Please note: Products were available and the product information was correct at the time of publishing (November 2020). Also, products are subject to availability.
Toy Kingdom
Spoil your little ones with delightful gifts from the awesome land of Toy Kingdom. They have everything you... oops, we mean... Santa Claus will need to excite the kids this Christmas. And to ensure that shopping for the little ones is a breeze this year, take a look at Toadie's Festive Gift Guide 2020 here. The guide has tons of toys that your children will absolutely love, including the awesome LEGO® sets, assorted Hape educational toys for the littlest ones, Build-A-Bear cuties along with a wide range of beautiful accessories, Thomas & Friends and Dragons goodies, and much more. Click here to take a look at their gift guide now. Best of all, you can shop online, 24/7!
Toys R Us
This festive season, you can get your hands on a variety of awesome toys at Toys R Us. Be sure not to miss out on their Big Book of Wishes Gift Guide 2020, filled with a wide range of toys, games, goodies and more! There's something for all ages, ranging from garden and outdoor fun, sports and wheels, gaming and tech, preschool and infant toys to waterplay, workshop and building, dinosaurs, action figures, LEGO® sets, plushies, Barbies, and much more. The Big Book of Wishes deals will be available until 24 December 2020, so be sure to visit your closest Toys R Us branch or shop online on their website before time runs out!
Polly Potter's Toy Store
For educational toys, furniture, dress-up stuff, puzzles, and arts and crafts, Polly Potter's Toy Store will certainly have something special and unique for your little ones. A few of our favourites include the Deluxe Toolbelt Set, perfect if your little darling loves to tinker and 'build' around the house and let's not forget the cute Mermaid Blanket, because who doesn't want to be a mermaid? There's also a wide range of educational toys that'll help develop your child's skills, pretend play goodies to let your children's imaginations run wild, as well as arts and crafts and music toys that are sure to delight. Visit their online store and take a look at what else they have to offer.
Great Yellow Brick Company
Do your little ones have a love for LEGO®? Then why not take a look at what the Great Yellow Brick Company has to offer! From LEGO® filled advent calendars and exciting LEGO® building sets for both young and old, to LEGO® accessories and much more, you're bound to find the perfect gift here. There are also themed goodies including Star Wars™, Harry Potter™, Jurassic World™, Minions, Minecraft™, Powerful Girls™, Super Mario™, Unikitty!™, and many more! Best of all, you can order these sets and accessories online and have them delivered right to your door. Talk about easy shopping!
Makro
You can never go wrong with a bicycle! It's one of the key experiences we all go through while growing up: learning how to petal, learning how to steer, learning how to ride it without the training wheels. It's a must for all children. Also, it's great for improving their coordination and balance. And at Makro, they have a few kids' bicycles on promotion. For boys, girls, toddlers and older children, head to Makro and take your pick from their options. Also, be sure to take a look at their Kids Gifting Catalogue 2020 for more present ideas for the little ones.
Takealot.com
Takealot.com is known for having a wide range of products, which makes it the perfect place to do all of your festive Christmas gift shopping. They have plenty of toys for kids of all ages, ranging from active play and superhero action figurines; trading cards and LEGO® sets to board games, puzzles, Barbies and much more. Visit their app or website and get started on your Christmas gift shopping now.
Click here for more Christmas gift ideas!
Snap A Selfie!
Counting down to Black Friday (29 November, if you weren't aware), Eastgate Shopping Centre invite their customers to whip out their smart phones to snap a selfie! Take the perfect pic of yourself or a friend at the Eastgate emoji wall to stand the chance to win a R5000 gift card to spend at the mall on Black Friday. Be part of the Black Friday campaign at Eastgate by posting your selfie using #YellowIsTheNewBlack on Facebook during the month of November. Winners will be announced on Monday, 25 November 2019, so get snapping!
The Real Deal
Now for the real juicy deets on Black Friday at Eastgate. With over 300 tenants, Eastgate Shopping Centre is one of the largest malls located in the East of Johannesburg. First developed in 1979, this retail complex has been bringing shoppers the very best deals on homeware, fashion, toys, stationery, groceries and jewellery for 40 years. Eastgate is also the home of family entertainment, boasting an impressive Ster Kinekor IMAX theatre, The Fun Company, Hamleys Toy Store and an open air piazza where the kids can play. This Black Friday, Eastgate promises to deliver even greater discounts than in years before. While the centre can become overcrowded incredibly quickly on Black Friday, the deals are too good to miss out on. Here are some of the top retailers partaking in Black Friday at Eastgate Shopping Centre in 2019:
Checkers Hyper
Checkers was the first food retailer to introduce Black Friday in 2014. Thanks to their success the super-sale caught on, bringing massive discounts across the board to eager shoppers. Last year, Shoprite, Checkers and Checkers Hyper served 125 customers per second at their 1000 stores across the country. Checkers Hyper Eastgate is sure to hop on the Black Friday bandwagon, offering incredible prices on grocery items, household goods, appliances and more. Stocking up for the Christmas season just got a whole lot more affordable.
