Freebees PR

Festive gift ideas to suit every budget

The gifting season is upon us. Whether you’re looking to spoil a loved one, a generous hostess or your child’s teacher, there are so many options when it comes to choosing a gift for someone who deserves a spoil.  We’ve curated a selection of gifts we believe everyone will love. From home scents to pamper products and health boosters, there is something for everyone – and every budget! Here’s what’s top of our wish list: Beauty tools It only takes about two minutes of scrolling through social media to realise that beauty tools are all the rage. From face masks to brushes and massagers, beauty enthusiasts are spoilt for choice when it comes to added extras for their daily skincare routine. The new SKNLOGIC 7 Colour LED Light Therapy Mask brings professional therapy to your home. This non-invasive treatment uses seven therapeutic light wavelengths to target multiple skin concerns, helping you achieve a clearer, brighter, and more youthful-looking complexion. The benefits are endless, from reducing the signs of ageing, to minimising the formation of breakouts and soothing redness and sensitivity.  Looking for something less high-tech? The SKNLOGIC Facial Brush Dual Sided elevates your cleansing routine for gentle yet effective exfoliation and smoother skin. Made with an eco-conscious coconut composite handle, it has a soft bristle side for everyday cleansing and a denser bristle side for exfoliation. Home scents A thoughtful gift for a loved one, and the perfect gift for a hostess, beautifully scented candles, oils and diffusers are a welcome addition to any home. If you’re looking for a beautifully scented candle made from safe, natural ingredients, we recommend Soylites Soy Massage Tumblers. Not only do these candles scent the room, but their lovely botanical oil blend can also be massaged into the skin.   For a gift that can be used anywhere in the home, we recommend SOiL’s Ceramic Aroma Burner and Natural Wax Melts. The ceramic oil burner fragrances a room quickly when you add a few drops of your favourite SOiL Essential Oil or Wax Melts. Using the Wax Melts is so easy – simply place a single wax melt on top of your SOiL burner, light your tea light candle, sit back and enjoy. Skincare inspired by nature A skincare treat always makes a fantastic gift. Natural skincare is gaining momentum globally, with the power of nature finally recognised in the pursuit of beautiful and healthy skin. SOiL recently launched their debut skincare line – a range of natural facial mists and serums that harness the very best natural ingredients to restore, soothe and protect the skin. SOiL Rose Blossom Facial Mist makes a lovely gift for the warmer months ahead as it gently refreshes the skin while soothing and hydrating.  If your loved one enjoys bathing, why not spoil them to some luxurious bath products? Earthsap Milk & Honey Bath Soak nourishes skin and brings relief to a tired body. 100% Biodegradable and non-toxic, it contains skin-loving honey and soy milk. Simply add a few scoops to your bath water and enjoy softer, smoother skin and the ultimate relaxation. If they’re more of a bubble bath enthusiast, try Earthsap Foam Bath Lavender & Juniper Berry. This natural foam bath contains Lavender & Juniper Berry to help ease tension and relax your mind as you soak. A great foam bath to use before bed after a long, stressful day.  When shopping for a gift for a teacher or hostess, a locally-manufactured hand wash and hand cream duo makes a good treat. Morlage & Yorke Hand Washes and Hand & Nail Creams contain vitamin E to nourish and soften skin and are delicately fragranced with the most beautiful scent combinations that linger on your skin for hours.  Practical gifts for kiddies Parents of babies and young children always appreciate a practical gift that make their lives easier or more convenient. With the festive season falling in the middle of the summer, why not add a baby sunscreen to your gift? Sanosan Baby Sun Cream SPF 50+ provides exceptional sun protection while offering 24 hours of nourishing care. It hydrates baby’s delicate skin while protecting against UVA and UVB rays, and has a lovely consistency that makes application easy. If you prefer gifting a toy, choose something that is both fun and stimulating. The Infantino Musical Mobile Carousel is a lovely musical mobile that soothes baby before they fall asleep, thanks to its soft music, mirror and adorable animal characters. It has a wind-up mechanism so you don’t need any batteries and attaches to most cots, making it convenient and easy to use. Health treats Health products aren’t necessarily the first thing that come to mind when you think “gifting”, however, for the majority of people, they are a much-appreciated gift. The internet is buzzing with information on gut health, and with all the latest research indicating the importance of maintaining good gut bacteria, probiotics have become an important part of your supplement routine. Velobiotics Her-Biotics Probiotics is expertly formulated to optimise your gut health, boost immunity, balance energy, and support overall well-being, ensuring you flourish every single day. Designed for women, it also contains a wide variety of vitamins and minerals needed for the body to function optimally.  For men, they’ve designed Velobiotics His-Biotics Probiotics, multi-vitamin capsules that lay the foundation for peak physical and mental performance. This 16-strain probiotic also contains a host of other nutrients including vitamins, minerals, ginseng and more to ensure your body receives optimum nutrients daily. Happy shopping! 

