Archive for October, 2011

If you haven’t discovered it yet, Jozikids.co.za is the most up to date and detailed resource for parents in the Gauteng region to find what you need including events, activities, venues, parties and lessons. You’ll also find us on your cell phone.

This week we have  great pamper and disco parties to tell you about.

Girl Power Partys will come to the venue of your choice to create what they call a Pamper station for 4 to 14 yr olds. They will Pamper the little ladies with chocolate facemasks and cucumber slices, mini manicures, nail painting and makeup, Once they are relaxed and looking beautiful, they can select items from the dress up box and sing and dance to their favorite songs (microphone and music provided).  They operate in Pretoria, Edenvale and Joburg North

SuperStars Disco PartiesThis is a new and exciting way to entertain older kids from the age of 8 to the early teens. This market (the Tweens) is often very hard to cater for as these youngsters feel a bit too grown up for clowns and magicians but not old enough to have disco parties. What better way to give the Tweens what they want by combining party games, music, singing,dancing and their very own
Activities include…
* Getting Blinged Out for a SuperStar Fashion Show
* Kool Karaoke
* Dance Contests/Dancing Games/Specialized Dances
* Musical Statues and other traditional party games
* Disney Channel favourites like Hannah Montana and High School Musical songs both for the disco and the karaoke! This company services  all areas in Gauteng

Family events this week
Beautiful Creatures Montecasino, Fourways, on until Nov 6,– a live performance by our very own musicans, Ed Jordan and Alan Glas with their own brand of South African jazzy kiddies music.  They ‘ll be  singing about creatures – such as,  Imvubu the Hippo, Mafutha the elephant and Georgina the Gentlest Giraffe. A fabulous show for the whole family that will have you humming all the way home and probably to the CD. Tickets cost R75 a show

Acclaimed musical director Janice Honeyman brings Cinderella to life in an another elaborate  pantomime at Joburg Theatre, on until Dec 30th.

At the Pretoria State theatre there’s the South African Ballet Theatres production of  The Sleeping Beauty (SABT) on until Dec 18th. Tickets range from R55-R250.

A fascinating  5  week course for parents in Centurion about teaching babies and toddlers Sign language run by Kindermusik teacher, Desiree Biggill

Thats it from us for this week. We’ll be back next week with more great party ideas and events for the weeks ahead.

If you haven’t discovered it yet, Jozikids.co.za is the most up to date and detailed resource for parents in the Gauteng region to find what you need including events, activities, venues, parties and lessons. You’ll also find us on your cell phone.

PARTY IDEAS

Party ideas for this week, in line with our Halloween theme we want to tell you about some Fear Factor and Fantasy parties

Fear Factor Parties

are not for the faint hearted. Quite a few party planners do them. We found one called Firefly Kidz Crew
that will come to your venue anywhere in Gauteng. Some of the challenges your child will face are:
-digging eyeballs out of a bowl of slime,
-taking marbles out of an ice bath with your toes
and using their mouth to transfer dirt worms from a dirty to a clean place.

Fantasy Parties

Goblins Cove Fantasy Restaurant in Hekpoort on the West Rand is filled with goblin statues, situated in a forest with birds and  a big playground. They organize fairy and goblin theme parties for younger kids and teenage children can spend the night in a 1929 Goblin’s express train coach.

HALLOWEEN EVENTS

Love it or hate it,  Halloween is here to stay. Schools, neighbourhoods and kiddie venues organise dress up competitions, trick n treating or craft activities. So, what do we have to tell you about.

Johannesburg
On Sunday Serendipity in Rosebank will be handing out prizes for the best dressed boy, girl, mum and dad.  There’ll be  a magic show, balloon modeling and trick or treating.  That’s Sunday from  8.30-11.30am or 11.30am-3pm, R70 per person, booking is essential

Then on Monday  October 31st Brightwater Commons will be hosting a Halloween party from 4-9pm.  There’ll also be jumping castles, water balls, bungee trampolines, a magic show and more

East Rand
They start celebrating a bit earlier, on Friday October 28th, Tissenati Animal Farm in  Benoni is  also offering prizes for the best dressed. They want your pumpkin art for pumpkin prizes, will play games and have a bonfire.   From 6pm to late, R10 each, Trick or Treat walk leaves at 7pm,  booking essential

Pretoria
Boo @ the Zoo Halloween weekend, Oct 29-30. From 8.30am-5.30pm. You’ll find a ghost house, ghoulish story-telling, a pumpkin decorating contest and a host of other family activities. Come dressed to win the best dressed prize!

If you haven’t discovered it yet, Jozikids.co.za is the most up to date and detailed resource for parents in the Gauteng region to find what you need including events, activities, venues and lessons.  You’ll also find it on your cell phone if you search for Jozikids.

This week I have 4 events and 4 great party ideas for you. Lets start with something that’s on this weekend and next.