Details: Shop number U75B | (011) 601 5360/5387
Woolworths
Woolworths is the place to be at Eastgate this Black Friday. Covering two levels, this is a shopper's paradise, stocking trendy fashion staples, home decor items, kid's clothing, health food, yummy treats and Christmas decor for days. Woolies knows just how tough times are for consumers, offering great deals on their custom products on Black Friday. Treat yourself to a few of the finer delights in life by visiting Woolworths at Eastgate on Friday, 29 November 2019.
Details: Shop number L20B and U15B | (011) 677 4511
Toys R Us
Shopping for the kids' Christmas gifts can be a nightmare. Knock your holiday shopping out of the park over Black Friday at Toys R Us Eastgate. From the latest LEGO sets to board games, plushies and dolls, Toys R Us has everything your child could possibly want for Christmas. Get there early!
Details: Shop number U 28A | 087 234 8531/087 234 8697
Sunglass Hut
Summer is well on its way! Gift yourself with a stylish pair of designer sunglasses from Sunglass Hut. Whether you prefer wide, round or skinny frames, there is a pair of perfect sunnies for everyone here. The best part? You can look beach ready for a fraction of the price thanks to Black Friday! See you there.
Details: Shop number U121 | (011) 615 1575
Total Sports
For the sports fanatics and gym bunnies out there, check out Total Sports' massive Black Friday deals on athleisure wear, sports equipment and fitness tech. Kit yourself out in the best track and yoga wear, complete with fitness trackers, BPA-free water bottles and the most comfy shoes designed to help you achieve your best. It's never too late in the year to tackle your goals, so don't miss out on these awesome specials at Total Sports Eastgate.
Details: Shop number L23 | (011) 621 8941/2
Click here for our comprehensive guide to Black Friday in Johannesburg.
For More Information
Visit Eastgate's website for more information, or follow their social media pages:
Facebook - facebook.com/eastgateshoppingcenter
Twitter - twitter.com/Eastgateshops
Instagram - instagram.com/eastgateshoppingcentre
Details: 43 Bradford Rd, Bedfordview, Johannesburg | +27 (11) 479 6000 | [email protected]
Oobleck
Named after the Dr Seuss book, this non-Newtonian fluid is a mixture of cornflour and water. Simply mix one part water with two parts cornflour and add a drop of food colouring for effect. Non-Newtonian fluids don't follow Newton's law of Viscosity and have the properties of both liquid and solids. When left alone, this corn flour mixture will act like any liquid, but also like a solid when pressure is applied. Kids will have a blast pinching and squeezing this mixture and watching it run down their hands. Luckily, corn flour is easy to clean up. Check out Housing a Forest to learn how to make your Oobleck dance.
Crystal Ball
By mixing equal parts hot water with Epsom salts and food colouring, you can grow your own crystals. For something a bit more interesting, you can form shapes out of pipe cleaners and put them in this solution to make a crystal in that shape. This is a good way to start teaching your kids about the structures of elements and how a solid can dissolve into a liquid. For other crystal recipes, look at this blog by Kidz World.
Jack And The Bean Stalk
A great way to teach children about food supply is to have them grow it themselves. Simply get some beans or popcorn seeds, cover them in cotton wool and keep the cotton wool slightly wet until roots start to form. When the roots are long enough, move the seeds to a pot of soil, keep the soil moist and soon there may be a few bean stalks. This project has the added benefit of teaching those little ones responsibility, because they will have to look after something everyday. Find out how to do this experiment on Science Sparks.
Broken Telephone
Teach children all about sound waves with this experiment. At least two participants are needed so it works well for multiple children or for some one-on-one parent-child bonding time. Simply get two paper cups, poke a hole in the bottom of both cups, get a long piece of string. Put the ends of the string into the cup and tie a knot to keep it in place. Then each person needs to take one cup, walk a distance away and then let the phone call commence. Sciencing explains the science behind this experiment.
