Play Matters Playschool

Get to know our founder, Sarah:

“I am passionate about early childhood development and believe these years are so crucial in laying the foundation for the rest of our lives. My passion extends to young families and seeing them flourish with joy and thriving children. I am a mom of three, and my youngest is currently part of the Play Matters class. I created Play Matters as I couldn’t find what I was looking for when my middle child was two, and saw a need that I was able to meet. I have loved growing Play Matters into a truly special place where parents can be confident that their child is receiving nurturing care and having the most enriching play experiences.
As an OT, I make sure that each activity, piece of equipment and moment of our morning provides opportunities for deep and meaningful play, which is where the magic of learning happens in children. I understand their developmental needs and our programme is structured accordingly.
I think that teacher Taryn and I make a great team!”

We love celebrating BOOKS! At Play Matters we have no shortage of books, and we regularly have story time throughout the morning. Books are such a foundational part of learning- bringing to life imagination, knowledge, literacy and more! 📚 ❤️

Our little friends each brought a book from home to share with their friends, and some dressed up or brought a prop to match their book. ❤️

We have a space available for a 2 or 3 year old to join our homely playschool in Sunningdale. Feel free to contact us to find out more. Sarah 0825683443

Get to know Teacher Taryn…

“I have always loved children and I have a B.Ed degree. I joined Play Matters in 2025 and before that I ran my own playschool since 2022. and over the years had all of my nieces and nephews come through my doors, along with many other very special children along the way.

Working with little people is the most rewarding path I could have chosen and I still learn something new every day and get fresh ideas for fun in the classroom. I also work as an instructor at a learning centre and tutor so I get to encourage and support older learners too. I enjoy yoga and pilates and long walks in nature.

I look forward to my mornings with my little ones at Play Matters and feel so blessed to have found a playschool that focuses on what matters most.”

Teacher Taryn brings a calm, gentle and experienced approach into our playschool and the children just love to learn and play with her.

We are a small, home-based playschool in Sunningdale, Cape Town. Open for mornings only, we provide a relaxed and homely environment for little ones aged 2-4 (sometimes they stay until they’re 5).
We believe in PLAY as the golden standard for all foundational learning and we curate an abundance of opportunities for all types of play. Our gentle, nurturing, qualified teachers bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to each individual child. We love to see little ones flourish and grow in this very important stage of life. Contact us if you’d like to know more.

Totally agree with this and why we do the things we do. I can not understand ECD centres choosing not to have plenty of outdoor play equipment and opportunities to MOVE. Climbing, swinging, crawling, messing, all of it is so much more important than learning to write their name or count to 10. Get them outside and get them moving. It’s purposeful and it MATTERS! ❤️

We need to stop asking if a four year old can write their name and start asking if they can climb a tree or hang from the monkey bars. I know it sounds counterintuitive, especially when we are bombarded with the idea that academic success starts with a workbook, but the science of child development tells a very different story.

I see it so often. A child is struggling with handwriting, not because they do not know the letters, but because they do not have the core strength to sit upright at a desk or the shoulder stability to move a pencil across a page. A worksheet is a 2D solution to a 3D problem. If the foundations of the body are not strong, the fine motor skills will always struggle to follow.

When we push children into academic tasks before their bodies are physically ready, we are not giving them a head start. We are actually setting them up for a lifetime of physical fatigue and frustration. If a child has to use all their energy just to keep their body from slumping over, they have no mental energy left for learning.

Our educators know this. When they choose a morning of climbing, digging in the mud, or navigating an obstacle course, they are doing the deep, essential work of school readiness. They are building the core, the grip strength, and the visual tracking skills that will eventually make reading and writing feel easy.

Educators, what is the one thing you wish parents understood about the importance of play over paperwork?

Parents, what is your biggest worry when it becomes to your child being ready for school?

What a busy week learning all about Our Feelings. We ended off the week with Love Day!

STOP telling kids they are going to get sick when they go outside!

The biggest lies we’ve convinced ourselves to believe is that going outside in the cold is what makes us sick.

Fresh air helps their immune systems, resets moods, and burns energy! Our kids need that. We need that.

So bundle them up.
Double up the socks, zip the snowsuit, and slap on that hat they’ll rip off five minutes later anyway. Then go outside.

The cold won’t make them sick. But keeping them cooped up just might.

2026 registrations are still open and we have 1 more space left in our lovely little group. If you’re looking for a nurturing homely environment for your little one’s first playschool- get in touch and we’ll show you around. 🌺 Half day playschool in Sunningdale. Sarah- 0825683443