What’s pure bliss to my ears? Not having to hear those dreaded two words, the ones that make my temple vein pop out ever so slightly, you know the two I’m referring to… “I’m bored!”
Luckily I’m a Joburger and it’s no secret that Joburgers love to get out and explore. We may not have ‘the mountain’ or the warm waters of the Indian Ocean, but our big beautiful city and surroundings have so many hidden gems that we really are spoilt for choice.
Here, I list my top six family friendly Jozi places to visit, to get you and your little ones munching more, playing more and learning more, so that those two words will not be heard anytime soon.
Munch More
PAPACHINOS
A purely Jozi love is our Papachinos! We have come to know and love this chain of family-friendly restaurants in their respective spots all around Gauteng.
Not only is it the ideal child-friendly restaurant, but they serve good quality food too! The adults can truly sit back and relax as the kids play for hours, whilst supervised by their friendly staff.
The playgrounds have many things on offer, from jungle gyms, to bike tracks and some even boasting basketball hoops. Kids delight in their ‘roll, make and bake’ pizzas as well as choosing fresh gelato and slushies.
Papachinos’ philosophy is “It’s all about the family, our valued guests, exceptional service, a tasty meal, value to the patron – an overall quality experience” and they deliver on that every time. The service is good and the large portions of delicious food make going out a pleasure for the entire family.
Next time you visit, bring the whole familia. For more information on their locations and menu, visit www.papachinos.co.za.
TRÉS JOLIE
At Trés Jolie in Muldersdrift, parents can sit back and enjoy a leisurely lunch as the kids explore the playground with large inflatables and wooden jungle gyms or the ‘touch and feed’ farmyard.
The restaurant is situated in a partially outdoor area with a farmyard section close by. There are horses, donkeys, sheep, goats, chickens, ducks, geese, rabbits, guinea pig and even emu to feed. Pony and camel rides are also available.
There is also a lovely little ‘fun fair’ section with games and rides reminiscent of a town fete (these are charged for). For a lovely Sunday lunch or a quick pizza, Trés Jolie makes for a wonderful family experience.
Bookings are essential as the estate caters for weddings and kids parties as well. To find out more, visit www.tresjolie.co.za.
Play More
HONEYDEW MAZES
Get lost in a labyrinth of mazes at Honeydew Mazes, then solve puzzles, quizzes and tasks to find your way out.
What makes this one of my favourite things for a family to do in Johannesburg is that the mazes are as much fun for adults as they are for the kids! Open to the public on weekends and public holidays, from 10am – 5pm, with the last entry to the mazes at roughly 2pm.
It’s so simple… you can just arrive, wear comfortable shoes and clothing (don’t forget a sun hat!) and kick off on an exciting day of puzzle solving and walking. Most start on the big maze, and then relax in the shade with their ice-cream (free, if they have answered the quiz nicely!) and then move onto the games and puzzles in the courtyard area.
Enjoy a hot dog at their quaint tuck-shop or book a picnic spot and enjoy your packed picnic meal.
For older children (and adults) why not try their popular Moonlight Mazes? These are generally held every two weeks and usually on a Saturday evening. Numbers are limited to around 50 people therefore booking is essential.
For more information on Honeydew Mazes, visit their website: www.honeydewmazes.co.za.
ROLLEGOLI
As a kid of the eighties, I can attest to donning a pair of roller skates and gliding down our steep driveway! Kneepads and helmets were not an option in my day, but who cared?
The thrill was worth every bump, scrape and bruise. Imagine my delight to discover a roller rink, right here in Bryanston, Johannesburg.
Skaters pay R85 and can skate all day (or until their legs cannot take it anymore). Roller-skate or Roller-blade hire is an additional R40.
RollEgoli is an absolute kids’ haven, complete with jungle gyms, rope bridge, pizza oven and freshly-made popcorn and gelato. Next time you’re in the area, slick your side ponytail, grab your legwarmers and roll on by.
For more information, contact info@rollegoli.co.za or go to www.rollegoli.co.za.
Learn More
THE LIBRARY
My 6-year-old is an avid reader and one of his very favourite places to visit, is our local library. I love our outings to the library and am always pleasantly surprised at how popular the library still is.
What’s great about joining the library is that is completely free of charge! There is a wide variety on books on offer from young readers to teen cult fiction and so often we are the first to take a book out, as new books come into circulation very often.
Our two local libraries also offer puzzles and DVD’s to take home. All walks of life frequent our library – those doing laptop assignments, little ones attending “story hour” (yes, it exists with arts and crafts afterwards) or those who, are just looking for a quiet place to catch up on some newspaper reading.
If you are not a member of your local library, I urge you to become one. You’ll soon discover why it’s a magical outing.
SCI-BONO
Let learning be fun! Who would have thought that science and maths could be fun, interactive and entertaining? At Sci-Bono it totally is!
The Sci-Bono Discovery Centre is an extraordinary, all-weather family destination situated in the vibrant and safe precinct of Newtown, Johannesburg.
It is a world-class science centre that supports maths, science and technology education and offers innovative, dynamic learning experiences.
Sci-Bono is forever changing their exhibits (of which they have more than 350) making it a great place to pay regular visits. From out of space to rock art, there is always something interesting to learn about at Sci-Bono.
The centre also offers leisure activities such as their birthday centre, catering for impressive birthday parties as well as run holiday programmes to keep kids busy and exploring during the school holidays.
To learn more about Sci-Bono, visit their website www.sci-bono.co.za today.
For great savings on life’s little pleasures visit Bargain Buys! Know somebody who is getting married, Wedding and Function can assist. Have kids, then you need to visit Kids Connection.
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