6 fun activities to keep the kids occupied during the school holidays

The December school holidays are here.  Good news for the little ones.  Bad news for you.  If you haven't got some sort of itinerary sorted yet, chances are you'll be stuck with a house full of children, bored out of their minds. 

Lucky for you, many malls, museums and kid-centric establishments have kiddie holiday programmes in place. 

Cape Town

Splash into fun

The whole family is invited to come and experience the fun tropical-themed water park at Capegate Shopping Centre this summer holiday.  The huge outdoor water park will ensure heaps of fun offering various water slides, a wave board, paddle boats, a mini beach, a dunk pool, foam slip and slide and weekly beach activities. 

Open from December 6 – January 11 (except Christmas and New Year’s Day), Summer Splash will be best enjoyed by kids aged five to 13 years old. 

Tickets cost R85 for 90 minutes and R125 for 3 hours.  Non-riders (accompanying parents) will pay a fee of R40.  Ticket prices include access to all activities and can be bought via Webtickets or at the event entrance. 

Visit www.capegatecentre.co.za for more info

Decode the puzzle

Digicape will be lending a helping hand with its kids Coding Workshops, which will run from December 9 - 13, 2019 at Edgemead Primary School.  Open to learners from grade 4, they can learn coding with Swift Learn to Code 1 and Scratch Coding. 

“Our coding workshops will challenge kids in new, exciting and rewarding ways.  With Swift Learn to Code 1, they will learn the fundamentals of coding through an absorbing and immersive graphic environment.  With Scratch Coding, a popular block-based coding platform, students will create animations and games, using coding blocks.  It is easy to use and provides a comfortable environment to have fun with code”, said Paul Wernich, Apple Professional Learning Specialist at Digicape. 

For more information on the coding workshops or if you would like to secure a seat for your child, please visit: www.digicape.co.za. 

Joburg

Discover science

The Science Communication Team of Sci-Bono Discovery Centre would like children to join them in exploration and celebration of Wonders of Water Holiday Programme, starting from December 7 to January 12, 2020. 

Targeting ages from six years and above, the programme showcases water based activities to a wide variety aspects of the behaviour of water; from properties to component, saving tips to related technologies, water uses including fun activities such as Hydropower, water cycle, H2O Today Exhibition, and many more. 

Bright Young Chefs warmly welcomes little master chefs to their specially designed kitchen, where they will be given the chance to bake/cook up a storm.  The cost includes the use of all the equipment and ingredients needed, aprons (for use only) and takeaway containers. 

Running from December 5 to January 10, each child will receive a chef's hat, use of the equipment and ingredients from R150 per child per workshop. 

Visit www.brightyoungchefs.co.za/

Durban

Follow the light

With a bigger trail, new displays, over one million lights, nightly entertainment, live music, a festive market and holiday activites, the Durban Botanic Gardens Trail of Lights continues to create treasured memories and ignite family traditions. 

Follow the trail from December 12 - 30, 6:30pm to 10pm.  Tickets cost between R50 and R120; kids under two years are free. 

Visit: www.durbanbotanicgardens.org.za/

Through the looking glass

Durban’s theatre production company KickstArt is currently staging the new version of 'Alice in Wonderland' at Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre.  Offering a glorious array of zany, topsy-turvy characters, including colourful puppets as well as magical scenery, vibrant costumes, the pantomine features topical jokes and toe-tapping songs. 

Written and directed by Steven Stead, with set designed by Greg King, the show stars Georgina Mabbett as Alice, and features Liesl Coppin as the Queen of Hearts, Belinda Henwood as the White Queen, and Mthokozisi Zulu as the White Rabbit.  Others in the cast include Blessing Xaba, Lyle Buxton, Nathan Kruger, and Bryan Hiles. 

The play is currently running till January 5, and tickets cost between R120 and R150.