December 3, 2025
Wriggle and Rhyme

It’s the most wonderful time of the year!

The festive season is upon us.  Shops are full of Christmas cheer and wherever you go, Christmas music fills the air. Do you have a favourite Christmas song? There are some obvious recurring hits out there that come around every single year, like a merry-go-round. Yes, I’m talking about Michael Bublé, Boney M, Mariah Carey.  You know the drill! That’s because, music has a huge role to play in our celebrations.  It gets us moving, it creates a mood, and it builds memories. Music gets us moving. Play some music, turn up the volume, and what happens? We get a feeling that we want to move! Whether it’s tapping our fingers on the steering wheel of the car, swaying slightly, or tapping our foot, the instinct is there. That’s even more true for children. They haven’t built up a sense of awareness of others, so they move like no-one’s watching. Dancing, jiggling their bottoms, clapping their hands, bopping their heads up and down, you name it! Music helps us to celebrate special seasons and events because it gets us moving. Music creates a mood Music also stimulates our emotions. It has the ability to make us feel happy, sad, soulful, joyful, excited, scared etc.   If you want to test this, watch a scary movie and turn off the soundtrack.  Suddenly the movie isn’t quite as scary! Getting up and moving, stimulates the oxygen supply to our brains and also triggers the release of endorphins. This contributes to us feeling positive about the music we’re experiencing. Music builds memories What is it about music and memory that’s so powerful? The details of our lives pass us by every day, with very little embedding into our long term memories. It’s unlikely that we’ll remember what we ate for dinner 2 weeks ago or a passing interaction with a person years ago. But, when we hear a familiar song, the memories come flooding back. Music doesn’t just help us to remember details, it connects with our emotions.  We remember how a particular memory made us feel, and that’s really powerful. Music helps us to celebrate special times because it embeds details into our brains, and like a search engine, helps us to retrieve those memories at a much later stage, with the music acting as a trigger. Switch off the screen, turn on the music! With all of this in mind, let’s be intentional in the way that we use music over this festive season. Let’s harness all that music offers knowing that it’ll get us moving, help to create a happy mood and embed some wonderful memories into our brains. Let’s switch off screens and use music and auditory resources to encourage our children to listen and look out at the world around them. Musical resources With that in mind, we have some wonderful, uniquely SOUTH AFRICAN musical stories for your little people to enjoy. These are accessible on your favourite streaming platform (Apple music, Spotify etc.) and are a great alternative to screens.  Just go onto the platform for search for “Wriggle and Rhyme”.  There are 4 different albums available. Wishing you a safe and happy festive season, and a wonderful 2026! For more info about the W&R musical stories and online resources, have a look at www.wriggleandrhyme.co.za/our-music  Find us on Facebook and Instagram @wrigglerhyme #wrigglerhyme

December 3, 2025
Impaq

A practical guide for parents on end-of-phase assessments at home

South Africa’s BELA Act requires end-of-phase assessments in Grades 3, 6 and 9. An “end-of-phase assessment” is a formal evaluation, set and marked by a qualified teacher or assessor under exam conditions, to confirm that a learner has mastered the required outcomes before progressing to the next phase. For families choosing home education, this is both a compliance step as well as an opportunity to confirm that their child’s learning is on track before moving into the next phase. The rule of thumb for parents is simple: treat these assessments with the same standards you would expect in any mainstream school: qualified people objective conditions, and clear academic records. The requirements for end-of-phase assessments ensures that homeschool learners can easily transfer back to a mainstream school should they wish to do so, or be ready to successfully complete Grade 10, by ensuring that learners are assessed in line with the standards expected in a traditional school environment,” says Louise Schoonwinkel, MD of Optimi Schooling of which Impaq is a registered trademark “We advise all families who partner with us to register with their province, use our credible assessments, and keep proper records; therefore, keeping a portfolio of evidence for a period of three years on all assessments completed by their learner. We guide our clients to follow the framework, to make sure their child’s progress through every grade is recognised and recorded, as that helps to transition smoothly to the next grade.” What the law expects What “good” looks like in home education Think of end-of-phase assessments as a package with four parts: design, conditions, marking, and moderation. Consistency beats cramming Although the legal requirement lands at the end of each phase, the best results come when families apply the same standards throughout the phase: Who signs off and what to file It is good practice for the competent assessor to sign off the learner’s marks at year-end. Most provincial report templates include a signature section for this purpose. Keep the following on record: “When families have these records, it demonstrates that they have taken all due diligence steps. There will be no questions as to their child’s progress, and will ensure there is a smooth transition to the next grade and the next phase. This will be more important when they choose, for example to re-enter mainstream schooling, or planning Grade 10 subject selections,” Schoonwinkel explains. “End-of-phase assessments should reassure both parents and learners: the work of the phase has been learned, demonstrated, and recorded fairly,” Schoonwinkel concludes. “Qualified people, objective conditions, and disciplined record-keeping – do those three things well to ensure your child moves to the next grade and the next phase.”

