Weren’t you sending the kids off for their first day back to school just the other day? We hear you! Holiday times come so quickly, and they can be tough to navigate. Here are four unique activities that will keep your brood busy, ensure you have a good time too, and best of all keep their minds engaged.
1. Garden to Table
Introduce your child to the beauty of nature and possibly get them to eat more greens by stepping into the
garden. There are loads of community gardens or farms who facilitate picking your own vegetables, fruits and
herbs that create a safe and nurturing environment for a family outing. Here you can pick your own
produce to take home and make a delicious meal. Young minds will love discovering how things grow, how each plant feels, smells, and looks. Make sure to get them in the kitchen too, it will give them a great sense of pride!
2. Be a Tourist in Your Hometown
Both younger and your older children will enjoy this one! South Africa holds a rich history in just about every sphere of life. While museums and galleries are a great start, monuments, statues, and buildings can be a wonderful way to explore your hometown and the history it is built on. Teenagers will learn the privilege of education (a plus for you!) at the Hector Pietersen Memorial in Johannesburg, gain greater perspective from the slab of the Berlin Wall that sits in St. George’s Mall in Cape Town, or view the multi-cultural challenges of our past at the bronze bust of Ghandi in Durban.
3. Geocaching
Geocaching is a real-world outdoor treasure hunt game that gives exploring a whole new dimension. On Geocaching.com you will find dozens, hundreds, maybe even thousands of treasures near you, stashed in containers, under rocks, up mountains, or in the park. These have been placed by other ‘Geocachers’, and it’s up to you to track them down using the website and a GPS-enabled device. The different levels make it thrilling for children of all ages and is run worldwide. If you struggle to find a Geocache near you, even better – link up with other parents and teach your kids the fun of giving by preparing treasures and finding a spot in your neighbourhood to hide them!
4. Time-Lapsing
We got this tip from Cape Town artist and mom of three, Amy Ayanda! We all know kids love seeing themselves in videos, and if they’re in super-speed it’s all that more fun. Amy managed to get her eldest to clean up their room by recording them with the time-lapse function on her phone. The result: a sweet video of your kid waddling about very happy to clean so they can watch the mess almost miraculously disappear on the video! Not just a good tip for getting your bunch to help out at home, this will work wonders for getting little ones to sit down and stay indoors when the weather isn’t so great. Think painting, baking, doing a puzzle, or giving wriggly ones a haircut.
Be sure to check out Top 15 Boarding Schools in Gauteng.
Take a look at School Holidays 2023 Johannesburg.
