Sturdy Steps Home- based Play Group

FAMILY MEET UP ❤️ 💙

On Saturday we had the perfect weather for our little party hosted by one of our amazing parents.

Thank you to everyone who attended- it felt so incredible to see the children and parents having a wonderful time.

Till the next one... 🫶🫶🫶

OLD MAC DONALD HAD A FARM

We've been baaing and mooing and clucking all week. This theme is always such a hit and every child has glowed when singing along to farm animal songs with us 🎶 Check out our awesome farm animal themed art and our little theme table set up.

I CAN BUY MYSELF FLOWERS 💐

We have been learning about flowers, plants, seeds and how to look after our Earth and it's flowers 🌹♥️
We've made flowers and added seeds to them, planted in the garden and danced to flower songs 🤩🥳

We've been learning about water and how our plants and flowers need water just like we do to survive. We've learned to turn the tap off if we're not using it as well as how rain water can provide us with water for our plants 🌿🌵🪴☘️🌱

WHAT A PARTY 🥳 🐰

Easter is around the corner and what a great time it was to go on a hunt for Easter eggs 🥚 🐣

Thanks so much to Blissful food truck, who helped us bring our Easter dreams to life!!

And thanks to the amazing parents who were ready with their rain gear to have fun regardless the weather 🤗

Please please book early to secure your space 🐣🐰 Looking forward to celebrating with you all Sturdy Steps Home- based Play Group 🌈

Happy Friendship Day to all ❤🥰

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JANUARY 2023 🌸

We have begun our year- fresh, happy and ready to face the world 🌎
I love all the cute little new faces and am thrilled to still have a few from last year. We are so proud of everyone for settling so nicely ❤ Here's to a fun-filled year ahead 😀

TWINNING ♡

We finally got our shot with our twins of 2022 🥳🥳 It's been such an honor to teach them and we will miss all of them next year!

















#2022

HAPPY HALLOWEEN 🎃

Sturdy Steppers and their buddies came for a little Halloween party 👻 and they had they most incredible time 🥳

Thanks to our lovely parents for participating and making it a special day for them 🙏

STURDY STEPS DAYCARE LOADING...

Since posting last about our looking for more premises we've had lots of chats about what we're up to and where we're going ⭐🌈

So for now we can tell you the following:

⭐We are opening Sturdy Steps Daycare in Gardens area
⭐We are going to run from 7.30am-12pm, with aftercare options up until 5pm.
⭐ Our new premises will have a secure and warm indoor space as well as a lovely shady garden outdoors
⭐Meals included are an option at our daycare
⭐Ages 4months+
⭐We have spaces available for 2023
⭐Contact us via Whatsapp for more information 076 290 7905

We are looking to EXPAND 🥳

Happy Monday!! We are looking to expand and are therefore looking for premises 👏🙏 Please would all you clever parents let us know if you hear of anything in the area that might be suitable for us ⭐ Also any great commercial leases up for grabs please let us know 🤗

Watch this space for our upcoming expansion
🥳🥳🥳

Enrollments now open for 2023!!

Spaces are very limited at this point so book soon to avoid disappointment 🥳

Our play school is a structured yet relaxed setting and our curriculum is child- centered and all about learning through play. Please contact Sallee for more info on Whatsapp 076 290 7905. 🌈💙⭐

Sturdy Steps Home- based Play Group updated their address.

FRUITS, VEGETABLES AND THE PLANTS THEY COME FROM 🌱🍍🥑🍒
















For the past 2 weeks we have focused on Fruits, vegetables and the plants they come from. They've enjoyed it all especially the tasting of fruits and veg 😍🤣❣

We celebrated WORLD BEE DAY and everyone had the best day 🐝 💛















🐝

COLOURS & NUMBERS 💙💚🧡❤💛

Our theme over the past 2 weeks has been colours and number. It's such a fun and exciting theme and although we focus on shapes, colours and numbers daily, it's an exciting and never ending theme that you can just run wild with 🥳

WELCOME TO OUR NEW SPACE 🥳💫

We've begun our year in our bright, fresh new space and it almost feels as though I'm floating on a cloud ☁️
Our classroom is spacious, yet cozy at the same time. We have so much space to play and learn 👏
It feels like a dream come true and I'm so grateful for our new happy space 🌈💙🦋

A little late (with it already being February 😆) but may it be a happy and successful year for all our play school babies and their families!

