“THIS IS THE MOST FUN I’VE EVER HAD IN MY WHOLE LIFE!” my seven year old guest shouted with sheer joy as she jumped barefoot in a shallow, muddy puddle along the Sand River. We had wandered down a game path to a series of small puddles, rocks and wet sand looking for good tracks to mold, however, the temptation of the puddles was too great. The first kid threw a stone; “plop”. The second kid tossed a stick; “splash”. Then a third jumped in himself. Everyone laughed. Then they all started jumping in the puddles, shrieking and laughing with delight.

Londolozi Private Game Reserve Cub’s Den involves a variety of kids activities where guides spend dedicated time between game drives taking kids out molding animal tracks, climbing trees, fishing and being out in nature. It had been on one such outing while guiding at Londolozi, that I took a group of small children down to a safe and open section of the Sand River looking for animal tracks to create molds using Plaster of Paris. The kids were all city folk who didn’t get outside too much and they had the most joyous time. 

It is a moment of my guiding career that has really stuck with me. Witnessing children in their absolute element during the simplest of activities - no screens, toys, inputs, just a puddle of water and the space to be a kid. There is such a sense of freedom, adventure and space on safari. The feeling that anything and everything is possible and this instills a sense of magic and deep awe in the natural world. We often get asked if guests should go on safari with their kids. And our answer is YES - with the same fervour of my seven-year-old guest - they absolutely should. There is hard data showing the benefits of being in nature, how it supports our nervous systems, helps regulate emotions and for kids there is an additional advantage of meaningful learning that no books or time at school can teach. Immersing children in wilderness and teaching them about the land and the animals instills a love and respect for the natural world, and hopefully a higher inclination to protect it. Ultimately, for kids, it is also just a huge, and I mean huge, amount of fun!

My daughter Erin is two-years old now and I am continually awed by her way of being in nature. It is ingrained into our DNA, to exist in the natural world. Feet on the soil, hands in the sand. We are fortunate as a family to live close to nature, but still, her ability at this age to recognise different species of bird songs and identify different antelope amazes me. Recently, she has started pointing at things saying, “Wow mama, it’s beautiful!”, which melts my heart as it comes from such a genuine place of innocence, fascination and connection. Watching her, it feels like we unlearn our place in the world as we grow up and become more “human”. Kids have it right a lot of the time - watch the butterfly, draw in the sand, listen to the bird, jump in the puddle.

So how does a family safari actually work?

Most family-friendly camps welcome children from 6 years old but each lodge has different options. There are multiple ways to enjoy a safari with kids of all ages; from private villas or homesteads which suit multigenerational families, to private vehicles, dedicated kids club activities and babysitting services (while you go out on game drive!). If you are thinking of a family safari with small children, take a browse through our top choices of family-friendly camps HERE, reach out to us and we can help you plan a magical experience.

Written by Andrea Fitzpatrick