Weekends

Weekends ... a time to relax, sleep in, catch up on tasks....

OK, maybe not at the MTN Sciencentre. Not during the school holidays, at any rate.

There's walking tours of the indigenous bird sanctuary at nearby Intaka Island, the waterway where cormorants and darters flirt, squabble and make a comfy nest amid fynbos and the reeds which filter pollutants out of the water. Tick off sightings on your checklist. Although the science centre itself is well-known for making sure that unaccompanied kids are safe and secure while they have a blast, the Intaka Island excursion is somewhat different. Kids do need to be accompanied by an adult, as there are lots of tempting possibilities for making a splash!

But there are alternatives. Consider a free treasure hunt, suitable for all ages in the science centre itself. Or the Murray & Roberts construction firm, one of South Africa's largest industrial design and engineering firms, has sponsored a free building competition for teams of kids (no adults allowed). Or the daily science shows with pops, bangs, smoke and flames.

The South African company PenFlex is another supporter, allowing us to run a free drawing competition for kids of all ages using their Magic Colour markers to draw science pictures.

Kids aged 5 and older can attend a free turtle workshop in which they make their own paper turtle.

For kids aged eight and older, chemistry gets creative in workshops where you can make your own bouncing ball. Or get eco-conscious and recycle the aluminium from cool drink cans to make fridge magnets. Or build a better mousetrap-powered car, for only R10.

All this, in addition to all the usual activities such as Lucky's Lab and the new water exhibit. The idea is to send the kids back to school, when it opens in mid-January, completely exhausted!