29/06/2025
FUNDA THE STRONG-NECKED OSTRICH
Meet Funda, the beloved mascot of the BabyGym family.
Funda means “learn” in Zulu — a perfect fit for our BabyGym philosophy. We’re passionate about learning, and by “learning,” we mean the kind that John Holt so beautifully described:
“Children are born, passionately eager to make as much sense as they can of things around them.”
But why an ostrich?
The story comes from Dr Melodie de Jager, shared in the foreword of the BabyGym book:
“As a student, I visited an ostrich farm in Oudtshoorn. There, I met a novice ostrich farmer eagerly awaiting his first hatch. He heard the hatchlings pecking inside their eggs for days and, feeling sorry for them, decided to help. With a teaspoon, he gently tapped in sync with their pecking to soften the shells.
When the chicks hatched, he was surprised to see they all had floppy necks. Days passed, but their neck muscles remained weak. An experienced breeder later explained that by helping them hatch, he had removed the essential struggle they needed to develop strong necks.
They needed that challenge to grow into independent, proud, strong-necked ostriches — because in the struggle lies the freedom.”
Just like those ostriches, babies need time, space, and opportunity to discover and learn with all their senses and muscles.
So before reaching for screens or high-tech baby gear, remember Dr Melodie de Jager’s wise words:
“The more physical the game, the greater the developmental gain.”
https://babygym.co.za/product/funda-the-ostrich/
