The Central City has much to offer parents and children, with a wealth of family-friendly shops, eateries and sights. Here are ideas for a perfect day out for everyone during the upcoming school holidays.
VISIT A MUSEUM OR SEE A SITE
There are 13 museums and non-commercial galleries dotted around the Central City. They are all fantastic, but the kids will most likely love the dinosaur exhibit at the Iziko South African Museum, or the high-tech new Planetarium and Digital Dome most. Check them out at 25 Queen Victoria St or visit the Iziko website.
Meanwhile, The Company’s Garden at the top of Adderley Street is the CBD’s own Central Park, and is the perfect spot for a family picnic, where you can also play ball games and feed squirrels. There is also a restaurant and a gift shop at The Visitor’s Centre.
Or take a tunnel tour under the Central City and discover the secret underground canals that date back centuries.
MAKE READING FUN
The Central City has several great venues in which to discover books. The Central Library at 60 Darling Street is a busy, buzzing, noisy library that kids will love. It has many research books and study places for students, and a big children’s section that also offers activities and workshops.
The Book Lounge at 71 Roeland Street is the Central City’s leading independent bookstore and has a curated range of children’s books and places special attention on stocking items you wouldn’t find elsewhere. Added to that, every Saturday at 11h00 is story time for kids aged three to eight.
The Bookery at 79 Plein Street is an NPO that has established 40 libraries in the Western Cape. If you would like to get your family involved in helping others, why not spend some time here covering, sorting or cataloguing books?
JUST FOR SPORTS
Fives Grand Central on the rooftop of the Grand Central Shopping Centre runs coaching programmes and holiday clinics for budding footballers aged two to 17.
The Long Street Baths at the top end of Long Street (towards Table Mountain) has a 12m kids’ pool (1-1.5m deep) where children are welcome to swim with adult supervision (kids R12; adults R23).
SEE A MOVIE OR A SHOW
The next season of the Galileo Open Air Cinema under the stars is in full swing, with two Central City venues included in the programme, namely FEDISA’s rooftop (81 Church St) and the Castle of Good Hope (cnr Darling & Buitenkant streets).
Artscape Theatre Centre
Home to many of the most famous stages in Cape Town, the Artscape Theatre Centre in DF Malan Street often puts on shows for the whole family.
TAKE A PHOTO
The Central City has a variety of sites for great family photo opportunities. For starters, there’s a piece of the Berlin Wall, which Nelson Mandela received in the 1990s, is outside the Mandela Rhodes Foundation at 150 St Georges Mall.
Pier Place, just off the Heerengracht, is famous for its life-like statues by artist Egon Tania. These depict normal people going about their everyday lives, including a child playing in the sand. Right next door, Jetty Square has Ralph Borland’s iconic ghost shark sculptures.
As part of the New7Wonders of Nature legacy project, two huge “photo frames” in the CBD provide visitors with the perfect vantage point for taking a picture with Table Mountain as a backdrop. One is to be found at Harrington Square, and the other is on the forecourt of the Cape Town Railway Station.
GETTING AROUND
While the Central City is very easy to walk around, families with grandparents or young children may prefer to use the MyCiTi rapid transit system. It’s the best way to get around the Central City without having to worry about where to park. Children under four years old and less than one metre tall travel free.
FEEDING THE FAMILY
There are a host of family-friendly eateries in the Central City, from takeaways to sit down and eat. Click here for our recent article, or search online for a whole lot more.
Images by Ed Suter, Lisa Burnell, Scott Arendse, Carola Koblitz or as supplied.