December 3, 2025
Freebees PR

Goldcrest Launches National UGC Campaign: Heart of Hosting

Goldcrest is celebrating the heart of South African hosting with a brand-new nationwide user generated content campaign inviting families, food lovers, and home entertainers to show how they ‘Host with Heart’ using their favourite Goldcrest products. The #HeartOfHosting campaign shines a spotlight on real moments, real food, and the everyday joy of gathering around a table. Whether it is a cozy breakfast, a festive dinner, or a spontaneous snack spread, the campaign encourages South Africans to share how they host with warmth, creativity, and Goldcrest at the centre. This initiative is designed to spark authentic stories, boost social engagement, and strengthen brand love across the country.  THE CAMPAIGN: #HeartOfHosting The public is invited to share a photo or video showcasing how they host their loved ones using any Goldcrest product. To enter, participants simply: WHAT’S UP FOR GRABS: Weekly Prizes: Entries will stand a chance to win Goldcrest product hampers, every week. These will be selected randomly.   Grand Prize: One grand prize winner along with 2nd and 3rd places winner will be chosen at the end of the competition and will each receive a curated prize worth up to R5 000 to elevate their hosting occasions.   1st prize: XL Pizza Braai with travel bag  2nd prize: Fieldbar 10l Drinks Box   3rd prize: 6 Person Party Fondue set   Competition ends 10 December 2025. Visit the website for full terms and conditions www.goldcrest.co.za 

December 2, 2025
Koa Academy

What Are Parents Really Hoping For in Their Child’s Education?

Most parents want a school environment where their children feel safe, supported, and able to grow. But beneath the usual considerations, academic quality, subject choices, and exam readiness, there are deeper hopes at play. Parents want their children to develop socially and emotionally, discover their interests, and gain the confidence to navigate a future that looks very different from the world we grew up in. At Koa Academy, we believe these bigger aspirations shouldn’t be left to chance. They deserve to be intentionally built into the school experience. That’s why our approach to teaching, learning, and school structure is guided by core principles designed to help young people prepare for a meaningful and successful life. As South African families consider schooling options each year, it’s worth looking beyond the usual checkboxes and asking: Will this school support my child’s deeper development, not just their academics? Putting Soft Skills at the Centre More and more parents recognise that soft skills play a decisive role in their child’s long-term success. Creativity, communication, empathy, critical thinking, and problem-solving are the abilities that help young people thrive in school and far beyond it. Yes, content knowledge still matters, but it’s far easier to teach a new piece of information than it is to develop adaptability or sound judgement. The workplace reflects this reality. LinkedIn reports that soft skills are the top priority for over 80% of specialised roles on their platform. Strong academic performance and subject expertise remain vital, but they shouldn’t come at the expense of transferable, relevant skills that young people will use throughout their lives. These skills support not only a solid academic education but also everyday decision-making, relationships, and navigating a complex world. At Koa Academy, we ensure that opportunities to develop soft skills are woven into the learning journey. We aim to equip students with the tools they need to thrive in a wide range of environments, both now and in the future. Strong Foundations Start With Understanding Education today should be about more than memorising facts and writing test after test. A modern approach focuses on the core ideas and ways of thinking that sit beneath different subjects and topics. Take a History essay, for example. It’s not only about recalling dates, people, and events. It’s also about learning how to think critically, evaluate information, and solve problems. When students understand the concepts behind what they’re doing, they can apply that understanding in new and meaningful ways. By focusing on the “why” of learning, not just the “what,” students start to see how their schoolwork connects to real life. This makes their education feel more relevant and, ultimately, more impactful. This foundation helps young people become more confident, independent thinkers – not just students who can memorise and repeat. Encouraging a Love of Learning One of the most valuable outcomes a school can nurture is a genuine love of learning. Lifelong learners don’t wait for someone to tell them what to study; they actively seek opportunities to grow, explore, and improve. This mindset not only sets students up for academic success but also helps them adapt to an ever-evolving world. Helping children develop this mindset requires partnership between home and school. It includes building strong routines, encouraging curiosity, setting small achievable goals, and surrounding young people with peers and adults who spark interest. Importantly, it involves helping students see mistakes as part of the process: feedback, not failure. At Koa, we intentionally cultivate this mindset so that learning becomes a habit, not just a requirement. Learning That Fits the Individual Children learn at different paces and in different ways, yet many mainstream schools still rely on teacher-paced learning, where the entire class moves through content at the same speed. This “teach to the middle” model limits both accelerated students and those who need more time. Mastery-based learning turns this model on its head. Instead of marching through content to keep up with the teacher’s pace, students progress only once they’ve fully grasped each concept. Those who understand quickly can move ahead; those who need more time can pause, revisit, and deepen their understanding without falling behind. In this model, the teacher becomes a facilitator who supports each student’s unique learning journey. Over time, mastery-based learning helps reduce learning gaps – especially in the senior grades where they matter most. Choosing a School That Aligns With Your Values When parents think about choosing a school, it’s worth digging deeper than academics and facilities. What values do you hold when it comes to raising your child? What kind of young adult do you hope they will become? A great school should reflect and support those values. It should help students become adaptable, curious, compassionate, and resilient – traits that matter just as much as test scores in an ever-changing world. Parents often default to what they experienced growing up, or what’s considered the “norm.” But schooling today doesn’t have to look like schooling from twenty or thirty years ago. Rethinking education with your family’s values in mind can make all the difference. Finding a school that aligns with those values, one that sees your child as an individual with potential and purpose, is one of the best investments you can make in their future. Discover Koa Academy here. 

