The end of the year is fast approaching and as things start to simmer down after a year of early mornings, school drops, extra mural activities and all the work that goes into running a household, I’m really hoping to make the most of the holidays with my kids.

We usually go away for at least a week of the holidays, but well, we spent all our money on our Italy trip in October and on renovating our new kitchen. So we will be staying put this year, which I have to tell you, I’m not the least bit bleak about. I mean, Hello???We live in CAPE TOWN!

I realise that the one frustration about staying in our lovely home town for the holidays is that half the world’s population ships in for the summer and it can become a pain getting anywhere with your sanity still in tact! So I’ve started to get a little proactive this year and make a list of all the things we want to do so we can plan our lives accordingly.

Even for most of us who live in this beautiful city,  there are times where we end up racking our brains for ideas of where to go. I’m here to help remind you of all the fabulous places and activities right here on our doorstep! Here is a list of 40 things you can do in Cape Town in the School holidays!

  1. Scooby- Doo Live Musical at Grand West. I already have my tickets for the show and to say the kids are excited is an understatement of the century! Book yours by clicking on the link.
  2. The Galaxy Ice Slides at Canal walk.  We had such a wonderful experience at the opening night, we are most certainly going back!
  3. The movies to see Snoopy And Charlie Brown: The peanut movie. I think i may be more excited than my kids for this one! Book here.
  4. Boulders beach for EARLY morning swimming with penguins. Make sure to get there as close to 8am as possible. We usually pack the night before and throw the kids in the car with their toast the minute they open their eyes!
  5. Table Mountain. This is something we haven’t done with our kids yet. When Noah was at an age ready to go, Brody was a newborn. Now they are at an age where they can both enjoy it.
  6. Café Paradiso for a long lunch where the kids will be entertained making pizza and cupcakes.
  7. The Clay Café in Hout Bay for Pizza and painting pottery!
  8. Dunes in Hout Bay for sundowners.
  9. Café Roux in Noordhoek. This place has the best of the best play area for the kids.
  10. Cape Point Vineyards for a picnic and chill on the gorgeous rolling hills. They also offer a market on Thursday evenings. Don’t forget to pre-order your picnic basket!
  11. Kirstenbosch Summer Concerts. They have Carols for the next two/three weeks but after that they have some great muso’s lined up.
  12. Bay Harbour market – This is one of my favourites to with the kids!
  13. The Neighbourgoods Market at Old The Biscuit Mill market in Woodstock – Their poached eggs, rosti, bacon and hollandaise sauce. That is all.
  14. A Kirstenbosch picnic. Make sure to take some buckets and other toys for the river for the really hot days. It’s the perfect place to cool off.
  15. A boat ride at the Waterfront.
  16. The Seapoint promenade for bike rides and ice cream.
  17. The Liesbeek River Garden in Bishops Court for a picnic and some crab and tadpole catching!! This place is one of the Southern Suburb’s best kept secrets! It’s pure magic!
  18. Forrester’s Arms (better known as Forries to some) for pizza or Sunday Carvery. Be sure to book!
  19. Deer Park Café for a beautiful view, some park fun and delicious food.
  20. The Aquarium. This is without a doubt my kids favourite thing to do hand down. Our membership was the best money spent.
  21. Scratch Patch – So many shiny stones in one place, its kids heaven!!
  22. Cave golf – so much fun for the whole family. If you have a little baby, mom can walk around the beautiful waterfront with the pram while dad takes the older kids.
  23. Putt Putt  in Mouille Point  – I love doing this in the early evening, around 6 when the son is starting to make its decent. It’s the perfect way to end off a day in the summer.
  24. The Blue Train Park and play park in Seapoint.
  25. Catch the train to the beach, have lunch and come home on the train! We LOVE doing this. We go early with our back packs loaded with essentials. There are so many beaches along the southern peninsular to choose from.  Another option is to book a table  outside on the sand at The Brass Bell where the kids can play and you can chill on the loungers. There is also a lovely little splash pool for the kids to cool down in. Tickets from central southern suburbs are only R22 return. Click on the link for timetables.
  26. Tokai Forrest Market –  Yes another market, but this one is up there with the best. A Play area for kids that is covered and in the shade as well as horse rides, make for a perfect brunch out. Look here for the other markets in our city!
  27. Buzz Play park – Two pieces of advice, Go early and take sunscreen. Oh and keep a sense of humour.
  28. Ratanga Junction – Our kids have been asking to go and i think they are ready. With shows, small rides, games and fun food stalls, it could very much be worth our while even though they won’t make use of any of the major rides.
  29. Starke Ayres Nursery for breakfast and scooter rides – This little gem is right down the road from us and we love going there for breakfast. Our kids take their scooters and ride them around while the husband and I act like adults and look at plants.
  30. A visit to the pet shop Perky Pets. There is a very cool one on Diep River!
  31. A visit to a wine farm. Go look at all your wonderful options!!
  32. Rhodes Memorial for tea an afternoon play.
  33. A morning at Muizenberg beach.
  34. A sunset walk through Newlands Forest.
  35. A day out to Kommetjie to see the camels and go to the petting zoo at Imhoff farm!
  36. The Muizenberg water slides. I think now that Noah can swim, this will end up being one of the highlights this holiday.
  37. The World of Birds In Hout Bay. I have a fear of birds in a rather neurotic way but we took the kids when Brody was a newborn and i survived. I think i could brave it again for my kids.
  38. Watch the kite surfing at Blouberg.
  39. Strawberry picking in Stellenbosch.
  40. The Silvermine Reservoir for a braai and day on the water. This is such a beautiful setting and there is ample shade for the kids. Take tubes, boards and anything else that floats!

So there you have it guys, a useful reminder of all the places we can be visiting with our kids these summer holidays. Even if we only make it to half way down the list, it will make for a pretty exciting holiday don’t you think?

And if you are looking for some awesome things to do without kids, you know to have a break from it all, go check out the post!!

 

 

 

Hi I’m Leigh! Did you enjoy reading this post? I really hope so and would love you to stick around a little longer! Please feel free to browse my blog for other articles or to keep up with all the latest news and to be the first to hear about some great competitions, come and find me me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can also email me directly at leeloobaggins@hotmail.com or simply subscribe below and never worry about missing out!