School holiday survival guide: 9 great ways to keep your kids entertained

The start of the school holidays is greeted with glee by kids, but with a groan from parents who have to fill those (seemingly endless) summer days with exciting activities. Luckily we've come up with some fun suggestions.

1) TAKE YOUR KIDS TO THE THEATRE

You're sure to get an enthusiastic round of applause from your kids when you announce you've booked tickets to see one of these charming, family-friendly theatre productions:

• Cinderella, whichis onat the Baxter Theatre Centre from December 19 - 24.

• Mr Popper's Penguins, which is on at Joburg's National Children's Theatre until December 23.

•  Sleeping Beauty, which is on at Durban's Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre until January 8 2017.

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If your child would prefer to take centre stage themselves, sign them up for theatre camp at the National Children's Theatre in Johannesburg. From December 8 - 14, they'll enjoy fun-filled mornings with rhymes and stories to listen to, learn and re-enact.

2) LET THEM REDISCOVER THOSE ANIMATED CLASSICS

Dig through your DVD collection for forgotten favourites, or head off to the video store and rent some of the entertaining hits on our list of 50 of the all-time greatest kids movies.

3) BOARD A TRAIN

• The Ceres steam train is a gorgeous old locomotive which offers parents and children a thrilling journey from Cape Town through the scenic Ceres Valley and back.

• Board The Holiday Express at Durban Station for a festive train ride like no other. It's a full-day trip that'll take you to Scottburgh for a morning of seaside fun, returning home in the afternoon. Best of all, there are loads of child-friendly activities planned for the trip itself.

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4) INTRODUCE THEM TO THE WONDERS OF GARDENING

Let your little ones flex their green fingers at the holiday camp run by The Cherry Tomatoes gardening club. On at two Joburg venues from December 12 -15,  this four-day camp will introduce your child to the fascinating world of gardening and teach them how food goes from the garden to the table. E-mail cherrytomatoesgc@gmail.com.

Not in Joburg? No problem, there are still lots of ways you can get your kids growing.

If you have space to create a veggie patch, gardening guru Alison Hearfield suggests you teach your child to plant carrots as their relatively quick germination period will keep them interested:

• Start by preparing the bed with your little ones. Remove all weeds and stones. Keep in mind that carrots are not heavy feeders, so don’t add lots of compost or fertiliser — this will result in multi-legged carrots which can be fibrous.

• Make very shallow drills when planting the seeds (5mm) and cover them lightly with soil. To keep it interesting, plant the seeds in a spiral shape or zig-zag row. Make colourful markers to show where seeds have been sown and to avoid any small or big feet standing on them.

• Keep the bed moist during germination.

• Sow a few rows of seeds to begin with, mark the date on a calendar, and plant a few more after three weeks. It’s fun for children to keep track of the growing process.

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If you live in an apartment, try gardening pro Laurian Brown's suggests for indoor gardening:

•Make a terrarium: these are all the rage now, but miniature gardens don’t have to be in enclosed glass. You can also plant them in open bowls. Rocks become mountains, a sprig of spekboom a tree, a scrap of mirror a lake — a great exercise in design skills for both parents and children.

• Watch an avo sprout roots: growing a sapling from an avocado's enormous pip, suspended on toothpicks above water, is an essential part of every child's education. You can also help your little one place a sweet potato in water (as you would with an avocado pip) and watch it produce a graceful cascading vine over time.

5) RIDE A BIG RED BUS

If you haven't had a chance to do it yet, City Sightseeing's hop-on, hop-off bus tours of Joburg and Cape Town are treat for all ages. The busses stop at several tourist spots — just pick the ones that will most thrill your children.

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6) EXPLORE A CHRISTMAS MARKET

The Christmas market originated in Germany many centuries ago, but luckily for us the concept quickly spread across the globe and today there are plenty to choose from in South Africa.

Avoid the crush of the malls, and turn shopping for gifts into a treat, by taking the whole family along to one of these seven brilliant Christmas markets.

7) TREAT THEM TO A DAY AT THE SPA

• Buff, the trendy new beauty parlour in Umhlanga, has a specific area that caters to tweens. Girls aged nine and up have an exclusive-use area, where they can indulge in a Princess Pedi or a Magic Mani that includes any amount of sparkle and bling nail art their heart desires. Call 087-287-9878.

• Sorbet, which has salons nationwide, also offers treatments specially tailored for youngsters. Their Sorbabies spa menu (kids under 12) features a manicure and pedicure, while the Sorbabes menu (19 and under) includes facials too.

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8) GIVE THEM AN ADRENALINE RUSH

• Acrobranch is a real gem for anyone who wants to have good, clean fun out in nature with the children — and still have a bit of an adrenaline rush. They have parks in Gauteng, Cape Town and the Garden Route, each offering zip lines and treetop obstacle courses.

• The Chimp & Zee Rope Adventure Park at Durban's uShaka Marine World also boasts fun-packed rope obstacles courses.

9) COOK UP A STORM

Future MasterChefs will adore spending quality time with you in the kitchen these holidays. After all, who doesn't love to lick the batter bowl?

Here are some child-friendly recipes to get you started:

Creamy berry lollies.Le Creuset 

• Creamy frozen yogurt berry lollies: No fancy moulds needed for these simple stir-together icy treats which are made in espresso cups. Get the recipe.

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• Magic cake: Simply mix the ingredients together and after it's baked your kids will be amazed to see how this cake 'magically' formed three seperate layers: the base, a gooey middle layer and a cheesecake-style topping. Get the recipe.

Microwave chocolate mug cakesiStock 

• Microwave chocolate mug cakes: Desperate for a quick chocolate fix? These gooey, delicious cups of joy can be made in a matter of minutes. Get the recipe.

No-bake crunchy chocolate squaresCraig Scott 

• No-bake crunchy chocolate squares: Simply melt chocolate and butter in the microwave then stir in some crunchy crushed biscuits, chocolate pieces and glacé cherries — what could be easier? Get the recipe.