deciding who to go with, what to wear, how to get there and home

and what time to leave; asking someone to dance or even coping with rejection.

If anything, now is the time for teenagers to learn a vital lesson – that it is possible to socialise and enjoy the company of others without the need for alcohol. Unless they go through these awkward moments, where they learn to handle themselves and take sober risks without the help of alcohol, they are never going to find out who they are or can be. Teenagers who rely on alcohol to help them overcome these very natural and normal jitters do so at the expense of their own growth as individuals.

party 101 for parents Establish the ground rules. The only time that teenagers really have a good time is when they feel safe. If the party is well-organised, they are more likely to relax and enjoy themselves. The reality is that teenagers hardly need alcohol to have fun at a party. Their natural state of mind is almost an altered state of mind – you may have experienced this while sitting at a table with a group of teenagers who are joking, laughing and finding every story funnier than the next. They are virtually oblivious to the adults around them, and the last thing any

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PHOTOGRAPHS: shutterstock.com

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verything changes during adolescence, including the perception of what constitutes a good party. Gone are the days when a jumping castle, a swimming costume and a birthday cake was all that was needed to have a good time. Though you may find that many boys of 13, 14 and even 15 would still prefer a cricket or rugby party to a dance party, while a lot of girls would opt for a sleepover or DVDs with a few friends, than the hyped-buzz of a dance party.

Parties tend to evoke a range of anxieties, from the fear of being left out of the cool, fabulous and fantastic time that everyone appears to be having, to the equally crippling fear of being at a party

Alcohol is too powerful a drug for teenagers to control. Something always goes wrong.

of them needs is a drink. Alcohol will spoil the party, it will not enhance it. The moment some wannabe decides to smuggle a bottle of alcohol into the venue, the atmosphere changes, and not for the better. Little groups start furtively disappearing into the garden.

The mood becomes fractured as others become aware of what is happening. Instead of feeling like they can be open and relaxed, they suddenly feel as if there is something to hide. The party starts to break up and children start to feel unsafe. Alcohol is too powerful a drug for teenagers to control.

Something always goes wrong.

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It can be relatively benign, with some poor wretch sitting huddled and snivelling beneath a vomit-soaked blanket or it can be really dangerous. An ambulance had to be called to a school hosted function in Cape Town last year because two teenagers had been rendered completely comatose by alcohol. They had to be hospitalised and treated for alcohol poisoning, while several others were dangerously drunk.

In another sinister and serious incident at a house party, a 16-year-old boy and a 15-year-old girl, both very drunk, disappeared into the garden. They were later

discovered by their friends in an extremely compromising position. The news spreads rapidly and a few photos, which were later distributed around school, were taken.

When she saw the photos, the girl claimed to have no recollection of the evening.

Their parents found out and lawyers had to get involved. This was not just a couple of teenagers having “fun”. These are not good memories to have; these incidents can have serious and lasting consequences for everyone involved. The list of alcoholrelated injuries racked up at parties – from slashed faces, to broken jaws and fractured skulls – is also staggering.

We all know the myth that alcohol is supposed to relax people and make them

more convivial and easy-going. However, when it comes to teenagers, the reverse is invariably true. Alcohol inevitably brings chaos and stress to a teenage party. No alcohol should be allowed.

Plan the party with your teenager.

When your teenager announces that they are going to host a party, do not simply grunt from behind your newspaper or mumble, “Yes, dear that sounds fine”.

Before you realise it, your weekend may have a few unanticipated surprises. I know of one teenager who was given carte blanche to plan his own party and, using his father’s credit card, managed to rent out an entire nightclub for the occasion.

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straight talk

straight talk

Keep the party numbers down.

Be visible without being intrusive.

Given the proliferation of friends on Facebook, if all of your teenager’s “friends” came to their party, you would have to hire the school hall to accommodate them.

Therefore the basic rule of thumb is that when your teenager gives you a proposed guest list, immediately divide it in half and begin your negotiations from there. It is very easy for a party to get completely out of hand and this happens particularly when the numbers get too big. Don’t allow gatecrashers; all guests by invitation only. An “open” party is a sure recipe for disaster.

The social network ensures that everybody will hear about it very quickly, and once the floodgates open it is very difficult to close them again.

To be in control, you have to be present. It is not possible to control a party from the country hotel where you went to spend the weekend. Being present in spirit does not count when it comes to a teenager’s party, neither does sitting huddled in the TV room upstairs while your house collapses around you. At the same time, being visible does not involve bumping and grinding with them on the dance floor. Be sensible.

Watch the drifters. These are the ones who seem to arrive, and then just as rapidly, disappear and reappear. You can be sure that whatever is magnetically drawing them away is neither healthy, nor legal. Allow people to leave and return

The presence of alcohol will spoil your party, it will not enhance it.

At one 15 year old’s birthday party, the parents had thought to organise portable toilets to cope with the number of guests and keep them out of the house. But they did not know that two groups of boys from rival schools, with a score to settle, were on the massive guest list. When one of the boys went to the toilet, the opposing group sealed the toilet’s door and rolled it down a slope in the garden, where it crashed into a neighbour’s wall. The boy was fortunately unhurt, but you can imagine the mess and the effect this barbaric act had on the rest of the evening.

Make parts of the house out of bounds. Just because it is a house party, does not mean they should have free reign of the whole house. Keep the party to living areas only, not in bedrooms, or behind closed doors, and make only one bathroom available. Remember that it is a party that you are holding, not a show house. They are not entitled to wander wherever they like. Houses with drinks cabinets, fridges and CD collections are then often viewed as an opportunity to loot and pillage.

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for valid reasons only, and without extra guests in tow. An open party is never safe because anyone who can come, does, including those who you would never have considered inviting. There is no control and no way of making your guests leave, which means that the party generally only ends when the police shows up.

Be wary of bulky bags and clothing.

Be explicit that no alcohol is permitted, and that any alcohol discovered will be confiscated and handed back to the parents of the offender. Keep a sharp eye on the guests. You are entitled to search shifty-looking characters in big jackets or carrying large tog bags.

A word of warning: teenagers who are determined to get alcohol onto your property will be innovative in their attempts.

If it happens to be a birthday party, the gifts, beautifully wrapped in shiny paper, may well be hiding a couple of cheap bottles of spirits. Other tricks include a decoy, such as a small bottle of sherry, which you duly confiscate, only for the real stuff to get thrown over the garden wall in magazine joburg

tog bags. Also, innocent-looking mouth freshener sprays, that are actually full of alcohol, are other little surprises.

Where do they get it from, you may ask? The answer is: mainly from you. You may find your liquor cabinet or wine cellar is not quite as well stocked as you thought it was. Other common sources would be older siblings, older friends, or Mr Dial-aDop, that notorious supplier of liquor to underage children where no questions are asked and service is guaranteed.

rolls, pizza and other simple party food will go a long way to making your party a success. Teenagers do not need alcohol to have a good time, but they still need something to do. Giving them something tasty to eat often breaks the ice and encourages them to talk to each other.

responsibility is the teenager who turns up drunk at your party?

I heard a story of a parent who was hosting a party for her son when the doorbell rang. It was a taxi with two of his guests.

When the door opened, the two boys fell out, face-first onto the driveway. It emerged that the boys, from the boarding house, had been booked into a city hotel by a parent who had gone away for the weekend. In their plush hotel room, they had discovered and made short work of the mini bar. The poor host had no choice but to bundle these boys into bed, before attempting to contact the parents who were more annoyed at having their weekend interrupted than about the boys’ behaviour. They took the moral high ground and blamed the pair, dismissing it as “boys will be boys”, with little thought given to the experience of the host parents or the boys themselves.

Consider hiring a DJ. If you really

The temptation to cover up. You

want to have a good dance party, you have to get the music right. Unless your son or daughter is an aspirant DJ, or is particularly gifted when it comes to setting up an iPod or a Smartphone, it’s better to leave it to the professional.

may find that adults sometimes want to protect the teenagers from their own parents, particularly if their own children are involved. Be wary of becoming too involved in your teenager’s need to protect their friends. Just imagine how you would feel if you discovered that someone had concealed from you the fact that your son or daughter had gotten drunk. You would have to seriously question their intentions, as well as their understanding of what it means to be a parent, and it would undermine your trust in them. Parents need to realise how much good can come from gaining information their child would probably prefer to conceal from them, particularly if it pertains to destructive habits or tendencies.

Provide lots of good food. Boerewors

You are responsible for the children at your house. You have to remember that you are not off duty until everyone has left the house or gone to bed. This is not a case of, “Will the last teenager to leave the house please switch off the lights and turn on the alarm?” These teenagers are your responsibility, and they remain so until they are safely off your property. But watch out for these possible curve balls. For instance, whose

For more features by Gary Koen on teenagers, visit childmag.co.za/ articles/64

Gary Koen is a clinical psychologist in private practice with over 20 years’ experience, working mainly with adults and adolescents. He also does presentations at schools on a range of teenage-related topics. These include all the general aspects of normal adolescent development. He developed and successfully runs a course, “An introduction to adolescence”, aimed at parents. He is also working on a book that deals with the challenges facing parents and teenagers and, as a father of three, he is heavily invested in everything he says.

For more information, visit garykoen.co.za

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dad’s blog

a bumpy ride MARC DE CHAZAL’s younger sister puts his road safety tips to the test, and comes a cropper off her bicycle.

d

o you remember those road safety films we were shown as young school children? I recall watching such a film at primary school one day and then heading home to tell my younger sister all about it. She wasn’t at school yet, so I’m sure my eager feedback about the cool stuff we’d learnt at big school must have fired her up to get out there and put those safety tips to the test. Or maybe I was the instigator. Either way, off we went on our bicycles, down the long gravel driveway of our parents’ farmstead and out onto the bumpy road frequented by tractors. I must have told her that you should stick out your right or left arm to indicate if you are about to head off in that direction – standard bicycle safety guidelines, especially for bike riders in an urban environment. We didn’t want to be left out of the fun just because we were country children (I didn’t say bumpkins), so we happily applied the same road rules.

This was a long time ago, so the details are no longer crystal clear. But watching my sister tearing off in front of

me, cheerfully sticking out her arm in a random direction, losing control of her bike and then crashing in spectacular fashion, is etched on my mind forever. She really hurt herself, which happens when you collide headfirst with the ground. Her bloodcurdling screams must have been heard from the other end of the farm. There’s a standing joke in our family that this very nasty knock on her head, resulting in a permanent dent in her skull, is to blame for whatever errant behaviour she’s ever gotten up to in her life. Fortunately she rebounded from the concussion, dented skull and all.

The blame I got for the accident, and the scale of her injury, would have been less had we been wearing helmets. Make sure your children wear them when they ride their bicycles.

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Read more of Marc de Chazal’s weekly parenting blogs on childmag.co.za/dad-blog

magazine joburg

PHOTOGRAPH: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

We didn’t want to be left out of the fun just because we were country children.

how to

party etiquette The party may only last two hours, but it can take weeks to organise.

ANÉL LEWIS gives some quick tips for hosting the perfect bash. invitation dilemma The general rule is to invite as many children as your child’s age, plus one. So if your child is turning seven, invite eight guests. You don’t need to invite the whole class. Just be aware that the school may prefer you not to hand out invites at the school if the whole class is not invited. Some encourage you to send cupcakes or treats for the last day of the month, in lieu of a birthday party. Find out what the school rules are when it comes to invites and birthday celebrations. The type of party you are having will also be a guideline for the guest list. Outdoor parties can accommodate more people. Older children will be able to draw up their own guest list.

PHOTOGRAPH: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

snail mail or e-vites?

In today’s world of cyber communication, electronic invites may be easier to send. You can customise the invite according to your child’s theme, using sites such as smilebox.com or evite.com. Marianne Calvert, a former party planner, says the type of invitation you send reflects how you feel about the party. “A printed invitation means you care about the event and it is important to you, so people will keep the invite and be serious about it.”

Children love getting something in the post because

magazine joburg

everything is done electronically these days. You could also drop off the invites at school, depending on their party policy, or call the parents of the children being invited.

Calvert cautions that an sms invite suggests a last-minute decision and should be avoided.

Be sure to include the following on your invite: your child’s name, the date and time of the party, the venue and address, as well as a map if necessary, your contact details and an RSVP deadline. Don’t forget to mention if there is a dress code or theme, so that parents can plan well in advance, and if there are any other activities, such as swimming or outdoor games that would require comfortable clothing and shoes. Include the duration of the party. For younger children, it should be no longer than two hours and should take nap times into account. Send the invites a month in advance, giving parents about two weeks to RSVP so that you have time to plan. Be clear about who is invited.

You don’t want the child to arrive with a sibling or two in tow.

Parents will usually accompany younger children.

party politics With the mix of sugar and adrenalin, there is likely to be at least one meltdown during the party. If it’s your child, take

her aside and quietly encourage her to calm down. “I am a big believer in ‘time out’.” Often all they need is some quiet space and lots of water to drink, and then they are usually ready to go back,” says Calvert. If it is a guest, don’t make a scene in front of the other children. Try and divert the child’s attention with a game, or ask them to help you with an activity. “If they are still out of hand, you should call their parents and ask them to fetch them,” says Calvert.

With younger children, the parent will probably be there to help. Instil good party etiquette in your child from the start. Always remind them to say thank you for gifts, even if it’s something they already have or don’t like. Children are brutally honest, but encourage them to always show gratitude. Get older children to create thank-you cards after the event. Perhaps save the opening of gifts until after the party, especially for children younger than five.

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top tips

always something

Get into the habit of preserving special memories.

LUCILLE KEMP suggests innovative ways to make each celebration last for years to come.

Photo books are probably one of the most popular forms of displaying photos, as they are quick and easy for busy moms to set up. At 24hourphotobooks.co.za you can download and install the software you need, choose a predefined layout or custom make your own theme, auto-flow or drag-and-drop the pictures from your folder until you are happy with the layout, and then hit “order”. You will get a hard copy, but you can also share the digital version with faraway family and friends via various social networking sites.

At rapidstudio.co.za, you create and design your keepsake online in one of the following downloadable templates: the birthday calendar, a photo diary, a photo calendar, a wall or desk calendar or a photo flipper. You then buy it and Rapid Studio will print and deliver your chosen product to you.

Evernote.com is a free online journalling app that is enabled for Microsoft Windows and Apple Mac and is popular because it can be accessed on your desktop or via your cellphone, making it quick and easy to write and upload when you have the time. If you’re using Evernote as your personal journal, you can influence the text recognition and tagging to make your journal entries available to family and friends. MyMemoir is a journalling app designed for iPad, where you can import images into your journal entries and export your journalling into an e-book format, transforming each of the entries into chapters. The e-book even includes a tool that enables quick navigation through the book, which makes it very professional looking. This can be a creative way of making a big deal of your child’s birthday. Another feature of myMemoir is its ability to export your journal entries to PDF, making the birthday chronicle easy to email to loved ones.

online platform for photo creativity. Once you’ve created the slideshow, build unique text, music, animation and other special effects around it. Once you’re done, share your slideshow with family and friends through email, or add it to your blog, post it to Facebook or Twitter, or even make a DVD and have everyone enjoy the birthday fun.

Create a blog site with Wordpress and Tumblr, both web-based micro-blogging platforms. At your instruction, these blog sites can feed your posts directly to social networking sites of your choice to alert others of updates. The blog sites are easy to use and you can opt to keep entries completely private.

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PHOTOGRAPHS: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Make a slideshow or create a collage free of charge with kizoa.com, an

there to remind me

Create a Facebook album, which can be accessed by friends and family.

Most parents have a Facebook profile just to chronicle their children’s growing up through photo uploads. It offers an immediate and easy way to keep faraway family in touch.

Your Birthday Book: A Keepsake Journal (Potter Style) starts with the first birthday and ends with their 18th celebration. Amy Krouse Rosenthal came up with this novel book, which provides fun, fast and casual birthday activities for each year as well as space to stick birthday photos and other random pictures. There are amusing and thought-provoking questions to ask your child and a place to record their answers. There is also a time-capsule envelope for stashing away odds and ends such as artwork, school papers, hand tracings, birthday cards, invitations, and other memorabilia. The journal is available at Exclusive Books.

Make a party wall. What’s the use of having all your special photos stored in a file on your computer? Print out some winning party shots from all the children’s past birthdays, including yours and your partner’s. Thrift-shop for frames to suit your home and display the photos on a wall that you’ve now reserved for birthday party pictures. You will notice that having this party wall will inspire you to get creative with the photo taking at the next birthday, and the next... Soon that wall will be alive with your memories.

Bring the moment to life and record your child’s birthday on video. Make sure you have a tripod so you can get everyone in for some special moments, such as the singing of “Happy Birthday”. Also, don’t forget to flick the audio switch so your child’s birthday party isn’t recorded as a silent event – it has happened before. Do a good edit on the recording so that the party montage flows and then copy it to DVD to send to the grandparents. Perhaps you could start a tradition where the family comes over the week after the birthday to watch the video and share a few laughs. You can also upload the video so techno-savvy relatives can access it online, on sites such as Facebook or YouTube, or via email.

There is always the good, old-fashioned chronicling of scrapbooking. For many creative people, scrapbooking is a most rewarding, time-honoured tradition; for others, it just takes too much time and can be intimidating as you can’t edit your mistakes as easily. Never fear, if you are determined to create such a treasure, unleash your creative side effectively by planning each spread before you start gluing anything and keep the end result in mind as you progress. The finished product is a memory of your child’s birthday that is full of texture and your personal touch. Typical memorabilia include photographs, printed media, artwork, and the scribbling of poems, quotes and photo captions.

A party box, with photos and mementos kept from the day, is great to have. You could include the invitation, some of the decorations, any keepsake, especially if the birthday is a milestone. The party box is especially for the sentimental parent who wants to cherish all the special moments that marked the day. To make it extra special, decorate and label the box. magazine joburg

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resource

ABBA Jumping Castle They have various jumping castles for hire, including water slides, and plan themed children’s parties.

From R250, depending on area. Contact Emmanuel James: 011 865 5311, 082 871 0004, info@tlccaterers.co.za or visit tlccaterers.co.za ABC Kids Party Time Specialists in party packs filled with quality sweets as well as toys in buckets, boxes and loot bags. Cakes, cupcakes and platters on request. Prices vary. North and west of Johannesburg. Contact: 082 301 6875 or abckidspartytime@gmail.com Absolute Fun Entertainment Provides jumping castles, Ferris wheels, farmyard animals, clowns, magicians and face painting at your home or a venue of your choice. Party packs and cakes also supplied. North and west of Johannesburg. Contact Debbie: 083 447 3866 or djacobs1000@worldonline.co.za Amajumping Castlezzz Offers inflatable jumping castles, themed accessories, queen cakes and scones and children’s chairs and tables. They deliver, set up and collect. Contact Fikile: 071 638 8501 or sthombe82@gmail.com Balloon Magic Supplies custom printed balloon décor to suit your theme. For centre pieces, balloon sculpting, balloon pillars and arches. Contact Cindy: 011 892 4219, 083 276 2747, cindy@balloonmagic.co.za or visit balloon-magic.co.za Balloons Foil, shaped helium balloons with a variety of characters. Contact Crissy: 074 229 1145 or crissytavares@ mac.com B-Day Parties Supplies themed party décor from 180 themes. Contact: 021 853 1727, linda@bdayparties.co.za or visit bdayparties.co.za

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BellaBagheera Customised invitations, themed or basic, party favour stickers, cupcake toppers and thank-you cards. The deliver nationwide. Contact Astrid: 021 712 8628, 071 869 2151, info@bellabagheera.co.za or visit bellabagheera.co.za Bumpy Jumpy Castles Large range of jumping castles, including the Dragon’s Hideaway, the Wishful Wizard’s Castle or a choo-choo train. They deliver, set up and collect. Contact: 082 227 8537, fun@bumpyjumpycastles.co.za or visit bumpyjumpycastles.co.za Cakes & Castles Offers jumping castles, water slides, birthday cakes, children’s table and chairs, décor with linen, balloons and party packs.

Cakes from R350, castles from R320.

Sundowner. Contact Tessa: 083 450 2525, tessa@cakesandcastles.co.za or visit cakesandcastles.co.za Candy Kids Fun Rides Hires mini trains, carousels, swings, jumping castles and slides. Contact: 073 228 4180 Chameleon Party Packs Creative party packs made to suit the party’s theme.

Contact Kirsten: 011 883 6617, 072 249 8790 or kirstenlegg1@gmail.com Charlie Bucket’s They stock a variety of games, toys and crafts. Home shop viewing by appointment only. Parktown North. Contact: 084 589 0887 CNA For all your themed party accessories including paper plates, hats, balloons and more. Contact: 0800 203 925 Craft Blanche Retail and wholesale suppliers of all your invitation, card making and scrapbooking requirements. Craft and DIY kits available. Nationwide delivery.

