CAPE TOWN SCIENCE CENTRE 370B MAIN ROAD, OBSERVATORY
KIDS FUN FOR THE YOUNG, AND THE YOUNG AT HEART
021 300 3200, ctsc.org.za The Cape Town Science Centre is a world of discovery under one roof. Young minds can challenge themselves with more than 250 exhibits, puzzles and fun science games, including the human gyroscope and an inflatable planetarium. Each month, the centre offers a roster packed with activities, and weary parents can grab a coffee in the iCafe while their kids explore.
GRANDWEST 1 JAKES GERWEL DRIVE, GOODWOOD 021 505 7777
CAVE GOLF
suninternational.com/grandwest ‘I’m bored’ is unlikely to cross any child’s lips when they take in all that GrandWest has to offer – whether it’s hours spent gliding across the ice rink, beating opponents at laser tag or getting lost in the fun of arcade games. It offers fun for the whole family too: Buy tickets to see a movie at the CineCentre cinema on site, or hire a lane at the tenpin bowling alley.
DOCK ROAD, V&A WATERFRONT
Activities are individually priced
R75 for kids and adults
021 419 9429, scratchpatch.co.za
ACROBRANCH 1 HOUT BAY MAIN ROAD, CONSTANTIA NEK 086 999 0369, acrobranch.co.za Take to the trees with fun activities for the whole family. There are two courses for the little ones, while adults and teens can tackle a slightly more thrilling elevated experience. All three courses combine the adventure of zip lines, moving planks, Tarzan swings, rope bridges and more. The park caters for kids’ birthday parties and corporate team building too.
From R150–R280
ALPACA LOOM SUID-AGTER PAARL ROAD, SOUTHERN PAARL 084 793 3666, alpacas.co.za Kids are in for an interactive experience at the alpaca petting zoo, where they have the chance to get up close to these animals. If they still have some energy left after, they can let loose on the jungle gym while parents park off for a cuppa at the on-site coffee shop and browse the woven scarves, shawls, blankets and rugs made from the alpacas’ wool. Barn tours, where you can learn about the alpaca and the processing its fibres undergo to become yarn, take place daily every hour on the hour.
This indoor 18-hole mini-golf course is deceptively difficult, and challenges players with steep ramps, sharp corners and other obstacles. Since the course takes around 30 minutes to complete, it also serves as the perfect activity to do before you head off for lunch at one of the many eateries at the V&A Waterfront. R30 pp, discounts apply for groups of 10 or more
021 444 4258
Entrance is free
Ahoy, me hearties! If you think you have what it takes to sail the seven seas, then climb aboard the Jolly Roger. Cruises depart from the V&A Waterfront quay and include face-painting, a treasure hunt and other themed activities.
THE ICE STATION GRANDWEST CASINO & ENTERTAINMENT
076 810 5120, claycafe.co.za
WORLD, 1 JAKES GERWEL DRIVE, GOODWOOD
Arty kids (and even arty grown-ups) will love Clay Cafe. Let the children choose a blank piece of pottery as their canvas, grab some paint and unleash their creativity, after which it will be fired and glazed, and ready for collection in a few weeks. Parents can relax with a cappuccino, knowing all the mess will be taken care of.
021 535 2260, icerink.co.za
Spend a fun afternoon at GrandWest’s Ice Station: Rent a pair of skates, go whizzing around the rink, then catch an ice-hockey match or a figure-skating show. Wear thick socks, and dress in layers. R60 for the main rink (R50 with own skates) and R30 for the mini rink
IMHOFF FARM KOMMETJIE ROAD, KOMMETJIE
COOL RUNNINGS TOBOGGAN FAMILY PARK CARL CRONJE DRIVE, TYGER VALLEY
BE.UP PARK
Rides from R60 each. The park is closed when it’s raining
GARDENER PLACE, ROSE INNES STREET,
021 481 3800/3900, iziko.org.za With regular astronomy shows on offer year-round, you can explore outer space and learn about the stars in our southern-hemisphere skies from the comfort of your seat beneath the domed ceiling of the planetarium. Then, explore natural and cultural history at the adjoining South African Museum and see 700-million-yearold fossils.
