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Activities For Kids
Aquarium
Address: V&A Waterfront
Website:
www.aquarium.co.za
Tel: 021 418 3823
The Two Oceans Aquarium has more than 3000 animals in 9 galleries for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy the tranquillity of the Kelp Forest Exhibition, see the fish, sharks and turtles eat at 15h30 daily, visit the penguins and seals, and meander around the many galleries. There is also a Children’s Activity Centre where the children can watch the seals play, watch puppet shows or have their faces painted.
Ratanga Junction
Address: Sable Road, Canal Walk/Century City
Website:
www.ratanga.co.za
Tel: 0861 200 300
This massive theme park, only ten minutes out of the city centre, is hailed as “the wildest place in Africa”. It has plenty of rides to keep the young and the young at heart entertained for the whole day. With only a one-off entry fee to pay, the rides are for free and you can go as many times as you like.
There are plenty of white-knuckle thrills and spills, as well as tamer attractions for children, families, and those who prefer to take their thrills in more manageable doses.
The signature ride is "The Cobra", a suspended looping coaster which catapults rides from a height of 34m along 910m of track at up to four times the force of gravity and speeds of close to 100km/h. The catch is that instead of sitting in a roller coaster on the tracks, you a hanging from one, beneath the tracks, feet flying free!
It is a great day's entertainment for the whole family.
Go Karting
Address: Canal Walk
Tel: 021 551 8570
Here the kids can go wild and drive around a track till their hearts content. Go carting is available at Canal Walk or at the Grand West Casino.
Canal Walk Science Centre
Tel: 021 529 8100
Website:
www.mtnsciencentre.org.za
A truly fun place for “edutainment” – here you will find more than 300 interactive displays to choose from, most impressive is the Canon Camera Obscura which is a room-sized pinhole camera that provides spectacular 360 degree views of Cape Town. It is a fantastic place for kids to play around while the adults go shopping.
Scratch Patch Mineral World
Address: Simons Town or V&A Waterfront
Website:
www.scratchpatch.co.za
Tel: 021 786 2020 or 021 419 9429
South Africa is often considered the “gemstone capital of the world” as almost half of the world’s gemstones are found in this part of the world.
At the Scratch Patch enjoy “scratching” through thousands of polished gemstones that literally cover the floor to find the ones you fancy. It is great fun.
There is also a factory shop where you can buy a wide range of gemstone items including rough, natural gemstones; stone carvings and other “art” pieces; high-quality gems jewellery of all kinds; and lots of inexpensive items that make ideal take-home-gifts for family and friends.
The Simon’s Town branch houses one of the world’s largest gemstone factories and you can watch how gemstones are tumble-polished and crafted into many interesting and varied products.
Entertainment Centre at the Grand West Casino
Tel: 021 505 7777
Loads of fun for kids of all ages at the entertainment centre at the Grand West Casino. This includes go-carting, rides, mini-golf, ice-skating, cinemas and arcade games.
Penguins at Boulders Beach
Boulders Beach is part of a national park where the African Penguins live and breed. The elevated boardwalks provide excellent opportunities for viewing penguins and the panoramic views of False Bay. There is also a section for public sunbathing and warm bathing (water temperatures are those of the Indian Ocean). Whilst swimming in the clear waters you could come across a few penguins that will float past you unperturbed by your presence…
Butterfly World
Address: Route 44, Klapmuts (just off the N1 towards Paarl)
Website:
www.butterflyworld.co.za
Tel: 021 875 5628
Butterfly World is the largest free flying park for butterflies in Southern
Africa. It is an enclosed garden boasting a spectacular array of colourful butterflies which fly freely around you, as well as loads of water features and exotic plants.
The location of Butterfly World is perfect as it lies at the junction of the main wine routes of Stellenbosch and Paarl.
There is no time limit on a visit to Butterfly World so you can take as many photographs and videos as you like, or just sit down on a bench and admire these beautiful creatures fly around you. Refreshments and light meals are available from the Schmetterling restaurant, and the craft shop stocks butterfly related goods.
World of Birds and Monkey Park
Address: Valley Road, Hout Bay
Website:
www.worldofbirds.org.za
Tel: 021 790 2730
This is the largest bird park in Africa occupying 3.5 hectares of tropically landscaped hills in the Hout Bay valley. It houses over 3000 birds including numerous birds of prey and owls. Visitors are able to walk through the aviaries and experience close-up encounters with a variety of birds
Monkeytown
Address: Mondeor Road, Somerset West (Turn off from N2)
Website: www.monkeys.co.za
Tel: 021 858 1060
Monkeytown is a sanctuary for 25 exotic monkey species including lemurs from Madagascar, Old World moneys from Africa and Asia, New World monkeys from South and Central America and chimpanzees. There are covered walk-ways which run like tunnels through the leafy park and from here visitors can watch the monkeys roam freely. The sanctuary offers guided tours, feeding time talks, touch farm yard, play park and restaurant. There is also interaction with tame monkeys under guided supervision, from 09h00-12h00 and 14h00-17h00.
Imhoff Farm
Address: Kommetjie Road, Kommetjie
Website:
www.naturefarm.co.za
Tel: 021 783 5828 or 082 774 1191
This creative, bohemian farm in Kommetjie offers a fantastic range of outdoor activities like horse riding and camel riding along the scenic Noordhoek beach. They also house a snake park which has an assortment of over 40 endemic indigenous and exotic species of reptiles. There you will find Green Iguanas from South America, Alligators from the Everglades and the Gila monster from Mexico to mention but a few...
Seal Island
Address: Hout Bay Harbour
Tel: 021 791 4441 or 082 658 7055
Take a fun cruise from Hout Bay harbour to Seal Island which is located just outside the Bay in the Atlantic Ocean where you can enjoy the sight of an island full of seals frolicking around in the Big Blue.
Warrior Toy Museum
Address: St George’s Street, Simonstown
Tel: 021 786 1395
Simonstown is home to the world’s only Warrior Toy Museum which includes a huge display of dinky toys, dolls, Meccano model cars, boats, trains and other toys.
Cape Town Planetarium
Address: 25 Queen Victoria Street, Cape Town
Tel: 021 481 3900
Housed in the SA Museum building, the Cape Town Planetarium transports the audience through the wonders of the universe. Inside the domed auditorium, the night sky is recreated, so whatever the weather outside, inside the sky is always clear. The audience is treated to an extraordinary audio-visual experience.