This blog compiles everything families need to explore Kampala with children — from playgrounds, parks, and pools to kid-friendly cafés, creative workshops, events, and even gentle pediatric care. Discover the best spots for fun, learning, and relaxation, all in one handy guide designed to make family life in the city easier, safer, and more enjoyable.

Kara Space
A beautiful kids’ area with attentive staff supervising at all times. Includes a trampoline, making it a safe and fun option for younger children.

Kardamon Café
A brand-new wooden playground in a lovely setting. Perfect to combine with the Saturday morning farmers market for a relaxed family outing.

Toza Play
A nursery during the week, but open to the public three days a week. Features a lush garden and a charming play area—great for calm, nature-filled playtime.

Usha Play
The biggest kids’ mall in town! Clothes, toys, and accessories downstairs, and on top a proper indoor playground with slides and climbing areas.

Oasis Mall
Lovely open-air play area with a trampoline, slides, and a bouncing castle. There’s also a comfortable space for parents to sit and work on a laptop.
💰 10k UGX for unlimited play.

Acacia Mall Cinema
The cinema has a small soft-play area for kids—easy to combine with weekly shopping or errands.

Kaiz Playville
A very clean and well-maintained indoor playground in Kampala. Reliable, safe, and great for rainy days.

Platia
A luxury food-court concept with both an outdoor wooden playground (featuring non-standard, creative toys) and an indoor play area. Known for themed activities and can be rented for birthday parties.

Afro Park
An amazing spot for kids and parents alike. The playground is vast and nicely separated from the restaurant, so kids can play freely and loudly. Open-air and relaxed.

Dancing Cup
A sandy playground with monkey bars (and real monkeys 🐒), swings, and slides—fun, casual, and adventurous.

The Surgery Uganda – A well-known international general practice and medical facility in Naguru, offering family and pediatric care as part of its services. They have several qualified pediatricians on staff, including Dr. Vidya Ganapathhiraju, a consultant in paediatrics & child health (available Tuesday–Thursday afternoons) who’s experienced with child consultations and care.

NSK Children’s Clinic (NSK Hospital) – Pediatric care including regular check-ups, immunizations, and consultations with Dr. Shinsha Shetty, known for her calm approach with children.

MFK Orthopedic & Paediatric Hospital (Muyenga) – Offers comprehensive pediatric services, with Dr. Frauke (MFK) leading pediatric health care.

Healing Way – Bugolobi – A calm, spa-like clinic in Bugolobi that’s especially child-friendly and less clinical in atmosphere. They offer gentle malaria testing using a simple finger-prick method — great for kids who don’t like needles. (Informal family recommendation; widely discussed among Kampala parents.)

Bahá’í House of Worship (Bahá’í Temple)
An open-to-the-public compound belonging to the Bahá’í community and one of the very few Bahá’í temples in Africa — absolutely worth a visit.
Beyond the temple itself, the gardens are vast, peaceful, and beautifully maintained. You can easily consider this a public park.
✔️ Free entry
✔️ Designated picnic areas on the grass
📸 On weekends, the grounds are often full of newly married couples doing wedding photo shoots — lovely atmosphere.

Canopy Gardens – Kasokoso
A wonderful, serene garden featuring a fish pond and perfectly shaped grassy areas. Ideal for picnics, quiet play, or just letting kids run around safely.

Sheraton Garden Park
A true insider tip. The Sheraton has a publicly accessible garden park that many people don’t know about.
✔️ Free entry
✔️ You can even use the hotel parking
✔️ No entrance fee and no questions at the gate
A great central green space for families who want a calm, well-kept environment.

In Kampala, most playgrounds are attached to restaurants, so some repetition is unavoidable. That said, I’ve also included a few newer restaurants that don’t have full playgrounds but do offer a small kids’ corner — maybe just a slide or a swing, but still enough to keep little ones busy while adults eat in peace. And honestly: sometimes that’s already a win.

Restaurants with Small Kids’ Corners

• Taj Mahal (on top of Forest Mall)
  Indian cuisine with a small kids’ area — not a full playground, but a welcome option when dining with children.

• Tamarai
  Thai cuisine with a simple kids’ corner. Minimal, but thoughtful and child-friendly.

• CJ
  All branches offer a very suitable kids menu and give coloring books and pens for free.

Bight of Benin
Every Sunday, Bite of Benin hosts pottery sessions for kids. Children can either choose a ready-made vase or cup and decorate it using professional coloring equipment. Creative, calm, and very hands-on.

Distrikt 24
Once a month, Distrikt 24 hosts a Sunday Family Day — and it’s completely free.
Expect:

• Bouncing castles

• Ice cream

• Cotton candy

• Lots of space to play

📅 Dates vary, so it’s best to check their Instagram for the next event.

Cinema – Acacia Mall
A classic and easy option for kids’ entertainment. Great to combine with shopping or lunch, especially on hot or rainy days.

Kara Space
Creative craft activities are always available and don’t require prior reservation.
Activities include:

• Canvas painting

• Jewellery making

Mtoto Playstore
Mostly Instagram-based (sometimes also at craft markets). Offers beautifully thought-through wooden toys designed for learning through play:

• Sensory toys

• Logic games

• Maths games
  Every item combines fun and education — your child may not even notice they’re learning! Highly recommended by parents and loved by children alike.

Doli Crafts
A talented Ugandan artisan crafting handmade dolls with diverse skin tones. Each doll comes with a set of clothes for dressing up. She handles everything herself, from crafting to marketing, ensuring high-quality, unique items.

• Perfect as gifts or birthday presents

• Price: ~55,000 UGX per doll-box

Cakes by CakesVillage 
Custom birthday cakes, muffins, and desserts for reasonable prices. Simply send a photo (Instagram or elsewhere), and she transforms it into reality.
📞 0752464491

Costume Closet
Sells and rents costumes for kids for all occasions. Very smooth experience — they deliver multiple sizes to try at home and pick up the ones you don’t choose.
📞 0761 830 555

Art Village

In front of the National Museum is a daily crafts market with handmade toys. The shops are arranged around a garden, so kids can run freely. 

Afropark
Family-friendly with a nice pool area and very good prices. Ideal for a relaxed, budget-friendly day out.

Speke Apartments Pool
Offers surprisingly cheap day passes for the pool. Perfect for a casual swim, followed by meals in the lovely fancy food court.

World Water Park
A well-equipped water park featuring: Big baby pool, Water slides, Wave pool, On-site restaurant