December 2, 2025
Parenting Hub

The Benefits of PLAYMOBIL – Through the Eyes of a Qualified Play Therapist

As we approach the final month of 2025, many of us are looking forward to slowing down, taking a break from busy routines, and enjoying long-overdue quality time with our loved ones. The festive period gives parents and caregivers the chance to connect with their little ones without the usual rush of work, school, and extra-murals. As an occupational therapist, play therapist, and mom to young children, I’m always searching for Christmas gifts that are durable, well-designed, and genuinely support my children’s development. In a world where screens are everywhere, I want toys that pull my kids into real, meaningful play — toys that encourage creativity, communication, and imagination. When I discovered the PLAYMOBIL range, I knew I had found exactly that. From an OT perspective, I look for toys that naturally support development — and PLAYMOBIL does exactly that. The small pieces and detailed scenes encourage fine-motor skills, hand–eye coordination, and focused attention. Children also practise executive functioning skills like planning, sequencing, and flexible thinking as they explore different storylines and decide what happens next. As a play therapist, I love how PLAYMOBIL supports emotional regulation and social skills. Imaginative play brings up a range of feelings, and it gives parents the perfect chance to guide their children through frustration, excitement, problem-solving, and teamwork. Whether children are acting out everyday scenarios or creating entire worlds, they’re building communication, empathy, and confidence without even realising it. Symbolic or pretend play is one of the richest ways children learn — and every PLAYMOBIL set mirrors real-life experiences. Kids get to make sense of their world through storytelling, role play, and imagination, which is incredibly valuable for emotional and social growth. And then, putting my professional hats aside — what do I look for as a mom? I want toys that last, that excite my kids, that draw them into hours of screen-free fun, and that bring our family together. I want toys that spark creativity, promote role play, and — most importantly — feel like pure joy. PLAYMOBIL ticks every one of those boxes.    PLAYMOBIL toys are made from child-safe, non-toxic ABS plastic and are incredibly long-lasting. A quick browse on the PLAYMOBIL website (www.playmobil.co.za) shows just how many themes and sets there are — something for every child, every interest, and every stage of imaginative play. They’re wonderful for families, and I highly recommend them for therapists looking to add meaningful play tools to their practices. Anyone choosing a PLAYMOBIL gift this Christmas can feel confident that they’re giving a child a fun, engaging, and developmentally supportive play experience. PLAYMOBIL — Inspiring Imagination Through Play. Available at select Toy Kingdom and Hamleys stores, Takealot online, and your favourite independent toy store.For a complete list of stores where you can find PLAYMOBIL visit www.playmobil.co.za/find-a-retailer/Sign up at www.playmobil.co.za for their regular newsletters and get up-to-date information on new product releases. Taryn Schneider has a BSc in Occupational Therapy from UCT and a Master’s degree in Child-Centred Play Therapy from Roehampton University in the United Kingdom. She works in private practice in Gardens, Cape Town. Taryn uses a practical and functional approach to managing emotional and behavioural challenges in children. She aims to empower parents by helping them understand their children holistically, enabling them to support and manage their children more effectively at home. Taryn also enjoys working closely with teachers to support children emotionally in the classroom and to help them understand how emotional well-being impacts school performance. 083 434 0126 / [email protected]

December 2, 2025
Load More
It seems we can't find what you're looking for.
Scroll to Top