https://babygym.co.za/instructor-profile/?id=565

BabaGim met Louise, 10 du Toit Street, Oosterville, Upington (2026)

08/03/2026

MASTERING MILESTONES
See the comments section below for where this developmental journey started.

DANCING

"If you trust play, you will not have to control your child’s development as much. Play will raise the child in ways you can never imagine." ~ Vince Gowmon

Dancing is such a cheerful and creative way for toddlers to move and express themselves.

Dancing begins when a baby can stand and bear weight on their legs. The first dance moves usually appear spontaneously when music is playing and the little one starts bobbing up and down. Over time, the little choreographer expands their range of movement to include swaying from side to side and turning in circles. As the body becomes more coordinated, around the age of two, the arms also start to join in the dance.

Turn up the music and dance!

Would you like to support your baby’s natural brain and body development?

Follow the link below to find a BabyGym Instructor near you:

https://babygym.co.za/

07/03/2026

MASTERING MILESTONES
See the comments section below for where this developmental journey started.

CLIMBING

Climbing opens up a world of wonder and fantasy — it is an opportunity to move, explore, and play in unlimited ways.

Climbing also requires a whole lot of skill!

• Body awareness – Where are my hands and feet, and where do they need to go?
• Muscle tone – I want to climb to the top; I need strong muscles to get there!
• Balance – There is little space to put my feet down; I need to watch my step!
• Spatial orientation – Will my body fit through there? Or should I rather go over or under it?
• Motor planning – How do I get there? Hmm, let me start here…
• Social skills – I want to play there, but there's another friend there, so we need to negotiate a bit…

Spend time in big, open spaces where there are plenty of opportunities to climb trees, jungle gyms, and more. The more freedom there is to move and play in a variety of ways, the greater the developmental benefits.

Would you like to support your baby’s natural brain and body development?

Follow the link below to find a BabyGym Instructor near you:

https://babygym.co.za/

06/03/2026

MASTERING MILESTONES
See the comments section below for where this developmental journey started.

WALKING

When baby’s brain sends the “stabilisers on board” command, baby ventures away from solid objects and holds Mom’s, Dad’s, or a caregiver’s hands tightly while taking the first stiff-legged, tentative steps forward.

Baby’s hips tend to be overextended and the legs a bit stiff—just like Granny’s and Grandpa’s when they stand up before getting moving. This stiffness happens because baby’s legs are still learning how to move while carrying the weight of the whole body at the same time. Although the hips and knees had some practice during crawling, the weight was shared between the muscles and joints in both the arms and legs. Now that baby is walking, all the weight rests on the hips, knees, ankles, and toes, and they need a crash course in developing proprioceptive awareness and muscle tone.

While baby’s body and brain are adjusting, nature protects baby by keeping the joints more fixed. Then, after plenty of repetition and heaps of encouragement, baby takes the first unaided step.

BABY GRADUATES FROM BABYHOOD TO TODDLERHOOD!

Walking marks the transition period where a baby moves from discovering himself and his body to discovering the environment, objects, and people. The toddler now reaches out to expand their territory and finds the world a source of constant stimulation and fun. New objects mean new words, and the toddler’s vocabulary expands rapidly.

This is a time of discovery, and nothing is perceived as out of bounds. Ensure that your home is child-safe!

Would you like to support your baby's natural brain and body development?

Follow the link below to find a BabyGym Instructor near you:

https://babygym.co.za/

05/03/2026

MASTERING MILESTONES
See the comments section below for where this developmental journey started.

CRUISING
Once a baby is crawling, they soon begin a crab-like walk, cruising sideways around the furniture. This movement is crucial for developing the mechanics of walking. Months of kicking and crawling have prepared their legs to move forward, but now they need to learn to move sideways—to avoid bumping into things, to change direction, and to keep their balance. That’s why babies start cruising: nature has just prompted them over the last hurdle before they become walkers—learning to stabilise themselves sideways.

Would you like to support your baby's natural brain and body development?