Watch this space for our upcoming themes and activities ✨

'TIS THE SEASON 🎄🎅🎁🦌

We've been so quiet due to the busy end of year rush and madness, as well as packing up the last of our old space. But we are ready to move onwards and upwards and elated to be starting 2022 in style 😎 😀 👌

We've thoroughly enjoyed our Xmas art and crafts as well as all our songs and rhymes we've sung. Although tired, our little Sturdy Steppers have trooped and danced until the end. They know how to party right 🤣🥳

Wishing our families a beautiful Xmas/ Hanukkah and a happy New Year. Thank you for all your endless support and inspiration.

See you in 2022 🥳🥳💫💫🦸‍♀️🦸‍♀️

Yes yes yes 🙌💞

Let's be clear: Respectful parenting is NOT permissive parenting.

❌Permissive parenting = no rules/structure, indulgent = well, sheer chaos🌪️

❌Authoritarian parenting: enforces good behavior with threats, shaming, punishment, less parental warmth = an increase in worsening behavior over time + depression later in life

We are OUT with the old school way of parenting: children being seen not heard, blind obedience, listening to authority OR ELSE. This often leads to 1 of 2 outcomes: a child so compliant they grow into a compliant/people pleasing adult who blindly follows orders, someone who pushes their own needs down OR a child who learns to hide mistakes from their parents, someone whose instinct is to hide their feelings, problems, + true selves from loved ones.

The Latin root of the word discipline means "to teach." How do children/people learn best? Well, think back to the worst teacher/boss you've had. On your case ALL day, pointing out EVERYTHING you did wrong. You’re there to follow the commands + shut your mouth.

Were you motivated? Did you learn/ grow? Nope, you showed up, did bare minimum + couldn't wait to leave.

Now, think of the best teacher/boss you've had. Level headed, calm, CONFIDENT in their leadership. They took charge, but you felt safe knowing they'd lead you in the right direction. They made you feel heard + invested time into you.

So, think of yourself as the calm, confident leader of your home.🏡Someone who:

✅ Leads by example, set the tone
You’re strong + supportive. A boss who leads with confidence, even in times of stress, makes their employees, aka family, feel safe.

✅Makes the big decisions
You confidently decide and enforce when it’s time for a nap, what’s for dinner, and when it’s time to leave the park.

✅Collaborates
You choose the big stuff BUT you empower your toddler with age-appropriate power, eg choosing which pair of shoes they want.

✅Speaks with calm confidence
Resist the urge to meet chaos with chaos. Let your calm be contagious.

✨Struggling with discipline in a way that works + protects their self esteem? Tantrums + all things toddler? Our course is here to help! For parents with kids aged 1-6. Link in bio.✨

Today we got our Sturdy Steps Home- based Play Group Vredehoek art t-shirts 🥰💃😍 how exciting?! Everyone loved putting on their special rainbow t-shirts and we could totally relax knowing their clothes were protected during messy play and art time 🌈 Art was also specifically extra messy today 😅😍 with us using fruit and veg 'waste' to paint.

🚚🙌🚚 WE'RE MOVING!! 🚛🙌🚛

Yup- you heard right 😍 We are thrilled to announce on World Teacher's Day that we are moving on up! We have been planning our big move for a little while and have been so excited to announce we are moving just a short 2km's away from our current venue!!

Our space for 2022 is an upgrade of note! We have a secure, private, clean and spacious new play school space 😍🙏🥰 I'm so proud of where I've come as a business owner and so thrilled to be moving on and transitioning into an even more positive and happy space 💞💫 Thanks to all my beautiful and amazing parents for all the support and love throughout this year ❤ It's been challenging to find the right thing but we are here now 😃 Everyday our tiny humans in class make me so happy and fulfilled and I can't wait to share this space with them.