Contact: 021 554 2290, info@craftblanche. co.za or visit craftblanche.co.za Digital Works by Annelise For all your digital design needs, such as personalised invitations, birthday banners and much

more. Nationwide. Contact: 074 432 5913 or annelise@digitalworksbyannelise.co.za Dino-Mite Jumpers Rents out a range of jumping castles and waterslides as well as cutlery, crockery, chairs and tables.

Contact Keith: 082 449 5599, dino-mite@ iburst.co.za or visit dino-mitejumpers.co.za Enchanted Creations Party hire and décor shop with goods such as invitations, personalised banners, jumping castles, themed décor, accessories, themed bags, 3D cakes and more.

Contact: 084 567 5220, 072 765 1207, info@enchantedcreations.co.za or visit enchantedcreations.co.za ExtruWood They sell jungle gyms made from recycled plastic. Contact: 011 617 9200, ewinfo@extrupet.co.za or visit extruwood.co.za Flower Fusion For a range of floral designs and gifts. Nationwide delivery. Contact: 031 764 2801, flowerfusion@telkomsa.net or visit flowerfusionflorist.co.za Flower Spot Stockists of all party-related accessories and décor such as serviettes, candles, party hats, blowouts, themed paper plates, and helium and folio balloons.

Woodmead. Contact: 011 804 5143, info@ flowerspot.co.za or visit flowerspot.co.za Fourways Castles A selection of jumping castles, water slides and bubble machines. Fourways. Contact Dean: 071 351 8420, info@fourwayscastles.co.za or visit fourwayscastles.co.za Function Fotos & Design Various packages for personalised invitations.

Contact: 083 379 5545, tlwdesigns@ mtnloaded.co.za or visit functionfotos.com Fun in the Sun Castle Hire Rents out slip ‘n slides and jumping castles such as dinosaur, pirate ship and standard castles.

They also offer tables and chairs and face painting. From R350. Contact: 011 678 8149, 084 619 8944/9, mikevt@mweb. co.za or visit castlefun.co.za

Funky Monkey Castles Jumping castles to hire. They deliver to and collect from most northern suburbs venues. Contact: 082 551 3568, info@funkymonkeycastles. co.za or visit funkymonkeycastles.co.za Fun O’ Rama Hires out jumping castles such as a soccer ball or clown castle as well as slip ‘n slides and a variety of inflatables. Cost varies. East Rand.

Contact Estelle: 011 826 5275, 083 457 7749, info@funorama.co.za or visit funorama.co.za Funtastique Functions Supplies funky décor to suit your party theme, including a themed backdrop to hang in a gazebo.

Contact Celia Stander: 076 169 9666 or celiastander@hotmail.com Game Genie A variety of interactive teambased games. For girls and boys aged 6–11 years. Douglasdale. Contact Marisa: 082 779 2706, marisa@gamegenie.co.za or visit gamegenie.co.za Gatti Ice Cream For ice lollies, milk lollies, sorbets, full cream ice cream and speciality desserts. Honeydew. Contact 011 795 2454 or visit gattiicecream.co.za Gelli Baff A two-pack powder that turns pool water into jelly-like goo and back again. Nationwide delivery. Contact Wendy: 021 554 0233, 086 111 2006, 072 474 9566, wendy.ekman@altiustrading. com or visit gellibaff.co.za Gladiator Inflatables Hires out a variety of inflatable jumping castles, water slides and mini obstacle courses.

Randburg and Roodepoort. Contact: 011 672 4861, 011 781 5874, rentals@ gladiatorinflatables.co.za or visit gladiatorinflatables.co.za In Good Company Specialises in imported and local linen, tableware, decorations and party favours. Parkhurst.

Contact: 011 447 1628, juliegallagher@ ingoodcompany.co.za or visit ingoodcompany.co.za magazine joburg

illustrations: shutterstock.com

Having a party? Here’s who to call. Compiled by SIMONE JEFFERY

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resource

In-zane Kreeyations Book jumping castles, water slides, party supplies, popcorn machines and children’s tables and chairs online. They deliver, set up and collect in the Johannesburg area. Contact: 082 449 4197, 082 418 0155, jumping@ inzane.co.za or visit in-zane.co.za Its Mine Labels Offers a range of personalised magnetic invitations, labels, party pack stickers, tattoos, and personalised ribbon and wrapping paper.

They can design for your. Nationwide mailing. Contact: 011 646 3640, admin@ itsmine.co.za or visit itsmine.co.za Jackflash stories Get a personalised book, which tells your child’s birthday story with your own photos from R150.

Nationwide delivery. Contact Jaci: 082 827 8474, jaci@jackflashstories.co.za or visit jackflashstories.co.za Jeremy Kusner Productions Suppliers of party entertainment from carousels, mini trains, candyfloss and popcorn machines.

Sound and lighting equipment available.

Contact: 011 608 1485, 0861 112 876 or visit jkproductions.co.za Jitterbugs For magnet invitations, party pack stickers, décor and banners.

Magnetic invitations from R9. Nationwide delivery. Contact: 031 261 1030, orders@ jitterbugs.co.za or visit jitterbugs.co.za Jump Junction Jumping castles for hire such as a jungle jumper, princess castle, fairy island and more. They also rent out children’s tables and chairs. From R330−R450, including delivery, setup and collection. Randburg. Contact: 072 298 4024, brenda@jumpjunction.co.za or visit jumpjunction.co.za Just Labels Colourful, personalised gift stickers for children’s birthday presents.

R12 for six stickers. Choose your own wording and pictures. Postage nationwide.

Contact: 031 266 1738, sales@justlabels. co.za or visit justlabels.co.za Kate’s Party Rentals Rents out tables and chairs, marquees, catering equipment, umbrellas, crockery and cutlery, including tea sets for children, children’s furniture, jumping castles and more. Contact: 011 886 2336, inquiries@katespartyrentals. co.za or visit katespartyrentals.co.za Kiddie Junction Online store that offers a wide range of items for party packs and a wide selection of toys. Nationwide delivery. Contact Karen Endenburg: 073 163 8703, karen@kiddiejunction.co.za or visit kiddiejunction.co.za Kiddie Rides Automated children’s rides (like the ones in shopping centres) delivered and set up for your party.

Contact: 011 822 9265, a_jordaan@mweb. co.za or visit kiddierides.co.za Kids Labels International Offers a wide variety of gift labels. Posted nationwide.

For more info: visit kidslabels.co.za Kids Like Us Piñata Factory For custommade piñatas in various themes and designs as well as face painting. Piñatas from R190–R350. Contact Cassandra: 072 228 0563, cassandra@kidslikeuspinatas. com or visit kidslikeuspinatas.com

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Kids Party Packs Make your child’s birthday party extra special. They supply themed party supplies, serviettes, paper plates and party packs. Contact: 082 887 4298, info@kidspartypacks.co.za or visit kidspartypacks.co.za Koala Tea Collections Koalatea offers classy, cute, custom stationery items, from party invitations to thank-you cards and more. Contact: 084 851 6981, admin@ koalatea.co.za or visit koalatea.co.za Kula Kids Helium Balloons Suppliers of helium balloons of various shapes and sizes. Costs start at R6. party photography. Parktown. Contact: 083 293 7208 or leanned@iburst.co.za Labels Inc A range of personalised stationery including party invitations, gift labels and cards. From R60. Contact Lauren: 082 556 4232, lauren@labelsinc. co.za or Karen: 082 897 7799, karen@ labelsinc.co.za or order online at labelsinc.co.za La Koufeto Bonbonnieres Makes party packs. Gifts range from R20 and up.

Contact: 011 455 3149 or hpatricios@ gmail.com Little Heroes Theme Parties Specialists in equipment hire, party décor, jumping castles, party packs, birthday cakes, entertainers, party food for adults and children, and party planning. They set up the party from start to finish or you can just hire the equipment. Contact Vera: 083 441 5058, vera@littleheroparties.co.za or visit littleheroparties.co.za Little Lees Piñata Place For all your piñata requirements. Randburg. Contact: 071 512 9399, littlelees@telkomsa.net or visit littlelees.co.za Little Occasions Children’s Designer Partyware Offers a collection of party ware, including invitations, paper cups, plates, napkins, balloons, greeting cards, wrapping paper and gift bags.

Contact: 011 791 7436, 083 415 6162, info@littleoccasions.co.za or visit littleoccasions.co.za Love Letters Online store that sells locally produced, modern and creative personalised stationery as well as placemats, personalised gifts and organisers. Contact: 083 651 8074, lovelettersstationery@gmail.com or visit lovelettersstationery.co.za Macaroon Offers personalised, online stationery, which can be designed with your personal photographs to create invitations and more. Also gift stickers.

From R200. Contact: 011 782 9529, 082 889 3320, orders@macaroon.co.za or visit macaroon.co.za Missi Magpie Suppliers of party decorations, from pompoms to lanterns, juice dispensers and handmade favours.

Fourways. Contact: 083 285 9449, 084 603 1194, info@missimagpie.co.za or visit missimagpie.co.za Money Box Party Packs Affordable money box party packs. Sixteen designs available, including a DIY option that provides an art and crafts magazine joburg

activity for children. Contact Tracy: 082 422 7872, tracyf@iafrica.com or visit jorsam.co.za Moonshine Beverages Frosty Fred slush, Frosty Fruit smoothies and Hi-Spiritz cocktail machines for hire. They deliver, set up and collect after the party. Contact: 011 973 3967, info@moonshinebev.co.za or visit moonshinebev.co.za My Gas Supplies helium for balloons, large inflatable’s and blimps as well as easy-to-use, DIY balloon kits. Honeydew.

Contact: 011 794 2423, info@mygas.co.za or visit mygas.co.za My Memory Book Keep your child’s birthday memories in this photo book.

Contact Nathalie: 072 437 0924 or demoraes@global.co.za Mystic Memories Specialists in party banners, digital invitations, photo editing, digital scrapbooking pages, and designed and printed photo books. Contact Leeann: 083 781 2556, leeann@mysticmemories.co.za or visit mysticmemories.co.za Parties4Africa Online shopping site offers a wide range of party products with over 50 children’s themes to choose from.

Delivery is overnight. Contact: 083 635 5353, 084 406 6313, info@parties4africa. co.za or visit parties4africa.co.za Party Katz Party shop that specialises in balloon décor and balloon deliveries, costumes, party packs and entertainment.

Douglasdale. Contact: 011 704 0024 or partykatz@mweb.co.za Partyland Your one-stop party shop for all your gift-wrapping, balloon, party pack and party décor needs. Fourways Crossing.

Contact: 011 467 0815 Partyshopsa.co.za One-stop party shop in Randburg. Supplies all party accessories such as helium-filled balloons, party themes, wigs, costumes, party accessories, banners, fancy hats and more. Contact: 011 793 4238, sales@partyshopsa.co.za or visit partyshopsa.co.za Party Solutions Rents out marquees, trestle tables, adult and children’s chairs as well as cutlery, crockery and glasses.

Marquees from R995, delivery and setup at an additional cost. Contact: partysolutions@cybersmart.co.za or visit partysolutions.biz Photo Booth Creations A portable photo booth with a professional operator and a box of dress-up clothes and accessories.

Fourways. Contact: 083 557 7337, info@photoboothcreations.co.za or visit photoboothcreations.co.za Photoboothinc Provides fun and laughter for all the guests. The standard package includes unlimited photos printed out instantly, an experienced operator, duplicate prints, use of all the fun props and a DVD of all the photos for the host. Contact: 083 377 9449, rob@photoboothinc.co.za or visit photoboothinc.co.za Piñata and Balloon Africa Sells piñatas in any shape, size or colour, as well as balloon art décor. Muldersdrift. Contact: magazine joburg

082 457 2276, mgwyther@mweb.co.za or visit pinatas.co.za Polly Potter’s Toy Store Sells party gifts and toys. Contact Gia: 082 578 1457, giabert@cinet.co.za or visit pollypotterstoystore.co.za Poms & Tutus Suppliers of décor pom poms, lanterns, and whimsical tutus and craft supplies. Contact: 011 803 8722, 076 259 9434, info@pomsandtutus.com or visit pomsandtutus.com Puzzle Worx Create a personalised puzzle with a photo of your child and use it as an invitation or keepsake. Various sizes from R20. Contact Jody: 083 275 6567 or jodywebb@mtnloaded.co.za Rainbow Parties Store stocks themed décor, cakes, eats, party packs and accessories. Can arrange entertainment.

Contact Carmen: 012 362 2383, 072 271 5371 or carmenyup@iburst.co.za or visit rainbowparties.co.za Sensation Lab Manufacture and hire of unique structures, furniture and ambient accessories such as dance floors, marquees, candlelit walkways, fairy and disco lights. Contact: 011 023 5940/45, info@sensationlab.co.za or visit sensationlab.co.za Sing Your Name Novel idea to add to party packs. Why not create a personalised CD with your friends name sung in the CD and a message on the cover. Nationwide delivery. Contact: 083 456 8385, info@sing-your-name.co.za or visit sing-your-name.co.za Sky Toys A wholesale balloon company with a wide variety of balloons, from plain and printed to novelty and foil, as well as helium balloons. Mayfair. Contact: 011 837 3924, 083 377 3786, info@ skytoys.co.za or visit skytoys.co.za Smith & Olive Toyshop Offers imported gifts and a wide variety of party pack treats for sale. Morningside. Contact: 087 940 3817 Star Castles Supplies fun inflatable play centres for all ages as well as themed birthday cakes. Contact: 011 679 5699, 082 372 9177 or sales@starcastles.co.za Sunrise Sweets Buy treats, sweets and chocholate in bulk. Roodepoort. Contact: 011 475 8366 Super Duper Castles Provides jumping castles, inflatable slippy slides, children’s chairs and tables as well as party packs.

Contact: 083 457 3402, info@superduper-castles.co.za or visit super-dupercastles.co.za The Baker’s Warehouse One-stop shop for all your baking and catering supplies and ingredients. From cake decorations, dry baking ingredients, chocolate and nuts to all kinds of packaging and novelty tins available for hire. Bryanston. Contact: 011 706 5010, apadop@icon.co.za or visit bakerswarehouse.co.za The Paper Kite Offers a selection of colourful and handmade paper, which is used for invitations and party boxes.

Contact: 082 767 1602 or lindajane@ thepaperkite.co.za May 2012

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The Toy Factory Shop Shop online for party buckets, cheap toys for party packs, and birthday presents at reasonable prices. Party Buckets R18, including Nik Naks, Fizz Pop, Smarties, bubbles and toy. Contact: info@thetoyfactoryshop.co.za or visit thetoyfactoryshop.co.za Tinkle-pea Offers gifts and party favours.

Contact: 082 804 5678, jenny@tinklepea. co.za or visit tinklepea.co.za Wizards Jumping Castles A large selection of jumping castles and water slides. Florida. Contact: 011 472 3154, 072 220 6063, info@wizardscastles.co.za or visit wizardscastles.co.za Write-stuff Stationery Shop Sells helium balloons, gift wrap and party accessories.

Contact Carol: 011 481 3333 or writestuff@mweb.co.za

Aragon Stables pony parties Offers safe reliable ponies for young children.

They will plan games and treasure hunts for the party. Muldersdrift. Contact Jenny: 082 666 3728, jenny@aragonstables.co.za or visit aragonstables.co.za Cedar Farm This family-run farm has free-roaming animals. Children can also

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run freely in this safe setting. Fourways.

Contact: 083 383 7819, info@cedarfarm. co.za or visit cedarfarm.co.za Crazykidz Farmyard A venue that provides a full party-planning service.

Theme parties such as Teddy Bears’ Picnic and Farmyard include décor and party packs. Daniel St, Kensington B. Contact: 082 389 9153, info@ crazykidzfarmyard.co.za or visit crazykidzfarmyard.co.za Croc City Crocodile Farm Touch or hold a crocodile hatchling, under professional supervision. Catering and entertainment provided. Nietgedacht. Contact: 083 657 7561, 083 321 1016, info@croccity.co.za or visit croccity.co.za Farmyard Frendz There are trampolines, jumping castles, jungle gyms, swings, pony rides, a children’s train, three lapas with chairs and tables for children and adults. They have a touch-and-feel farm with various animals. Various catering options. Northriding. Contact Ana: 083 307 0790 or farmyardfrendz@hotmail.com Horse Haven Pony party venue where children can enjoy activities such as painting horse shoes, making carrot cakes, treasure hunts and more. They have a large playground area and offer pony rides or gymkhana games for the

older children. Kyalami. Contact: 083 229 3478, 072 014 9090, info@horsehaven. co.za or visit horsehaven.co.za Jungle Tots Farmyard Farm venue in Kyalami with ponies, cows and sheep.

Children can feed the animals and enjoy pony rides. Kyalami. Contact: 083 377 7571 or jenco@ibi.co.za Lory Park Animal and Owl Sanctuary Has a tea garden and play area with jungle gym and big and small lapa.

Entertainment includes animal petting.

Midrand. Contact: 011 315 7307, info@ lorypark.co.za or visit lorypark.co.za Mac’s Party Farmyard Exclusive-use venue with an indoor hall, picnic and braai facilities, a jungle gym, a jumping castle, farm animals and more. Contact: 011 948 8752, 082 657 6817, info@duosapphire.co.za or visit duosapphire.co.za Mobile Zoo Professor Crawl provides interactive one- to two-hour sessions with his zoo of exotic animals. Plan the party at their venue or they will come to you.

Malanshof, Randburg. Contact Fanie: 082 441 8002, barnardtz@yahoo.com or visit mobilezoo.co.za Old MacDonald’s Party Farm One of five venues on a three-hectare piece of land, with an animal farm and pony rides.

Each venue has a trampoline, jungle gym,

sandpit, swings and a jumping castle.

Venue hire includes pony rides, tea, coffee, cold drink, balloons, tables, chairs and crockery. Lanseria. Contact: 082 339 3927, oldmacd@hotmail.com or visit oldmacdonald.co.za Predator World Offers a party venue and they organise the activities, food, animals and toys. Sun City. Contact: 014 552 6900, 076 817 6869, info@predatorworld.co.za or visit predatorworld.co.za Rhino & Lion Nature Reserve Offers a fully-equipped play area with jumping castles, jungle gyms, trampolines, swing sets and water slides (on request).

Customised price packages. Kromdraai.

Contact: 011 957 0106 or trs@iafrica.com Sun Valley Pony Parties Offers safe pony parties in a friendly environment at their stables. Includes party venue with play equipment, pony rides and games. Kyalami. Contact: 082 571 0309, info@sunvalleystables.co.za or visit sunvalleystables.co.za Wild and Earthly This mobile farmyard provides a fun, interactive experience for children to get up close and personal with a range of popular animals. She also provides educational talks. Contact Lisa: 084 550 0120, lisa@wildandearthly.co.za or visit wildandearthly.co.za

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Art and crafts Create beaded necklaces and bracelets. Costs range from R60 per child.

Contact Jean: 082 640 5650 or jean. faulds5@gmail.com Artjamming Painting parties with party packs. Canvas and huge variety of non-toxic paints provided. Parties of 10 or more receive a discount. Athol and Lonehill. Contact: 011 586 0599, 011 465 5778 or visit artjamming.co.za Bambury Stocks a range of products that are perfect for art and craft parties, or party packs. Nationwide. Contact: 083 680 5976, nikiw@bambury.co.za or visit bambury.co.za Beadworx Activities vary from making bracelets, cellphone and bag accessories to key rings, mobiles and wine-glass markers. Contact: 083 479 5527 or soul. worx@yahoo.com Buddy Bear Choose an animal or bear from the varied selection, stuff it, add a heart and give it a voice. Contact Colleen: 072 239 4624, colleen@perfecttouchsa. co.za or visit buddybear.co.za Color CafĂŠ A ceramic-painting studio and coffee shop where children can choose a piece of raw pottery to paint or mosaic.

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They can select colours and accessories, and design with the help of a qualified staff member. Hyde Park. Contact Samantha: 011 341 0734, 082 906 5557 or colorcafe@vodamail.co.za Crafty Corner Entertains with a variety of age- and gender-appropriate party crafts, according to a theme. Starting at R110 per child. Linden. Contact Winnie: 011 782 0351, 082 780 3673, winnie@craftycorner. co.za or visit craftycorner.co.za I love Sandart They host and rent out services for sand-art parties. They sell party favours and gift packs. Randburg.