Follow the link below to find a BabyGym Instructor near you:

https://babygym.co.za/

04/03/2026

MASTERING MILESTONES
See the comments section below for where this developmental journey started.

PULLING UP
The crawling milestone has given your baby a new perspective on their surroundings. As soon as the thrill of crawling starts to wane, the baby’s natural curiosity takes over again. Your baby now has the strength, balance, and coordination to pull up into a standing position.

Bear in mind that your baby might feel alarmed by their new height and struggle to make their way back down to the floor. Gently reassure and encourage your baby — they are learning to safely transition between positions, an important skill to master!

Would you like to support your baby's natural brain and body development?

Follow the link below to find a BabyGym Instructor near you:
https://babygym.co.za/

01/03/2026

MASTERING MILESTONES
See the comments section below for where this developmental journey started.

WAVING AND CLAPPING HANDS

Waving hello and goodbye, as well as clapping hands, are motor skills. The baby needs to be aware of their hands before they can control the movement and perform these actions. They also require the necessary muscle control and coordination. However, these skills are also firmly rooted in emotional and social development as they teach the baby to initiate and respond to non-verbal communication and social interaction.

Similar to hugging, waving and clapping hands are skills babies imitate. Thus, a baby who has not seen an adult wave or clap hands might take a lot longer to perform these actions than a baby who has been made aware of the hands and has observed adults wave and clap hands many, many times.

As early as 7 months of age, a little one may begin to show signs of hand movement development by waving or bringing their hands close together. By 9 months, many babies can clap, although at this point, it is in imitation, not yet deliberate celebration.

Teach the baby to wave hello and goodbye and clap hands. Be patient – it may take time and a lot of repetition.

Would you like to support your baby's natural brain and body development?

Follow the link below to find a BabyGym Instructor near you:

https://babygym.co.za/

28/02/2026

MASTERING MILESTONES
See the comments section below for where this developmental journey started.

HUGGING
Nothing makes a parent’s heart beat faster than a spontaneous smile, hug or kiss from their baby or toddler. These little signs of love are often what make the selfless job of being a parent feel worthwhile.

Loving behaviour is learned and, just like holding a spoon or making a friend, it takes time and a good role model or two. The mirror neurons in a baby’s brain respond to the behaviour the baby sees, so when a baby or toddler sees aggressive behaviour like hitting, shouting, snatching objects, etc., this is most likely what will be mimicked. However, when a baby or toddler sees loving behaviour, loving behaviour is mirrored.

Would you like to support your baby's natural brain and body development?

Follow the link below to find a BabyGym Instructor near you:

https://babygym.co.za/

27/02/2026

MASTERING MILESTONES
See the comments section below for where this developmental journey started.

CRAWLING
Did you know that rolling develops the left and right sides of the brain, while crawling integrates the two sides to work together as a team?

Crawling is one of the most important milestones, as it:
• develops both inside and outside senses
• develops both big and small muscles
• develops both voluntary (somatic) and involuntary (autonomic) systems.

Crawling (on all fours!) is a complete workout for the entire body. It is superb for motor planning and for developing quick and efficient protective responses. This means your baby can move quickly and effortlessly without injury.

Crawling also organises various brain areas all in one go! It stimulates and integrates primitive reflexes and prepares the brain and body for fundamental skills—like maintaining posture, crossing the midline, establishing dominance, distinguishing left from right—and more advanced skills like planning, critical thinking, and problem-solving.

Offer your baby all the time they need to master crawling. Some researchers suggest they may need up to 50,000 repetitions before that milestone has been mastered and they are ready for the next one.

BabyGym offers a few easy but effective exercises that help a baby become mobile on hands and knees.

EVERY HEALTHY BABY CAN CRAWL!
We would LOVE to teach you how.

Follow the link below to find a BabyGym Instructor near you:

https://babygym.co.za/

26/02/2026

MASTERING MILESTONES
See the comments section below for where this developmental journey started.

SELF-FEEDING
As a baby's core becomes stronger, the baby no longer needs the stabilising support from the hands, and a rounded back and supporting hands transform into a straight back and free hands.
What a joy to now move and look around!

