Fun for all during school holidays

Parents wondering what to do with their children when the winter school holidays start this week need worry no more.
 

The City of Cape Town's Sport, Recreation and Amenities Department will once again host about 500 holiday programmes at its many sports facilities, community centres and libraries to keep youngsters busy between 25 June and 13 July 2012, and is encouraging parents to make use of the daily programme.

The City's Library and Information Services Department is also hosting a number of activities at its public libraries, including games, puzzles, art and crafts, storytelling, DVD shows, face-painting, soup kitchens, art classes, painting, reading clubs and magic shows.
 
"Our goal with these programmes is to encourage children from communities throughout the city to participate in sport, recreation and special events during the holiday period, and in the long term,” says Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services, Councillor Tandeka Gqada.

The indoor Sports and Recreation programmes to be hosted at the various community centres include board games, gymnastics, rope skipping, karate, pool, poetry and drama, concerts, indigenous games, cultural dances and fitness training, Hip Hop dancing, sports and fitness activities, talent shows and arts and crafts.

Outdoor programmes will include five-a-side soccer, mini-netball, basketball, cricket, hockey, sport against crime, big walks, fun runs, jumping castle, face painting, trampoline, touch rugby and various recreational activities and family fun festivals.

In order for the programme to be a success, the department makes use of the services of volunteers. The volunteer programme standardises volunteer recruitment and management procedures, and aims to make the volunteers feel valued in the organisation, as well as giving them much-needed work experience and personal development.

"This holiday programme is part of the Sport and Recreation Department's Recreation Strategy which focuses on getting the citizens of the city to be more active. In 2010 the department commissioned research on the number of citizens who participate in active recreational activities including formal sport. This research revealed that the majority of our citizens do not participate in recreational activities. Therefore the City is now focusing on promoting recreation towards an active citizenry," says Gert Bam, Director: Sport, Recreation and Amenities.

For more information on the public libraries and their Holiday Programmes, visit the Library Services website.

Below is the list of the facilities and their contact details. For more information, visit www.capetown.gov.za/en/sportrecreation. 

To download the full programmes per district please visit this page on the City's website