Please note that our spaces are very limited. If you'd like to make an enquiry please do so asap.

Hooray hooray, we can't wait to play! 2022... here we COME! 🥳💃🎉

Oh so true 🌱🌿🌾🌵🏵☘💚

WELCOME TO TERM 4 🥳💫🎉

I love the last term of the year- the weather is warm, children are happy to be outside, art can get MESSY 🙃😅 and who doesn't love the sight of butterflies and bumble bees?! 🦋 🐝

To enquire about 2022, please contact us via Whatsapp on 076 290 7905 🙏💃❤🌼

Our little Spring teddy bear picnic was enjoyed by all 🌼🌺

We chose the perfect day for a picnic on the grass 🤩 we all chatted and laughed and had our special snacks. What a perfect way to end term 3!

Thanks to all the parents who sent along all the goodies and snacks. The children and their teddies really loved their day.

We've been keeping ourselves occupied and fully entertained on these last cold winter days 🥶 🧊 ☃️
We can hardly wait till SPRING 😀🌱🌼🌺

HAPPY BIRTHDAY WEEK TO RUMBI ♡

This week we ate celebrating our wonderful Rumbi! She's my assistant, my nanny and honestly is the best thing that ever happened to our home and family. She just fits in and makes everything look effortless and easy!

All our parents at Sturdy Steps know and love Rumbi for her wild imagination, her love for children and her ability to just take all the children away on a magical journey of play and happiness ❤😍😊🤗🤩 she really is the best!

Rumbi will be celebrating her birthday at school this week. And we wish her all the love and happiness in the world! We can't imagine our school and space without you ❤

We've been loving our themes lately and for our last theme of the term we decided to do WILD ANIMALS 🦓🐒🦁🦒🐗🦔

We have roared like lions 🦁
sprung like springbok 🦌
jumped like little monkeys 🐒
Stomped like elephants 🐘
Leaped like tigers 🐅

We've shaken our musical instruments to "the lion king", used blocks to build special houses for our wild animals, gotten creative with our art and dress up and gotten to show our favorite wild animals from home.

All in all our theme and term has been a total hit! An absolute blast had by all and everything becomes so much for fun as our toddlers' comprehension starts improving and increasing. So awesome to be a part of their every day improvements and learning ❤😊

MOTHER'S DAY 💐

Mother's Day is one of my favourite days 💕 I love being appreciated and thought of by my family. They are the most important people to me, and a huge part of me is a 'mommy' so being celebrated feels great 🥰❤😍

For Mother's day at play school we got cracking on those fine motor skill activities and pasted buttons onto our fridge magnets. It was a huge hit in the class and everyone wanted to choose their own special buttons for their mommies 🤩 We also spoke about how much our mommies do for us and what we love about our mommies. We also made beautiful cupcakes cards which were super fun to make together 💞🧁

Motherhood is tough. By the time you've surfaced from the initial shock of having a baby, your precious little baby doesn't seem so little anymore. People tell you to 'enjoy every moment' and to sleep when your baby sleeps, but we know as moms that neither of those things actually happen 😆🤣 as much as we'd like them to. But honestly, when I take a moment to look around and see my kids playing and laughing together, all the sleepless nights, all the worries and all the 'toughness' goes away. They made me a mommy and to them I will always he grateful 🌈🥰❤😍

RAINY DAY ACTIVITIES 🌧 ☔

During the summer months, we spend time outside for most of the day. Water play and outdoor gross motor activities are just a few things we do to keep our toddlers busy during the warmer days.

A common question is what do we get up to on the days we're stuck inside all day. We have carefully thought out and planned the wintery days to ensure we spend time inside constructively.
We thought you we'd show you a few of the activities we like to set up on rainy days.