You can take your family:
Mulberry Picking at Trees Eco Fun Park, in Benoni.  Bring the kids ,a container and be sure to wear old clothes as Its a bit messy!  Entry fee includes the best tips to remove mulberry stains from clothes and kids!  Open from 10 am – 5pm, R25pp.  That’s today through until next Sunday.

Then there are 2  ballet performances that open this week In Joburg and Pretroria.
In Joburg at the Lyric Theatre, Gold Reef City you can see the ballet, Don Quixote until  October 23. The production features leading South African and Cuban ballet dancers.

Then there’s

Stars of the Ballet Moscow at the State Theatre, in Pretoria, which opens on Oct 21st and runs until the 23rd. The Show consists of a troupe of 10 dancers selected from different Moscow theatres. The artists are considered to be among the world’s finest classical dancers.

And then for something a little different,

You can go on what’s called a nocturnal walk at Kloofendal Nature Reserve in Roodepoort in search of Spiders& Scorpions . You’ll be given UV torches to show up the scorpions in green. That’s taking place on Friday  Oct 21st in the evening at 6.30 pm.

Since the party season is around the corner over the next few weeks we want to share some great ideas with you for kids, teen and adult  parties.

This week our focus is car or circus parties

CAR PARTIES
Kids Traffic Land  Balfour Park Is a new venue in Highlands North  at Balfour Park Shopping Centre which has been turned into a mini city with roads, traffic lights and tunnels, and motorized little cars. it’s a great party venue and day outing for 4-7yr olds

Fun Prix Race PartiesThis is a mobile party that comes to your venue with tracks and remote cars for the party goers to race each other.  Great for slightly older kids say from 6-12yrs.

CIRCUS PARTIES

Boswell Wilkie Circus PartiesTake place In the big top in Randvaal, in the Vaal Triangle. The children get dressed up as clowns, acrobats you name it and become part of the circus for a few hours.

Green Lizard EntertainmentI offers a mobile circus school that comes to you with silts, tightropes, unicycle,s balls and transforms your venue into a circus school. They travel to  Johannesburg and Pretoria.

Remember you can find more ideas of what to do with your family in the Gauteng region on www.Jozikids.co.za on your computer or your cell phone.

Parenting is not for “sissies” and we shouldn’t be shy to ask for help. We have a growing list of companies offering regular parenting workshops. Here’s a list of parenting workshops coming up. Click here to find the list of companies that organise them.

On October 11th t that’s Wednesday here’s a free support group for moms organized by the Family Centre in Bedfordview. They meet once or twice a month. The next meeting is Oct 11th. Its called Mom’s Circle of Support , Bella Vida in Bryanston organizes something similar, so check them out on Jozikids to find out more.

Next Thursday October 13th, there’s a talk called  Bridging the Digital Divide Its about helping parents who do not understand the internet and all the new technologies kids are into understand how to embrace and deal with these.  The speaker and organizer here is Nikki Bush of the Bright Ideas Outfit based in Douglasdale , Sandton.

Finally we have 2 more parenting courses taking place on October 19th.

The first one is run by  Practical Parenting called the Power of Play teaching parents and child minders about age appropriate  stimulation and play for children.  The venue is the Field and Study Centre in Parkmore and takes place on Oct 19th.

Raising Readers is a 2 hour course, designed to help parents to nurture reading at home, equip parents with techniques to develop their children’s reading skills and empower parents with information about reading. Organised by Cherise’s Little Music Studio in Sundowner on Oct 19.

SHOWS & EXPOS THIS WEEK

2 great  family events for you today , an outdoor picnic and a toy expo.

11th Annual Teddy Bear Picnic –on Sunday 9th from 1-4pm at Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens in Roodepoort. Picnic in the Garden and enjoy entertainment for the whole family by the Marimba Band, the Endangered Animal Character show, children’s magic show, train rides, face painting, sand art and also attend a Teddy Bear Workshop. Remember to bring along a ‘spare’ teddy bear to leave behind for donation to The Teddy Bear Clinic for abused children, our principal beneficiary,

There’s  fabulous toy expo at the Sci-bono Discovery Centre in Newtown this weekend. Its called the  Gizmos & Gadgets remote control & techno toy expo, There’ll be model plane, train and automobile demonstrations, interactive science shows, obstacle challenges, and family workshops. Remote controlled planes demonstrations are scheduled to take place in the Newtown Park and model car raceshappening in  Miriam Makeba Street. Cost is only R10 for kids and R20 for adults.

Also next Sunday

Midrand used to be abundant with the mighty bullfrogs, but their numbers are decreasing at an alarming rate. Pyxi Conservation Day at Lory Park Zoo  is to create awareness about this wonderful animal. There will be loads of fun activities for kids to enter, like the hopping on one leg race, leap froging and lilly pad dance competition, so come dressed in green on October 16th

Remember you can find more ideas of what to do with your family in the Gauteng region on www.Jozikids.co.za on your computer or your cell phone