Rainbow Colours
Liquid density can be a really awesome learning curve for little minds, especially when it involves a multitude of colours. This experiment results in a rainbow of floating liquids that can be quite beautiful. It is simply pouring different coloured liquids of different densities onto one another. Easy Science for Kids explains everything you need for this experiment. Something else you can do is to pour oil over water, let the kids see how the oil floats, and then add a squirt of dish soap and stir the mixture, the oil will form little blobs in the water instead of floating above it.
Potato Power
Using potatoes to power a clock, you can teach your kids about energy and how energy transforms. This experiment involves connecting wires to potatoes using copper. The wires are then connected to an electronic device, such as a LED clock to power it up. You can add to this experiment by using boiled potatoes instead of raw and by trying out other vegetables and comparing your findings. Check out Ups Battery Center for more information.
Let There Be Light
Let the kids create their own rainbow using a plastic container filled with some water, a mirror and a white card. On a sunny day, put the mirror in the water at an angle that catches the light, hold the card in front of the mirror and move it around until you can see the rainbow. With this experiment, you can teach your children all about light refraction and how light consists of different colours. Look at Science Wows to learn more about this experiment and to see some other light experiments.
Volcanic Eruption
There is not much that kids enjoy more than a messy explosion of some sort. So a great way to get them interested about science is to create just that. As mentioned, this experiment can get messy so we recommend doing it outside. You can cause an eruption by mixing vinegar, dish soap and bicarbonate of soda together. Add some red and yellow food colouring to make it look like a real volcano. Mix these ingredients in a jar and put it in a mound of dirt for a life-like volcanic eruption. With this experiment, kids can learn about both chemistry and how pressure builds in an actual volcano. Science Bob will give you the details for this experiment as well as some ways to vary it for different results.
You can purchase science experiment kits for some of these and other experiments at Takealot, Toys R Us, Mylab and Experilab.
Toy Zone
This specialist mega toy store (yes, mega) stocks everything your child would ever dream of playing with. In the boy's zone is an array of cars and action figures. Meanwhile, doll houses and karaoke sets can be found in the girl's zone. They also have a family zone and cyber zone with board games, TV and computer games, puzzles and so much more. They have numerous stores in Gauteng. Click here to find your nearest store.
The Toy Factory Shop
The Toy Factory Shop, as the name suggests, is a factory shop fully dedicated to the play needs of little ones. Branded toys from Barbie to Ben 10 and Disney can be found here. Not to mention a huge variety of iPod docks and electric scooters. They really have everything a youngster could want and it’s all far cheaper than commercial toy shops. The owner further assures us that the products are not damaged or imperfect in any way. The stock is all end-of-range and new. This means you get great toys at a considerably better price. You can thank us later.
Polly Potter's
Polly Potter's is a family fun business. Their toys are divided into age, gender, pretend play, arts and crafts, educational, puzzles, wooden toys, wheels and other. This way you are given a range that caters to your kids' specific toy needs. Polly Potter's also offers online shopping for your convenience.
Toys R Us
Toys R Us, well-known and trusted retailer available nationwide, offers a wide range of toy options in their different categories. They also frequently post hot deals and specials on their website. Be prepared, your kids won't want to leave the store once inside.
Babies R Us
Babies R Us is a division of Toys R Us, which specialises in merchandise and toys for babies and toddlers. You get everything from walkers and strollers, to soft rattle toys and wooden building blocks – just in case you have a little architect on your hands.
Hamleys
Founded by William Hamley in 1760, Hamleys has a reputation for delivering only the finest quality toys for kids. Their stores are a child's paradise, offering wish fulfillment deluxe. The store is also well known internationally and its branches in South Africa can be found in Johannesburg and Cape Town. Splurge on your kids in this wonderland.
Toy Kingdom
Toy Kindgom describe their stores as fantasy wonderlands. With every item your prince and princess could ever want under their roof, they're exactly that. Take a browse through Baby Boulevard (with items for 0–24-month-old's), girls and boys sections, Lego Lane, Barbie House, Princess Place and Soldier Street. Every one of their five stores is unique. We encourage you to visit each spot to find the one you – and your little one – love most.
Toy Adventures - Pretoria
What started as a small family-run store in 2009 selling only Lego, has now grown into three well-loved toy stores in Pretoria and Centurion. Toy Adventures' focus is on quality toys that give good value for money. They stokc all major brands including Lego, Playmobil, Top Model, Burago and many more. They’ve since expanded into e-commerce, stocking over 6000 products. Check out their online store, as they offer free door-to-door delivery for orders over R499. Find them at Byls Bridge Promenade in Centurion, and Grove Mall and Irene Village Mall in Pretoria.
Remember that our "Top Picks" are not paid for and are compiled at the discretion of the journalist. We only write about what we love.