holidays

articles

• Midterm holiday break and cooking workshops
• Holiday entertainment, programs and camps
• Survivor and action parties plus sleepover holiday camps
• School holiday camps and day programs
• Kids holiday activities – daily programs
• Father’s day and holiday camps
• Working mom’s plea for all day holiday care
• Planning Christmas holidays

If you haven’t discovered it yet, www.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.

MID TERM BREAK ACTIVITIES

In the Forest Campover, Eikenhof, Feb 25-26. 2 day 1 night sleepover during the last weekend of each month! These camps will start on Saturday; with the campers camping over and ending on the Sunday afternoon, R395 – all inclusive 6-13yrs

Kidz Fishing Camp, Vaal River, Feb 24-26. We will teach your child how to fish as well as play games, have camp fires and more. 3 days and 2 nights, R800 incl meals for 7-15yr olds

Shepherd’s Fold Pony Camp, Muldersdrift Feb 24. Fabulous fun for all children who love horses. Learn how to care for horses, ride, and enjoy horsey games in a safe and controlled environment. 6-16yrs

Kinderland Holiday Fun Club, Pretoria, Feb 23-28. Every day we do craft and baking activities and let the kids play outdoors in our wonderful play area. 9am-5pm

Mungolistix Holiday Fun Centurion, Feb 23-28. Indoor adventure playground from birth to 7 years – drop your kids with them from 9am-5pm

Gobbledigook Holiday art workshops, Parktown North, Feb 23-28, All ages- learn to look workshops.

COOKING WORKSHOPS

Icing lessons Gill’s Cakes, Roodepoort, Feb 24.

Cake Pops Lindas Bake & Pack Courses, Westdene, Feb 25.

Tasty Thai Glass Kitchen, Krugersdorp, Feb 28

Muesli Slices Little Cooks Centurion, Feb 20-25.

Sushi Sandwiches Little Cooks Fourways, Feb 27-Mar 3.

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.

FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT

The Nutcracker On Ice Montecasino, Fourways
Starts on Thursday Dec 8th and runs right through until Jan 15th daily, excluding Mondays.

Hannah Montana Tribute Show at Gold Reef City, Dec 10-Jan 15

Holiday Fun @ Cedar Junxion Zwavelpoort, Dec 18,24; Jan 1.
Mini steam trains, paddle boats, skateboarding, picnic area – great for family outing.

HOLIDAY PROGRAMS

Sundowner Adventures Intro to fly fishing, Magaliesburg, until Jan 15.
Abseiling and Caving holiday adventure, Muldersdrift, until Jan 11
Joburg Zoo holiday program, Parktown, Dec 19-23.
Montecasino holiday program, Fourways, Dec 19-23; Jan 3-6.
Pretoria Zoo Dec 19, 21, 22,23, Jan 3-5
Kids Cooking Holiday Program, Little Cooks Centurion, Dec 14-16, Jan 10-12

SLEEPOVER CAMPS

Mazz Kids (5 dys) Pony Camps, Centurion, Dec 19-23.
Stone Meadows (3 dys) Holiday Camp, Magaliesberg, Jan 8-11.

HOLIDAY CARE

Purple Cow Holiday Care, Centurion, until Jan 17
Kinderland Holiday Fun Club, Pretoria, Dec 9-Jan 19th.
Pretoria Montessori Garsfontein, Dec 19-22
Kids Village Day Camp, Honeydew, until Jan 13

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.

Its hard to believe that school holidays are less than a month away. Help!! I hear you say..  Well Jozikids has a fabulous, growing list of holiday sleepover camps and daily holiday programs on our special holiday page.

This week we want to give you a sampling of the range of sleepover camps on offer. If any of them interest you – they’re filling up fast – you need to get moving.

There are pony camps galore starting in the first and 2nd week of December ranging in length from
3 days Chartwell Stables (3 dys) pony camp in Fourways.
5 days Shepherd’s Fold (3 dys & 5 dys) pony camp in Elandsdrift, 15 minutes from Honeydew in Joburg
7 days BBK Trails (7 dys) pony camps in  Mpumalanga,

Then  a camps that focus more on nature and the environment  is Bushtrail Holiday Camps (7 dys) in the Magaliesberg

A beach holiday can be had with  Sugar Bay (7 dys) Zinkwazi Beach in KZN

You can also send your child to catch fish at a 3 day Kidz Fishing (3 dys) camp on the Vaal River

And a camp that seems to have been around forever which many of you  who grew up in this part of the world may remember is Happy Acres Holiday Camp (7 dys) in the Magaliesberg

Survivor and Action Parties

Every week we visit the party pages on Jozikids and find great party ideas for you. This week we found 2 action parties great for kids from about

Andy’s Action Parties
They’ll come to you anywhere in Gauteng and have a range of action parties on offer including -  Survivor , Army , Paintball , Space Explorers, The Amazing Race.

