Sturdy Steps Home- based Play Group

Parenting Tip! 🍎

Helping Your Fussy Eater Build a Healthy Relationship with Food

🥕 Keep offering new foods It can take 10–15 exposures before a toddler is willing to try something new. Don't give up too soon!

🍽️ Avoid pressure at mealtimes Encouraging is great, but forcing bites can create negative associations with food.

🌈 Make food fun Different colours, shapes, and textures can make meals more exciting and inviting.
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Eat together when possible Toddlers learn by watching. Seeing family members enjoy a variety of foods encourages them to do the same.

⏰ Stick to regular meal and snack times Predictable routines help children arrive at meals hungry and ready to eat.

💛 Remember: it's normal Many toddlers go through picky eating phases. Focus on long-term habits rather than what they eat on any one day.

At Sturdy Steps, we encourage positive mealtime experiences and help little ones explore new foods with confidence! 🌱

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Meet the staff 💛

Sallee is the owner and founder of Sturdy Steps, which has been lovingly run since 2012. As a mom to two young boys, she understands just how important it is for children to have a gentle, nurturing start to socialising, learning, and play.

Her greatest joy is watching little ones grow in confidence during their time at Sturdy Steps and seeing familiar faces return years later. Knowing that she has helped provide a happy, loving foundation for a child's early years is what makes her heart so full. ✨

Creating a warm, safe, and playful environment where children feel loved, supported, and free to be themselves remains at the heart of everything she does. 🧸

🍎 Snack Time Matters!

At Sturdy Steps, snack time is about so much more than just filling little tummies.

Snack time gives children an opportunity to:

✨ Build healthy eating habits
✨ Develop independence and self-help skills
✨ Practice social interaction and conversation with friends
✨ Learn patience, turn-taking, and table manners
✨ Refuel their growing bodies and busy brains for play and learning
For toddlers, consistent snack times also help create a sense of routine and security throughout the day. Sitting together to enjoy a healthy snack encourages connection, communication, and a positive relationship with food.

Whether we're chatting about our morning, learning to pour our own water, or simply enjoying a moment of calm together, snack time is an important part of the Sturdy Steps day.

Because little minds learn best when little tummies are happy too! 💛

LearningThroughPlay ToddlerLife HealthyHabits CapeTownKids PreschoolLife 🍎🧃✨

Meet the staff ✨️

We are so happy to introduce Teacher Doné as part of the Sturdy Steps team.

Doné has experience working with toddlers and is passionate about creating a calm, caring and supportive environment where children can learn and develop through play. She brings a gentle and patient approach into the classroom and values building positive relationships with both children and parents.

At Sturdy Steps, we believe in creating a small, relaxed and nurturing space where little ones feel comfortable, confident and encouraged to explore at their own pace — and Teacher Doné shares that same vision.

We look forward to having her as part of your child’s journey with us 💛

Fine motor skills are such an important part of toddler development.

These little everyday movements help children build strength, coordination, independence and confidence — all through play! From threading and coloring to playdough and puzzles, simple activities can make a huge difference in developing those tiny hand muscles 🤍

At Sturdy Steps, we love incorporating fine motor play into our daily routine in fun, hands-on ways that encourage learning naturally 🌈

Which activity does your little one love most?