Best Things To Do in Cape Town With Kids

Summary

This is your ultimate guide on the best things to do with kids in Cape Town including indoor and outdoor activities, activities for kids who love the water, or animals, and there's any idea for teenagers. Home schoolers and world schoolers will find this list useful when planning their trip to Cape Town.

No matter how long you’re in Cape Town for, a family can never run out of things to do! There is so much for a family to see and do, from toddlers to teens, there is real fun packed here for everyone.

Whether your children love animals, outdoor adventures, history, science or simply burning off energy, there’s something here for everyone.

Use this guide as your starting point, then click through to my detailed destination guides as you begin planning your family’s Cape Town adventure.

Have fun!

Best Indoor Activities in Cape Town for Kids

1. Explore the Two Oceans Aquarium at the V&A Waterfront
2. Play a round of indoor mini golf
3. Find gems at the Scratch Patch & Mineral World
4. Go star gazing at the Planetarium & Digital Dome
5. Look for dinosaurs at the Iziko South African Musuem
6. Indoor Ice Skating and amusement centre at Grand West
7. Challenge your parents to a game of ten pin bowling
8. Take in a show at one of the many theatres in Cape Town
9. Paint a ceramic at The Clay Cafe in Hout Bay
10. Enjoy indoor rock climbing at City Rock
11. Explore The Castle, either on your own or with a tour group
12. Bounce out your energy at Playstation by Rush trampoline park

Best Outdoor Activities in Cape Town for Kids

1. Splash around at Boulders Beach with the African penguins
2. Snorkel at Windmill Beach
3. Visit Cape Point and take the Funicular to the top
4. Taking a cable car up Table Mountain
5. Swimming in a rock pool
6. Take a stroll through the Company Gardens and feed the squirrels
7. Take a boat trip and enjoy a tour of Robben Island
8. Chug along on the miniature Blue Train in Sea Point
9. Visit Signal Hill and watch the daily firing of the noon gun cannon at 12h00
10. Enjoy a ride on the Cape Wheel
11. Pack a picnic and have fun at The Green Point Urban Park
12. Enjoy a fun day out at Bugz Play Park
13. Whizz down the hill on a toboggan at Cool Runnings
14. Hire an electric scooter, e-bike or bicycle on the Sea Point Promenade.
15. Go to sea on a pirate ship!
16. Explore the inside of a submarine at the Submarine Museum in Simon’s Town
17. Search for birds and maybe a hippo at Rondevlei Nature Reserve

Best Sea Activities in Cape Town for Kids

1. Kayak to the penguins in Simon’s Town
2. Take a surfing or SUP lesson at Muizenberg Beach
3. Enjoy snorkelling at Windmill Beach
4. Experience a whale watching trip in Hermanus
5. Ride the water bikes in Simon’s Town
6. Take a bucket and spade and build sandcastles at the beach
7. Swim in the safety of a rock pool

Best Adventure Activities in Cape Town for Older Kids

1. Shark cage diving (Simon’s Town or Gansbaai)
2. Abseil off Table Mountain
3. Tandem paragliding off Signal Hill (or parasail of Lion’s Head?)
4. Book a seal snorkelling experience
5. Sandboard the dunes in Atlantis
6. Do one of the amazing sea activities in the south beaches

Best Activities for Kids Who Love Animals in Cape Town

1. Explore the walk-in aviaries at The World of Birds
2. Visit Giraffe House
3. See the silly alpacas at The Alpaca Loom
4. Cheetah Outreach
5. Eagle Encounters?
6. Say hi to the ostriches at the Cape Point Ostrich Farm
7. Spot the lions at the Drakenstein Lion Park
8. Visit Melkbossie Animal Farm Sanctuary
9. Enjoy a boat trip to Seal Island from Hout Bay
10. Visit the African penguins at Boulders Beach

Best Activities for Kids Who Love Sports in Cape Town

1. Enjoy a tour of the Cape Town Stadium
2. Springbok Experience Rugby Museum
3. Shout for the Bokke at a Springbok rugby match in winter
4. Cheer on your favourite cricket team at a match in summer
5. Book a session at The Little Optimist Sailing Academy
6. Enjoy the hills and thrills at The Bike Park

Best Activities for Kids who are Worldschooling

In addition to all of the above, there are a few other spots to explore which might be of more interest to families who are world schooling or homeschooling their children.

1. Explore the colourful houses of District Six, and don’t forget the District Six museum
2. Take a cooking class at a local’s house
3. Visit the Cape Town Science Centre
4. View art at the Zeitz MOCAA or the Norval Foundation
5. Visit the South African Airforce Museum in Ysterplaat (near the city)
6. Find out about the history of slavery at the Iziko Slave Lodge
7. Explore the grounds of Groot Constantia Wine Farm, est. 1685
8. Explore Simon’s Town on foot

Cape Town is a city that really does reward curious families. I hope you have found my guide useful, and I’ll keep adding new adventures and family-friendly activities, so why not bookmark this page for the future?