Amongst other activities, we enjoy:

🧩 Building puzzles & play games
🍳Spending time in the kitchen 'cooking'
📚 Reading and telling stories
🍩 Play dough and clay
👔 Dressing up
👒 Puppets and imaginative play
🚘 Cars, trains & fine motor activities such as blocks & pegs
🎨 Creative activities & art

On the winter days with children stuck inside, try not to overwhlem your little one with activities and things to keep them busy 24/7. Being a toddler and being 'bored' can also lead to super fun unexpected activities which sometimes work out even better than planned activities. We like to set out a few stations where toddlers can participate in structured play, but also have a space where they can just free play and relax.

PARTY VENUE HIRE 🥳

Today we had a fantastic party set up at Sturdy Steps for a very special little boy turning 2 years old 🥰
His mommy was super smart and made him an incredible "out of this world" themed party. Check out the dinosaur plates and spacey cupcakes 🤩 🧁 🦕

All the children and adults were relaxed and happy in our safe, contained and child friendly space. It really was the perfect venue for a kids party.

For more information on parties at our venue, contact us on Whatsapp 076 290 7905 😍🤩😁🥳

We're super excited to be starting a new term this week and can't wait to start our Mommy/ Nanny/ Daddy/ Granny stimulation and development classes 😁 it's going to be loads of fun- come along and join us for a FREE class 💞🌈 All classes will be Covid compliant and we ask you to please wear masks when joining. Our timetable is attached and please contact me via Whatsapp or email for more info 🤗❤ 076 290 7905 or [email protected]

EASTER HOLIDAY CLUB 🐣🐰

This week was fun, crazy, busy and exciting. We did marble rolling art together to make our bunny Easter cards, as well as stamping, Easter egg decorating and footprints to make little carrots for the Easter bunny 🐰🥕

There was great excitement at the end of holiday club today when everyone got a little birdie to take home with their Easter eggs and biscuits 🐦 🍪

Have a wonderful Easter weekend everyone and enjoy the magic ✨ 😀

Now you're just some bunny that I used to know 🐰

FARM ANIMALS & EASTER 🐣🐰🥚 

These past 2 weeks have been blissful and incredibly fun. Filled with excitement and lots of sing songs and dancing. We couldn't help but get enthusiastic about Easter which is just around the corner 🚜 🐄🦆🐣 🐖 

I'm forever in awe of my lovely and super creative mother in law who spends hours making beautiful creations for our play school 🤩 I wish I could take the credit for this exquisite Easter egg basket which was hand made by her for each child at school, but i have to admit it was all her. And the birdies in their little eggs 😍❤ Every child went home for the holidays with their farm animal and Easter art, eggies and a little baby chick 🐤 

We wish everyone a happy holiday and look forward to next term, which I'm sure will be as busy, happy and full of new creations 💫🥳💞

OLD MAC DONALD HAD A FARM 🚜 🐖 🐄 🐥 🐐

Our children have been busy learning all about farms.

We've made chicken life cycles 🐔  🥚 🐣 
We've made barns and farms 🚜 🌞 🌄
We've painted cows 🐮 🐄 🖌
And pigs 🐷 And coloured in ducks 🦆And posted them into ponds💧We've learnt about dairy products and how cows give us milk, cheese and cream 🍦 🧀 🥛 🐄 

All in all it's been a super fun week with lots of learning, art and playing. 

Parents of the hood ❤ I'm a play school teacher and have owned my play school "Sturdy Steps" for the past 8 years. I'm also a mom of 2 boys (ages 4 and 8 months) who keep me endlessly busy and happy 😊 I also used to own a mommy and baby stimulation and development franchise, which I stopped working on just before I had my children. I'm now so ready to step back into my role (a little wiser and even more experienced 😊) and to teach all new mommies the correct stimulation and development skills for your babies. I'm offering free classes to begin with so feel free to pop me a mail or Whatsapp with your baby's age and your availability and I can set up a class for you. Our term will begin in mid- April 2021. Of course, our classes will be Covid compliant and small to ensure social distancing. Have a lovely day 🌈