Retha du Plessis Occupational Therapy

27/11/2025

Let's talk textures!

It is important to expose your little one early on to different textures as tactile integration play an important role in development.

It forms an important part of physical skills such as gross and fine motor skills, plays a role in safety and protection, is integral for emotional well-being and is fundamental for learning to take place as it influences attention and concentration, body awareness (together with propriocpetion) and spatial orientation.

You can expose your child to different textures in many ways. You can do messy play where you can use water, sand, mud, rice, pasta, shaving foam, finger paint, maizena and water and even mix the textures. Also explore hot and cold in different ways.

In the photo I used an old hula-hoop and attached items (lying around the house) of different textures. A few ideas include sponges of different textures, ribbons (I tied them in different ways, some I made loops with, made knots in them or even braided them together), sand paper, a piece of a pool noodle, cloth, bubble wrap, looped cable ties together etc. This activity does not have to be expensive, be creative and use what you have around the house. Adding some tummy time is a bonus or your child can explore while in sitting.

It is important to explore together with your child so that you can give the words to what your child is feeling, e.g. it is soft, hard, rough, smooth, cold, hot, spikey etc.

Let's see how creative you can be!! Have fun!

26/11/2025

We are blessed to be turning SEVEN today!

So much have changed in the past 7 years and we are grateful for every tiny human that has crossed our path.

We work with so many other professionals daily, who over the past few years have become family.

Thank you to everyone who helped the practice grow and become what it is today.

We are excited for what the future holds for us!

06/11/2025

Let's talk Balloons!

Balloons are versatile and can be used in many different ways. Here are a few simple activities you can do with you baby. My little one is almost 4 months old and loved the balloon activities!

1. Fill balloons with different items, inflate, make a knot and draw patterns on. Our one balloon had some rice, the other one some pasta and the last one oats (use whatever you have at home). By using different items, each balloon will make a different sound when you shake/hit it.

Now it's time for the fun. You can shake it in front of your child, allowing them to hear the different sounds the balloons make. Move the balloon in different directions so that your child follow it with their eyes. Hang the balloons so that they are close enough so that your child can reach them when they lie on their back. Now your child can hit/kick them providing loads of fun. You can also hang the balloons eye-level and let your child sit while supported, also allowing them to hit the balloons. This activity address many skills!

Remember to draw the patterns all over the balloon as your child will look from different angles at the balloons depending on whether they sit or lie on the back.

TALK about what your child is doing/seeing. E.g 'you are hitting/kicking the balloon', 'it is a red balloon', 'the balloon has dots on', etc.

2. Make a balloon with a marble inside which allows the balloon to stay upright even if you push it. I drew a face on ours, so you can name the parts of the face and also point to it on your child. Your child can again be in a sitting position or lie on their back. If they lie on their back it will facilitate them looking to the left/right side depending on where you place the balloon.

This was not my creative idea, here is the link to make the balloon: https://youtube.com/shorts/Skc0Awj6yFU?si=xSV2H1X2catoLmHB

There are endless possibilities with balloons!! HAVE FUN!!

NB!! Always supervise play with the balloons as the items you put into the balloons are small and if the balloon pop your child can ingest/choke on them.

27/10/2025

Opportunity for a passionate occupational therapist to join our team!!

22/10/2025

13/10/2025

The last stretch of the year is here!

For some it is met with excitement, for others with a bit of stress. So good luck to everyone, from our tiny hands finishing Grade 1 (their first formal school year), to the Gr 12 learners starting with the big end exam finishing their school career!

May the last bit of the 2025 school year be filled with great memories and everything you wish for!!

26/09/2025

Occupational Therapy Week or how we like to call it *OT Week*!!

This week has been OT Week 2025. A wonderful week to celebrate our unique occupation and all the lovely OT's making a huge difference in so many people's lives, from young to old and everyone in between!

This week I don't want to only celebrate all the OT's out there, but also give a huge thanks to all my colleagues who turned friends and became family! Thank you for making my life easier and allowing me to have some special time with my little one while on maternity leave. So Irma Koekemoer, Anelde Atterbury, Melissa Janse van Rensburg, Sanmari Hamman and Lee-Ann van Niekerk; thank you for all your hard work! I see it and appreciate it; words can't describe the precious time and moments that you are allowing me to have!! Grateful to have you in my life!

15/09/2025

Autism Spesific Primary School

03/09/2025

As we gear up for 2026, we are excited about our growth! RESONANCE would like to welcome a new teacher to the family in 2026! Please share!

21/08/2025

Maak gerus ‘n afspraak by ons volgende gemeenskapsdag in Pretoria-Noord!

29/07/2025

24/07/2025

With readily available cell phones, tablets, game devices, and more, screens are not only easy to access but also hard to avoid these days.

We understand there will be screen time, but not all screens are created equal. Just remember to set clear guidelines, such as time limits, and ensure these programs are both child-friendly and of high quality.

Comment "SCREEN TIME" to the full therapist-approved list of screen time recommendations!