Contact Melanie: 011 022 7525, 083 278 0101, melanie@ilovesandart.co.za or visit ilovesandart.co.za Kidz only An online shop with a wide selection of sand art, stationery, bath products and magic chocolate at affordable prices. Contact: admin@ kidzonly.co.za or visit kidzonly.co.za Kula Kids Craft Parties Children can create fridge magnets, trinket boxes, photo frames and more. Cost starts at R25. Parktown. Contact Leeanne: 083 293 7208 or leanne@kulakids.co.za Moyo at Zoo Lake Two-hour, interactive, African-themed parties with dancing and games, storytelling, face painting and food.

Parents can dine while the children are

entertained and supervised. Parkwood.

Contact Yvonne: 011 646 0058, info@ moyo.co.za or visit moyo.co.za Perler Beads Parties Children place plastic beads onto plastic pegboards in a pattern and once completed, the creation is ironed and can be used for art and crafts.

For more info: visit justkiddingaround.co.za PolkaDot Art Studio Various party packages are available at their venue or yours. From pizza and baking parties, spa parties, and art and crafts.

Parkhurst. Contact Carryn: 082 901 5250, info@polkadotartstudio.co.za or visit polkadotartstudio.co.za Pop Art Parties A selection of activities such as mosaics, bead work, T-shirt design, sand art, fashion design, wire work and more brought to your home. Contact: 084 628 0337, info@popartparties.co.za or visit popartparties.co.za Pottery Junxion Children can get creative with ceramics or mosaic. All the tools and products are provided, as well as staff to assist. Dowerglen, Edenvale. Contact: 011 453 2721, rosie@potteryjunxion.co.za or visit potteryjunxion.co.za Scrapbook Den Children can make cards or do scrapbooking. Catering options can be discussed. Contact Jeanette: 011 453 2724, 082 552 4332 or j.mac@iafrica.com

Scrapbooking on the Move Scrapbooking parties for children. Contact Dorian: 083 409 7434, dorian@gam.co.za or visit scrapbookingonthemove.co.za Seedpod Studio Creative parties for children six years and older. Options available are sewing and beading a felt cupcake, painting a canvas, decorating with beads and ceramic inserts, making a pin bracelet and more. Broadacres. Contact: 011 465 0375, info@seedpodstudio.co.za or visit seedpodstudio.co.za Smudge Offers a private party room with tailor-made themes and art activities supervised by qualified artists. Children also have access to the dress-up room.

Craighall. Contact: 011 501 0234 The Children’s Party Company Specialists in art and crafts and sand art. They supply party packs, entertainment and childminders. Contact Natasha: 011 023 3479, 076 043 2228 or tasj@vodamail.co.za

Angioni Exclusive Bakery For cakes, designer biscuits and desserts.

Eastern Johannesburg. Contact Sabrina: 082 218 3094, sabrina@angioni-bakery. co.za or visit angioni-bakery.co.za

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Annica’s Customised cakes for every occasion. Contact: 011 326 1526 or annicas@mweb.co.za Belles Patisserie They create any cake you can imagine and cater for children’s parties, including goodie bags. Contact: 082 944 4018, linda@bellespatisserie. co.za or visit bellespatisserie.co.za Better Batters’ frozen muffin mixes Available in various flavours. All you have to do is snip, pour and bake. Available in a 1kg piping bag for R50. Contact: 082 330 7718 or shameera@saol.com Bluebells and Butterflies They create customised cakes and cupcakes.

Deliveries take place on Saturday. Contact Trudy: 011 976 3136, 082 419 9598, trudy@bluebellsbutterflies.co.za or visit bluebellsbutterflies.co.za Boost Juice Bars Offers 98 percent fat-free smoothies, juices and crushes and a range of healthy snacks. They create party packs with various customised items. Contact Lyle: lyle. peters@boostjuice.co.za or visit boostjuice.co.za Cake Deco Mania Suppliers of edible cake image printing products comprising printers, edible icing sheets, edible inks and licensed preprinted images. Contact: 083 657 9225, sarel@inkredible.co.za or visit inkredible.co.za Cakes 4 Kiddies Eggless and normal cakes in chocolate, chilli chocolate, vanilla and granadilla sponge; eggless vanilla and chocolate cupcakes. Chocolate can be substituted with carob powder. Randburg.

Contact Kami: 011 791 3205, 082 550 9932 or kami73@iburst.co.za Chantal’s Cakes & Catering Specialists in birthday, novelty and high-tea cakes, cupcakes, assorted pastries and catering.

Cost varies. Roodepoort. Contact Chantal: 011 764 6309, 076 849 4042, chantalscakes@vodamail.co.za or visit chantalscakescatering.yolasite.com Chlo Lo Catering Customised cakes, cupcakes and party entertaining for adults and children. Food for youngsters contains no additives, colourants, preservatives, and no added salt or sugar.

River Club. Contact Robyn: 072 659 8919, robynwilson1@googlemail.com or visit chlolo.co.za Cinnamon & Sugar A wide selection of baking accessories, light catering, party hire, and cakes made to order. Malvern.

Contact: 011 615 3318, cinnsugar@mweb. co.za or visit csbakingsupplies.co.za Coffeespoonz & Afternoons Frozen muffin, crumpet, waffle, pancake, cupcake and brownie batter. Simply defrost, snip, pour and bake. Contact Gina: 011 849 4273, coffeespoonz@telkomsa.net or visit muffin-batters.co.za Delite Foods Specialists in sugarfree, low-fat jellies, biscuits, chocolate drinks, sweets and more. Also perfect for diabetics and hyperactive children.

Nationwide delivery. Contact Fran: 021 702 0721/2, info@delitefoods.co.za or visit delitefoods.co.za

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Designer Bites Creators of customised cakes, mini cakes, personalised gingerbread and platters to suit every theme. They also supply decorations.

Pineslopes. Contact: 011 022 4575, designerbites@gmail.com or visit designerbites.co.za Dial-a-picnic Various themed menus for elaborate or casual picnics. Randburg and Alberton. Contact: 081 329 7538, 083 601 7135, randburg@dialapicnic.co.za or visit dialapicnic.co.za Di’s Cakes Baked in any character or object of your choice. She also offers cupcakes, biscuits and party packs.

Randburg. Contact: 083 651 4908 or dmarques@iburst.co.za DLish Services range from specialised novelty cakes to party and function catering. Contact: 082 378 5677, graeme@dlish.co.za or visit dlish.co.za Dream Cakes Specialists in 3D and novelty cakes. Costs from R280– R380. Alberton. Contact: 082 895 8820, benita@dreamcakes.co.za or visit dreamcakes.co.za Fairy Godmother Specialists in cupcakes; themed, 3D and moulded cakes, plus other baking goodies.

Bryanston. Contact: 072 787 3759 or jennifer@clutterbusters.co.za Funky Cupcakes For cakes and cupcakes in all designs, and for themed parties. Contact Luis: 082 815 7430, bakery@funkycupcakes.co.za or visit funkycupcakes.co.za Gill’s Cakes Suppliers of 3D cakes, cupcakes, biscuits and petits fours. They can incorporate your ideas into the cake of your choice. Roodepoort. Contact Gillian: 082 926 3363, gillian@gillscakes. co.za or visit gillscakes.co.za Kadies Bakery Supplies Stocks a selection of baking, edible transfers and cake decorating supplies. Fourways.

Contact: 011 465 5572, enquiries@kadies. co.za or visit kadies.co.za Lollipops Catering They cater to your every need, from supplying cakes and cupcakes to the chairs, marquees, dance floors and bands. Northcliff.

Contact: 011 782 5063, lollipops@ telkomsa.net or visit lollipops.co.za Made by Monica Creates birthday cakes and cupcakes. A minimum of one week’s notice is required on all orders. Prices range from R120 per dozen cupcakes, and from R350 for birthday cakes.

Bryanston. Contact: 083 297 7977 or monica@madebymonica.co.za Morish Cupcake Boutique From novelty to traditional cupcakes. Prices range from R12 per cupcake. Contact Bianca: 071 136 1622, info@morish.co.za or visit morish.co.za Petits Fours Deli and Décor Provides high teas for girls of all ages, specialised cakes and birthday party platters.

Randridge and Verdi Shopping Centre. Contact: 011 791 6242, 011 782 1778, tania@pfours.co.za or visit petitsfours.co.za magazine joburg

Pick n Pay Entertainment For themed cakes and children’s and adults’ party platters. Ask for a party platter catalogue at the deli or customer service desk.

R50 delivery fee. Available in selected areas only. Contact: 011 574 4643 or visit picknpayentertaining.co.za Picnics for Pixies Picnics for children and a full party-planning service. Randburg and Alberton. Contact: 081 329 7538, 083 601 7135, randburg@dialapicnic.co.za or visit dialapicnic.co.za Picture Perfect Cake Cakes and cupcakes for all occasions, as well as party packs, platters and catering services.

Contact Genevieve: 011 792 6169, 076 821 5628, picturepcakes@gmail.com or visit pictureperfectcakes.co.za Tart For all your specialty cake needs.

Lonehill. Contact: 011 705 3544, scharlene @tarts-cakes.co.za or visit tarts-cakes.co.za The Cake Lady Creator of novelty cakes and cupcakes. Fourways, Randburg and Roodepoort. Contact: 083 700 8938, thecakelady@wbs.co.za or visit thecakelady.co.za Tiny Bite Specialising in custom-made biscuits, biscuit party packs and 3D cakes.

Cost of biscuits start at R4 and cakes from R600. Sandton. Contact: 082 927 9763, allison@tinybite.co.za or visit tinybite.co.za Top Cakes Offers character cakes, picture transfer cakes, cupcakes and party platters. Randburg. Contact Niva: 076 550 8996, enquiries@topcakes.co.za or visit topcakes.co.za Vienna Cake Works A confectionery with a difference, which specialises in exclusive cakes for memorable occasions.

Edenvale. Contact: 076 509 5678 or info@ viennacakeworks.com Yum Yum Cupcakes Specialises in cakes and cupcakes for all occasions.

Cupcakes are packed in clear cupcake trays with folding lids for freshness.

Weltevredenpark. Contact Paula: 072 622 7078 or paula@yumyumcupcakes.co.za Zoe Cakes for Fun Unique character cakes customised to suit your needs. Outlets nationwide. Contact Ingrid: 011 706 7332, 073 046 8460, info@zoecakesforfun.co.za or visit zoecakesforfun.co.za

A−Z Creative Entertainment Foodmaking parties for junior chefs and theme-combo parties for all ages. Party equipment and operators available for hire. Contact Zelda: 011 682 2660, 072 373 8963, zelda@creativeentertainment.co.za or visit creativeentertainment.co.za Choc Delite Children learn the fun art of chocolate moulding and they get to take home their edible, delectable creation (three to four chocolate lollies per child).

Contact Moneera: 083 554 6041 or moneera@mtn.blackberry.com Foodiction Children prepare and enjoy their own party food. The menu is magazine joburg

designed according to the theme, ages and skills level of the children. R250 per child. Bryanston. Contact Jonathan: 011 514 6745, jonathanb@foodiction. co.za or visit foodiction.co.za Fun Foodies Parties The focus is on helping children build a good relationship with food. Children can dress up as chefs and cook up a storm. Contact Jade: 082 214 5271, funfoodies@mweb. co.za or visit funfoodies.co.za Karma Kooking Klub for Kids Cooking parties for children. The cost includes juice, all ingredients, food preparation at their venue and a chef’s hat. Contact Zara: 072 222 8559, zara@karmakorporate.co.za or visit karmakoroprate.co.za Kiddies Chef Combines a party with an educational experience. Children make their own food, based on a country as a theme. From R50 per person. Gift bags optional. Contact Yumnah: 011 492 3866, 082 782 9880, yumz@chef.net or visit kiddieschef.co.za Little Cooks Club Cooking classes and parties for children 2–12 years old.

The classes are held at a Little Cooks Club location. Contact: 083 556 3434, christine@littlecooksclub.co.za or visit littlecooksclub.co.za Noogie Cookie Dough Noogie offers a make, bake and take party experience with his tasting Noogie Cookie Dough for your child and their friends to experience. Contact Dean: 083 445 4556, adventures@noogieville.co.za or visit noogieville.co.za Pizza parties Supplies the dough, toppings, pizza ovens and chefs to assist in making the pizzas. Costs from R45 per child, excluding labour and transport.

Contact Ciara: 011 465 7270, ciara@ tsg4ways.co.za or visit tsg4ways.co.za The Growing Gourmet They organise cooking parties for children 3–15 years.

Edenvale. Contact Bianca: 071 510 7019 or bianca.vn@vodamail.co.za The Taste Bud Studio Arranges handson cooking parties for children from 3–13 years. They also do party catering and party packs. Paulshof. Contact Nicola: 082 331 9987, nicola@tastebudstudio. co.za or visit tastebudstudio.co.za Tots n Pots Offers tailor-made baking parties. Choose from a menu of themes and recipes. Various packages available, including party packs, hats, aprons, and ingredients. Randburg, Helderkruin, Bryanston and Fourways. Contact Angie: 083 400 1288, angie@totsnpots.com or visit totsnpots.com

Experilab Science-themed birthday parties at their venue where children perform experiments that they take home.

They also stock activity packs for a home science party. Nationwide. Contact: 012 361 1134, info@experilab.co.za or visit experilab.co.za May 2012

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Genius Kidslab For parties filled with innovation, inspiration and expressive arts, and drama therapy (genius maskmaking and dress-up services). Contact: 076 578 6574, claire@geniuslab.co.za or visit geniuslab.co.za Maropeng Birthday Parties Children take a guided tour of the Sterkfontein Caves followed by supervised party games.

Optional party extras. Sterkfontein Caves or Cradle of Humankind. Contact: 014 577 9000, childmag@maropeng.co.za or visit maropeng.co.za Sci-Bono Discovery Centre Parties include a guided tour of the centre, a science show, a dedicated party coordinator, a free science gift for the birthday child, two hours in the party venue and free entrance to the centre for all party guests (maximum 50 people). Newtown.

Contact: 011 639 8400, refilwep@sci-bono. co.za or visit sci-bono.co.za Science and Creepy Crawly parties Children can observe four science experiments and conduct three of their own. Experiments may involve slime, rockets, and volcanoes. For children 4–12 years. Contact Ali: 073 260 5371 or alimorgan@webmail.co.za ScubaParties.com They come to you or you can go to their venue. Optional extras

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include underwater footage, hand-made invites, ice-cream cakes and catering.

Chartwell, Douglasdale, Cradle of Humankind and Broederstroom. Contact: 074 413 9994, info@scubaparties.com or visit scubaparties.com Strange Blue Duck Novel stop-frame animation parties where children make their own animated films using Plasticine and various other objects. Suitable for children from 9 years. Greenside. Contact Richard: 082 815 3918, richard@strangeblueduck. co.za or visit strangeblueduck.co.za The Planetarium Offers space travel shows on Saturday mornings. Bring your own eats and enjoy a picnic outside or hot dogs and coffee. Suitable for children 5–8 years. Parktown. Contact: 011 717 1390, planet@planetarium.co.za or visit planetarium.co.za

Aalwyn’s Funtainment A ventriloquist, magician, mime and balloon artist.

Contact: 083 354 8726 or aalwynd@ vodamail.co.za AfrodizzyActs They provide performers such as human statues, giant clowns, face painters, magicians, beat boxers and jugglers. You can also hire a photo

booth. Contact Natalie: 082 087 5748, afrodizzyacts@hotmail.com or visit facebook.com/afrodizzyacts Andy’s Action Parties Action birthday entertainment for children from the age of 6. Themes include army, Survivor, Fear Factor, The Amazing Race, sports themes and more. Contact: 082 381 1051, andrew@ aaparty.co.za or visit aaparty.co.za Balloony Face painters and balloon artists that dress up as clowns, fairies and other characters to fit in with your theme.

Roodepoort. Contact: 071 105 2893, info@balloony.co.za or visit balloony.co.za Blue Flame Events and Branding Specialists They offer children’s entertainment, balloon modellers and face painters, and rent out jumping castles and costumes. Nationwide. Contact: 021 856 2774, 072 599 2288, info@bflame.co.za or visit bflame.co.za Calamity Jane Organises traditional party games for children such as pin-the-tail, running races, “I wrote a letter to my love”, and more with a theatrical twist. Contact: 079 573 0609 Clowns R Us They supply clowns, face painters and balloon sculpting, as well as organise pamper parties at your venue. Contact: 082 491 2583 or clowns@post.com

Crazy Colin Themed magic shows at a location of your choice. Contact: 078 625 9663, info@colinunderwood.com or visit colinunderwood.com Creative Faces Offers a wide range of detailed face-painting designs, body paintings, temporary airbrushed tattoos and glitter tattoos. Contact Surina: 073 631 0578, info@creativefaces.co.za or visit creativefaces.co.za Darin the Magician A 45-minute, one-man show, designed around a theme. All shows feature colourful and interesting props, magic and balloon twisting. Contact: 082 978 4260 or visit darinthemagician.com Duo Sapphire Entertainment Professional entertainers and equipment suppliers who travel to your venue or entertain you at Mac’s Party Farmyard.

Tedderfield. Contact: 011 948 8752, 082 657 6817, info@duosapphire.co.za or visit duosapphire.co.za Faerie Folk They supply the entertainment, including dress-up gear and gifts at your home. Johannesburg and Midrand. Contact: 012 460 6894, 082 882 0207, faeries@faeriefolk.co.za or visit faeriefolk.co.za Fairytale Fantacies Provides mobile entertainment, event planning, party

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packs and cakes. Costs start at R1 200.

Location of your choice. Contact Lelanie: 073 347 6657, info@fairytalefantacy.co.za or visit fairytalefantacy.co.za Fairy Time Specialises in themed parties by supplying entertainers, games and costumes. Suitable for children 3–6 years old. Contact: 083 258 3250, caroline@ fairytime.co.za or visit fairytime.co.za Featherbrooke Children Offers Le Petite Pamper Spa Parties in their playhouse. Includes mini facials, mini manicures, mini pedicures, a chocolate fountain and gourmet cupcakes.

Dainfern. Contact Michel: 083 704 8600, springett@mweb.co.za or visit featherbrookechildren.co.za GameVan A high-tech mobile gaming theatre with XBox, Wii and PlayStation ideal for children 8 years and older. Costs start at R2 000. Contact: 071 869 7753, info@ gamevan.co.za or visit gamevan.co.za Lil-Tings Hosts diva, theme, pizza and foam parties at your venue. Also supplies party packs. Contact: 083 671 4770, tammy@little-t.co.za or visit little-t.co.za Lulu’s World of Entertainment Balloon artist, clown, clown show, juggler, magicians and more. Top children’s entertainment to add sparkle to every event. Contact: 074 164 0025, info@

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lulusworldofentertainment.com or visit lulusworldofentertainment.com Miles of Smiles Supplies entertainment via clowns, face painting, stilts, puppets, dance shows and more. Themes include pirate, underwater and Hannah Montana parties. Contact: 072 143 4003 or chris@ milesofsmilesonline.com Pamper Me Parties Pamper party in your own home. Packages include manicures, pedicures, facials, temporary tattoos, make-up and party packs. Contact: 082 780 1467, alice@pampermeparties.co.za or visit pampermeparties.co.za Puppetales A 40-minute show that includes ventriloquism, marionettes, music and two stories. Contact: 011 609 8158, 082 964 6189, machteld@ puppetales.co.za or visit puppetales.co.za Puppets and More Professional puppet shows using large, colourful puppets, incorporating ventriloquism, music, drama and tricks. Contact: 082 293 6097, parkersofbluehills@worldonline.co.za or visit puppetsandmore.co.za Puppet World Interactive puppet show with music, lighting and puppets. Contact Marie: 012 991 7644 or visit puppetworld.co.za Remember Me For face painting and temporary airbrushed tattoos at your venue. Novelty birthday cakes and

cupcakes are also on offer. Kyalami.

