I have to give credit where it’s due. The Competency-Based Curriculum in Kenya is doing well in improving creativity in kids. They are making items from scratch, exploring their talents, and taking extracurricular activities seriously, unlike in the previous curriculum. But like all things, school can’t fully instill a skill because, again, they just don’t have the time. This is where fun learning activities for children in Kenya come in.
Thankfully, this country is buzzing with places where kids can learn, explore and have tons of fun. And if I’m being honest, I always have a blast in those places as well, so it’s not just for the kidos.
I’ve done the research for you, and here are my best options.
(Now, I know some of you may not be in Nairobi, but a simple laces for kids to play, places to take kids near me, and restaurants near me with kid play areas on Google will help.)
Fun Learning Activities for Children in Kenya
1. Nairobi Art Centre, Lavington
The Nairobi Art Centre is a fantastic place to connect your child with their artistic genius and creativity. It’s especially awesome if your child likes to draw, paint and sculpt. The center has well-seasoned instructors, and they provide everything a child needs.
Besides art classes, they also offer holiday camps and Mosaic classes. Check out their Instagram Page for more information.
2. Adventure Farm, Karen
This has been my favorite place, and the kids loved it too. As the name suggests, it is a real farm that also serves as an educational hub for children and adults, allowing them to reconnect with nature.
Activities here range from farm animal experience, hands-on pizza making, Gelato/cheese making and other adventures like zip-lining and teepeee climbing. I’ve only listed a handful of activities, but there is a lot to do and learn on the farm. Everyone there is so elated to teach, which makes the visit intriguing for kids and adults.
Be sure to check Adventure Farm out at least once for fun, creative activities.
3. Apollo Children’s Science Park, Limuru
My oldest daughter is fascinated with everything science and tech, so taking her to the Apollo Science Park was a no-brainer.
If you have ever wanted to show your kids the landline telephone, the big wooden TV sets we used, or even the car-sized cameras, this is the place. You get to see the advancement of technology over the years and tour various departments from energy to agriculture to space and even the motor world.
It is at Apollo Science Park that my youngest daughter decided that science wasn’t so bad after all, so I highly recommend a visit here. You can also check their Facebook Page Here.
4. Playland Amusement Park, Mombasa Rd
When they say Playland Amusement Park at NextGen Mall is the best in Kenya, they are not kidding. This family amusement park has everything from a bowling section, trampoline park, pool tables, ropes obstacle course and virtual reality.
What sets it apart from other mall-based fun parks, however, is the soft play area where kids can play with kinetic sand, build Lego walls and explore their artistic side. It’s all open play, which allows kids to get creative and play together.
5. Holiday Camps
Every holiday, companies organize fun and interactive holiday camps for kids. These camps range from music, creative, coding/robotics, STEM, Design and Video Production to Religion.
The holiday camps provide a more intimate environment for kids to explore their creativity and genius while having fun, making friends and building their confidence.
At Active Little Feet, we offer a mentorship, art and music holiday camp every last holiday of the year in collaboration with Tutti Music Services. Kids are taught how to play musical instruments, create art projects, dance, and also engage in an interactive mentorship session.
6. Arts and Crafts at Banana Hill Gallery
At Banana Hill Art Gallery, you get to interact with the works of famous contemporary African artists in different capacities. I found this to be a great place for fathers and kids, especially for teens and pre-teens who love art.
You can participate in DIY art sessions, drawing, painting, and even sculpturing under the guidance of true artists. The best part is that you take your masterpiece home once it’s done. It’s open daily from 10 am-6 pm, and you can just walk in.
7. Tridenn Ceramics, Ngong Racecourse
Tridenn Ceramics designs, manufactures, and supplies ceramic products for interior design, art, and gifts. Most people don’t know that this place also offers pottery classes for everyone from 3-year-old kids to adults.
In their own words, they provide an environment for creative minds. Anyone can come here and try their hand at pottery. I’ve done it before and the sensory experience is unbelievable, not to mention it feels good to create something from scratch.
8. Under the Swahili Tree, Karen
Under the Swahili Tree is a Swahili-inspired restaurant tucked away in the leafy suburbs of Karen. However, the place offers various creative activities for kids every Saturday and Sunday, such as pizza making, pottery painting and Halloween parties. It’s a great place to host parties for kids because they have an awesome kids’ play area and a delectable kid’s menu.
How to Engage Kids Creatively Without TV
But we can’t afford to take kids to creative places every weekend now, can we? After all, these places charge money, not to mention other expenses like transport and meals.
That means a good portion of weekends and school holidays will be spent at home watching TV and playing with gadgets, right?
Not necessarily. We had a screen-free childhood, which forced us to tap into our creative side and come up with games to play with each other and things to do. I believe it is possible to raise screen-free kids, even in the age of technology.
And I am not saying we take the gadgets away permanently or unplug the TV, but we all know the mind-numbing effect of watching screens all day long. I do recommend limited low-stimulation TV for toddlers and shows for kids. But this last portion is about how to not raise an iPad kid.
So, here are fun learning activities for children in Kenya to boost creativity at home;
9. Building Toys
We didn’t have Legos and building blocks in our time, so we used boxes to build toys. All kids today have these, and they are great creative and problem-solving outlets. I encourage my kids to build stuff with their blocks every other day or follow a LEGO challenge. We mostly do the latter together, and it’s very good for the brain. Better yet, throw out a challenge to build doll houses or cars with cardboard boxes.
10. Cooking
Cooking with kids is chaotic at best, and it will slow down the process. Once you accept that, it gets easier while also understanding that cooking is a highly creative activity.
Start by showing them easy recipes and introducing the concept of substitution. While most of the cooking with do is second nature to us, it’s fascinating to kids as they learn to make things from scratch.
Ask questions thought-provoking questions while cooking together to trigger their creativity. For example, how do you get stew in this meal? What can we do to add some color here? What flavors would you like?
11. Playdough and Paper Crafts
Kids enjoy playing with clay and paper and making stuff even more. I like these crafts because we can do them casually while watching TV in the living room.
Make people and houses using playdough, and teach them to make paper boats and airplanes. We also make and decorate kites, origami and boxes using plain paper.
12. Play Games
By games, I don’t mean video games or hide and seek. Unbox that UNO or Monopoly and compete as a family. We also like to fill crossword puzzles and Sudoku in the Sunday newspaper, and everyone contributes.
Card games, tic-tac-toe, and chess are also great options for creativity. They teach children to think outside the box and solve complicated problems. Most of all, they teach there is more than one way to do something.
Creative activities for kids in Kenya range from art classes to dance lessons and farming education at Adventure Farm. They can also explore creative fun at amusement parks and learn about science and space at Apollo Science Park.
The trick is to keep them busy with creative activities such as sensory bins, games, storybooks, scavenger hunts and art. Doing the activities with the child helps because they enjoy keeping their brains active and learning. Also, the fact that you are playing with them is the cherry on top of the cake. They simply can’t resist.
When it’s just mindless watching of shows and games, technology can hamper a child’s creativity because it’s mind-numbing. However, you can also use technology such as robotics, programming, storytelling, video editing, digital art and interactive learning to boost creativity.
