6 ways to enjoy quality time with the kids during school holidays

If you have outdoor space in the form of a backyard, you can make the most of these school holidays. Picture: Supplied

If you have outdoor space in the form of a backyard, you can make the most of these school holidays. Picture: Supplied

Published Jun 17, 2022

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Holidays should be about rest, recuperation, and quality time with your loved ones.

Affordability is key too, so having fun this winter holiday shouldn’t break the bank.

Here are six affordable ways to spoil yourself and your family.

In nature

Fetch your winter boots and water pails. South Africa has 19 national parks scattered across the country. In winter, the parks light up with beautiful seasonal vegetation like the pale yellow Freesia.

The Freesia and other forms of indigenous fauna and flora are preserved and cared for in these conservation sites.

Winter waterfalls scattered across our national parks make for great rainbow spotting sites on days where the sun shines in just the right way.

For those keen to brave the cold outdoors and head into nature, SANParks offers discounted rates for South African and African citizens, and even greater discounts for kids.

Soulful sojurns

We all remember our first hotel buffet, where mum or dad taught us how to order eggs, sunny side-up or scrambled, and our eyes immediately ate more than our stomachs could.

Enjoying a little bit of time away from home and its responsibilities means that parents get time to reconnect and focus on soulful centering.

Radisson hotels across the country have discounted winter deals with up to 25% off stays and meals.

These types of deals are available across the country so shop around for one that suits your location and travel plans.

And look out for winter menu specials, too. Radisson Blu Hotel Waterfront, for example, is gearing up to launch a delectable food and wine pairing for these colder days.

Adventure

South Africa is an adventure lover's paradise if you know where to look. The country is scattered with both man-made and nature-based adventure parks.

MiniTown in Durban is a coastal South African city built to the scale of 1:24 of the actual size of city buildings.

For little kids who love playing house, travelling across this small town makes for the biggest adventure. Entrance for kids and adults is under R40.

For kids who love the outdoors, visit adventure parks like the Toboggan family park in Cape Town with its 1.25m long slide. Ziplines are also incredibly popular with little thrill seekers and can be enjoyed by kids as young as six years old. These can be found all across the country, so be sure to look into it.

Educational fun

If you’re going to get the kids learning these holidays make sure it is filled with fun. There are close to one hundred museums around the country with Gauteng boasting the majority.

They’re fascinating places to learn about so many different topics with the added visual stimulation of objects on display.

Transport, art, national history, and indigenous culture are just some of the themes our museums represent.

The James Hall Museum of Transport in Johannesburg is a good option for kids to learn about a rare collection of land transport in South Africa ranging from classic vintage cars to trams, steam engines & more.

Get cooking

Move along peanut butter on toast, these kids know how to cook. Cooking together is such a fun activity for families staying at home during the holidays.

Start off with simple recipes like scrambled eggs, basic yeast-free bread dough or a simple cupcake batter. Remember to place newspaper on all surfaces before you start for easy cleaning up and let them lick the spoon however many times they ask.

Across the country, Airbnb Experiences and many local restaurants also offer affordable family cooking classes with set menus, so these would be great to try if you’re keen on someone else doing the teaching part

The Stir Crazy Cooking School located at the V&A Waterfront is a great option for families to enjoy cooking and eating together.

Enjoy your own backyard

If you have outdoor space in the form of a backyard, you can make the most of these school holidays. Get the children to make bird feeders and to top these up when they get low. This not only gets children outside, but also excited about doing their part for nature.

If your yard isn’t too child-friendly at the moment and in need of some TLC and a clean-up, you can enlist the help of SweepSouth’s outdoor services.

With the help of SweepSouth and by using the gardening services booked through the app, you can have your yard ready for child-like adventures in no time.

You could give your child vegetables and plants to start an outdoor garden and teach them how to tend to it over the holidays.

Whether your kids are after a little adventure, learning or fun, make sure to treat them to something that will make memories for years to come this winter.