Contact Dawn: 083 305 1237 or cdedmondson@gmail.com Smilemakers Entertainment A party planning and equipment supplier offering a broad range of party entertainment plus entertainers for all ages. Contact: 086 111 2877, 011 640 6096, party@smilemakers. co.za or visit smilemakers.co.za Spellbound Puppets Choose one of 30 interactive puppet shows. Contact: 011 648 5235, 082 744 3882 or auerkell@ global.co.za Storyteller Leigh A storyteller of tall, funny and fantastical tales with or without a moral theme. Contact Leigh: 079 511 4129 or leight@discovery.co.za The Enchanted Castle Students dress up as Snow White, Tinkerbell, Buzz Lightyear, Spider-Man and many others to entertain the children. You can use their venue or book the mobile entertainers. Contact: 072 569 9332 or 086 699 4308 The Face Painter Transform children into magical creatures, fierce animals and princes and princesses with face painting or nail art. Bedfordview. Contact: 082 858 6329 or mightyjungle@global.co.za The Incredible Dog Show A world-class show from R1 200. Contact: 084 500 0415, lloyd@dogzcool.com or visit dogzcool.com

Tricky Trevor Entertainment Offers magic shows and balloon modelling. A children’s carousel (for children 2−6 years) can be rented. Contact: 011 849 5847, 083 413 1272 or duffys@iafrica.com Unforgettable Parties Entertains children with games and sports such as soccer and cricket. Jumping castles and a foam pit for hire. Contact: 011 333 9991, 072 804 4596, info@u-parties.co.za or visit u-parties.co.za Whimsical Parties Fun activities, games and prizes. They organise pamper, craft and themed parties, and supply décor and catering. Contact Avonnette: 071 444 0953, whimsicalparties@gmail.com or visit awishawaywhimsical.blogspot.com Wow Wee Magic Show A hilarious and fun-filled interactive magic show with puppet friends and more. Contact Ryan: 082 336 9287 or ryan@illusionists.co.za X-clusive Girls Pamper Parties For girls from age 4, at their salon. Lonehill. Contact: 082 372 1511 or x-clusive@mweb.co.za

Abracadabra Clothing For customised fancy dress and theatre costumes as well as special-occasion dresses. Contact Annalize: 083 448 3570 or abracadabra.clothing@yahoo.co.za

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CrystalFusion FairyWear Stocks handmade fairy gowns with detailed fairy wings, headbands, tiaras and fairy wands.

Costs vary. Nationwide delivery. Contact Ewan: 082 578 6767, ewan@crystalfusion. co.za or visit crystalfusion.co.za Danceland A wide selection of masks, costumes, accessories, dancing attire, ballet shoes, leotards, and fancy dress for all occasions. Clearwater Mall. Contact: 011 475 1466 or tonicalix@yahoo.com Mosaic Kids Rents out special outfits for fairy, princess and mermaid parties or makes costumes specific to your theme.

Parties can also be tailor-made to your theme and budget. Benoni. Contact: 011 425 5685, 083 604 0817, mosaic1@ mweb.co.za or visit mosaickids.co.za Pirates and Princesses Tailor-made costumes for fancy-dress parties. They need at least two weeks to make the costume. Contact: 011 828 1512, 082 716 9732, val@piratesandprincesses.co.za or visit piratesandprincesses.co.za Pirouette Costume Hire Supplies costumes and apparel. Garments available for hire or to buy. Special garments can be made up to requirements. Contact: 011 792 1661, enquiries@pirouettecostumehire. co.za or visit pirouettecostumehire.co.za Sinderella’s Costume Hire Rents out fancy dress costumes for theme parties. Also sells theatrical novelty items and masks. Linden.

Contact: 011 782 0622, sinder@global.co.za or visit costumehire.co.za Snog The Frog Gorgeous and upmarket costumes for hire and sale. They ship too. Specialised made-to-order service available. Petervale. Contact: 011 803 8722, info@snogthefrogsa.com or visit snogthefrogsa.com TwigglyWinks Offers a wide selection of quality, novelty designer costumes for sale and for hire. Broadacres. Contact: 084 778 8850, tosha@twigglywinks.co.za or visit twigglywinks.co.za

Angelo’s Kitchen Children make their own pizza and choose their topping with a childminder who assists them. There is a jumping castle. Bryanston. Contact Angelo: 011 463 5800, angelok@vodamail.co.za or visit angeloskitchen.co.za Boswell Wilkie Circus Children from 4 years old can experience the magic of the Big Top as professional circus performers get them to participate in circus activities.

Randvaal. Contact Lysette: 016 365 5330, 083 226 1213, party@circus.co.za or visit circus.co.za Carpe Diem Nursery School A facility geared for 25 children. They can supply entertainment, tables, chairs, cutlery, catering, snacks and childminders.

Randburg. Contact: 082 441 8002 or barnardtz@yahoo.com Clamber Club They come to your home or chosen venue with equipment for the children to clamber and climb on and

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entertainers to keep them busy. Contact: 011 325 2031, 079 402 3531, headoffice@ clamberclub.com or visit clamberclub.com Crackerjack Parties Upmarket family party venue. Rivonia. Contact: 082 600 5467, info@crackerjackparties.co.za or visit crackerjackparties.co.za Earthkids Party Yard Children’s parties are hosted in an adequate indoor area in the event of rain. The venue can cater for up to 100 people. Kyalami. Contact: 011 023 5746, 083 233 7806, info@earthkids. co.za or visit earthkids.co.za Feastt A variety of children’s activities are available, including chefs in training classes. They also offer various catering options, including birthday cakes, and an outdoor jungle gym. Parktown. Contact Rene: 011 447 8001, rene@feastt.co.za or visit feastt.co.za.

Gecko Jewellers/Mapatiza underground A party venue with a difference.

Children can explore the scratch patch, underground gemstone mine tours, enjoy beading classes or camel rides. Midrand.

Contact: 011 468 1467 or anuschka@ tiscali.co.za George & Lucy’s Party venue in a country setting with an indoor area and farm-style patio. There is a large play area with a jumping castle, bike track and covered deck. Chartwell. Contact: 011 708 1326, 082 578 0468 or visit georgeandlucys.com Gingko Provides a garden and play area with a jungle gym and ball pools. A nanny is available. There is a full children’s menu. Most food is organic and sugar and gluten free. Parkview. Contact: 011 486 3361, 082 804 3970, info@gingko. co.za or visit gingko.co.za Gold Reef City Theme Park Offers packages with free entrance for the birthday child, reduced prices for five or more friends and access to all rides and attractions. Contact: 011 248 6986, 011 248 6800, birthday@goldreefcity.co.za or visit goldreefcity.co.za Grannies Garden Play venue with a bike track, party kitchen, party room, craft room, computer room, dress-up room, fantasy room, modular play room, trampoline and much more. Blairgowrie. Contact: 011 326 4265 or visit granniesgarden.co.za Green Genes Available for exclusive parties on Saturday afternoons or Sundays. They provide decorations, lunch treats, entertainment and planned activities under the guidance of a dedicated party host and professional childminders.

Minimum of 15 children. Contact: 011 501 4740, 083 267 2773, info@greengenes. co.za or visit greengenes.co.za Hoots and Toots Parties Theme-party venue with a playground, jumping castle, Robinson Crusoe jungle gym, sandpit and other toys as well as a baby jungle gym and Astroturf. Randpark Ridge. Contact: 011 792 0460 or 074 116 5444 Imagine The Venue All-weather venue with beautiful large playground garden and comfy inside area for mom and dad, magazine joburg

with great views. Also do party planning.

Chartwell and Fourways. Contact: 082 928 7474, imagine@mailnet.co.za or visit imaginechildrensparties.co.za Kidz Party Zone Plans the party and supplies the décor, jumping castles, cake and other party accessories. Midrand.

Contact: 012 331 3460 or kidzpartyzone. biz@gmail.com Kidzville Safe, clean environment exclusively for children’s parties. Themes include party farm, boot camp, pirate, Survivor and teen disco. There is plenty of play equipment and organised activities. Kempton Park. Contact: 083 463 1429, beth@kidzville.co.za or visit kidzville.co.za Kinderland Party Venue Indoor and outdoor facilities, which include two private party venues with halls. Offers themed parties, children’s platters, cakes, party packs, balloons and catering for adults.

Contact: 082 680 1368, info@kinderlandpv. co.za or visit kinderlandpv.co.za Little Kickers Book a football training birthday party. Contact: 0861 088 888, admin@littlekickers.co.za or visit littlekickers.co.za Playdate Creates bespoke parties and caters to all your party needs. Suitable for children under 12 years. Bryanston.

Contact Charmaine: 083 253 0136 or innersense@mweb.co.za Playfare Private use of indoor and outdoor areas that can host up to 100 people. They supply a tea and coffee station, chairs and tables, large ice baths, a braai area and car guard. Kensington. Contact Tracy: 082 601 6552, tracycosta@iburst.co.za or visit playfare.co.za Precious Poppets Preschool & Party Place A self-catering venue on a country estate with an outdoor play area, jungle gym with sandpit, ablutions, kitchen and indoor dining area, adults’ tables, chairs and tablecloths, children’s tables and chairs, large braai, umbrellas and secure parking. Contact: 082 573 5798 or info@ preciouspoppets.co.za Stonehaven on Vaal Spoil your child this year with a great birthday party at Stonehaven on Vaal for only R67 per child. Vanderbijlpark. Contact: 016 982 2951 or info@stonehaven.co.za The Hide Out Kyalami An indoor and outdoor party venue with a garden and rolling lawns. Venue hire includes use of all kitchenware, furniture and cutlery.

Kyalami. Contact Debbie: 072 193 3652, thehideout@netwave.co.za or visit thehideoutkyalami.co.za The Mustard Seed Upmarket indoor and outdoor party venue. 153 Van Dalen Rd South, Ruimsig. Contact Celeste: 082 568 6106 or Louisa: 072 276 3506 or infomustardseed@gmail.com The Party Place Indoor and outdoor facilities include swings, a jumping castle, a water slide, a sandpit, a braai area, a kitchenette and more. Sunninghill.

Contact: 082 370 7108 or rzpartyplace@ gmail.com magazine joburg

The River Cabin The indoor area can be adapted for any theme and the outdoor area accommodates ball sports, water slides and jumping castles. Jukskei River.

Contact: 082 445 8436, therivercabin@ gmail.com or visit therivercabin.co.za The Secret Garden A tea garden and separate party venue in Norscot Manor with an enclosed children’s play area, sandpit, Wendy house, swing boats, black bikes and slides. Themed party packages for maximum 40 children include décor, linen, food and an option of two party packs. Full catering service.

Norscot Manor. Contact: 082 828 0297 or norscotkidz@gmail.com The Ski Deck Children aged 3−12 years can enjoy bum-boarding, slope surfing and sliding down the 20m long slope. The party is exclusive. A children’s playground is next to the lapa. Ferndale. Contact: 011 781 6528 or info@ski.co.za Tres Jolie Restaurant Fully-licensed, child-friendly restaurant and party venue with a floodlit playground, jungle gyms, jumping castles and sandpit. It also features a touch-and-feed animal farm as well as pony rides. They provide beverages and catering. Optional extras include balloons, cakes and party packs.

Ruimsig. Contact: 011 794 2473, 082 976 0762, 079 527 5008, info@tresjolie.co.za or visit tresjolie.co.za Tweedles Party Venue Offers catering and supplies décor, entertainment, equipment and videographer or photographer.

Sundowner. Contact: 082 612 2272, info@ tweedles.co.za or visit tweedles.co.za Ultimate Functions Supplies party items, party boxes, buckets, cakes, balloons and jumping castles. Offers puppet shows and face painters. Contact: 011 234 8016, 082 809 7843, info@ultimatefunctions.co.za or visit ultimatefunctions.co.za Words Bookstore A venue with a play area. Offers party packs, vintage tea parties, pamper parties, animal parties and art and crafts parties. They also do catering and photography.

Midrand. Contact: 082 896 0182, maria@wordsbookstore.co.za or visit wordsbookstore.co.za

Bambinos Indoor Playzone and Coffee Bar A birthday party service with indoor facilities for children to play in safely and a coffee bar for adults. Shop B3, 5 Star Junction, Honeydew. Contact: 079 182 4060, info@bambinosplayzone. co.za or visit bambinosplayzone.co.za Build-A-Bear Workshop Entertainment for children aged 3 and older. Each party is assigned its own bear builder to assist.

From R89. Sandton City, Clearwater Mall and East Rand Mall. Contact: 0861 BEARS (23277) or visit buildabear.co.za Egoli Conference Centre Offers a children’s play area, ball pool, climbing wall and restaurant.

Catering and décor can be arranged.

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Prices vary. Edenvale. Contact Laura, Kirsten or Sylvia: 011 609 4755, 082 467 2345, cafe@egolilodge.co.za or visit egolilodge.co.za Jimmy Jungles Supervised and secure adventure indoor playground for children from 6 months old to a maximum height of 1,4m. A coffee shop offers adults hot and cold beverages. Edenvale. Contact: 011 452 2180, fun@jimmyjungles.co.za or visit jimmyjungles.co.za Jungle Rumble Children up to the age of 12 can spend two hours playing in the multilevel indoor playground. Costs include a private room, party packs and a surprise.

Panorama Shopping Centre, Mulbarton.

Contact: 011 432 0403, info@junglerumble. co.za or visit junglerumble.co.za Kay’s Place Tailor-made parties for children of all ages; everything is catered for including the birthday cake, party packs and décor. Edenvale. Contact: 011 452 2180, 071 680 7768, info@kaysplace. co.za or visit kaysplace.co.za Kid’s Traffic-land Children aged 3–11 years can drive battery operated vehicles around the mini Traffic-land or at a venue of your choice. Catering can be arranged.

Highlands North. Contact: 073 329 8510, pana@kidztrafficland.co.za or visit kidztrafficland.co.za Melville Wellness Centre and Day Spa Girls between 5–12 years can celebrate with Little Princess Spa Pamper Parties: facials, manicures, pedicures, and a body massage for R290. Melville. Contact: 011 477 6987, info@melville-wellness-centre. co.za or visit melville-wellness-centre.co.za Mike’s Kitchen The birthday child receives a free meal, ice cream, balloon and a special gift. Book for 10 or more children and get a free themed birthday cake. Alberton. Contact: 011 869 5823 National Children’s Theatre The birthday child is invited on stage to receive a gift, a photograph of the cast and everyone sings “Happy birthday”. Parktown.

Contact: 011 484 1584 Orango Tangos Themed party rooms with various packages including decorations, snacks, sweets and party packs. Suitable

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for children 1–12 years. Open 9am–5pm, Tuesday–Sunday. Randburg. Contact: 078 526 9887, info@orangotangos.co.za or visit orangotangos.co.za Pottz Indoor Play Centre They can provide a venue for you to rent, party packs and catering. Germiston. Contact: 082 831 3006, 083 311 4175, info@iopc. co.za or visit pottz.co.za Roiketla Spa Offers pamper parties with massages, manicures, pedicures and temporary tattoos. Muldersdrift. Contact: 083 928 1113, roiketlaspa @vodamail.co.za or visit roiketlaspa.co.za SOHO Nails, Waxing, Beauty Offering individualised princess birthday packages for girls 10 old years and younger. Other party events can be created according to your requirements. Sandton City. Contact: 011 784 0370/1, 411@sohonycsalon.com or visit sohonycsalon.com Spur Steak Ranches Each child gets a selected children’s meal, soda, ice cream and party cup filled with sweets.

Invitations, balloons, and headdresses are optional. Booking essential. Contact: 086 000 7787 or visit spur.co.za StudioGirls Themed modelling parties for girls from age 9. They dress up, apply make-up, and are then photographed by a professional photographer. Price includes a cake and chocolate fountain.

Bryanston. Contact Jacky: 011 483 1135, 082 897 7540, jacky@studiogirls.co.za or visit studiogirls.co.za Supermodel for a Day Studios Girls are treated to a video on beauty, a talk about the do’s and don’ts of modelling and then they go for professional make-up and a photo shoot. The birthday girl gets a CD of images. Fourways. Contact Erik: 083 442 0873, erik@supermodelforaday.co.za or visit supermodelforaday.co.za The Ice Rink Northgate Take to the ice for an exciting ice-capade. Randburg.

Contact: 011 794 8706, northgate@ theicerink.co.za or visit theicerink.co.za Yeesh! Fun for Kids Indoor fun party venues with ball ponds, slides, giant two-storey climbing frames, obstacle courses, jumping castles and trampolines.

Woodmead and Bryanston. Contact: 073 230 6531, 083 923 2306, yeesh@ mweb.co.za or visit yeesh.co.za

Disco Baby Children can dance to their favourite tunes. Party packages tailor-made to suit your needs and party packs can be arranged. Contact Lindsay: 084 804 6550, bookings@discobaby.co.za or visit discobaby.co.za Drumkidz Djembe drumming classes for children of all ages. Drum along to stories, songs and play innovative games. Cost starts at R725. Sandton and East Rand.

Contact: 083 260 1846, nicole@drumkidz. co.za or visit drumkidz.co.za Key Players Music Offers a two-hour music workshop where the children will learn to play a song. Minimum of 10 people.

R180 per person and includes boerewors rolls and juice. Contact Dominique: workshop@keyplayersmusic.com Wired Sound Studios – Pop Idol parties A music party with a difference.

23 7th Ave, Parktown North. Contact Chris De Wet: 082 339 4733, info@ wiredsoundstudios.co.za or visit wiredsoundstudios.co.za

AcroBranch Combines sport and adventure.

Birthday parties get full access to all the junior courses. You also get the use of all their facilities, such as the lapa. Catering not supplied.

Melrose. Contact: 078 438 7463, bookings@acrobranch.co.za or visit acrobranch.co.za Aerial Displays Book a private party at either of their two venues. The children can go on a 15-minute ride in the earthlinked balloon. Optional extras include party platters. Montecasino, Sandton and Soweto. Contact Maxine: 083 626 1477, maxine@atlasballoon.co.za or visit aerialdisplays.co.za All Things Magical A small venue that cater for 35 people with a paradise

playground area. They can arrange party packs, cakes, jumping castles, décor and entertainment. Sharonlea.

Contact Carol: 083 272 9939, allthingsmagical@explicitfx.com or visit allthingsmagical.com Bear Country Party Place Party venue with a touch-and-feed farmyard, jungle gym, swings, trampoline, swimming pool and pony rides. They also organise treasure hunts and other themed parties.

Muldersdrift. Contact Kathy: 082 446 8456 or bearcountry@absamail.co.za Café Blu A large venue with a children’s play area. They provide the catering, gifts, a childminder and decorations.

Pineslopes. Contact: 011 022 4575, info@ cafeblu.co.za or visit cafeblu.co.za Chartwell Castle The biggest known uninterrupted hedgerow maze in the southern hemisphere with over 900 conifers. Entrance fee: adults R50, children R25. Chartwell. Contact: 010 227 0002, 0860 227 853, info@chartwellcastle. co.za or visit chartwellcastle.co.za Daytona Adventure Park Bike and quad adventure park that offers children’s quad-biking parties. Suitable for children 8 years and older. Fourways. Contact: 083 625 1537, 072 202 7434, daytonams@ yebo.co.za or visit daytonasa.com Dirt Ryders Adventures Outdoor adventure farm with a play centre, pony rides, go-karts, a swimming pool and more. Lanseria. Contact: 082 458 3634, 071 677 8673, clive@dirtryders.co.za or visit dirtryders.co.za Elf’s Hill Party Yard A magical world of fun and make believe. Themed party accessories, party packs and entertainment can be arranged.

Randburg. Contact: 082 573 5386, estelle@elfshill.co.za or visit elfshill.co.za Fantasy Park Two venues: Aeroplayin, which includes a real passenger airliner; and Enchanting, equipped with a maze.

Chartwell. Contact: 072 256 7834, fantasypark@vodamail.co.za or visit fantasypark.co.za Footloose Trout Farm Children’s fishing parties, including party packs, a swimming

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pool as well as a playground with swings, a slide and climbing equipment. Fourways North. Contact Kim: 011 464 5264, 083 462 2779, kim@kendals.co.za or visit footloosetroutfarm.co.za Frogs & Freckles Party Venue This exclusive venue in Ruimsig offers swings, a sandpit, a foefie slide and a jungle gym. You can choose from many party themes and additional activities. Customised packages can be arranged. Ruimsig. Contact Inette: 083 456 0342 or inette@wol.co.za Hobo’s Hide Partyland A children’s party venue in the country with pony rides.

Muldersdrift. Contact Charlene: 082 330 2661, charlene@thepartyland.co.za or visit thepartyland.co.za Honeydew A-Maize-ing Mazes Explore giant mazes. Find the five secret gardens and answer the general knowledge quiz. Suitable for children from age 7.

Honeydew. Contact: 073 795 2174, enquiries@maizemaze.co.za or visit honeydewmazes.co.za Kid-e-up Party Yard They have a garden, trampolines, jungle gym, jeep, motorbike track, swings and more. Do your own catering or book them to do it. Suitable for children 1−10 years old. Kyalami. Contact: 071 419 8008, bookings@kid-e-up.co.za or visit kid-e-up.co.za Larney Ladybirds Party Venue Fullythemed and catered parties or you can choose the do-it-yourself option.

Broadacres. Contact Bianca: 083 770 7702, bianca@larneyladybirds.co.za or visit larneyladybirds.co.za Lilliput Kids Children can play among fairies and elves in a garden in Kyalami.