Survive or Race The Adventure
1. The Survive Party with survivor challenges, immunity and tribal counsel, 2.5hours . Challenges include life-size obstacle course, create war-cries, tribal face paint, mind games and more.
2. The Race Party, 2.5hours.  You and your partner race against other teams where you are confronted by detours, roadblocks, fast forwards, yields, intersections and u-turns- who will be the ultimate winner?

You’ll find these and a whole lot more fantastic party ideas on Jozikids on your computer or your cell phone.

Schools holidays start for most schools on Friday. If you want to send your child to a sleepover camp or a day program, nows the time to book. For We have a list of at least 10 different  sleepover camps on offer – many start on October 2, 3, or 4th. Here’s a sampling of what you will find.

CAMPS
Camps- Sleepover
Mazz Riding Club pony sleepover camp, Centurion- 5 days.
Jod’s Riding school- 6 days
In the forest  in Eikenhof- 5 days
Kids Fishing sleepover camp, Vaal- 3 days
Flip Flop Basecamp SA, Harbeespoort- 4 days
Sugar Bay, Zinkwazi beach, KZN- 7 days
Esperanza, horse riding Mooiplaats Pta- 5 days
Immaculate Equestrian, Vaal- 4 days
Adventure n Beyond, Krugersdorp- 5 days
Kambi Kids Bush Camp, Muldersdrift- 7 days
Shepherds Fold, Elandsdrift – 3days

Then there are holiday programs which take place during the day that focus on certain disciplines like:

DAY PROGRAMS
Drama
musical theatre workshops – one in Heidelberg and another where the venue is still to be confirmed.

Science/Tech
Technolab holiday club :Learn about some of the inventions and inventors that changed the world for grade 3-6, robotics for grade 7-12 in Auckland Park.

Sports
You’ll find tennis, horse riding, soccer programs in Joburg and the East rand.

Tuition services
Finally this is a crucial time for anyone writing matric and we have loads of tuition services on our site that are offering holiday matric revision :
Master Maths in Randpark Ridge and Pretoria,
Study Doctor Tutoring has a day workshop on October 1 in Randburg,
KipMcGrath in Rosebank offers a 4 day course.

You’ll find a long list on Jozikids – just visit the tuition section on our holiday activities page.

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.

Catch Merle from Jozikids.co.za on Jacaranda, every Sunday morning, to find out what to do with your kids and families today and in the week ahead.

Lets start with Something unusual: Knot the Juggler is offering kids juggling holiday workshops at a very reasonable price. If you tell him you saw it on Jozikids you only pay R320 for 4  workshops. He will come to your home if you get a minimum group of 5 children together. Sounds fabulous.

Arts and Crafts
If its arts and crafts your child is into – the offer is incredible.
In Joburg there’s scrapbooking at Kids Sensations in Sydenham, and
drawing, painting, beading, fabric painting and  glass painting with Mandy’s Arts and Crafts in Malanshof.  In Edenvale, there’s ceramic, painting and mosaics at  the Pottery Junxion and in Brooklyn  Pretoria you’ll find My Art Space offering decoupage, clay and painting on canvas, fabric and enamel painting

Cooking
Then Little Cooks is a franchise that offers kids cooking classes across Gauteng. They have holiday activities on offer until Jul 16.

Sports coaching
You’ll also find tennis coaching in Parkhurst with Ace Tennis
An introduction to golf at  Life as Golf in Krugersdorp
Pony clinics at Namirembe in Muldersdrift or Chartwell Stables in Randburg,

Mixed programs
Other mixed holiday programs offering a range of activities including sports, arts and crafts and games are
My Upper Room Kind Kids Club program, Fourways
Serendipity holiday program, Rosebank
The Child Care Group holiday program, Jhb, Sandton.
Yeesh fun for kids, indoor playground in  Bryanston & Woodmead

Throughout the holidays we’ll keep you posted on activities for your kids. Don’t forget we’ve only mentioned a few, you’ll find lots more if you go to  Kids Holiday Activities page.

Jozikids.co.za helps you find out what to do with your kids and families

Catch Merle from Jozikids.co.za on Jacaranda on Sunday morning, to find out what to do with your kids and families today and in the week ahead.

Happy Father’s day to all those wonderful dads out there.  here are a few restaurants that have Father’s Day specials – all have playgrounds and facilities for kids as well.

Restaurants
Tres Jolie Fathers Day Special, Muldersdrift
The Secret Garden Fathers Day Special, Fourways.
Stonehaven on the Vaal Fathers Day Specials on a boat cruise.

School holiday camps
School holidays start on Friday. If your child is interested in attending one of the sleepover camps on offer you need to book soon, spaces are limited and there’s not much time left.

Pony Camps
BBK Trails adventure pony camps, Mpumalanga
Chartwell Stables pony holiday program, Randburg
Esperanza holiday program, Mooiplaats, Pretoria.
Immaculate Equestrian Academy pony camp, Vaal
Mazz Kids pony camps, Centurion

Fishing camp
Kidz Fishing Camp,btw Klerksdorp and Potchefstroom,Vaal

Adventure holiday camps with mixed programs
Camp Nelu holiday camp, Hekpoort, West Rand
FlipFlop Basecamp SA camp, Hartbeespoort
Happy Acres camp, Magaliesburg
In the Forest camp, Drakensburg
Stone Meadow Country Estate Holiday Program, Rustenburg
Sugar Bay camps, Kwazulu Natal

Throughout the holidays we’ll keep you posted on activities for your kids. Today we talked about sleepover camps but don’t forget there are loads of day holiday programs as well.

