Handmade BY HES Educational learn and play activity mats & books

12/09/2026

Changing the sewing machine for the hook today - It is International crochet day!

11/09/2026

🧸Learning through play! 🧩

Sensory educational playbooks turn learning into a fun, hands-on experience. Through touching, feeling, exploring and discovering, children develop important skills such as fine motor coordination, concentration, colour recognition, problem-solving and creativity.

Every page is a little journey of discovery — play, learn and grow! 💛

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27/08/2026

Playmat Orders:
Hes @ 0825627788

🌈 The Importance of Sensory Play — Start from Birth! 👶✨

Did you know that sensory play can begin from the very first days of your baby’s life? 💛

Sensory play is any activity that engages your baby’s senses — touch, sight, hearing, smell, taste and movement. It helps little brains make sense of the world around them and supports early learning and development.

🌱 Why is sensory play important?
• Encourages brain development and neural connections
• Supports fine and gross motor skills
• Helps develop language and communication
• Builds curiosity, creativity and problem-solving skills
• Helps babies learn about textures, sounds, colours and movement
• Can support emotional regulation and confidence
• Creates wonderful opportunities for bonding between baby and caregiver ❤️

👶 When should you start?

From birth! Sensory experiences don't need to be complicated or expensive. For a newborn, simply being held, hearing your voice, looking at your face, feeling different safe textures, listening to gentle sounds and experiencing movement are already forms of sensory learning.

As baby grows, sensory play can become more interactive — reaching for toys, splashing in water, playing with safe textures, exploring sounds, feeling grass or sand, and eventually experimenting with messy play.

✨ Remember: sensory play is not about keeping baby entertained every minute. It is about giving them safe opportunities to explore, discover and learn through their senses.

The best sensory toy in the world is often a loving adult who talks, plays, explores and discovers alongside them. 💕👶

19/08/2026

A Thread of Love, Skill & Legacy 🧵❤️

Some of the most valuable things I learned in life were never taught in a classroom.

I learned to sew sitting next to my mother, Millie van Wyk, on the farm, watching her work her hand-powered sewing machine. With that simple machine and her incredible skill, she made practically everything we needed — our clothes, curtains and so many of the things a farm household required. She could take a piece of fabric and, with her hands, imagination and creativity, turn it into something beautiful and useful. 🪡🧵

I also learned to crochet from my beloved grandmother, Ouma Hanna van Wyk, sitting beside her in the warm winter sunshine on the farmhouse stoep. Those quiet moments, watching her hands work the yarn, are memories I will treasure forever. 🧶

Looking back, I realise they were teaching me much more than sewing and crochet. They were teaching me resourcefulness, patience, creativity and the confidence to make something with my own hands.

Being able to sew is a wonderful gift. It can be a hobby, a creative outlet, a practical skill — or even the beginning of your own business. A sewing machine can become a little workshop, and a skill can become an income, independence and something that belongs entirely to you.

I feel truly blessed to have inherited not only the skills, but also the craft, creativity and imagination passed down through the generations.

From my mother’s hand-powered sewing machine on the farm, and my grandmother’s crochet hook on the sunny stoep, came a lifelong appreciation for making things with my own hands.

Skills are gifts. Creativity is a blessing. And sometimes, the greatest inheritance is something you can make yourself. ❤️🧵🧶
Order@0825627788

02/08/2026

I often get asked why I don’t post prices, or why I do not carry stock.

The simple answer is that I’m incredibly grateful to offer one of a kind products. No mass production. You choose your own combination of activities in either playmat or playbook format.
As for pricing - Different sizes - different prices. It is all explained in my catalogue.
Our catalogue is whatsapp online based. Instead of downloading a file that will take up lots of data and space on your phone, you can download the catalogue link and view all the info online.
I much prefer a personal approach. I enjoy chatting to people, getting to know who I am making the product for, and helping them find the right combination of activities, rather than simply making another sale.

I’m also just a click away. Every platform has a message button that comes straight through to my WhatsApp, so if you’d like a price, more photos, measurements, or just a chat about whether something will work for you, you are welcome!
Thank you to all of my customers who became friends, for your support over the years!
Catalogue:
https://wa.me/c/27825627788
Orders: Hes@0825627788

Learn more about their products and services

02/08/2026

NEW FAMILY EDITION
🐙 Octopus Cuddle 🐙
A Gift They'll Treasure 🩵
Our handmade crocheted octopus is a beautiful gift for newborns, designed to provide comfort and gentle sensory stimulation. The soft, curly tentacles are easy for tiny hands to grasp and may help soothe babies by reminding them of the comforting feeling of the umbilical cord. Made with love from soft yarn, it's perfect for cuddles, nursery décor, and creating precious first memories.
A thoughtful baby shower or newborn gift that is both adorable and comforting. 💕
Order @ Hes @ 0825627788
R250.00 plus courier.
https://wa.me/c/27825627788

23/07/2026

Thursday happyness in our workroom amidst cold and rainy weather in the Winelands.🌧🌈🔥☕️
I realise that it is a risk to order from a small business with online presence only. Thanks for all the orders and supporting a home business nevertheless!
Catalogue: https://wa.me/c/27825627788
Orders: Hestie van Wyk @0825627788

21/07/2026

21/07/2026

Gifting a playmat or playbook to a special baby for a special occasion is such a heartwarming experience.
Thank you Hanna du Plooy for your support!

20/07/2026

Let's get the week's planning and admin up to date. Three weeks of slow going, on holiday in the Freestate, in the middle of winter, was very refr🥶shing, but so good! 🐂🐴🐕🐎🫏🐂🐓🐣🪶🐦‍⬛🦆🦅🐝🐞🪾🌼