They have jungle gyms, sandpits and an old Beetle called Buster. Contact: 073 175 3104, info@lilliputkids.co.za or visit lilliputkids.co.za Manna Café Offers a secure children’s play area as well as high tea, home-made cakes and various food options available from the restaurant. Fourways. Contact: 011 465 4326, 071 603 5577, anja@ mannacafe.co.za or visit mannacafe.co.za Mico’s Party Place A private garden venue for children 1−6 years old and for a

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maximum of 45 children. Viewing by appointment. Sandown. Contact: 082 789 5110, info@micos.co.za or visit micos.co.za Old MacDonalds An outdoor country venue with animals, lapas, sandpits and jungle gyms. They can provide catering, party packs, cakes and themed party decorations. Lanseria. Contact: 082 339 3927 or info@oldmacdonald.co.za Pines Resort Offers shaded areas for picnics, an Olympic-size swimming pool, water slides, a toddler pool and play areas. Closed for winter. Silverfields Park and West Rand. Contact: 011 955 3845, pinesresort@mweb.co.za or visit pinesresort.co.za Post House Parties Lots of space to run or enjoy a game of cricket. Also offers a jungle gym, see-saws, a swing and a trampoline. Children can touch and feed the ducks and geese. From R1 850.

Contact: 011 460 1024, 082 417 1395, nicole@posthouseparties.co.za or visit posthouseparties.co.za River Café Choose the gazebo or deck setting and they’ll supply food and a jumping castle, water slide, jungle gyms, and more. Other entertainment is available on request such as pony rides, go-karts, face painting or soccer parties. Sandton.

Contact: 011 783 2442 Serendipity Full-service venue with party space, catering, décor, entertainment, magicians, art and crafts, cupcake decorating and jumping castles.

Rosebank. Contact: 011 447 7386, serendipityplay@gmail.com or visit serendipityplay.co.za Special Forces Awesome Kids’ Parties Fully catered army, Survivor and children’s paintball parties or you can self-cater.

Fourways. Contact: 011 465 7551, 082 922 1611, specialforces@mweb.co.za or visit specialforceskidsparties.webs.com Sundowner Adventures Fly-fishing parties. Equipment is provided and catering available on request. Waterfall Country Estate, Magaliesburg. Contact: 011 315 4503 or sundown@iafrica.com

Sunset Mountain Party Venue They provide a large thatched lapa for adults and a host of activities for children including trampolines and jungle gyms.

Muldersdrift. Contact: 072 850 3956 or chantall@sunsetmountain.co.za Survive or Race the adventure Designed around the popular television programmes Survivor and The Amazing Race, parties provide entertainment for ages 6 and up. Pelindaba. Contact: 082 895 2513, admin@surviveorrace.co.za or visit surviveorrace.co.za That Party Place Offers a complete party planning service, including invitations, décor for over 200 customised themes, sweets and treats, balloons, catering, photography and entertainment.

Benoni. Contact: 083 601 9577, lydia@crazychameleon.co.za or visit crazychameleon.co.za The Goblin’s Cove An outdoor venue where fairies and goblins play.

Magaliesburg. Contact: 014 576 2143, goblins@worldonline.co.za or visit goblins.co.za The Greedy Goose A play and party venue with a home-style vibe. They can provide catering, decorations and entertainers as per your request.

Fourways. Contact Meridy: 082 336 7043 or meridy@ambitionmedia.co.za The Mighty Jungle Large outdoor venue with a fully equipped, enclosed area for exclusive hire with jungle gyms, sandpit, merry-go-round, foefie slide and more.

Bedfordview. Contact: 082 880 9335, 083 452 8120 or mightyjungle@global.co.za The Otherside Restaurant A countryside restaurant on Monaghan Farm, perfect for picnics. Lanseria. Contact Clint: 087 630 0742 or visit monaghanfarm.co.za The Silver Birch Restaurant Children make their own pizza and play in the outside play area. Randburg. Contact: 011 791 0174 The Yard Ideal for ages 1–5 years.

They can play in the sandpit, and use the trampoline, climbing wall, monkey bars or swings. Woodmead. Contact: 083 391 4921

Wild Cave Adventures Children from 8 years and up can get dressed in overalls and mining helmets, ready to explore the wonders of an underground cave.

Cradle of Humankind. Contact: 082 486 2464, info@wildcaves.co.za or visit wildcaves.co.za Wildkids An hour of physical outdoor fun where children navigate an obstacle course, which involves water, mud and dirt. Suitable for ages 3–9 years. Contact Troye: 083 457 4106 or Angela: 082 379 2675, troye@wai.co.za or visit wild-kids.co.za Wild Waters Water rides, putt-putt and braai facilities, cash bar and on-site cafeteria available. Boksburg. Contact: 011 826 6736, wildwaters@mweb.co.za or visit wildwatersboksburg.co.za

ABC Jumping Castle and Theme Parties Supplies jumping castles and organises everything for a themed birthday party. Services include delivery, set up and collection. Boksburg and Alberton. Contact Malissa: 083 724 7714, malissa@abcjumpingcastles.co.za or visit abcjumpingcastles.co.za African Lilly They bring the party to you; supplying you with tables, chairs, balloons, party bags and more. Costs start from R2 000 for 10 children. Contact Eryn: 082 370 9220, eryn@africanlilly. co.za or visit africanlilly.co.za Allergenius They’ll plan your allergy-free party from start to finish. West Rand and surrounds. Contact Candace: 083 564 6746 or candacefowler@gmail.com Bring on the Party Party hiring and booking service specialising in furniture, linen, water slides, candyfloss machines, catering and face painters. Contact: 072 256 7834, bringontheparty@vodamail. co.za or visit bringontheparty.co.za

By Word of Mouth Offers tailor-made themed parties from dinosaurs, space, bugs and wildlife to fairies, pinks and pearls. Sandton. Contact: 011 553 7600 or visit bywordofmouth.co.za

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resource

Crazy Chameleon Kiddie Parties Specialises in themed party packages.

They set up the décor at your venue of choice and supply cakes, party packs, balloons, catering, entertainment and accessories. Contact: 0861 543 343, info@crazychameleon.co.za or visit crazychameleon.co.za CreateSumMore Crafts brought to your home. Choose from cookie icing, mosaic, canvas art, beading and more. Contact: 084 976 1462 or createsummore@ gmail.com Creative Concepts They supply décor, party supplies, cakes and cupcakes, novelty gifts, party packs, themed chocolates, banners, polystyrene décor, balloon décor, personalised wrappers and invitations. Contact Bashie: 079 038 3622 or djfreight@mweb.co.za Dream Parties Party packages include themed cakes, novelty gifts, cupcakes, party packs, jumping castles, venue decorations, photo boards and platters.

Contact Tilana: 011 665 4208, tilana77@ hotmail.com or visit dreamparties.co.za Easy Peasy Parties They handle the invites, décor, cake and favours.

Contact: 083 398 8688 or ash@ vesselinspectionservices.com Firefly Kidz Crew A full party-planning service. There are 52 themes to choose from and party workshops. Allens Nek. Contact: 072 997 5298, fireflykidzcrew@ gmail.com or visit fireflykidz.co.za Heavenz Occasionz Party planning for children and teens’ themed parties.

Fourways. Contact: 079 774 3972 or lumka@heavenzoccasionz.co.za Hedgehog Lane For all your party planning, children’s dress-up clothing, party accessories, décor, cake and catering needs. Contact: 072 469 3638 or info@hedgehoglane.co.za Jellyfish Kids Plans original parties from start to finish, including catering and entertainers. Bedfordview. Contact Sacha: 011 024 2379 or sacharistic@gmail.com Jumping Castle Mania Offers party planning, providing cakes, jumping castles and rides as well as themed décor. Contact: 084 563 2996, info@ jumpingcastlemania.co.za or visit jumpingcastlemania.co.za Kiddiliscious A party planner and hiring service, which includes birthday gifts. Contact: 082 785 4917 or kiddi@ vodamail.co.za Kids Party Stuff Organises all the food and fun for children’s parties from inflatable structures, face painters and photographers to pony rides, drumming and the cake.

Contact: 083 409 8003, info@kidspartystuff. co.za or visit kidspartystuff.co.za Kidzparty Zone Organisers of themed parties, with party packs, jumping castles, water slides, cakes and platters.

Midrand. Contact: 073 815 0570, kidzpartyzone.biz@gmail.com or visit kidzpartyzone.co.za Ladybug Events Takes care of all your party planning, in line with your budget.

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Boksburg. Contact: 082 940 2986, info@ ladybugs.co.za or visit ladybugs.co.za Little Lees Parties Offers everything you need from party planning and cakes to party packs and figure cut-outs.

Equipment available for hire. Randburg.

Contact: 071 512 9399, littlelees@ telkomsa.net or visit littlelees.co.za Luc’s Parties Tailors party packages to suit all your needs, arranges décor, party packs, jumping castles, tables, chairs and more. Costs start at R1 700 for 10 children includes delivery, setup and collection.

Contact Lucille: 079 883 2391, lucille@ lucsparties.co.za or visit lucsparties.co.za Monkey Magic Kiddie Parties Specialises in planning and setting up themed children’s parties. They arrange décor, cakes and party packs as well as accessories, entertainment and games.

Contact Angelique: 083 658 0218, angelique@monkeymagic.co.za or visit monkeymagic.co.za Never Grow Up They supply birthday cakes, party packs, invitations, jumping castles, art and crafts and more. Boksburg.

Contact: 011 894 2563, 083 780 0757 or monique.naude@nevergrowup.co.za Party Bliss Professional party planning for themed parties such as Spider-Man or Barbie. All accessories, catering and décor can be arranged. Contact Celene: 011 849 9889, 083 792 5176 or info@ partybliss.co.za Party Bubbles Catering, including jumping castles, party packs, balloons, and décor. Lenasia. Contact: 011 852 2737, 083 235 7145, jumpingkids2000@ webmail.co.za or visit partybubbles.co.za Party Head Quarters Organises the party from the venue and entertainment, as well as Ferris wheels, jumping castles, themed goods, food and more. Contact: 084 593 2996, info@partyheadquarters.co.za or visit partyheadquarters.co.za Party Packs ’n Piñatas Makes cakes, cupcakes and biscuits to your theme and creates matching party packs. Also supplies piñatas, jelly cameras and party décor. Contact: 087 805 9977, 082 683 5766 or info@partypacksandpinatas.co.za Party Pals Supplies themed party décor, cakes and cupcakes, helium balloons, party packs and more. Vaal Triangle.

Contact: 082 506 9757, info@partypals. co.za or visit partypals.co.za Party Planet Offers full-service party planning, entertainment and catering.

Contact: 072 949 6655, info@partyplanet. co.za or visit partyplanet.co.za Party Smarti Organises parties, including catering, décor, linen, furniture, entertainment and cakes. They have a wide variety of themes as well as jumping castles.

Contact Joanne: 071 872 9629, info@ partysmarti.co.za or visit partysmarti.co.za Party Trash Arranges and books venues, decorates as per your theme and supplies tableware, cakes, cupcakes and personalised party packs. Contact: 011 662 2591, 082 698 7448 or jacqui. partytrash@gmail.com magazine joburg

Party Trix Planning your party experience from A–Z. Contact: 083 274 5018, info@ partytrix.co.za or visit partytrix.co.za Razmataz Kidz Parties Plans the party décor, cakes, themed party packs, jumping castles, piñatas, entertainers and costume hire. Contact: 084 240 5823, nomfundo@razmatazkidzparties.co.za or visit razmatazkidzparties.co.za Star Castles Suppliers of inflatables like jumping castles, mechanical bulls, Zorb balls and more. They also provide entertainers, cakes, and party accessories for theme parties. Florida. Contact: 011 679 5699, 082 372 9177, info@starcastles. co.za or visit starcastles.co.za Supakids Children’s Parties Offers various options and parties are customdesigned. They source a venue or go to yours and supply the décor, food and entertainment. Contact Hannelie: 082 856 5527, hannelie@supakids.co.za or visit supakids.co.za The Party Pros Creates party packages to your theme from décor and catering to entertainment and party packs. Also Amazing Race, Fear Factor and Survivor parties for children from age 9. Contact Adi: 083 483 6781, info@thepartypros.co.za or visit thepartypros.co.za TNT Events Sources and supplies the catering, venue, entertainment, accessories and more. Randburg. Contact Tammy: 074 894 0776 or tammy@tntevents.co.za Wonder Kids Parties & Functions Party planners with various themes for you to choose from or they are able to customise to your requirements. They design, create and deliver. Johannesburg and surrounds. Contact Debbie: 072 997 5298 or Beaulah: 071 416 2843, info@wonderparties.co.za or visit wonderparties.co.za Wonderworld Parties They bring the party to your venue of choice and provide what you need. Northern suburbs, Randburg and West Rand. Contact: 082 556 2984, angbus@lantic.net or visit wonderworldparties.magix.net

Adventure Golf Players receive two games of golf, a party bucket and cool drink. Upgrade options available. For children 6 years and older. Fourways, Randburg, Kensington and Modderfontein. Contact: 011 788 3282, info@adventuregolf.co.za or visit adventuregolf.co.za Adventure n Beyond Activities include a climbing wall, paintball, archery, air rifles and a gladiator inflatable obstacle course.

Krugersdorp. Contact: 083 449 9819, info@ anb.co.za or visit anb.co.za Avalanche They provide a decorated private table with party packs of chips, juice, sweets, popcorn and balloons and two hours’ access to the slope. From R2 000 for 10 children. Fourways.

Contact: 011 467 2426, info@avalanche. co.za or visit avalanche.co.za magazine joburg

Battlezone Three-hour paintball parties for a minimum of 10 players per group.

Bryanston. Contact Rina: 0861 468 242, bookings@battlezone.co.za or visit battlezone.co.za Boot Camp SA For 2½-hour parties.

They cover the invitations, venue and cake. Suitable for children 5 years and older. Fourways. Contact: 084 234 2668, headquarters@bootcamp-sa.co.za or visit bootcamp-sa.co.za Compu-Kart An indoor racing facility offering parties for children 11 years and older. The party is based on a competition race format. Edenvale. Contact: 0861 GOKART (465278), compu-kart@ worldonline.co.za or visit compu-kart.co.za Go Wild Adventure Zone Children can test their nerve, climbing skill, strength and balance on ropes and platforms suspended in trees, with a foefie slide and Survivor team games. Randburg. Contact Aileen: 011 462 5102, aileen@go-wild. co.za or visit go-wild.co.za Jozi-X Action, adventure parties with trapeze, jungle swings, bubble balls, tightrope-walking and more. Bryanston.

Contact: 082 456 2358, info@jozix.co.za or visit jozix.co.za Kids’ Scuba Parties Children learn about scuba diving before going into the pool with a shipwreck and treasure chest to play underwater games. For children 8 years and older. Northcliff. Contact Tracy: 011 476 5172, 083 644 6869, tracy@ urbandive.co.za or visit urbandive.co.za Let’s Go Bowling For children aged 5 and older. Parties include a game, party pack and food. Cresta, Brightwater Commons. Contact: 011 678 0173 or visit letsgobowling.co.za Randburg Raceway Suitable for children 1,1m and taller from age 7. The party includes a 10-minute go-kart race with optional catering and party packs.

Exclusive use is possible at an additional cost. Randburg. Contact: 011 792 2260, info@randburgraceway.co.za or visit randburgraceway.co.za Ski Deck Enjoy bum-boarding, slope surfing and sliding down the 20m slope.

Randburg. Contact: 011 781 6528, 011 023 3210, info@ski.co.za or visit ski.co.za Superbowling Tenpin bowling parties where you can bring your own food (drinks must be bought from them).

Additional party packs available.

Edenvale. Contact: 011 452 3502 or greenstone@superbowling.co.za Toyota MTN Cycle Park Party package offers access to all the rides, a boma with a table and benches, and the services of an ER24 medic. Party packs are optional.

Open daily from 8am–6pm. Bryanston.

Contact: 083 725 2453, cyclepark@ cyclelab.com or visit cyclepark.co.za Wonderwall Climbing Gym All-weather option with two standard packages. They can also customise packages to suit your budget, with or without catering.

Kya Sands. Contact: 011 708 6467, info@ wonderwall.co.za or visit wonderwall.co.za May 2012

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books

a good read for toddlers

for preschoolers

The Big Yawn

By Monika Spang and Sonja Bougaeva (Published by Gecko Press, R105) It’s night-time in the zoo and all the animals are getting sleepy. First to yawn is the tiger. Then the swans start, and the crocs give in, even though they are in the middle of their fish braai, then the giraffes, the pigs, the lion and Donkey all get sleepy... Soon the whole zoo is ready for bed. We all know how contagious yawning can be and that’s why this is the perfect book for bedtime. Children won’t be able to resist the joyful illustrations of these yawning animals. The story is written in rhyme, which makes it the perfect bedtime tale, and the illustrations are simply delightful.

ly fami time

Zou

By Michel Gay

(Published by Gecko Press, R105) This is the ideal book to read with your child in bed while having a lie-in. Zou, a resourceful little zebra, finds a creative solution to a problem all young children will identify with, making for a sweet and humorous family story that is especially good to read on weekend mornings. How can Zou wake Mom and Dad so they won’t be grumpy? They need coffee, lots of coffee, so Zou sets off for the kitchen to prepare some, and ends up making an entire breakfast. Needless to say, the plan doesn’t work out as he would have wanted it to; with a mess here and a fall there. But it all ends well with a cuddle and a kiss.

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The Bungle in the Jungle, Hello Tortoise and All Squawk No Talk

By John Bush; illustrated by Gavin Thomson and Lindsay van Blerk

The Hyena and the Seven Little Kids Retold by Carole Bloch, illustrated

by Hannah Morris (Published by Jacana Media, R60) The Best Loved Tales for Africa series comprises is entirely southern African in content and style. In this well-known story, Gogo Goat warns the seven little children not to let Hyena into the house while she is gone. The crafty Hyena does his best to trick the children into letting him in and when he gets his chance, he gulps down six of the little lambs, leaving only one who manages to hide in the oven. All ends well when Gogo Goat eventually returns and comes up with a master plan.

(Published by Storytime Africa, from R69) In The Bungle in the Jungle, Baboon invites all the animals to meet him at dawn if they are bored with their looks. Baboon plans to adorn himself in more handsome attire, but vanity can often backfire. The Hello Tortoise book is a fun, rhyming read. All Squawk no Talk gets funnier with each turn of the page. The family buys a new pet parrot that talked when they went to the pet shop. But the parrot is annoyed because they call him Squawky. For direct orders, contact funtasee@cybersmart.co.za

magazine joburg

for preschoolers The Magic Fish Retold by Margie Orford; illustrated by Lizza Littlewort

for early graders a classic tale

(Published by Jacana Media, R60) One day, a poor fisherman catches a magic talking fish, which he immediately sets free. When he tells his brother what has happened, his brother demands that he asks the magic fish for a bigger house. The magic fish grants the fisherman’s wish.

Will his brother be satisfied or will he be greedy and ask for more? This book is also part of the Best Loved Tales for Africa series and bestselling South African author Margie Orford gives the tale a new twist by replacing the shrewish wife with a demanding brother who insists that the family moves from a grass hut to a brick house. But nothing is ever good enough for him.

The Lorax

By Dr Seuss (Published by HarperCollins Children’s Books, R91) “Mister!”, he said with a sawdusty sneeze, “I am the Lorax.

I speak for the trees.” The Lorax is the original eco-warrior and his message rings loud today. In this fable about the dangers of destroying our forests, he tries to save the Truffula trees from the greedy Once-ler’s axe. The Lorax is a hilarious story, with its zany humour and silly rhymes that pack a punchy ecological message without feeling heavyhanded. Children of all ages will love, and learn from, this wonderful book, with its Dr Seuss blend of quirky pictures and unique rhyme, rhythm and repetition.

magazine joburg

Penguin Pandemonium – Little Birds, Big Dreams

By Jeanne Willis (Published by HarperCollins Children’s Books, R65) Children from the age of seven will love this unforgettably funny animal adventure story about a little bird with big dreams from award-winning author Jeanne Willis. It is one of the titles in the brand-new Awesome Animals series – the funniest fiction, starring the wildest wildlife, from prize-winning authors. Rory, the rockhopper penguin, loves showing off, but with too few visitors to the zoo, life has become a little dull. If things don’t improve the zoo might have to close. So when the keepers install a penguin cam, Rory grabs his chance with both flippers, organising a dazzling penguin talent show to pull in the crowds.

