Fifty-plus and counting

The things they'll
tell you about first

Fifteen of the fifty-plus, by their real names. No child has ever come home and said "we did the obstacle course."

Children playing in the shallow pool under the mushroom fountain, the slide tower behind them

Water

Waterpark

Slide tower, splash pool and bungee trampoline, lifeguards on duty

Night

Fire Show

Live fire performance, every single camp

Campers reach out to touch a small crocodile held by the handler during the reptile show

Wild

Reptile Educational Show

Live snakes and a small croc, close enough to touch

Indoor

Escape Room

Forty minutes, one locked room, no phones

A girl chest-deep in the muddy water trench under the cargo net, splashing and smiling

Land

Obstacle Course

Under the cargo net, through the mud, out red

Campers in blankets on foam mattresses spread across open ground, a fire burning under an orange sky

Night

Camp Out

One night out under the stars, fire and all

Campers with fists raised standing in and around a blue boat in the bush, two counsellors alongside

Team

Puzzle Island

Team puzzles in a bush clearing, solved together

Blindfolded children laughing together while holding a guide rope among winter trees

Bush

Sensory Trail

Blindfolds on, hands on shoulders, trust the line

Teenagers at the railing of the hilltop lookout platform, the sun low over a hazy valley

Bush

Simba's View Hike

Golden-hour walk up to the lookout over the valley

Land

Contest of Champions

Archery, obstacle course, cabin versus cabin

An elephant beside the track as campers watch from an open Sundown Safaris game-drive vehicle, a lake and hills behind

Wild

Big 5 Game Drive

Pilanesberg, open vehicle. Optional, extra cost

Land

Mountain Biking

Bush single-track, helmets, counsellor-led

Arts

Arts & Crafts

Tie-dye, friendship bracelets, poi making

Land

Forge a Nation

Build a country: flag, anthem, laws

Night

Carnival Night of Wonders

The big themed evening. Costumes encouraged

The longer list

By day,
by night

There are more than fifty, and not all of them fit on a card. Every name below comes from our own schedules and activity lists. Some happen on every camp; the rest change with the week's theme. This is the shape of it.

By day

Land, water and making things - most days have all three.

Contest of Champions - archery and challenges, cabin against cabin. The rivalry starts here and does not let up all week.
Reptile Educational Show - a visiting handler brings live snakes and a small crocodile onto the lawn, close enough to touch.
Puzzle Island - team puzzles in a bush clearing, solved together.
Sensory Trail - blindfolds on, hands on the shoulders in front, trust the line.
Forge a Nation - teams build a country: flag, anthem, laws. Quietly the most educational hour here.
Obstacle course - under the cargo net, through the mud, out the other side red.
Mountain biking - bush single-track, helmets on, counsellor-led.
Quad biking - on the camp's own track.
Golden Hour Simba's View Hike - a late-afternoon walk through the reserve.
Waterpark - slide tower and splash pool, lifeguarded. Lazy slide, jump slide, and the bit they phone you about.
Raft Building & Aqua Games - shelter making, raft building, then straight into the water to test it.
Escape Room - forty minutes, one locked room, no phones.
Arts & Crafts - tie-dye, friendship bracelets, poi making.
Revitalizer - showers, clean clothes, a breather. The one calm hour of the day.

By night

Nothing at Wildside ends at dinner.

Campfire Tales & Ballads - around the boma fire. Songs, stories, and the beginning of the homesickness cure.
The Fire Show - a live fire performance at 20:00. Every camp, every time.
Carnival Night of Wonders - the big themed evening. Costumes strongly encouraged.
Camp Out - one night sleeping out under the stars, mattresses around the fire.
S'mores Galore - marshmallows, chocolate, biscuits, fire.
Karaoke - nobody is too cool for it by day three.
Star talks - the night sky over the bush, explained.
Lights out at 22:00, with counsellors on night duty nearby and checking in through the night. Nobody is ever alone.

Campers sitting on the grass under a rainbow parachute during a group game — Group games

Campers at the arts and crafts table with a counsellor at Camp Wildside — Arts & Crafts

A camper coming down the blue waterpark slide in a spray of water — The waterpark

Campers reach out to touch a snake held by the reptile handler on the lawn — Reptile Educational Show

Add-ons

Optional extras

Two trips off the property that parents ask about, and transport to get here. Each is priced separately, and nothing is added to the camp fee unless you choose it.

Pilanesberg Big 5 game drive

An open-vehicle game drive through the Pilanesberg - Big 5 country, right on our doorstep.

Sun City day trip

Sun City is about 12 km from camp, and a day there can be added to any camp.

Transport

The Sandton coach with our counsellors on board, or collection at Lanseria airport - ask us about either when you book.

December dates & prices →

For the parent reading this at 11pm

Safety,
in short

The full policy has its own page. These are the four things parents ask about the activities first.

Before they go near a slide

Qualified lifeguards and EFR First Aid Responders supervise every water activity - in the water and on the side.
Every camper takes a three-part swim test on arrival. A child who cannot swim well enough by our standards wears a life jacket, provided by us, at every water activity.
Trained counsellors supervise the children 24 hours a day, and every counsellor is Level 1 First Aid certified.
A fully stocked infirmary on site, staffed by Level 3 First Aiders for the whole camp. A public hospital is five minutes away.

The full safety page →

Parents ask

Three questions
about the activities

If yours isn't here, WhatsApp us on 083 654 2784 or 064 916 7877. A person answers.

How do you keep children safe in the water?

Every water activity is supervised by qualified lifeguards and EFR First Aid Responders, in the water and on the side. Every camper takes a three-part swim test on arrival. A child who cannot swim well enough by our standards wears a life jacket, provided by us, at every water activity. Nobody swims unpaired, and three whistles means everyone leaves the water and finds their buddy.

How is supervision handled?

Trained counsellors supervise the children 24 hours a day. Our core safety rule is that no two people are ever alone together - not two children, and not a child and a counsellor. If a camper needs to return to their cabin, at least two others go with them. Every counsellor is Level 1 First Aid certified and completes an apprenticeship before qualifying.

What should my child pack?

A day bag is compulsory and gets checked by counsellors - sunscreen, a refillable water bottle and a hat live in it.

Clothes for hot days and cold evenings, plus more than you think for water days
Two swimming costumes, a towel and closed shoes that can get wet
Closed walking shoes, a warm top and a raincoat
Toiletries, any medication clearly labelled, and a torch
Nothing valuable - phones and valuables are collected and locked on arrival, and returned at departure

All the questions parents ask →

Book a place

Talk to a human

Most parents would rather send a WhatsApp than fill in a form at 11pm. So that's the front door.

For my own child

Tell us your child's age and which week you're looking at. We'll come back with availability, the full kit list and anything else you want to know.

WhatsApp 083 654 2784 WhatsApp 064 916 7877 Call 072 600 2996

Fifty-plus camp activities in the bush