It’s early summer and the start of tourist season in Cape Town, Africa’s Mother City. If you’re heading this way, you’ll be spoiled for child-friendly adventure. Cape Town is a great family holiday spot. But for those of us who travel with fickle toddlers and preschoolers, choosing a day trip is not as simple as flipping through a pamphlet.

Cape Town’s most popular tourist attraction, for instance, is a very steep, surprisingly swift cable car ride to the summit of Table Mountain. The cable car spins as it ascends and the mountaintop is just that: a precipitous drop on all sides. Imagine your preschooler face-down, screaming on cable car floor. Picture your toddler squirming for a better view of the teeny tiny cars all the way down there. Feasible? Yes. Fun? Not really.

Here are five more harmonious day-trip for families with kids under five.

1.  The Beach
Cape Town is surrounded by beaches and no visit would be complete without a dip in the sea. But summertime brings throngs of tourists to the downtown beaches as well as notorious Cape winds that can whip small sand dunes into your sandwich and frothy waves over a toddler’s head.

For more sunning and less whining, try Little Bay on the Atlantic coast, just north of Cape Town in Blouberg. Although the area is windy – note the surfer population – Little Bay is sheltered and relatively warm. Tidal pools and a playground will keep small children amused and away from open water. Another good one is Fish Hoek Beach around the Cape on south coast. Very popular with families, both local and visiting, Fish Hoek has wide white sands and balmy water. There’s a playground here too – and plenty of seaside ice cream.

2.  Two Oceans Aquarium
Located in the heart Cape Town’s tourist district, the aquarium can be a crowded, hectic place. But it’s worth it: the exhibits are world-class. My own kids are enthralled by the sharks, the “Finding Nemo” clown fish and the waving claws of giant crustaceans. Tactile toddlers can feel slimy seaweed and delicate starfish. There’s also an activity center for fishy crafts and puppet shows. The aquarium is well-equipped with baby-change stations, stroller rentals and a kid-friendly cafe (with a fully enclosed indoor playground).

3.  Penguins at Boulders Beach
This destination is on every tourist brochure – and it’s perfect for the under-5s. South of Cape Town, along the shore of False Bay is Simon’s Town, home to a natural colony of African penguins. The birds inhabit the rocks and sand around Boulders Beach. You can view them from boardwalks, which were established to protect the penguins and the environment (and are wide enough for strollers) or you can head straight for the beach, set up a picnic, and wade into the ocean with these charismatic little birds.

4.  Butterfly World
Goats, giant bugs, and cotton candy. Take a deep breath, maneuver the kids past the snacks, and enter the atrium. You’ll meet hundreds of free-flying tropical butterflies, as well as swinging marmosets and lounging iguanas. Started by a zoologist, Butterfly World and its inhabitants are maintained with care. The surrounding grounds team with chickens, ducks and other farm life. There’s decent cafe and yes, lots of sweet, sticky treats.

5.  Giraffe House
Kids love Africa’s animals but taking toddlers on safari requires parental endurance beyond the scope of “vacation”. Giraffe House is a great compromise. This is not a zoo, staff will tell you, it’s a wildlife awareness center. The focus is on education, and the animals roam in very large enclosures, not cages.

Bring walking shoes or a sturdy stroller, then greet the zebras, hippos, crocs, a spectacular array of birds and, of course, giraffes. Snacks are available or bring your own picnic. Jungle gyms and a jumping castle will burn off any remaining toddler energy.

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