Rainy-Day Cape Town: The Best Indoor Things to Do With Kids

Sep 22

Cape Town does rain properly. Between June and September a cold front can sit over the city for three days straight, and the beach plans go out the window. The good news is that the city is better at rainy days than it gets credit for. Here's where local parents actually go, grouped by the kind of day you're having.

When they need to run it off

Playstation by Rush, Retreat. This is the one local parents recommend first. It has South Africa's largest custom-built adventure maze, with swing bridges strung through it. There's also a four-metre high-line course, a climbing wall the same height and a 40-metre indoor bike pump track. The littlest ones have their own role-play area, Little Kids City. It suits ages 2 to 12 and costs about R105 an hour for over-twos. The café means the adults aren't just standing around. Go on a weekday morning if you can: rainy Saturdays fill up fast.

GrandWest Ice Station, Goodwood. It's the only indoor ice rink in the Western Cape, and it's Olympic-sized. On a grey day, taking kids who've never skated onto real ice feels like an event. Under-fives get their own supervised mini rink, so younger siblings aren't left watching from the side. Entry starts at about R75.

Rollercade, Table Bay Mall. Cape Town's indoor roller rink comes with disco lighting, a DJ, arcade machines and pool tables, and it's excellent for the 8-and-up crowd. A two-hour session is R200 with skate hire and safety gear included. Book ahead, because skates are reserved by shoe size, and bring socks. It's a good pick if you're staying up the West Coast side.

When the little ones need something gentler

Occupied Play, Wembley Square, Gardens. This indoor play space was designed on occupational-therapy principles. It has jungle gyms, a mini market, a play kitchen, reading corners and fine-motor stations, and it's thoughtfully done rather than loud. There are separate sessions for under-threes and for ages 3 and up. Booking is essential.

be.UP Park, the Watershed, V&A Waterfront. It's built for under-eights, with suspended play equipment, trained staff on the floor and a barista bar with clear sightlines, so you can sit down and still see them. It's a few steps from the aquarium, which makes it an easy pairing.

When you'd like them to learn something without noticing

Two Oceans Aquarium, V&A Waterfront. It's the classic for a reason. The big ocean exhibit holds 1.6 million litres, with a 10-metre tunnel you walk through while rays and rescued turtles glide overhead. The kelp forest is one of the few living ones on display anywhere in the world. The daily feeding times and puppet shows are worth planning around, so check the schedule when you arrive. It's open every day from 9:30am to 6pm.

Iziko Planetarium and Digital Dome, Gardens. It's billed as the most advanced digital planetarium on the continent. Lying back under the full 360° dome for Journey to the Stars or We Are Stars is a good reset on a wet afternoon. Tickets are R100 for local adults, R60 for children and R150 for international visitors, and it's closed on Mondays. While you're there, walk next door to the Iziko South African Museum's Whale Well. A 20.5-metre blue whale skeleton hangs through several floors, and kids tend to stand under it with their mouths open.

Cape Town Science Centre, Observatory. More than 250 hands-on exhibits and puzzles, all built to be pushed, pulled and triggered. It works best for ages 5 to 12, and a curious child can happily spend an entire morning here.

When you'd like something a bit different

Scratch Patch, V&A Waterfront. Children kneel in a cave floored with polished gemstones and fill a bag with their favourites. It's cheap, calm and oddly absorbing, and it works for toddlers and teenagers alike. Bags start at about R35. Add a round of cave golf for R40 a head.

HintHunt, V&A Waterfront. It's Cape Town's original escape-room company and the right answer for teenagers who've decided they're too old for play parks. Teams work through timed challenges to defuse a "bomb". It holds their attention far better than another trampoline would, and it's a good one for the whole family to do together.

Clay Café, Hout Bay. Kids paint their own mugs, plates and animals, and the café fires them for you to collect later. The food is good too, so the adults get a proper lunch while the kids get creative. Weekends in wet weather book out quickly.

Worth the drive: the Winelands

Soetmelksvlei at Babylonstoren, Franschhoek Valley. This recreated 19th-century farmstead is one of the best family outings in the Cape, rain or shine. There's an indoor playhouse in the Old Cellar, and the day runs through ox-wagon rides, kraal tours and blacksmithing and carpentry demonstrations. Allow three to four hours and book entry online. It's open Wednesday to Sunday, reached by shuttle from the main Babylonstoren ticket office. Have lunch at the Old Stables Restaurant, which takes its own reservation.

Exotic Animal World, Klapmuts. This was once Butterfly World and has since been reinvented. Lemurs roam freely through the main indoor space, and there are more than 750 animals, from reptiles and spiders to monkeys and birds. The staff clearly know their animals and are happy to talk about them. It's open daily from 9am to 5pm, with a café on site.

If you only have one rainy day

Start at the Two Oceans Aquarium when it opens at 9:30 and time your visit around a feeding. Then walk over to the Scratch Patch or be.UP Park, depending on ages, and have lunch at the Waterfront. Spend the afternoon under the dome at the Iziko Planetarium, with a quick look at the whale skeleton next door. That's a full day with less than fifteen minutes in the car.

A few local tips. Book anything with timed sessions the night before a forecast front, because every parent in the city has the same idea. Keep a change of socks in the car, since Rollercade, soft-play areas and the Scratch Patch all involve them. And check the forecast twice: Cape Town rain often clears by mid-afternoon, and a wet morning can still end on the beach.