Skimming Stones | Sula's Blog | Sula1968 A South African poet, potter and mother
Update 2017 – I believe that the KZN science center has moved to the old Durban Airport
When the weather turns foul it is really tough to find things for kids to do. Being cooped up indoors with children is not fun, particularly when on holiday. We are in Durban for the school holidays. Winter can be the best time to visit, a break from frosty Jo’burg mornings is lovely. This time the rain arrived the day after we did.
After scratching for ideas, we visited the KZN Science Centre at Gateway Mall in Umhlanga. The interactive displays teaching basic scientific principals were fun and interesting.
I was a bit disappointed to see that at least 4 displays were broken. I would have been particularly interested to see how the Jacobs ladder works.
There is also a large area where children can build constructions with foam bricks.
I’m not sure if it’s a permanent feature but outside the centre was a sort of inflatable planetarium. We lay on mats on the floor looking up at a show which was projected onto the black dome ceiling. A great idea and a good show but a bit of a squash and a squeeze. I found it difficult to hear over the mall drone outside.
All in all it was a well priced good rainy day outing. My personal feeling is that if it were housed somewhere other than in a mall, it would be better. The rent at Gateway must be insane. At a less costly venue maybe there would be more money for maintenance and maybe extra staff could be employed to monitor that the displays are not mistreated. It is good but it could be better.