The Cape Town winter is beautiful. Waterfalls cascade down the mountainside and everything is lit by a green, lush glow. It’s a great time of year, but it can be a real challenge if you have restless kids in tow. Thankfully, there’s plenty to do on chilly, rainy days which will keep the little ones occupied all winter long!
Here are our top picks of things to do with kids in winter.
The Clay Café, Hout Bay
Clay Café is great fun for kids, parents, or grandparents alike! Paint some ceramics and enjoy delicious meals from the restaurant where the friendly staff are there to assist everyone with their masterpieces. Items are handed in to be fired up and then collected three to four weeks later.
There’s also an outdoor play area for kids to enjoy once they’ve finished their artwork or for grown-ups to admire the pristine Hout Bay surrounds.
Price: Varies according to ceramics chosen.
Website: claycafe.co.za
Rollercade, V&A Waterfront
Rollercade is the first indoor roller-skating amusement park in Cape Town and offers a safe and friendly environment for the whole family. Enjoy roller-skating, a game of pool, or just to sit back and enjoy the music. Find them at Parking Floor 3 at the Battery Park Entrance off Alfred or Dock Road at the V&A Waterfront.
Booking is essential
Price: R150 per 2 hour session
Website: rollercade.co.za
Rush Trampoline Park, Claremont
Rush Trampoline Park is an indoor park filled with wall-to-wall trampolines. Some of the main attractions are two dodgeball courts, three basketball slam dunk lanes, two long trampoline lanes, a battle beam, and loads more. It’s a fantastic rainy day activity for all ages.
Price: R150 for an hour or R250 for two hours per person
Website: rushsa.co.za
Wonderdal, Stellenbosch
Wonderdal is an interactive edutainment experience at Hazendal Wine Estate. Here children can learn about science, nutrition, and nature across a variety of activities. With trained WonderPals to supervise, young adventurers can look forward to a fun day of discovery while parents can opt for one of the delectable food and beverage experiences at Hazendal such as Babushka Deli and Picnics, Pivnushka Beer Garden or a Russian Tea Ceremony.
Price: Pricing starts at R85 for an hour (differing on weekends)
Website: wonderdal.co.za
Imhoff Farm, Kommetjie
Imhoff Farm is an adventure wonderland. Visit on a clear day because there’s loads of things to do outdoors. Go on a horse-riding adventure, enjoy organic meals at the restaurant overlooking Longbeach, learn about reptiles, or let your kids make four-legged friends in the Higgeldy Piggeldy Farmyard.
Price: R20 per person to enter the farmyard.
Website: imhofffarm.co.za
Spier, Stellenbosch
Planning a weekend away with young kids can be tough! But Spier Wine Farm welcomes children. The farm offers wine tasting for the whole family (young ones get grape juice), plenty of open spaces and a visit to the Eagle Outreach facility.
Price: Varies
Website: spier.co.za
Hinthunt, Woodstock
Hinthunt is an exciting live escape game that is perfect for groups of three to five people. You’ll be placed in a room for 60 minutes where, as a group, you must solve mysteries and puzzles in order to escape. What better way for families to learn how to work together than by being locked up in a room and figuring out how to get out?
Price: R315 per person
Website: hinthunt.co.za
Kids Factory Playpark, Brakenfell
Kids Factory Playpark in Brackenfell is perfect for kids ages 1 to 10. It’s a perfect winter day outing as it’s an indoor play park, with jungle gyms, soft contained play structures, slides, and play areas that will keep kids entertained and occupied for hours.
Price: R80 per child for the first hour
Website: kidsfactory.co.za
V&A Waterfront
There’s plenty to do at the V&A Waterfront, including restaurants, museums, shopping, and much more. Kids can enjoy finding gems at Scratch Patch, pirate boat cruises, the Two Oceans Aquarium, an indoor adventure park and much more.
Website: waterfront.co.za
World of Birds, Hout Bay
World of Birds, the largest bird park in Africa, is home to more than 3 000 birds and small animals belonging to more than 400 species. The layout of the walk-through aviaries allows you to get close to a wonderful array of birds and Monkey Jungle is a big hit with kids. It’s not great on a rainy day, because much of the sanctuary is uncovered, but it’s still a fantastic outing for a winter’s day.
Price: R130 for Adults and R50 for kids. Children under age 3 enter for free.
Website: worldofbirds.org.za
Table Mountain
During summer there’s quite a wait to get up the mountain. If you like to dodge crowds, summit the mountain in winter. There are hardly any queues, and as an added bonus the city and mountain are green and lush. You won’t believe the views at this time of year!
Find out more about Table Mountain
Bugz Family Playpark, Kraaifontein
Bugz Family Playpark is the largest park in the Western Cape. The huge outdoor play area will keep kids busy for hours. If there are rain showers, head to the indoor play area until the sun comes out again. Currently, Bugz is only open on weekends and public holidays.
Price: R160 for kids aged 3-12 and free for under 3s.
Website: bugzplaypark.co.za
Club Mykonos, Langebaan
Club Mykonos is the perfect family getaway. With an epic games room for older kids and Club Onos providing entertainment for the little ones, the kids in the family will be well taken care of while mom and dad relax at the spa or get in a round of golf
Website: clubmykonos.co.za
Artjamming, V&A Waterfront
Instead of using your walls as a canvas, get the kids over to Artjamming where the whole family can let that creative spark run free. It’ll offer a burst of colour perfect for those grey winter days and you might even end up with some awesome new artwork to add to your decor.
Price: Starts at R185 per person
Website: artjamming.co.za
Total Ninja, Observatory
Total Ninja boasts the largest inflatable obstacle course in Africa, where you and your kids can put your fitness skills to the ultimate test. It’s great fun for kids aged 5 and above and they offer a full menu of delicious meals to choose from. Book a session on their website and check out some of the amazing discounts on offer.
Price: Varies by age but starts at R80.
Website: totalninja.co.za
Ster Kinekor Kids Cinema, V&A Waterfront
Fancy seeing a movie this winter? The Kids Cinema at the V&A Waterfront isn’t your average cinema. With vibrant multicoloured seats and an entire cinema designed for little ones, it’s a great option for your child’s first trip to the movies or a playdate with schoolmates.
Price: Ticket prices start at R119 excluding snacks.
Website: sterkinekor.com
The Little Gym, Sea Point
It can be challenging to find activities for kids in different age groups, but don’t sweat it (pun intended), The Little Gym has got you covered. They cater for children aged 4 months to 12 years old with fun classes aimed at holistic development while being physically active. They offer an array of supervised activities in their weekly classes and holiday camps to keep kids challenged, motivated, and feeling good about themselves.
Enquire about pricing or book a try out session on their website.
Website: thelittlegym.co.za
Kids Cooking Classes, Rondebosch East
Perhaps you’ve had one too many Mother’s Day breakfast fails or your kids have shown an interest in playing around with ingredients, Cardamom Kitchen is here to save you and will have your young ones whipping up tasty meals for the family in no time! You’ll find all the details including menus, pricing, and class schedules on Cardamom’s Facebook and Instagram pages.
Price: R290 per lesson
Website: instagram.com/cardamomkitchensa