Around 6 months, the thumb starts to separate from the other 4 fingers. A great sign that the baby is ready to learn to self-feed!

Important: Feeding does not only require getting the food into the mouth, but to ensure a safe and pleasurable eating experience for the baby, it is important that:

- Baby has mastered the feeding trio for many months - the ability to rhythmically suck, swallow and breathe.
- Baby has head control.
- Baby has a strong core and is therefore able to sit without support.
- Baby's tongue should move backwards when food is placed in the mouth. If a baby's tongue still pushes forward, it will consistently push the food out of the mouth.
- When you introduce solids and therefore different textures, you offer the little one the wonderful opportunity to develop the mechanics necessary for clear speech and articulation.

FOOD OFFERS A BABY OR A TODDLER A MULTI-SENSORY LEARNING OPPORTUNITY. OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS, ENCOURAGE THE BABY TO:

- Explore, experiment and play with food.
- Show personal preferences.
- Express when they are hungry and when they are full.
- Accept and request favourite foods.
- Try new foods.
- Experience a variety of textures.
- Chew well.
- Eat in a dedicated place.
- Eat using the hands.
- Play the name game – name the food, texture, colour, temperature... this is science!
- In time, introduce eating utensils like a spoon.

Would you like to support your baby's natural brain and body development?

Follow the link below to find a BabyGym Instructor near you:

https://babygym.co.za/

25/02/2026

MASTERING MILESTONES
See the comments section below for where this developmental journey started.

GRASPING HANDS
Our hands and fingers are involved in almost every daily activity. We use our hands and sense of touch to judge temperature, gauge weight and sense texture. We also use our hands to communicate effectively. Our hands are therefore crucial for building relationships, fostering independence and developing the cognitive functions of the brain.

When a baby is born, the hands are closed. This is appropriate because a closed hand is a resting hand. It is, however, difficult to explore and learn with clenched fists. Eating, dressing and un******ng, drawing, writing, cooking, etc., all require open hands and agile fingers that can grasp and work independently. In fact, grasping is one of the most important developmental areas that influences total development.

THE SEQUENTIAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE HANDS

- The reflexive clenching of a baby’s hands after birth is due to the grasping reflex. In the first few weeks, a baby will continue to firmly grasp whatever their hands touch.
- Between 2 – 4 months, a baby is fascinated with the hands, and from about 4 1/2 months, a baby can move the hands, half-opened, towards objects.
- Around 6 months, a baby can grasp an object, hold it firmly and even pass it from hand to hand.
- A baby also needs to learn to let go! Around 9 months, a baby will start to deliberately drop objects; A frustrating game for parents, but an important milestone to master!
- Around a baby's first birthday, they can pass an object and place objects in a container. This is a wonderful time to introduce tidying up and packing away!

Would you like to support your baby's natural brain and body development?

Follow the link below to find a BabyGym Instructor near you:
https://babygym.co.za/instructor_list/

23/02/2026

MASTERING MILESTONES
See the comments section below for where this developmental journey started.

SITTING
To be able to sit up, a baby needs sufficient muscle strength to resist the pull of gravity, a well-developed sense of balance, and protective responses in all directions, including forward, backwards, and side-to-side movements. Protective responses keep babies safe by helping them put their hands out to prevent themselves from toppling over.

At first, babies sit with their legs wide apart, supporting themselves with both hands placed in front. As their balance and posture improve, they begin to rely more on their sense of balance, which instructs their hands to move to the sides to prevent them from falling.

After much practice—falling over and getting back up again—babies learn to sit upright without using their hands for support. At this stage, the inner senses and eyes work together to keep them balanced, and their hands are finally free to explore!

Would you like to support your baby's natural brain and body development?

Follow the link below to find a BabyGym Instructor near you:

https://babygym.co.za/instructor_list/

BabaGim met Louise

08/03/2026

07/03/2026

06/03/2026

05/03/2026

04/03/2026

01/03/2026

28/02/2026

27/02/2026

26/02/2026

25/02/2026

23/02/2026

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