Play Africa

All programs are tailor made for the age groups and numbers of children we expect, therefore pre-bookings are essential.

Virtual programming

Play Africa Connects - A series of talks with support and advice for parents during this time of uncertainty.
African Storytelling for Children - A series of stories with song and music told by our 4 wonderful storytellers. Links on our Facebook Page.

Stimulating exhibits & programs for kids at Constitutional Hill

Play Africa's exhibits and programmes stimulate physical, cognitive, social, and emotional growth of young children from birth – 10 years. Each exhibit is fun and captivating for both children as well as the adults who love them, allowing families to spend quality time learning, playing, dreaming and discovering together.

Imagination Playground - Creative ideas come alive as children and families use special big blue blocks to make and build whatever their minds can imagine. From time machines to castles, motorcycles to kitchens, children take the lead as they innovate on one another’s ideas

Rigamajig - This large-scale building kit for hands-on free play and playful STE(A)M learning lets children use wooden planks, wheels, pulleys, nuts, bolts and rope to follow their curiosity through play while learning 21st century skills. There are no right or wrong answers; the act of playing and building is the goal

Marble Run - Children learn the basic design and testing concepts critical to engineering, and build larger-than-life marble runs using inexpensive materials and masking tape

Farm to Market - Children and families get to play make believe while planting, harvesting, selling and buying vegetables and fruit. This fun exhibit lets children learn numeracy, literacy while having fun

Children's Maker Space - In this flexible, versatile exhibit, creativity comes alive as children choose from a range of everyday, recycled materials, wood offcuts and recycled e-waste to make their own creations

For special programs we also offer the following

Make a Movie with Stop-Motion Animation - Children and families make a movie through stop-motion animation. In this station, everyone takes turn making new marks on a single canvas, taking pictures throughout the process. At the end, the images of the evolving image the children have created are used to make a movie

Incwadi Yothando - Children and their caregivers use a range of craft materials to create incwadi yothando, or “love letters,� to the people and things that are important to them

Mono printing - Children and families create art side by side as they roll out printing ink onto plates, design their own creation, and pull their own prints

We Are Play Africa - Children work with local artists to paint self-portraits. Together, the self-portraits will form part of a collaborative work of art created for Play Africa to send a message of welcoming and belonging to all who visit

Our Stories - Storytelling is an important creative art, linked to South Africa’s important oral cultural traditions. Volunteers read from Play Africa’s library and support literacy through a range of hands-on learning experiences

Farm to Market - Children learn about agriculture, whole foods and healthy nutrition in this hands-on exhibit that promotes role play and the building blocks for early literacy and numeracy.

The Nature Hero Program -The Nature Hero program is linked to a proudly South African book called The Big Show published by Play Africa in collaboration with Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo. The story teaches children and families important lessons about human impact on the world around us, and the power of working together as a team to shape the future of our planet.

Children's Theatre - Children and families pull back the curtains to express themselves as they play pretend on stage using a range of props and costumes

Children’s Planetarium - Children and families can explore South Africa’s night sky together inside our portable planetarium, supported by a Play Africa facilitator who will introduce basic vocabulary and indigenous stories about the stars that have been through the ages

Holiday programs