Johannesburg is easier to do with children than its reputation suggests. Between one theme park, an indoor trampoline park, a zoo, a lion and safari park and a handful of museums, you can fill a weekend, a rainy Saturday or a school holiday without leaving the city. The trick is matching the place to the child’s age, then checking the price and the booking rules before you drive. This guide does both, with figures taken from each venue’s own pages.

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TL;DR

  • Gold Reef City lists R200 admission that includes all rides, which makes it the simplest full-day option for mixed ages.
  • Rush Greenstone is the dependable indoor choice: open jump from R200 per person, with cheaper toddler and midweek sessions.
  • Lion & Safari Park charges for activities rather than entry, and children under 12 are free on the self-drive safari with a paying adult.
  • The Apartheid Museum is not suitable for children under 11, so keep it for older children and teenagers.
  • For a longer outing, the Cradle of Humankind is roughly 50 km from the city.

Table of Contents

How to choose: age first, then weather, then budget

Most family outings go wrong for the same three reasons: the venue is wrong for the youngest child, the weather ruins an outdoor plan, or the real cost is higher than the gate price. Sort the options in that order.

Under four: you want soft play, short attractions and somewhere to sit. Toddler sessions, small-animal feeding and a park with a proper play area work better than a long museum visit.

Five to ten: this is the easiest age in Johannesburg. Rides, trampolines, animals and hands-on exhibits all work, and most venues price this group as children.

Eleven and up: heritage sites, the more demanding climbing and obstacle activities, and the museums with difficult content become possible. Teenagers usually prefer something active or something with a story to it.

Weather matters because Johannesburg’s summer afternoons often bring storms. Keep one indoor option in your back pocket for any outdoor day.

Theme park days: Gold Reef City

If you only plan one big day, Gold Reef City in Ormonde is the obvious candidate. Its operator describes it as South Africa’s largest theme park of its kind, with 14 thrilling rides, 9 family rides, 20 kids’ rides, a trampoline park called Jump City, 12 dining options and an underground mine tour that it calls the only authentic one in Johannesburg.

The pricing is the useful part for families. Gauteng’s tourism page lists R200 admission for all entrants, including all rides, and online booking. Because the ride count is split so clearly between thrill rides, family rides and kids’ rides, a group with a toddler and a teenager can each find something without splitting the day into two.

Practical points:

  • Book online before you go, as the official page recommends.
  • Check the current price on the park’s page, as it can change.
  • Arrive at opening and do the big rides first, before queues build.
  • Eat in the park’s dining areas at off-peak times, since twelve outlets still means crowds at lunch.

Indoor energy burners: Rush Greenstone

For a wet day or a restless child, the trampoline park at Greenstone Mall is the standard answer. Rush says it is Johannesburg’s leading indoor adventure park for all ages, with trampolines, a ninja-inspired obstacle course, dodgeball and foam pits. The main Rush site lists interconnected trampolines, foam pits, Air Walk, extreme dodgeball, 6-metre climbing walls, a battle beam and a slackline. Note that the Ninja Warrior course is only at the Cape Town park, and it has a 1.3 m height restriction.

Child jumping at an indoor trampoline park

What it costs

The pricing page shows how much the session type changes the bill:

Session Price Notes
Open jump R200 per person Standard entry
Term 4 DoubleUP R190 per person Two hours, Tuesday to Friday
DoubleUP Saturday R200 per person First two hours, morning slot
Ultimate Wednesdays R100 Up to three hours, ages 4+, afternoon start
Pram Jam R95 One toddler, one adult and a hot drink, Tuesday and Thursday late morning
Social Sundays R160 Late afternoon, two hours

The specials follow the school term, so the exact dates change from term to term. Look at the pricing page for the current schedule before you plan around one.

Grip socks are required. You can bring your own pair with good grip or buy them for R50, which is worth factoring in for a family of four.

Matching sessions to children

Pram Jam is built for toddlers: one little one, one adult and a hot drink at R95. Ultimate Wednesdays at R100 is the best value for ages four and up, although you need to be there in the afternoon. If you have a toddler at home who needs to burn off energy between outings, simple indoor obstacle course ideas for toddlers are a good way to keep the practice going on days you stay in.

Birthday parties

Rush also runs parties at Greenstone. The party page lists classic parties at R280 per child off-peak at Greenstone, with jumping, a party-room host, grip socks, slush, popcorn and sweets. Greenstone allows guests to bring their own platters at no charge, which can save money on food.

Animals: the zoo and Lion & Safari Park

Johannesburg Zoo

The city’s zoo covers 55 hectares and holds about 2,000 animals across 320 species, according to Joburg’s tourism pages. It suits a slow morning with a picnic and a stroller, and it helps children understand animal care and conservation. Check the zoo’s own channels for current entry fees and holiday programmes before you set off.

Family watching a rhino at Johannesburg Zoo

Lion & Safari Park

This park north-west of the city works differently from most attractions, because entry is not what you pay for. The official rates page says park and restaurant entry is free and visitors pay for activities. A self-drive safari costs R400 per adult, while children under 12 are free at one child per paying adult. Giraffe feeding is R85 per bag, and kiddies’ horse rides are R220 per child.

For a family of two adults and two young children, the self-drive safari therefore costs R800 for the adults, plus one child free and the second child needing a paying adult place or a separate arrangement under the one-child-per-adult rule. Work out your numbers before you arrive. Our Lion & Safari Park guide covers prices, hours and what to book in more detail.

