A world of wonder has emerged at Hazendal Wine Estate. Wonderdal Edutainment Centre is a one-of-a-kind, state-of-the-art educational experience for children ages 5 to 13. A first in Africa, children will explore a wonderland led by the little guardians of Wonderdal, the colourful and lively Amuki. 

Wonderdal takes a holistic and unique approach to children’s education and entertainment. It combines high-tech and virtual reality games with creative interior design, interactive work and play areas to teach children about subjects from the South African National Schools’ Curriculum with a focus on Natural Sciences and Life Skills. It also develops children’s, fine and gross motor skills, as well as problem solving, critical and creative thinking skills. 

Helpful and friendly Wonderdal Staff.

The Amuki lead the young trailblazers through an awe-inspiring journey of discovery starting at Kora’s Gate, the entrance to Wonderdal. As they pass through the gate, they will meet their Amuki guide by activating their magical bracelet. A wondrous journey is about to start…

The magnificent Kora, the Tree of Light, which grows in the middle of Wonderdal, towers  . By playing a physical hand-cycling game to generate motion energy, . They can also climb through the trunk of Kora to play on her branches. 

A child enjoying The Tree of Light.

Next stop is the Tinker Workshop. The Workshop, sheltered by Tinker Trees. Learners can experiment with different kinds of energy and engage in tinkering activities. The Wind Tunnel gives learners the opportunity to play engineer and explore the aerodynamics of their own designs.

From the Tinker Workshop they will travel to the Wonder Garden, where learners will encounter a fully immersive digital landscape that provides a fantastical experience of how plants grow. Learners can play gardener and grow different imaginary plant types. They can choose which one to nurture and grow it from a seed or sapling to a fully fruited plant in a matter of minutes. 

From growing food to preparing meals in the virtual Health Kitchen, the explorers will have to cook a meal for their Amuki friend, using basic processing methods like chopping, frying and blending. The Amuki provide feedback and teach their human friends how to create a balanced meal. 

The Story Cave at Wonderdal.

In the cosy nooks of the Story Cave, children can have a break from the buzzing activity of Wonderdal. They can listen to educational audio stories on the adventures of the Amuki or spend some time immersing themselves in the many books in the Wonderdal library. 

Beyond Wonderdal the last of the adventures awaits: The Wildlands. Here children can stretch their legs in the innovative outdoor play area and engage in various thrilling physical activities while stimulating gross motor skills development. 

During weekends and school holidays Wonderdal will be open to families and during school terms to schools to offer an exceptional educational outing experience. Wonderdal has developed special pre-visit and on-site teacher packs that teachers can either use in one of the Wonderdal classrooms or at school to further engage with the children and create conversations around the topics that the kids will or have learnt during their wondrous journey through Wonderdal.

Contact: 021 205 5624

Address: Hazendal Wine Estate, Bottelary Road, Stellenbosch

Website: www.wonderdal.co.za

Article written by

We love this place! Cape Town Etc features news, reviews, entertainment and lifestyle in the Mother City.