Here’s wishing everyone a wonderful day and we’ll be back with Amor next Sunday with ideas of what you can do with your kids and families.

By Zoë Harper, PA to Marketing Exec and loving mom to only child, 11 year old and Type 1 Diabetic, Catherine

As a working mom with limited leave and a child who seems to be on a constant spate of school holidays (especially after the 5 weeks school closure for the World Cup last year) I am always looking out for holiday programs or child care facilities during these periods.

I have gone through most of the suggested holiday activities listed on the site (as I do when any holiday / term break is on the horizon) and found that many are only half day (morning or afternoons only) or only run for part of the holidays or are completely out of my neighborhood . Whilst this may be great for full time mom’s or half day mom’s, they aren’t really much use to me and I’m sure thousands of other mothers with similarly limited time. The Kid’s Village Day camp option looks great but is way out in the sticks which would means either setting off at 6am to be able to get there timeously and back through the traffic to be at the office for 8am and leaving work early to get there by closing time of 5pm for the entire two weeks of March / April holidays. Let’s not even talk petrol costs and stress levels here!

I really feel schools need to make more of an effort to arrange facilities (summer school / holiday programs) for children as we are left with very few alternatives. Not all of us can afford au pairs / full time maids / have freely available grandparents etc. And yes, I’d be willing to pay for them (and we don’t even get a reprieve of cutting school fees during these breaks).

I wish there were facilities whereby you could leave your children in good, safe hands in major centers (community centers / libraries?) during school holidays where they are stimulated, educated and entertained whilst taking a break from the usual school routine (at a reasonable fee too – from my mouth to God’s ears).

I think it’s a good business idea to get into but unfortunately I don’t have the resources or contacts to set this kind of thing up and obviously it’s only during certain times of the year.

I guess I’m just venting and sadly wishing away the time to when my child is old enough to be able to fend for herself at home – but that would probably still entail sitting in front of the tv all day or getting up to mischief

In conclusion – if there are such programs and I am unaware of them – please kindly direct me to them.

by Charmaine Viljoen, Project Manager when she has to earn the money, mom to 3 kids, social network addict, compulsive runner (to keep sane), still waiting to marry well and co-founder of  Alex and Alexa, a children’s clothing range.

Firstly I would like to make it clear that I am not the world’s most organised mother and neither does our life run as smoothly as it is going to appear in this blog post! However, with three children under the age of ten I have to combat my normal personality tendencies of ‘lets just see what happens’ and attempt some type of planning to prevent lurching from disorder to chaos.

This year we have decided to continue with some sort of schooling throughout the holiday and so the children have selected books that they want to read (Reader’s Warehouse in Broadacres Centre in Dainfern is fantastic for inexpensive children’s books) and are taking turns to read stories to the others. My youngest is just six and cannot read yet but can spin a good yarn if given a picture book story book. My kids also enjoy learning phonics and reading at www.starfall.com which has a lot of free stuff. We are also registered on www.ixl.com for math practice (mathletics is also a good website for this) and they all enjoy getting their certificates emailed for each math level that they achieve.

Since I am very determined that each child will play a musical instrument that forms part of our normal daily routine as well. I do dream up novel and interesting ways to make music practice fun and there is a lot of simple music available off the internet so that the four of us can harmonise through Christmas Carols (harmonise does range in meaning…)

I have had an interesting year financially, definitely looking up now but it does mean that there is not a lot of money to spend on presents or holiday experiences. Without scaring the children (I hope!) I have explained this to them and we have decided that we will have one outing which they can decide upon – they are currently debating between artjamming in Lonehill or going to see a play at the Children’s Theatre. It has been very interesting to watch them go through a decision making process that is still not finalised! (We use the JoziKids website for any social happenings that we want to attend)

We are also working on sorting out clothing and toys that they no longer use. These will get repaired and cleaned and wrapped for delivery to our local children’s home. (I am not allowed to go because I tend to come back from these expeditions with another baby…my mom takes them instead!)

A new exercise for us this holiday season is that we have decided, as a family, to learn to speak a different language. After much debate we decided on French and I have found a fantastic audiobook that we all listen to and have a lot of fun seeing who can remember the most. The kids were hoping that I would not be able to focus on this and that they would be able to speak to each other without me understanding them and I think that this is still the secret driver that is in play. Luckily I have a bit of a commute to work and an iPod. Languages such as Spanish or French have a wealth of materials to support children and make this engaging and fun.

We are not a regular TV watching family so every few days in the holidays we do go to the local DVD shop and catch up on kids movies as a treat.

And of course, because we have the best weather in the world we get to do lots of cycling, swimming and going to the park.

Have a happy holiday season!