Giraffe feeding at R85 a bag is the cheap highlight for small children, and it is easy to add to a visit without committing to a full safari.

Museums and culture with children

Museums are easier than you think when you choose the right one and the right age.

Apartheid Museum

The museum is one of the most important in the country, but it is not for every child. It states that its graphic content is not suitable for children under 11. On the same page, it lists international adult admission at R240 and R190 for students, pensioners and children, with the children’s rate applying to ages seven to 17 and tickets available at the door. School bookings should be made four to six weeks ahead, and guided tours for general groups of 15 or more must be pre-booked.

For teenagers, it is one of the most valuable days out in the city. Prepare them beforehand and leave time afterwards to talk.

Constitution Hill

Constitution Hill’s visitor page says children of all ages and abilities are welcome, but adults remain responsible for them. Food and drink are not allowed in museum or exhibition spaces, and non-working animals are not permitted. Plan snacks for before or after, not during.

For more options, our guides to museums in Johannesburg and a one-day loop through the Apartheid Museum and Maboneng show how to combine them in a day. If you are interested in making the day more creative, our guide to Johannesburg art galleries is a good start for older children.

Eating out and markets with children

A family day lives or dies on food. Weekend food markets work well because children can choose for themselves and nobody needs to sit still through a three-course meal. Our guide to Johannesburg food markets explains what to expect before you go. Arrive early, as markets fill up by lunchtime and prams become hard to push.

If you are planning an evening out as a family, theatre can be a good fit for older children. See our guide to theatre shows in Johannesburg for what is on and how to book.

Day trips and longer outings

If you have a free day and a car, the Cradle of Humankind is the classic family excursion. One guide puts it about 50 km north-west of Johannesburg, a 45 to 50 minute drive, with Maropeng as the starting point and half a day as a realistic visit. It lists the Sterkfontein Caves about 4 km from Maropeng, with guided tours of roughly 45 minutes underground. Check current entry prices with the sites before you leave, since they change.

Limestone passage inside Sterkfontein Caves

Because the caves involve a descent, think about whether a toddler or anyone with mobility needs will manage them. Children who like science and fossils will love it.

For a full weekend, our guide to weekend getaways from Johannesburg covers nine escapes within three hours.

Three sample days

A toddler day (ages 1 to 4): book a Pram Jam session at Rush in the late morning, have lunch at the mall, then go home for a nap. Keep it short.

A mixed-age day (ages 4 to 12): go to Gold Reef City at opening, ride the family and kids’ rides first, eat early and leave when the youngest tires. Everything is covered by the single admission price listed on the Gauteng page.

A teenage day: start at the Apartheid Museum, allow two to three hours, then move to a casual meal and something active in the afternoon.

Practical checklist before you leave

  1. Book ahead. Gold Reef City lists online booking, and the Apartheid Museum requires pre-booking for groups of 15 or more.
  2. Check age and height limits. Rush lists a 1.3 m restriction for Ninja Warrior, and the Apartheid Museum advises against under 11s.
  3. Pack grip socks. Rush requires them. Buy them for R50 if you forget.
  4. Bring cash for add-ons. Lion & Safari Park charges for activities rather than entry, so giraffe feeding and horse rides add up.
  5. Plan food. Constitution Hill does not allow food and drink in exhibition spaces.
  6. Confirm current prices. Every figure in this guide comes from the venue’s own page, and venues change prices, so check before you go.

Why we cover Johannesburg this way

Johannesburg families ask us the same thing every school holiday: where can we go that is not another mall? We cover the city as people who live in it, from the big attractions to the smaller places that deserve more visitors.

Our approach is to put the practical details up front, such as ages, prices and booking, and then give you the story behind the place. We also want to show off local talent, from the people running the venues to the designers and artists whose work you will see around the city.

If you take one thing from this guide, let it be this: plan around your youngest child and your day will work for everyone.

Chad

More from Joburgstyle for your next outing

We cover Johannesburg’s lifestyle, culture and travel scene, including family outings, events and places worth the trip. Our seasonal piece on what to do with the kids in Jozi this holiday season is a good place to start when the school holidays arrive, and our home page has the latest events and features.

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FAQ

What are the best family activities in Johannesburg?

Gold Reef City is the best all-rounder, with rides for every age and a listed admission that includes all rides. Rush Greenstone is the strongest indoor choice, and Lion & Safari Park suits animal-loving children. Pick based on the age of your youngest child.

What can I do with toddlers in Johannesburg?

Rush runs a Pram Jam session for one toddler, one adult and a hot drink at R95. The zoo is also a gentle morning out, and Lion & Safari Park offers giraffe feeding at R85 per bag. Keep outings short and plan around nap times.

Is the Apartheid Museum suitable for children?

The museum states that its graphic content is not suitable for children under 11. For older children and teenagers it is a powerful visit. Children’s tickets, for ages seven to 17, are R190 according to its visitor page.

What can we do on a rainy day?

Rush Greenstone has trampolines, foam pits, climbing walls and dodgeball indoors, with open jump at R200 per person. Museums such as Constitution Hill also work, as children of all ages are welcome there.

Are there family day trips from Johannesburg?

Yes. The Cradle of Humankind is about 50 km away and suits half a day, and our weekend getaways guide covers longer escapes within three hours of the city. Check each site’s current prices before you set off.

Sources