Nicholas and the Gang

By René Goscinny and Jean-Jacques Sempé (Published by Phaidon Press, R92) This is another Nicholas book by the French duo for children between the age of eight and 11. Nicholas and his friends always find exciting things to do. Max does conjuring tricks, Geoffrey invents a secret code and Nicholas learns that walking on your hands is much trickier than turning somersaults. The Nicholas books have been constant bestsellers in France and Europe for over 50 years and are fast becoming as popular in the English-speaking world. René Goscinny, author of Asterix, and world-renowned illustrator, Jean-Jacques Sempé, bring Nicholas’s adventures and exploits to life.

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books

for preteens and teens The One and Only Ivan

By Katherine Applegate

The Eddie Dickens Trilogy

By Philip Ardagh (Published by Faber Children’s Books, R104) When Eddie Dickens’s parents go yellow, crinkly around the edges and smell of old hot-water bottles, he’s sent away to live with mad Uncle Jack, even madder Aunt Maud and her stuffed stoat called Malcolm. And so begins a series of outrageous adventures involving escaped convicts, missing jewels, cucumberwaving orphans, and a hollow cow called Marjorie. This is a wonderful and awfully funny read for children between the ages of nine and 11. The book contains three complete stories: Awful End, Dreadful Acts and Terrible Times. The author received the Roald Dahl Funny Prize in 2009 for the first book in his Grubtown Tales series.

(Published by HarperCollins Children’s Books, R86) Children, from as young as nine, can enjoy this book which is inspired by a true story. Ivan is a gorilla who is used to humans watching his every move through the glass of his cage.

He can hardly remember his life in the jungle or what happened to his family. That is, until a baby elephant called Ruby arrives. Suddenly Ivan sees his home through new eyes and knows he must do something to make sure Ruby doesn’t end up like him. This is a heart-warming and unforgettable tale of friendship, hope and bravery that no animal lover will be able to resist.

the heart warmer

parenting books practical advice

Parenting Apart

By Christina McGhee (Published by Random House Struik, R215) This is a resource for separated and divorced parents wanting to raise happy and secure children. When a marriage ends, the most important thing parents can do is to help their children through this difficult transition and remain united. Divorce coach McGhee offers practical advice on how to help children adjust and thrive during and after separation and divorce. She looks at all the different issues parents may face with their children of different ages, offering solutions to the most critical parenting problems divorce brings.

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Groovy Adventurers: How to Encourage and Curriculum

By Lourdes Bruwer and Carly Tzanos; illustrated by Claudine Spratley (Published by New Voices Publishing, R250 for the set) With Groovy Adventurers, playing with your baby has never been so much fun. A focus on developmental stages rather than ages allows you to recognise and revel not only in his major achievements, but also his mini milestones. Create fun-filled challenges for your baby as you understand more of his physical and brain development at each stage. How to Encourage is packed with easy-to-use activities, each carefully selected by occupational therapists to build strong sensory, motor, perceptual and cognitive foundations. With Curriculum, you or your child’s caregiver can plan stageappropriate activities for the week and record your child’s progress.

magazine joburg

for us Down the Darkest Road

By Tami Hoag (Published by Orion Books, R169) Four years after the unsolved disappearance of her 16-year-old daughter, Lauren Lawton is the only one still chasing the ghosts of her perfect life. The world has given up her daughter for dead and her husband ended his own life in the aftermath of her disappearance. Even her younger daughter, Leah, is desperate to find what’s left of the childhood she had ripped away from her. Worse still, Lauren knows exactly who took her oldest child, but there is not a shred of evidence against the man. Looking for a fresh start, Lauren and Leah move to idyllic Oak Knoll.

But when Lauren’s suspect turns up in the same town, it feels like history is about to repeat itself. Leah Lawton will soon turn 16, and Oak Knoll has a predator on the hunt.

The Digital Mom Handbook

By Audrey McClelland and Colleen Padilla (Published by Harper Business, R136) This is the ultimate guide to helping moms build successful careers at home by doing what they already do online, just better. “To work or not to work” is the toughest question for most mothers today, but the authors have found the coveted “middle ground” – creating successful careers from home via the internet. They literally Skyped, blogged, vlogged, tweeted and Facebooked their way to the top. In this eye-opening book they show other moms how to find success through seven basic steps: find your passion; hang a digital “shingle” and start typing; find your tribe; make opportunity knock and learn how to answer the door; manage the Benjamins; don’t forget the children and live happily ever after by honouring your values.

Cooking for Claudine

By John Baxter (Published by Short Books, R117) This is the charming and improbable tale of how a man who was raised on white bread, and didn’t speak a word of French, unexpectedly ended up with the sacred duty of preparing Christmas dinner for a venerable Parisian family. John Baxter, acclaimed film critic and food lover, fell in love with a French woman and impulsively moved to Paris to marry her.

As a test of his love, his sceptical in-laws charged him with cooking the next Christmas banquet. His yearlong quest in search of the country’s finest recipes and ingredients takes readers to the farthest corners of France.

When Hoopoes go to Heaven

By Gaile Parkin

story time for mom and dad

(Published by Atlantic Books, R195) Ten-year-old Benedict loves his family’s new home in Swaziland, with its garden teeming with lizards, birds and butterflies. Here, crouched in the shade of the lucky-bean tree, he can set aside his anxieties about the world, and plan imaginative ways to make things better. Of course, there are many things in Africa that can’t be put right by a boy who isn’t yet big. But in Benedict’s wonder-filled world, even the worst situation has a certain magic. Warm, funny and brimming with life, When Hoopoes go to Heaven will capture your imagination and restore your faith in humanity.

magazine joburg

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57

calendar

what’s on in may

You can also access the calendar online at

childmag.co.za

Keeping you informed about what’s happening in and around Joburg. Compiled by Simone Jeffery.

26 sat

special events

62

FUN for children

65

only for parents

68

bump, baby & tot in tow

72

how to help

73

1000 Photos for Hope This outdoor photographic exhibition is in aid of The Sunflower Fund.

FUN FOR CHILDREN

Ice Revue from Russia Be amazed by first-class acrobatics and figureskating routines performed on ice.

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May 2012

ONLY FOR PARENTS

bump, baby & tot in tow

how to help

Night and Day An evening of dance performed by Cape Town City Ballet to music by Cole Porter.

The Wildkids developmental programme Children take part in fun, outdoor activities to prepare for school.

Rhino orphanage Prevent the rhino from becoming extinct by 2015 by assisting the world’s first rhino orphanage.

magazine joburg

PHOTOGRAPHS: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM / Life in the Undergrowth – BBC Knowledge

SPECIAL EVENTS

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calendar The train to Cullinan Take the steam train to Cullinan and spend the day touring the museums and stores of the quaint mining town. All ages. Also 13 May. Time: 8:30am. Venue: Hermanstad Railway Station, Miechaelson St, Hermandstad.

Cost: R175. Contact Friends of the Rail: 082 098 6186, sales@friendsoftherail.com or visit friendsoftherail.com

SPECIAL EVENTS 1 tuesday Cats of the jungle Take a guided tour of the big and small cats section at the zoo with its emphasis on the conservation and preservation status of these animals. Guests on the tour can peep in at the night room. Time: 10am–4:30pm.

Venue: Lory Park, 180/1 Kruger Rd, President Park, Midrand. Cost: adults R60, pensioners R30, children R40. Contact: 011 315 7307, info@lorypark.co.za or visit lorypark.co.za May Day hike A group hike through two sections of the beautiful Melville Koppies. Traverse through grasslands and rocky ridges with stunning views and cool forests. For children 6 years and older.

Time: 8am–11am. Venue: Melville Koppies, park at Mark’s Park Sports Club in Judith Rd, Emmarentia. Cost: adults R30, children R10. Contact Wendy: 011 482 4797 or visit mk.org.za Tour de Walkerville An annual charity walk through the Walkerville countryside, suitable for young and old, dogs, floats and strollers. Various charities benefit from the proceeds. All ages. Time: 7am–1pm. Venue: Walkerville Farmer’s Market grounds, 112 Main Rd, Walkerville (on the R82, old Vereeniging/ Johannesburg Rd, just off the four-way stop in Walkerville). Cost: R30 per walker,

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6 sunday 5 May – Adhasa family fun day

R100 per float. Contact Gail: 079 076 7680, gail@wfmarket.co.za or visit wfmarket.co.za

5 saturday Adhasa family fun day There are food stalls, a flea market, fun games and a jumping castle, competitions for all ages and more. Time: 10am–4pm.

Venue: Delta Park School, Blairgowrie, Randburg. Cost: R20. Contact Adhasa: 011 888 7228 or Aqula Communications: 011 791 6074 Sparrow Schools spinathon Donate R100 for every hour you spin and raise funds for Sparrow Schools, who aims at equipping children and youth who face learning challenges to participate positively in society. Time: 9am–3pm. Venue: Virgin Active, Milpark. Cost: R100 per hour. Contact Lize: 011 673 4410, lizevv@sparrowschools. co.za or visit sparrowschools.co.za

Colgate fun run A 15km or 32km road race as well as a 5km fun run. Prams, strollers and walkers are welcome in the 5km fun run. For children 9 years and older. Time: 6:30am. Venue: Boksburg City Stadium, cnr Jubilee Dr and Dudley Smith Rd, Boksburg South. Cost: R36–R102. Contact: 011 917 3721 or visit entrytime.com Vulture conservation walk/ run Take part in a 5km or 10km walk/ run and help raise awareness and funds for vulture conservation. Time: 7am.

Venue: Johannesburg Zoo, Jan Smuts Ave, Parkview. Cost: R40 per person. Contact Ioanna: 011 646 2000 ext. 213 or visit jhbzoo.org.za

appearance at 10am. Time: 8am–1pm.

Venue: Bryandale Pre-Primary School, 121 Cumberland Ave, Bryanston. Cost: free.

Contact Tracy: 011 548 0500 Mother’s Day craft special Moms get to create a chain maille and pewter project, as well as a bar of soap from pure goat’s milk and coconut milk to take home.

Fathers can attend a beer-making demonstration at Gilroy’s Brewery at 11:30am, while children take part in craft classes at Jock’s Studio. Time: 8:30am−11:30am. Venue: Ngwenya Glass Village, Muldersdrift. Cost: craft special R200, includes materials, refreshments and lucky draw; beer making R90; children’s crafts vary in cost. Contact Joan: 083 326 5157

12 saturday Annual Bryandale fun day A jampacked day of fun for the whole family with dog shows, fun walks, a drumming display, jumping castles, a tea garden and more. Simba the Lion makes an

12 May – Mother’s Day with the Lipizzaners

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High tea A day of decadence designed to pamper and nurture moms, with a traditional high tea of sweet and savoury delights in idyllic surrounds. Time: 8am–5pm.

Venue: Random Harvest Indigenous Nursery, plot 57, College Rd, off Beyers Naudé Dr ext, Muldersdrift. Cost: adults R95, children R48. Contact David: 082 553 0598 or visit rhn.co.za

Mother’s Day with the Lipizzaners Spoil your mom with a trip to the prancing white Lipizzaners. The beautiful horses are “dancing” to the music from Mamma Mia! Also 13 May. Time: Saturday 3pm; Sunday 10:30am–2:30pm. Venue: Lipizzaner Centre, Kyalami. Cost: R130.

Contact Judy: 083 601 2104 or visit lipizzaners.co.za Zoo snooze Enjoy a night camping in the zoo and experience the sounds of the nocturnal animals. Bring your own tent and sleeping bag. Booking essential.

Event ends 8am the next morning. Also 26 May. Time: 2:30pm. Venue: Johannesburg Zoo, Jan Smuts Ave, Parkview. Cost: R130. Contact: 011 646 2000 or visit jhbzoo.org.za

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mothers of Johannesburg.

Time: 8:30am–5pm. Venue: Johannesburg Zoo, Jan Smuts Ave, Parkview. Cost: adults R55, pensioners and children R34. Contact: 011 646 2000, info@jhbzoo.org.za or visit jhbzoo.org.za Mother’s Day at Stonehaven on Vaal Treat your mom to a breakfast or

13 sunday 702 Mother’s Day Concert An annual classical concert to treat the

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13 May – Mother’s Day at Stonehaven on Vaal

luncheon cruise aboard a luxury cruiser, or a Mother’s Day buffet on the banks of the Vaal River. Venue: Stonehaven on Vaal. Cost: breakfast cruise R230, lunch cruise R275; buffet: adults R225, children R46,95. Contact Wendy, Riaan or Carole: 016 982 2951/2, 016 932 4982, 016 932 5633, info@stonehaven.co.za or visit stonehaven.co.za Mother’s Day with Gerrie Pretorius Treat mom to a show with Gerrie Pretorius, followed by a scrumptious luncheon in the banquet hall. Booking essential. All ages.

Time: 12:30pm. Venue: Garden World, Beyers Naudé Dr, Muldersdrift. Cost: adults R235, children 4–10 years R170. Contact Magriet or Corné: 011 956 3003, 083 997 6142 or visit gardenworld.co.za Mother’s Day lunch Spoil mom with a delicious home-cooked meal of roast meats and potatoes, veggies, gravy and desserts and try your hand at a spot of fishing. Time: 1pm. Venue: The Anglers Arms Restaurant, Footloose Trout Farm and Conference Centre, off William Nicol Dr. Cost: R95. Contact Kim: 011 466 9911, 083 462 2779, kim@kendals.co.za or visit footloosetroutfarm.co.za South African Pork Kwai Challenge For the serious and older runners there is a 21km, 10km and 5km fun run. Younger participants can take part in the 2,5km family run/walk while the 50m nappy dash (with or without the nappy) is for children under 4 years. Fast food and refreshments

are on sale. Time: 7am. Venue: Randburg Sports Complex, cnr Republic Rd and Silverpine Ave, Randburg. Cost: R30–R90.

Contact: 0860 460 906, data@sportsvendo. co.za or visit entrytime.com

17 thursday The Baby Expo MamaMagic A baby and parenting exhibition where visitors are able to meet with experts to get parenting advice and find the latest baby care products. Children won’t want to miss Mr Maker from CBeebies and Barney the dinosaur, performing daily shows and offering interactive art and crafts sessions. Ends 20 May. Time: 9am–6pm. Venue: Coca-Cola Dome, cnr Northumberland Rd and Olivenhout Dr, Northriding. Cost: adults R65, children under 10 free; Mister Maker workshops R50 per child. Contact: 011 658 0161 or visit mamamagic.co.za

19 saturday Family fun day Following the theme of the Olympic Games, children can take part in various games such as ring toss, soccer goals, long jump and more.

Food and drinks are on sale. For children 3–10 years. Time: 10:30am–2pm. Venue: Thabile Nursery School, 18 Olympic Rd, Blairgowrie, Randburg. Cost: free entry, games from R5. Contact Cherry: 011 787 7331, thabile.ns@eject.co.za or visit thabilenurseryschool.co.za

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calendar Hearts and crafts An interactive demonstration where Joan Launspach introduces you to crafts such as calligraphy, pewter, mosaics, mixed media, traditional and modern decoupage, paint techniques and lots more. Time: 9:30am–11:15am.

Venue: Ngwenya Glass Village, off Beyers Naudé Dr and R114, Muldersdrift. Cost: R120, includes tea and cake. Contact Joan: 083 326 5157

20 sunday International Museum Day Celebrate the day by visiting the Roodepoort Museum, which is illustrating the changes brought on by the discovery of gold on the Witwatersrand. The exhibit includes a reconstructed 19th-century farmhouse, a late Victorian home, and a 1920s and 1930s lounge setting. Time: 10am–3pm.

Venue: Roodepoort City Museum, Civic Centre, Christiaan de Wet Rd, Florida Park, Roodepoort. Cost: free. Contact: 011 761 0225 or visit joburg.org.za Winter Wonderland Enter a potjie pot or if you think you have the talent to win a song competition, enter that too. There is a single recording to be won plus loads of prizes for the best tasting pots. Time: cooking starts at 8am. Venue: Orion Safari Lodge, Donkerhoek Rd, Rustenburg. Cost: potjiekos competition R300, R50 per helper (maximum of 3). Contact Valria: 072 626 4042 or events2@telkomsa.net

24 thursday Mom’s store tour Dieticians are providing valuable information about healthy meal options and snacks for your children’s lunchboxes as they lead tours around the store. Time: tbc. Venue: Woolworths Sandton City, cnr Sandton Dr and Rivonia Rd, Sandton. Cost: free. Contact Amanda: amandamhluzi@woolworths.co.za

25 friday Baba Indaba An expo for you, your baby and your toddler. Children can enjoy the musical acts from the daily Takalani Sesame shows. There are breast-feeding and bottle warming stations, as well as baby changing facilities to make your experience that much easier. Ends 27 May. Time: 9:30am–5pm.

Venue: Johannesburg Expo Centre, cnr Nasrec and Rand Show Rd. Cost: adults R40, children free. Contact: 021 689 3262 or visit babaindaba.co.za

National Plaster Day sponsored by Elastoplast School learners are encouraged to make a small donation and to wear civvies today, and enter a competition to win cash for their school. Funds raised from the event go towards the upgrade of the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital, specifically the B2 Ward, which treats the youngest and sickest patients. Venue: across Gauteng. Cost: stickers cost between R1–R10. Contact Tara: 021 659 1794

26 saturday 100 000 Photos 4 Hope This is the largest outdoor photographic exhibition.

Buy a photo from renowned photographers and novices for as little as R100 and save a life. Proceeds from the day go to The Sunflower Fund, a non-profit organisation that aids South Africans diagnosed with leukaemia. Also enjoy a day packed with live entertainment, prizes and giveaways. Time: 9am–4:30pm. Venue: Melrose Arch, The Square. Cost: free entry. Contact Lauren: 011 781 4200, lauren@sunflowerfund.org. za or visit sunflowerfund.org.za Sasol Birds and Birding Fair Become more informed as you stroll around the exhibition on the Centenary Lawn or attend a free lecture on bird conservation and birds of prey. There are interesting courses on raptor identification and basic bird photography, food stalls and fun-filled activities for children. Ends 27 May. Time: 8:30am–5pm. Venue: Johannesburg Zoo, Jan Smuts Ave, Parkview. Cost: R35, R100 per course. Contact Nikki: 083 636 1060, events@birdlife.org.za or visit birdlife.org.za Scotland the Brave Enjoy a highland gathering where you can witness the pipe bands and highland dancers compete.

Browse the art and crafts and food stalls for unique items. Time: 9:30am–3:30pm.

Venue: De la Salle Holy Cross College, 2–22 cnr Rd no. 3 and 3rd Ave, Linden. Cost: adults R20, children R10. Contact Rosemary: 083 448 4046 or visit delasalleschool.co.za Star gazing Dress warmly and join the West Rand Astronomy Club for an evening of star gazing. Booking essential. Time: 5pm. Venue: Kloofendal Nature Reserve, Galena Ave, between Topaz and Argent Ave, Roodepoort. Cost: FroK members R40, non-members R50, pensioners and children R25. Contact Karin or Steve Spottiswoode: 079 693 5608, sspotty@pixie.co.za or visit kloofendalfriends.org.za

Grand Designs Live The interactive Grand Designs Live show is full of inspiring ideas for the home and garden, from expert tips on DIY and ideas for home improvement to new technology and concepts. The first 1 000 people through the door receive a Grow-a–Tree pack to plant. 25–27 May. Time: 10am–6pm. Venue: Coca-Cola Dome, cnr Northumberland Rd and Olivenhout Dr, Northriding. Cost: adults R80, children under 12 free. Contact: 011 835 1565 or visit granddesignslive.co.za

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FUN FOR CHILDREN art, culture and science ADHD cartoon competition Depict how ADHD affects you and your community, your positive and negative experiences, using pictures and words in your one- to eightframe cartoon strip. Place your name, age and the title of your work at the bottom right hand corner of the A4 sheet of paper and email, post or hand in your entry. All ages.

Ends 31 May. Venue: Adhasa National Office, Delta Park School, Standard Dr, Blairgowrie, Randburg or post to Adhasa National Office, PO Box 3704, Randburg, 2125. Contact Carina: 011 888 7655, carina@adhasa.co.za or visit adhasa.co.za Dialogue in the Dark An extraordinary exhibition, held entirely in the dark where sounds, temperatures and textures represent the daily environment. You are guided around the exhibition by a blind or partially sighted guide. Booking essential.

Time: 9am–3:30pm, daily. Venue: Sci-Bono Discovery Centre, cnr Miriam Makeba Dr and President St, Newtown. Cost: adults R50, children R20. Contact: 011 639 8437, dialogueJozi@sci-bono.co.za or visit dialogueinthedarksa.blogspot.com Space Travel Travel with Thomas, the astronomer, in his giant rocket to the game reserve, then on to the moon and beyond.

