Pontem Bloemfontein

20/02/2026

Connection comes before correction. 🤍

Children thrive when they feel safe, seen, and understood. Comfort is not spoiling — it helps regulate their emotions and builds the security they need to learn, grow, and cope with challenges.

A calm voice, a hug, and a moment of connection can change everything.

When children feel connected, positive behaviour and confidence naturally follow.

19/02/2026

✂️ Scissor Skills Development — What to Expect by Age ✂️

Learning to use scissors is more than just an art activity — it builds hand strength, coordination, bilateral integration, focus, and early writing readiness.

Here is a general guideline of how cutting skills typically develop:

👶 1.5 – 2 Years
• Tears paper using two hands
This builds early hand strength and teaches children how materials respond to force.

🧒 2 – 2.5 Years
• Snips paper with scissors
Children begin learning open-and-close hand movements and safe scissor use.

🎨 3 – 4 Years
• Cuts along a straight line
Improved hand control and eye–hand coordination start developing.

⭐ 4 – 5 Years
• Cuts out simple shapes (circle, square, triangle)
Children begin coordinating both hands — one cutting, one stabilising.

🌟 5 – 6 Years
• Cuts complex shapes (heart, star, hexagon)
Refined control supports school readiness and early writing skills.

💡 How parents can help at home:
• Start with tearing, playdough, and squeezing activities
• Use child-safe scissors
• Practice little and often — short, fun sessions work best
• Focus on progress, not perfection

Every child develops at their own pace, but practice through play makes a big difference. Remember — cutting is not just craft time, it’s brain development in action!

04/02/2026

It is with great joy that I can announce that Teacher Anne is returning to Pontem.

Having been involved with Pontem since 2018 and playing an integral role in the development of our unique curriculum, Teacher Anne took time off to focus on her family and to establish her BabyGym franchise. During this time, she continued to grow her passion for early childhood development and movement-based learning.

We are incredibly excited to welcome her back and look forward to the depth of experience, wisdom, and heart she brings to our Pontem community.

26/01/2026

Pontem Developmental Centre is op soek na ’n liefdevolle, toegewyde tutor om kinders te ondersteun met individuele leer- en ontwikkelingsbehoeftes.

• Individuele leerondersteuning
• Werk met kinders met unieke behoeftes
• Deel van ’n ondersteunende span

✔ Afrikaans verpligtend
✔ Ervaring met kinders (voordeel)
✔ Geduldig en empaties

21/01/2026

16/01/2026

🎉 Celebrating 8 Years of Growth, Grace & Purpose 🎉

Today we joyfully celebrate 8 years of Pontem Developmental Centre —
8 years of milestones big and small,
8 years of walking alongside incredible children and families,
8 years of dedication, compassion, and unwavering belief in every child’s potential.

We are deeply grateful for our learners, families, staff, and community who have been part of this beautiful journey. Each step forward is a reminder of why Pontem exists: to build bridges of hope, development, and belonging.

Here’s to the journey behind us and the many meaningful steps still ahead. 💙✨

Happy 8th Birthday, Pontem! 🎂🥳

15/01/2026

𝑨𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒎𝒂𝒅𝒆 𝒇𝒖𝒏 at Pontem BFN! 🐴

𝑯𝒐𝒓𝒔𝒆 𝒓𝒊𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 activates almost all the senses and improves confidence, self-esteem, and social interaction. It enhances memory, concentration, problem-solving, language skills, and physical strength. Riding promotes posture, coordination, and neuromuscular functionality. A trained therapist can further enhance these effects with specific exercises. Every care is taken to ensure your child's safety and enjoyment around horses. 🐴🌳🌈

12/01/2026

PONTEM TIP: 3

The importance of packing a healthy lunchbox is immeasurable. Kids are more alert and focused when they're fuelled with healthy food. Higher levels of sustained concentration mean that kids can more readily retain information and therefore learn.

“Eating nutritious snacks at school or pre-school is crucial for the child. It can be difficult to pack snacks that are appropriate for a child who has sensory issues.

To pack appropriately, it's critical to determine a child's aversions.

Strategies to boost the probability that the child will consume his/her healthy snacks:

🍒When you go grocery shopping, take your child along so he/she can help you choose
snacks and pack the snacks into the shopping trolley. Make the trip enjoyable for
him/her.

🍒To make the child look forward to snack time, make sure the snack box is colourful
(unique). If your child has a favourite character from a movie or television show, such as Mickey Mouse, try to find a snack box featuring that character.

🍒When you are packing the snack box, involve your child.”

-Marli Havinga Dietitian / Dieetkundige-

09/01/2026

PONTEM TIP 2:

Neurodivergent children are more likely to be over sensitive or under sensitive to their senses.

Bedtime routines can be stressful for sensitive children as they involve lots of different senses which can be overwhelming and stressful.

Try this:

Pontem FAVOURITE:

🌙 Burrito roll

Lay a blanket flat on the floor.

Have your child lay down close to one end–or lay them down–arms by their side or crossed over their chest.

Roll your child up firmly, as if you’re swaddling a baby–making sure to not wrap the blanket around their neck or cover their face.

Wrap their arms inside, but If they want their arms out–just let it be.

Once they’re wrapped, start adding the toppings. Yes, I know that you don’t really add toppings to a rolled up burrito, but just play along!

As you add the ingredients, touch the child firmly with different gestures for different toppings.

To finish:
You can gently roll them out of the blanket.

🌙 Swinging

🌙 Deep Pressure

Crush: Getting crushed can feel really really good! It’s also very calming and reduces cortisol and increases serotonin in the brain (serotonin is the sleep chemical). Think along the lines of slow motion wrestling with pillow squish breaks. Make sure they can breathe!

🌙 Smells
Essential Oils: The use of essential oils or even comforting smells like a child’s favourite cooking can have a powerful effect on the nervous system. Things like lavender, bay leaf, or other aromatherapies can be useful.

08/01/2026

Get ready for the 2026 school year:

PONTEM TIP 1:

School-age kids need 9–12 hours of sleep a night. Homework, sports, and after-school activities, screen time (on computers, TVs, smartphones, and other devices), and hectic family schedules all can lead to kids not getting the sleep they need.

Kids who don’t get enough sleep may be cranky, moody, or hyper, and have behavior problems. They may have trouble learning and paying attention in school.

Help your child create a relaxing routine. It should take about 30 minutes and can include taking a shower or bath, brushing teeth, and quiet activities like reading.

Turn off all screens at least 1 hour before bedtime. Keep TVs, computers, and video game systems out of the bedroom. Turn off cellphones or charge them overnight outside of the room.

It also helps to:

Set regular bedtimes and wake-up times.
To be sure your child gets enough sleep, decide when your child needs to get up for school in the morning and count back 9–12 hours from there.

On weekends, try to stick to the sleep schedule as close as you can. Aim for sleep or wake-up times no more than an hour later than on weekdays.

Keep the bedroom dark, cool, and quiet.
Don't give your child foods or drinks with caffeine (found in coffee, tea, sodas, and chocolate), especially in the late afternoon or evening.

Make sure your child gets plenty of exercise during the day. This can help kids sleep better at night.