Planetarium: R30 for kids, R60 for adults (includes museum). Museum only: R15 for kids, R30 for adults
177 MAIN ROAD, HOUT BAY
R40 studio fee (includes three paints, firing and glazing); pottery is individually priced
25 QUEEN VICTORIA STREET, CBD
This 60 ha green oasis in the shadow of Cape Town Stadium is a splendid place for kids to work out their energy in the play areas, while parents enjoy a picnic on the lawns. Various indigenous plant zones and educational signboards make this a learning space as much as a playground.
OPPOSITE BOKKEMANSKLOOF ESTATE,
Entry is free; tours are R70 for kids, R100 for adults
087 057 1400, beuppark.co.za
1 FRITZ SONNENBERG ROAD, GREEN POINT
CLAY CAFE
021 949 4439, coolrunnings.capetown Whoosh down the slope at up to 40 km/h in a custom-made toboggan. The 1.25 km ride on a special steel track is hair-raising fun for the whole family.
PINELANDS
GREEN POINT PARK
IZIKO PLANETARIUM AND SA MUSEUM
021 783 4545, imhofffarm.co.za This charming farm-stall-turned-fun-dayout has something for everyone. Visit the Higgeldy Piggeldy farmyard to meet the friendly animals, and check out the reptiles at the snake park before enjoying a meal at one of the many restaurants. You will also find a maze, an equestrian centre, a paintball area, and a range of arty shops and lifestyle stores. There’s even a yoga studio for the fitness inclined.
THE GIRAFFE HOUSE WILDLIFE AWARENESS CENTRE
Activities are individually priced
CNR R304 (TOWARDS STELLENBOSCH)
INTAKA ISLAND
AND R101 (TOWARDS PAARL)
2 PARK LANE, CENTURY CITY
021 884 4506, giraffehouse.co.za
JOLLY ROGER PIRATE BOAT QUAY 5, V&A WATERFRONT 021 421 0909, yacoobyachts.co.za
From R100 per child
LE BONHEUR CROCODILE FARM R45 (BABYLONSTOREN ROAD), SIMONDIUM 021 863 1142, lebonheuradventures.co.za
So, you reckon you’re not afraid of big, scaly reptiles? Then Le Bonheur in the Winelands is the place to test your mettle, with more than 1 000 crocs of all sizes. Join one of the guided interactive tours every 45 minutes or, to get even closer to these toothy predators, book a crocodile cage dive with African Croc Dive. Tours: R42 for kids, R68 for adults. Cage dives: R1 000 for kids over 9 and adults
MOUILLE POINT PUTT-PUTT BEACH ROAD, MOUILLE POINT
The ultimate fun stop for kids and adults alike, be.UP Park offers a number of activities and a cafe for some nibbles. Let the younger ones explore the kids’ maze and have fun in the trampoline zone, while older children and adults can enjoy the climbing walls and an obstacle course inside a netted cage, suspended five metres above the ground.
This wildlife education centre runs daily interactive encounters (at 11 am, 1 pm and 3 pm), with its residents including giraffes, warthogs, antelope, jackals, foxes, snakes and blue cranes (South Africa’s national bird). R45 for children 2–15 years
021 552 6889, intaka.co.za Enjoy nature and birding at this 16 ha wetland reserve in the centre of Century City. From fun boat trips and guided trails to educational activities and picnic spots in the indigenous garden, Intaka provides an ideal family-friendly day outdoors.
021 434 6805, puttputtcapetown.co.za Two 18-hole courses of different difficulties will keep everyone entertained. Once you have sunk your ball, get lost in the hedge maze, hop aboard the Mini Blue Train or explore the iconic Green Point Lighthouse, built in 1824, for a bird’s-eye view of the glistening Table Bay.
R85–R130, depending on height
old, R65 for adults
R15 for kids 0–12 years, R25 for adults
R32 pp for a round of putt-putt
100