For children 5–8 years. Time: 10:30am, every Saturday. Venue: Planetarium, Wits University. Cost: R21. Contact: 011 717 1390, planet@planetarium.co.za or visit planetarium.co.za

classes, talks and workshops Art @ Seedpod Get creative at the mosaic and pewter workshops, or use the supply of templates, tiles and raw pottery to bring your favourite designs to life. Time: 9am–5pm, Monday–Saturday; 9am–3:30pm, Sunday.

Venue: The Seedpod Studio, Broadacres Garden Centre, Cedar Rd, Fourways. Cost: workshops vary; studio R60 per hour (excluding materials). Contact: 011 465 0375, info@seedpodstudio.co.za or visit seedpodstudio.com Artjamming Children gain a basic understanding of how to draw and paint. Classes take place from Monday– Wednesday for ages 5–13 years and on Thursday for ages 14 and older. Time: 3pm–5pm. Venue: Blubird Shopping Centre, Athol Oaklands Rd, Lonehill Centre, Lonehill Blvd. Cost: R155 per class. Contact: 011 786 0599, 011 465 5778, blubird@ artjamming.co.za, lonehill@artjamming. co.za or visit artjamming.co.za

Artjamming

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Baking workshop for toddlers at Serendipity

Baking workshop for toddlers Toddlers can get their fingers sticky as they learn more about baking. Time: 11am, every Friday. Venue: Serendipity, 48 Keyes Ave, Rosebank. Cost: R60, includes entrance fee and materials. Contact: 011 447 7386 or visit serendipityplay.co.za Crafty afternoons Children can acquire a creative skill such as decoupage, mosaics, wirework, beading, jewellery making, appliqué and much more. For children 6–10 years. Time: 3pm–4pm, Monday and Friday. Venue: Studio 2, Norscot Manor Recreation Centre, 16B Penguin Dr, Fourways. Cost: R280 per month; single workshop R80. Contact Tanya: 081 285 5962 or roberts.taya@gmail.com Drama School The Kidz Take Over drama courses focus on teaching acting skills for stage, including improvisation, characterisation, breathing and speech technique, group communication skills and confidence building. For children 6–18 years. Booking essential. Time: 9 May 4pm–5pm, Mustard Seed, Ruimsig; 11 May 3:30pm–4:30pm, Stoneridge Shopping Centre, Edenvale; 12 May 11am–1pm, Dance Zone, Bryanpark Shopping Centre.

Cost: 6–12 year olds R1 050, 13–18 year olds R1 250. Contact Shaye: 082 871 0034, shaye@kto.co.za or visit kto.co.za Green Genes Let your child get sticky and creative as you socialise with other like-minded moms. Childminders are there to assist your children in creating original art and crafts, decorating delicious cupcakes or enjoying the play area. Time: 9am–5pm, daily. Venue: Green Genes, 39 St Albans St, Craighall. Cost: day visitor R60, membership from R280. Contact: 011 501 4742, 083 267 2773, info@ greengenes.co.za or visit greengenes.co.za Kindermusik Music and brain stimulation class for children from birth to 7 years old.

Time: every day from Monday to Friday and singing lessons for primary school children.

Venue: 52 5th Ave, Linden. Contact Lizette: 082 926 5549, Helene (singing classes): 072 239 8469, lizettevn@mweb.co.za or visit kindermusik.co.za Learn to cook with McCain Children can learn a few tasty recipes to give mom a break from the kitchen. Booking essential as space is limited to 10 children.

For children 7–11 years. 4 May. Time: 2:30pm–4:30pm. Venue: Little Cooks Club, Rivonia. Cost: free. Contact Megan: 083 985 8080, meganh@littlecooksclub.co.za or visit littlecooksclub.co.za May 2012

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family outings Family golf weekend A two-day better ball competition. 26 May: golf competition, lunch, clinic and lessons. 27 May: golf competition.

Accommodation available in two-bedroom self-catering chalets. For children 6 years and older. 26–27 May. Time: 10am, Saturday; 9am, Sunday. Venue: Protea Hotel Ranch Resort. Cost: R2 160 per night (sleeps 4 adults; 2 children); cost per day: adults R80, children R40; golf clinic and lessons: R20 per child; lunch: adults R75, children R45. Contact: 015 290 5000, reservations@theranch.co.za or visit theranch.co.za

Garden Design Show There is a play area with a roller coaster and free pony rides for children while you learn a few tips and tricks from the contemporary displays of this year’s gardening trends. Ends 27 May. Time: 7:30am–5pm. Venue: Lifestyle Garden Centre, cnr Beyers Naudé Dr and Ysterhout Ave, Randpark Ridge, Randburg.

Cost: free. Contact Ursula: 011 792 5616, ursula@lifeimp.co.za or visit lifestyle.co.za Lesedi Cultural Village This village offers an enriching experience with a look into five traditional homesteads, including Zulu, Xhosa, Bapedi, Basotho and Ndebele. Time: 11:30am and 4:30pm.

Venue: Lesedi Cultural Village, on the R512, Broederstroom. Cost: R390, including lunch or dinner. Contact: 012 205 1394, enquiries@lesedi.com or visit lesedi.com Sky dining at Cedar Square Enjoy a panoramic view of Johannesburg while seated at a 22-seater table suspended 50 metres above the ground. You can enjoy breakfast, lunch, snacks or dinner in the safe hands of the professional team that accompanies you. No children under 10. 25–27 May. Time: 9am–8pm. Venue: Cedar Square, cnr Cedar Ave and Willow Ave. Cost: varies. Contact Hilary: 084 449 6040 or hilary@sky-events.co.za

finding nature and outdoor play Sky dining at Cedar Square

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Cooper’s Cave Explore a living museum where fossils are literally visible on the

10–13 May – Food from the Garden Fair

surface of the 1,5 million year old cave.

Enjoy a light picnic lunch after walking through the cave. Bring a torch, hat, jersey and sunscreen. 5 May. Time: 9am. Venue: Sterkfontein Caves, Cradle of Humankind.

Cost: R350, includes a light picnic lunch.

Contact: 014 577 9000, childmag@ maropeng.co.za or visit maropeng.co.za Moonlight tour Enjoy a night tour around the zoo viewing the lively nocturnal animals. Booking essential. 31 May. Time: 6:30pm–9pm. Venue: Johannesburg Zoo, Jan Smuts Ave, Parkview. Cost: R75–R95, includes entrance fee and refreshments.

Contact Louise: 011 646 2000 ext 228, education@jhbzoo.org.za or visit jhbzoo.org.za

Stargazing Vincent Nettman is providing an interesting look at the role astronomy has played in the development of the human mind. Guests are encouraged to bring binoculars to participate in a beginner’s laserguided sky tour. 26 May. Time: 6pm. Venue: Maropeng Boutique Hotel, Maropeng, on the R400, just off the R563 Hekpoort Rd. Cost: R295, including a three-course dinner.

Contact: 014 577 9000, info@maropeng. co.za or visit maropeng.co.za Swartkrans walking tour Enjoy a look around a working fossil excavation site with scientist Morris Sutton. The tour ends with a light picnic lunch overlooking the Cradle of Humankind. Booking essential. 19 May. Time: 9am. Venue: Sterkfontein Caves, Cradle of Humankind. Cost: R350. Contact: 014 577 9000, childmag@maropeng.co.za or visit maropeng.co.za

markets Bokkie Park Craft Market Browse through the variety of items that are on sale and treat the children to sand art, face painting, ceramic painting, pony rides, camel rides and farmyard activities.

5 May. Time: 9am–2:30pm. Venue: Bunny Park Craft Market, Pretoria Rd, Rynfield, Benoni. Cost: free entry. Contact Janine: 011 896 3890, 083 294 1817 or visit craftsinthepark.blogspot.com Cedar’s Fresh Family Market Pop along to the square to take advantage of the fresh produce and unusual craft items on sale at

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the various stalls. Time: 10am–2pm, every Saturday. Venue: Cedar Square, cnr Cedar Ave and Willow Ave. Cost: free entry. Contact: 011 465 0910, cedarsquare@purpleplumm. co.za or visit cedarsquare.co.za Farmers Craft Market Browse the stalls for fresh produce and a range of items while your children scratch around in the wide selection of gemstones or take a tour of the mine. Time: 8am–4pm, every Saturday; 9am–1pm, every Sunday. Venue: Gecko Jewellers, 52 Mercury Ave, Crowthorne, Midrand. Cost: free entry. Contact: 079 685 5713 or visit geckojewellers.co.za Food from the Garden Fair Celebrate gardening, plants, food and gorgeous gardens. All ages. 10–13 May. Time: 8am–5pm. Venue: GardenShop Broadacres, cnr Valley Rd and Cedar Rd, Fourways.

Cost: free. Contact: 011 465 4216, info@ gardenshop.co.za or visit gardenshop.co.za Organic and craft market Purchase home-made and organic products. 27 May. Time: 9am–2pm. Venue: River Deck Country Estate, 35 Peter Rd, Honeydew.

Cost: free. Contact: 087 940 9920, info@ riverdeck.co.za or visit riverdeck.co.za

on stage and screen Disney Friday This month you can catch the lovable pint-sized chef, Ratatouille, proving that everyone can cook. 25 May. Time: last Friday of every month on the Disney Channel, channel 303 on DStv, 5pm. For more info: visit dstv.com

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Teddy Bears Picnic Bring along your lovable teddy bear for a picnic on the grass. Children make masks and eat tasty treats. Booking essential. 2 May. Time: 10am. Venue: Green Genes, 39 St Albans St, Craighall. Cost: R50 for a picnic box. Contact: 011 501 4742, info@greengenes.co.za or visit greengenes.co.za

Ice Revue from Russia Be amazed as the carefully selected artists, dressed in dazzling outfits, spin, leap, juggle and perform firstclass acrobatic and figure skating routines on ice. 2–6 May. Time: 7:30pm, Wednesday– Saturday; 3pm, Saturday; 12pm and 4pm, Sunday. Venue: Joburg Theatre, cnr Simmonds St and Stiemens Rd. Cost: R130– R250. Book through Joburg Theatre: 0861 670 670 or visit joburgtheatre.com Le Grand Cirque Adrenaline Witness jaw-dropping feats combined with physical comedy routines as hand-picked athletes from around the world contort their bodies, race around the Globe

of Death and get strapped onto the Wheel of Destiny. 23 May–17 June.

Time: 8pm, Wednesday–Saturday; 3pm, Saturday; 2pm and 6pm, Sunday. Venue: Joburg Theatre, cnr Simmonds St and Stiemens Rd. Cost: R190–R350. Book through Joburg Theatre: 0861 670 670 or visit joburgtheatre.com Numtums Ten cuddly creatures, who love to dance, play, fly and count, give preschoolers a foundation in numeracy in this fun, energetic show. Starts 14 May. Time: 6:25am, 10:25am and 2:25pm, daily on CBeebies, channel 306 on DStv. For more info: visit dstv.com

playtime and story time Kid’s Traffic-land Learn road safety and traffic awareness while driving a battery operated vehicle in a mini city called Trafficland. For children aged 3–11 years. Time: 9am–5pm, daily. Venue: Kid’s Traffic-land, Balfour Park Shopping Centre, shop 174, Highlands North, cnr Louis Botha and Johannesburg Rd. Cost: R50 for a two-year license and two 15-minute rides, thereafter R30 for 15 minutes, R50 for 30 minutes, R90 for one hour. Contact Pana: 073 329 8510, pana@kidztrafficland.co.za or visit kidztrafficland.co.za Playdate A charming venue where you can relax and enjoy a hot beverage while your children take part in craft activities. For children under 12 years. Time: 8am–6pm, daily. Venue: Playdate, 281 Bryanston Dr. Contact: 011 021 6996 or innersense@ mweb.co.za

sport and physical activities Ama Zwing Zwing zip line tours Zip down seven slides, connected by 10 platforms, 2−14 metres above the ground and the Crocodile River. Booking essential.

For children 7 years and older. Time: daily departures every 30 minutes between 8am and 3pm. Venue: Amanzingwe Lodge, Pelindaba Rd (R512), Hartbeespoort Dam. Cost: R380, includes refreshments and a meal voucher. Contact: 082 803 7731, info@amazwingzwing.co.za or visit amazwingzwing.co.za

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Walk with dogs

5 sat

Flexi-sports master class Themed workout classes, including a Harry Potter routine, for parents and children aged 5 years and older. Booking essential. Venue: Inner Sense, cnr Grosvenor and Chesterfield Rd, Bryanston. Cost: first class is free, R100 per session thereafter. Contact Charmaine: 011 021 6996, 083 253 0136 or innersense@ mweb.co.za Musical theatre Children can have fun in the spotlight while learning to act and dance. Booking essential. Time: 9am–10am, every Saturday. Venue: Key Players Music, 4 Sandpiper Ave, Douglasdale. Cost: R90 per hour. Contact Lorinda: 073 184 6945, lorinda@keyplayersmusic.com or visit music-lessons.co.za Zoo trot The fun 5km or 10km run/walk around the peaceful Joburg Zoo is perfect for those wanting to get fit, socialise or beat their previous record. 20 May. Time: 7am–10am. Venue: Johannesburg Zoo, Jan Smuts Ave, Parkview. Cost: R35. Contact: 011 646 2000 or visit jhbzoo.org.za

only for parents classes, talks & workshops A morning with Jane Griffiths Jane demonstrates some of her favourite recipes at the Angela Day Kitchen. 18 May. Time: 9:30am. Venue: Lifestyle Garden Centre, cnr Beyers Naudé Dr and Ysterhout Ave, Randpark Ridge, Randburg. Cost: R80, includes tea and prizes. Contact: 011 792 5616, ursula@lifeimp.co.za or visit lifestyle.co.za A spiritual approach to weight loss Natasha Sutherland takes you on a journey that shows you how your relationship with food has emotional, psychological and spiritual components. Booking essential.

26 May. Time: tbc. Venue: Rabbit in the Moon Studio, Kyalami, Midrand. Cost: tbc. Contact Antoinette: 082 925 9076, antoinette@natashasutherland.co.za or visit natashasutherland.co.za Adhasa parents’ conference Learn more about ADHD, how to cope, understanding your child’s differences and difficulties, and find a few solutions and answers.

26–27 May. Time: 8am–4:30pm, Saturday; 8am–1:30pm, Sunday. Venue: Delta Park School Hall, Blairgowrie, Randburg. Cost: R850 per person for both days. Contact Lynne: 011 888 7655, info@adhasa.co.za or visit adhasa.co.za

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Grab the leash and take your socialised dog for a walk around Melville Koppies. You are welcome to join even if you don’t have a dog.

For children 6 years and older. 5 May. Time: 8am.

Venue: park in 3rd Ave, off Arundel Rd, Westdene.

Cost: R20, dogs are free.

Contact: 011 482 4797, fomk@mk.org.za or visit mk.org.za

Beyond the nappy bag A three-hour workshop about the stimulation and development of your child’s perceptual skills in preschool, necessary for creating a foundation for academic success. Booking essential. For parents of children 2–5 years.

21 May. Time: 9am–12pm. Venue: 6 Lombardi Lane, Douglasdale. Cost: R250, includes notes and refreshments. Contact Nikki: 083 265 5754, nikki@brightideasoutfit. co.za or visit brightideasoutfit.com Bridging the digital divide An interactive presentation to help you gain perspective and take the necessary steps to bridging the digital divide between yourself and your child. Booking essential.

28 May. Time: 6:30pm–8:30pm. Venue: 6 Lombardi Lane, Douglasdale. Cost: R185, includes refreshments. Contact Nikki: 083 265 5754, nikki@brightideasoutfit.co.za or visit brightideasoutfit.com Discipline in the formative years Gain clarity on discipline techniques and parenting styles to find out which style works best for you and your children. Booking essential.

26 May. Time: 9am–2pm. Venue: Parkhurst Recreation Centre Hall, cnr 13th St and 5th Ave, Parkhurst. Cost: R540, includes a manual and tea. Contact Shannon: 074 102 6200 or shannoneggers@vodamail.co.za Divorce and separation workshop This workshop provides critical emotional, psychological, legal and practical information and support for individuals and families going through a divorce or separation.

Booking essential. 5 May. Time: 9am–12pm.

Venue: first floor, South East Block, 5 Wessel Rd, Rivonia. Cost: R950. Contact Cordelia: 011 024 2742, info@sandtonpsychologists. co.za or visit sandtonpsychologists.co.za

5 May – Emotionally intelligent children

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Effective discipline There are numerous theories and styles of discipline. Which style works best for your family and how should your child’s age affect your approach to discipline? 26 May. Time: 9am–2pm. Venue: Parkhurst Recreation Centre, cnr 5th Ave and 14th St, Parkhurst.

Cost: R540, includes manual and lunch.

Contact Shannon: 074 102 6200 or shannoneggers@vodamail.co.za Emotionally intelligent children Learn more about emotional intelligence and how it affects your child’s self-esteem, self-image, bonding, attachment and communication. 5 May. Time: 9am–2pm.

Venue: Parkhurst Recreation Centre, cnr 5th Ave and 14th St, Parkhurst. Cost: R540.

Contact Shannon: 074 102 6200 or shannoneggers@vodamail.co.za Foundation drawing course This course is designed for all levels of students wishing to learn or improve the basic techniques of figure and object drawing using charcoal, pencil and ink. Booking essential. For teenagers and adults. 23 May–4 July. Time: 6pm–9pm. Venue: Indigo Studios, Rivonia.

Cost: R2 300. Contact Taryn: 082 904 3720, taryn@thefineartsstudio.co.za or visit thefineartsstudio.co.za Foundation oil painting course This course focuses on the traditional techniques of painting figures and objects in oil paint through understanding tone, colour mixture and brush stroke. Booking essential.

For teenagers and adults. 5 May–23 June.

Time: 9am–1pm. Venue: Indigo Studios, Rivonia. Cost: R2 800. Contact Taryn: 082 904 3720, taryn@thefineartsstudio.co.za or visit thefineartsstudio.co.za Hands-on mosaic workshop Join them for a fun and relaxed morning where they show you how to create a stylish bird bath. 25 May. Time: 9am–1pm. Venue: Lifestyle Garden Centre, cnr Beyers Naudé Dr and Ysterhout Ave, Randpark Ridge, Randburg. Cost: R350, includes tea.

Contact: 011 792 5616, ursula@lifeimp. co.za or visit lifestyle.co.za Left-hand learning teacher and parent workshop Realise the challenges that left-handers are faced with on a daily basis and find solutions. Help with cutting, writing, pencil grip, shoelaces and more. 5 May. Time: 8:30am–11am. Venue: Unit B5, Clearwater Office Park, 77 Wilhelmina Ave, Constantia Kloof. Cost: R250. Contact Tracy: 083 417 3316, tracy@lefthandlearning. co.za or visit lefthandlearning.co.za

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Foundation oil painting course at Indigo Studios

Money matters Learn how to improve your relationship with money, as well as the basics of saving and investing. For moms only. Booking essential. 26 May. Time: 12:30pm–3pm. Venue: Green Genes, 39 St Albans St, Craighall. Cost: R200. Contact Kamani: 071 686 5028, kamani@fabmomslifecoaching.co.za or visit fabmoms.wozaonline.co.za Morning yoga A low-impact exercise to increase strength and flexibility while aiding in stress and pain relief. Time: 8am–9am, Monday–Friday. Venue: Green Genes, 39 St Albans St, Craighall. Cost: tbc.

Contact: 083 267 2773, info@greengenes. co.za or visit greengenes.co.za Munchness workshop This workshop, facilitated by Natasha Sutherland, is designed to help moms and dads learn to play at their child’s level, to experience their wonderland and create lasting bonds.

Booking essential. 5 May. Time: tbc. Venue: Rabbit in the Moon Studio, Kyalami, Midrand. Cost: tbc. Contact Antoinette: 082 925 9076, antoinette@natashasutherland. co.za or visit natashasutherland.co.za Pilates Build and strengthen your core muscles to help improve your posture and flexibility while increasing your energy levels. Time: 9am–10am, every Tuesday and Friday. Venue: Green Genes, 39 St Albans St, Craighall. Cost: tbc. Contact: 083 267 2773, info@greengenes.co.za or visit greengenes.co.za Sonic meditation group Release the pent-up stress and replace it with a deep relaxation, achieved through meditation. Booking essential. 6 May. Time: 9am–11am. Venue: South African Centre for Sound Therapy, Meerhof, Hartbeespoort. Cost: R150. Contact Wilna: 071 682 2548, wilna@soundtherapy.co.za or visit soundtherapy.co.za Talk on ADHD This talk is run by an occupational therapist and play therapist on coping with an ADHD child, covering discipline, homework, sensory strategies and eating. 22 May. Time: 6:30pm. Venue: Playsense Practice, 2 Milner Rd, Kensington B. Cost: R50. Contact Alexa or Lori: 082 550 2719, 083 556 4857, alexa@philamoya. co.za or visit playsense.co.za Talk on intuition Listen to visionary and soul alchemist Janee Dewart as she demystifies intuition and shows you how to use your sixth sense to gain the assurance that you are following the best course. 12 May. Time: 10am. Venue: Ngwenya Glass Village, off Beyers Naudé Dr, Muldersdrift.

