Spring and Heritage Day fall in the same season this year — a good excuse to take play outdoors. From traditional games like morabaraba and elastics to why barefoot, messy, unstructured play matters for development, here's how to make the most of it with your kids.

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We all have those moments where you need to finish up work from home, but the kids want your attention right now. Here are 9 genuinely different ways to keep them busy a mix of open-ended toys and zero-cost activities that cover gross motor, fine motor, and sensory play, without repeating the same boring list everyone else uses.

Bedtime stalling is one of the most common things parents ask me about in practice. The extra glass of water. One more story. "I'm not tired yet." It's easy to read these as resistance — but most of the time, they're a request. The day is ending, and your child wants a little more connection before it does.

Wooden toys need gentler care than plastic, no dishwashers, no harsh sprays, no soaking. Here's an OT and toy-shop owner's simple routine for everyday cleaning, mouthed toys, deep stains, and keeping the wood in good condition for years of play.

As an occupational therapist, I use music and rhythm every week to support kids' development and it works just as well at home. Here are 5 ways musical toys support your baby's brain, body, and emotions, plus why wooden instruments are my top pick over plastic or electronic ones.

When winter shuts the garden and the kids start climbing the walls, your home is already a gross motor gym. Here's how to build muscle tone, balance, bilateral integration, midline crossing, and ball skills with nothing more than masking tape, couch cushions, sock balls, and a balloon, plus a few Tiny Tree pieces (Wobble Stones, Balance Board, Giant Daisies, Stepping Stones) to extend the play when you're ready for more.

Have you ever noticed that your child chews their collar when they're anxious, or settles after sucking on something? That's not a habit problem that's their nervous system doing exactly what it's designed to do. Pediatric OT Ezette Potgieter explains the surprising science behind oral sensory tools and how a simple straw or whistle can genuinely change how your child feels.

Fidget toys can be genuinely powerful for children who struggle with attention or anxiety in the classroom, but only when used correctly. As an occupational therapist, I see both sides: the right fidget tool can transform a child's ability to learn, while the wrong one just becomes an expensive distraction. Here's how to tell the difference.

Is your child biting at school or at home? Paediatric OT Ezette Fourie breaks down the real sensory and developmental reasons behind toddler biting, and gives parents five practical steps to take when it happens.

Not every meltdown is a tantrum and not every tantrum is sensory overload. Paediatric OT Ezette shares the 5 clues she uses in practice to tell the difference, and why responding correctly changes everything.

Every toddler has big moments. But how do you know when it’s a normal tantrum or something more? Paediatric OT Ezette breaks down what’s really happening in your toddler’s nervous system, and what actually helps.