Cost: R75. Contact Athalie or Norma: 083 285 8383 or 083 655 3237 May 2012

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calendar includes course material, four glasses and a cooler pack. Contact: 011 024 3616, fraser@capewineacademy.co.za or visit capewineacademy.co.za

performers. 4 May. Time: 8pm. Venue: Foxwood Theatre, 13 5th St, Houghton. Cost:

on stage and screen

10, 17 and 24 May – Wine course: level 1

Wine course: level 1 A short course to discover the world of wine. Learn about different wine styles, the effect that wine has on the taste of food, and how the winemaking and vineyard practices affect the end result. Booking essential. 10, 17 and 24 May. Time: 6:30pm–9pm. Venue: Cape Wine Academy, Michelangelo Hotel, Sandton Square, Sandton. Cost: R1 095,

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Abnormal Loads Neil Coppen’s acclaimed play is set in a fictional battlefield town in northern KwaZulu-Natal. It tells the stories of three youngsters, who unravel the secrets and events that connect them. No children under 13. Ends 12 May. Time: 8pm, Tuesday–Saturday; 3pm, Saturday. Venue: Market Theatre, 56 Margaret Mcingana St, Newtown. Cost: R75–R160. Book through Computicket: visit computicket.com Derren Brown: The Experiments A fourpart series, hosted by illusionist Derren Brown, designed to illustrate how easily our behaviour can be manipulated. In each episode, you witness a mixture of stunts, suggestion, and thought-provoking entertainment combined with tried and tested psychological experiments. 6–27 May. Time: 8:25pm, every Sunday on BBC Entertainment, channel 120 on DStv. For more info: visit dstv.com Diva Duets Aukse Trinkunas and Michèle Corbin perform famous opera duets. 13 May. Time: 5:30pm. Venue: UJ Arts Centre Theatre, Kingsway Ave, Auckland Park.

Contact: 011 559 3058, ecbekker@uj.ac.za or visit uj.ac.za/artscentre From South to South A sensuous international tango show, starring the

Life in the Undergrowth

leading dance duo from Argentina: Ariel Roldan and Cynthia Palacious, with Nadia Lankova-Loureiro on piano. 7–19 May. Time: 8:15pm, Monday–Saturday. Venue: Old Mutual Theatre in the Square, West St, Sandown. Cost: R60. Book through Strictly Tickets: 082 553 5903 or visit theatreonthesquare.co.za Frontline Medicine From the frontline of war to the frontline of research, this documentary introduces the inspirational people behind the latest medical breakthroughs that save thousands of lives, both on and off the battlefield. 15 and 22 May. Time: 9pm on BBC Knowledge, channel 251 on DStv. For more info: visit dstv.com Joburg Comedy Cartel Enjoy an evening of bizarre stand-up with the comedy cartel of Alyn Adams, Vittorio Leonardi, Shaun Wewege and Warren Robertson plus guest

R100. Contact: 011 486 0935, admin@ foxwood.co.za or visit foxwood.co.za Life in the Undergrowth David Attenborough ventures into the bizarre, ferocious and surprisingly beautiful world of the invertebrates. It’s an exploration into a world normally unseen, yet superorganised and all around us. 2–30 May. Time: 9pm, every Wednesday on BBC Knowledge, channel 251 on DStv. For more info: visit dstv.com Lunch-hour concerts at Wits Take a classical interlude during your bustling day to feel inspired and relaxed. You are treated to a new artist every week, performing on piano, clarinet, viola or jazz guitar. 2–23 May. Time: 1:20pm, every Wednesday. Venue: Wits Great Hall, Wits East Campus, Braamfontein. Cost: free. Contact Catherine: 011 717 1376 or catherine.pisanti@wits.ac.za Midweek comedy Enjoy great food and cocktails as comedians make you laugh out loud. Booking recommended. 9 and 23 May. Time: 7pm. Venue: TSG Fourways, Leaping Frog Shopping Centre, cnr William Nicol Dr and Mulbarton Rd. Cost: free entry. Contact: 011 465 7270, info@ tsg4ways.co.za or visit tsg4ways.co.za Night and Day Reminisce about the 1940s and 1950s as you enjoy an evening of dance

by Cape Town City Ballet to music by Cole Porter, one of the major songwriters for the

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Broadway musical stage. 2–13 May. Time: 8pm, Wednesday–Saturday; 5pm, Saturday; 3pm, Sunday. Venue: Pieter Toerien Theatre, Montecasino, cnr William Nicol Dr and Montecasino Blvd, Fourways. Cost: R100– R260. Book through Computicket: 0861 915 8000 or visit computicket.com The Phantom of the Opera Get swept away by the romantic scores of the muchloved musical, The Phantom of the Opera.

Follow the disfigured musical genius, “the Phantom”, as he haunts the Paris Opera house and falls in love with Christine Daaé.

1–31 May. Time: varies. Venue: Teatro, Montecasino Boulevard, cnr William Nicol Dr and Witkoppen Rd. Cost: R125–R425.

Book through Computicket: 0861 915 8000 or visit computicket.com

out and about Arts School open day If your child is interested in art, dance, drama and music consider visiting the facilities and meeting the teachers at today’s open day.

19 May. Venue: The National School of the Arts, 17 Hoofd St, Braamfontein. Time: 8:30am–1pm. Contact: 011 339 6539, pro@artschool.co.za or visit artschool.co.za Bone Detectives Expand your knowledge of human evolution as you learn more about the hominoid skeletal anatomy and how to identify fossils with Brendon Billings, Wits University’s up-and-coming scientist.

12 May. Time: 9am. Venue: Sterkfontein Caves, Cradle of Humankind. Cost: R350,

includes the presentation, tour, exhibition and a light picnic lunch. Contact: 014 577 9000, childmag@maropeng.co.za or visit maropeng.co.za Cultivino Spend a winter evening strolling the cobblestone walkways of the centre, winding your way around crackling boma fires and fairy lights and sampling the wares of over 50 food and wine suppliers.

24 and 25 May. Time: 5pm–10pm. Venue: Irene Village Mall, cnr Nellmapius Dr and Van Ryneveld Dr, Irene. Cost: R50, includes a souvenir tasting glass and tasting booklet.

Contact Rentia: 012 662 4446 or info@ irenevillagemall.co.za Dainfern College open day Meet the teachers and view the facilities of Dainfern College. The college is co-educational and caters for Grade 0–Grade 12.

1–31 May – The Phantom of the Opera

3 May. Time: 9am–10am. Venue: Dainfern College, Broadacres Dr, Dainfern. Cost: free. Contact Caroline: 011 469 0635, cgrobbelaar@dainferncollege.co.za or visit dainferncollege.co.za Elma Park Golf Day In aid of Elma Park Pre-Primary School. Booking essential. 10 May. Time: 10am. Venue: Modderfontein Golf Course, Centenary St, Edenvale.

Cost: R450 per player, includes dinner.

Contact Glynis or Carla: 011 453 9388 or elmaparkpps@mweb.co.za Fine Brandy Fusion Tantalise your taste buds with an array of brandy fusions revealing everything of this beverage. 2–25 May. Time: 5pm–9pm. Venue: Sandton Convention Centre, Sandton. Cost: R195.

Book through Computicket or at the door: 0861 915 8000 or visit computicket.com

Glühwein evening at the zoo Enjoy a wintry evening with a guided tour of the zoo with soup and rolls around a bonfire.

26 May. Time: 6pm–9pm. Venue: Lory Park, 180/1 Kruger Rd, President Park, Midrand. Cost: adults R100, children R60.

Contact: 011 315 7307, info@lorypark. co.za or visit lorypark.co.za Goddess Dance This workout is for all shapes, sizes and ages. They are great for you whether you are married, single, wishing you were single or recently divorced. Time: 5pm–6pm, every Friday. Venue: The Gym on 11th, Benmore, Sandton. Cost: R120 per session. Contact: info@alimurray.co.za Golf for Animals in Distress Proceeds from today’s golf day go towards helping Animals in Distress, a non-profit organisation dedicated to the welfare and needs of animals. Booking essential.

18 May. Time: 12pm. Venue: Kyalami Country Club, Maple Rd, Kyalami. Cost: R3 500 per four-ball. Contact Bev: 078 458 9143, aid@animalsindistress.org.za or visit animalsindistress.ws Mom’s Retreat Mom and business owner Janet du Preez has created a nurturing experience to give you time, space and structure to take a break with other moms.

Booking essential. 14 May. Time: 8am–5pm.

Venue: The Olive Tree Guest House, Oak Ave, Ferndale, Randburg. Cost: R950, includes food and refreshments. Contact: 076 626 6047, metime@toolsofgreatness. co.za or visit toolsofgreatness.co.za

family marketplace

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calendar The Wine Show Joburg Come taste, try and buy wines from 130 estates at this year’s wine show. Learn to pair wine with food at the Friends for Dinner Theatre or try your hand at virtual golf. 4–6 May. Time: 10am–6pm. Venue: Coca-Cola Dome, cnr Northumberland Rd and Olivenhout St, Northriding. Cost: tbc. Contact: 021 888 8800 or visit wineshow.co.za Antenatal course

bump, baby & Tot in tow

classes, talks and workshops

MTN Bushfire Festival This year’s festival is an entirely Swazi showcase set in an inspirational rural setting. The worldclass line-up performs across four stages, in the midst of a scrumptious food fair and The Barn, an area for thinkers and speakers to voice their opinions on topical issues.

All profits are being donated to the Young Heroes organisation. 25–27 May. Venue: Swaziland’s picturesque Malkerns Valley. Cost: day pass R200–R250, three-day pass R450. For more info: visit bushfire.co.sz Poplar Academy open day Caters to children from the age of 2 through to Grade 9. The classes are kept to 12 learners per class, offering individual attention to each learner. Meet the teachers and view the facilities. 19 May. Time: 9:30am–3pm.

Venue: 39 Whisken Ave, Crowthorne, Midrand. Cost: free. Contact: 082 655 0723, info@poplarprimary.co.za or visit poplaracademy.com St Andrews open day This is your opportunity to walk around this private girl’s school founded in 1902, view the facilities and meet the teachers. 25 May. Time: preschool 9am–12pm, junior school 11am–3pm, senior school 1pm–4pm.

Venue: St Andrew’s Ave, Senderwood. Cost: free. Contact: 011 453 9408, andrew@ standrews.co.za or visit standrews.co.za Supper club Each month the talented chefs create a delicious menu, based on a different theme or country, for you to enjoy in a relaxed and casual setting.

Booking essential. 31 May. Time: 7pm.

Venue: The Forum, first floor Wanderers Building, The Campus Office Park, 57 Sloane St, Bryanston. Cost: R295, including a welcome drink and a four-course meal.

Contact Tracey: 011 575 4411 or tracey. mukatuni@theforum.co.za

25 May – St Andrews open day

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Antenatal course Make informed choices about your birth options and learn about breast-feeding and baby care. Time: 7pm–8:30pm, every Tuesday. Venue: Northriding. Cost: R1 200 per couple for six weeks. Contact Samantha: 082 494 2903 or samanthacrompton243@gmail.com Antenatal exercise classes Bring along your baby to help you lose the pregnancy weight in a motivating and supportive environment. Time: 9:30am–10:30am, every Thursday. Venue: Northriding.

Cost: R80 walk-in class, R250 per month.

Contact Samantha: 082 494 2903 or samanthacrompton243@gmail.com BabyGym This five-week course helps you stimulate your baby and ensure whole brain development. Booking essential. For children 2 weeks–1 year. 7 May–4 June and 17 May–14 June. Time: 9:30am–10:45am, every Monday and Thursday. Venue: The Children’s Therapy Centre, Petervale, Bryanston. Cost: R630. Contact Joanne: 083 303 1190, joanne.bradley@babygym. co.za or visit babygym.co.za Fitmommy These 45-minute fitness classes, with or without your baby, to get your pre-pregnancy body, or better, back. Booking essential. Time: prenatalfittummy: 9:45am; postnatal-fitbaby: 10:30am; fitmommy for the serious mom (without baby) or veteran mom: 5:30pm every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Venue: Norscot Manor Recreation Centre, 16B Penguin Dr, Fourways.

Cost: varies. Contact Debbie: 082 895 2513, admin@fitmommy.co.za or visit fitmommy.co.za Learn to massage your baby Learn to soothe problems such as colic, sleep and bonding issues with massage. Booking essential. For children 2 weeks–1 year. 7 May–4 June. Time: 11:30am–12:45pm.

Venue: The Children’s Therapy Centre, Petervale, Bryanston. Cost: R480. Contact Joanne: 083 303 1190, joanne.bradley@ babygym.co.za or visit babygym.co.za

playtime and story time Dibukids storytelling Expose your children to different languages at Dibuka, where they can listen to stories told in Zulu, English and French. For children 3 years and older. 19 May. Time: 10:30am. Venue: Dibuka at Alliance Francaise, 17 Lower Park Dr, cnr Kerry Rd, Parkview. Cost: free.

Contact: 011 646 1115, dibukids@alliance. org.za or visit alliance.org.za Disco Baby While your children boogie on the dance floor with an enthusiastic team of dancers you can join in or socialise with other parents. Space is limited. For children under 9 years. 19 May. Time: 2:30pm. magazine joburg

Venue: tbc. Cost: R150. Contact Lindsay: 084 804 6550, bookings@discobaby.co.za or visit discobaby.co.za Play days at Elf’s Hill Sailing the seven seas aboard a pirate ship, or living in a tree house is all in a day’s work at Elf’s Hill.

9 and 23 May. Time: 1pm–5pm. Venue: Elf’s Hill, plot 29 Zandspruit Rd, Farmall/ Chartwell West, Randburg. Cost: adults R20, children R15 (includes refreshments).

Contact Estelle: 011 708 3078, estelle@ elfshill.co.za or visit elfshill.co.za Story time at Serendipity Free your child’s imagination as they listen to magical stories. Time: 3:30pm, every Wednesday.

Venue: Serendipity, 48 Keyes Ave, Rosebank.

Cost: R45 for the first child, R40 for the second child, R30 for every additional child.

Contact: 011 447 7386, serendipityplay@ gmail.com or visit serendipityplay.co.za Wildkids developmental programme This exposes your child to fun, outdoor play activities that assist them in developing all the underlying skills needed to enter the school system. Booking essential. For children 3–6 years. Time: 4pm–5pm, every Tuesday. Venue: Field and Study Centre, Sandton. Cost: R300 per month. Contact Troye: 083 457 4106 or visit wild-kids.co.za

support groups Bedwetting support group 8am–5pm, Monday–Friday. Contact: 083 289 6640 Hi Hopes Provides home-based support for families with deaf or hard-of-hearing infants. Contact: 011 717 3750, info@ hihopes.co.za or visit hihopes.co.za Mom Squad A support group for new or expectant moms to share the joys and challenges of motherhood under the guidance of a doctor and mother of two, Karin, and her mom, Liz. Time: 10am–12pm, every Monday. Venue: 4 Pafuri Rd, Emmarentia. Cost: free.

Contact Liz or Karin: 083 226 7130 or vandermerwekj@gmail.com Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) A Christian organisation focused on helping each mom reach her full potential as a woman and as a mother. For moms of children aged 0–7 years. 2, 16 and 30 May. Time: 9:30am–11:30am. Venue: Gracepoint Methodist Church, Lonehill. Cost: R40 per meeting. Contact Leigh: 073 258 4449

The Teddy Bear Clinic Provides therapy, counselling, assistance and support to children and parents who have been abused.

Contact: 011 484 4554 or visit ttbc.org.za Vaccine helpline Contact: 0860 160 160

how to help Breast milk banking Donate your extra breast milk to help save the lives of babies. Contact Sasha at The SA Breast Milk Reserve: 011 020 0348 or visit sabr.org.za Five-cents campaign Collect and donate your five-cent coins to Out of the Box and help somebody acquire a skill to start their own small business from home. Venue: Out of the Box, The Pavilion, cnr Power St and Refinery Rd, Germiston. Cost: five cents. Contact Nina: 011 673 6592, nina@outofthebox.org.za or visit outofthebox.org.za Rhino orphanage Help prevent the rhino from becoming extinct by 2015 by supporting the world’s first rhino orphanage, dedicated to caring for rhinos orphaned due to poaching. For more info: pete@theazaleagroup.com Stop hunger now Every second Saturday of the month you can volunteer to help package high-protein dehydrated meals for underprivileged children across the country. 12 May. Time: 9:30am. Venue: Stop Hunger Now Warehouse, Germiston.

Cost: free. Contact: 011 872 2498, volunteer.gauteng@stophungernowsa.org or visit stophungernowsa.org UNICEF Provides humanitarian assistance to mothers and children in developing countries. Contact Elana: 083 329 4913, elana.marais@yahoo.co.uk or visit unicef. org/southafrica

Breast milk banking

looking ahead Disney on Ice Children will be in awe when they see Lightning McQueen from Cars, Ariel from The Little Mermaid, the tinkers from Tinkerbell, or Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story as they perform spectacular skating routines with special effects. 26 June–1 July. Time: varies. Venue: Coca-Cola Dome, cnr Northumberland Rd and Olivenhout Dr, Northriding. Cost: R180–R300. Book through Computicket: 0861 915 8000 or visit computicket.com Gauteng Motor Show Enjoy the thrills of drifting, an aerobatic display, bike stunts, advanced driving experiences, beauty pageants, go-kart ride, and a wide range of children’s entertainment. 2–3 June. Time: 8am–5pm. Venue: Zwartkops Raceway, off the R55, Pretoria West. Cost: adults R80, children R40. For info: visit gautengmotorshow.co.za

don’t miss out!

For a free listing, email your event to joburg@childmag.co.za or fax it to 011 234 4971. Information must be received by 4 May for the June issue, and must include all relevant details. No guarantee can be given that it will be published. To post an event online, visit childmag.co.za

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anél’s finishing touch

party pandemonium First birthdays are really about the grown-ups, says ANÉL LEWIS, so make sure there’s plenty to keep them entertained.

t

Anél and Erin

hings got out of hand pretty quickly at Erin’s first birthday party. There were cupcakes strewn on the floor, bottle tops in the pond and the inflatable pool had to be pumped up again after an energetic wrestling match – and that was just from the adults’ activities. Managing the handful of guests under the age of five was a breeze, barring their odd complaint about the bubble mixture that was more water than soap and the shortage of Barney-themed juice packs. It was the adults who needed constant supervision.

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I was initially quite blasé about the whole planning thing. I reckoned we would set aside a couple of hours on a Saturday, let Erin blow out a candle on a cake I had made and then watch her open a few presents.

But I was unaware that preparations for a parallel party, with far more grandiose dimensions, were already well underway.

It seems I had underestimated the grownups’ enthusiasm to celebrate.

Before I knew it, we were moving garden furniture to accommodate a 3kg lamb for the spit. Spit? What happened to my idea of cake and maybe a few bowls of marshmallows? No, it seems it had been decided that we needed to go large for this important milestone, and the men wanted meat – and lots of it.

Erin decided to take her nap as the guests arrived, so she was nowhere to be seen for the first hour. When she

did emerge, the heat combined with the surprise of a house full of people made her less than congenial. Fortunately, her friends were too busy poking holes in the gifts to really notice.

I squeezed her into a party frock for the obligatory photo, and then let her mingle with the guests wearing just a vest and her nappy. She’s going to hate me when I blow up those images for her 21st birthday party.

I am no baker. I last made rock buns for my home economics class when I was in Grade 9, and added salt instead of sugar to the mixture. Needless to say, I switched to art soon after that. So I begged a talented colleague to make Erin a beautiful bear cake. However, I was still determined to contribute in some way, and I made a batch of cupcakes. The only ready-made mix I could find came with iridescent pink

icing and sparkles. And yes, they tasted as artificial as they looked. I’m still finding bits of ossified cupcake stuffed into the corners of our outdoor furniture – no doubt from guests desperately trying to dispose of the noxious things.

Several long hours after the party started, the celebration was still in full swing. The spit was still turning, albeit a bit dejectedly, in the fading light, someone had locked themselves in the spare bathroom and yet another impromptu wrestling match had ended in tears. And no, there was not a child in sight.

Next year I’m hiring a jumping castle, and some entertainment for the children as well.

Anél Lewis is Child magazine’s features editor. By the time you read this, she will have had her second baby and will probably be planning his first party.

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