Meet another Xander Mom, Angie Batis. She told us a bit about herself, her blog, her family and parenting choices. Tell us about about yourself? Hi my name is Angie, I’m a mom, a wife, a photographer, a blogger, I co-own Mr Big Stuff Diner in Braamfontein and I own...
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Last month in Mediatech (our library-based tech center), I did something rather insane. I set up a drone flying station. The idea was that anybody — young or old — could try to take off and land a toy drone on a large platform. From a safety and logistics...
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We’re doing a series of reviews on some of our favourite mommy bloggers and women who form part of our Xander Moms programme. This week we spoke to Elsabe Van Der Colff from the lovely little town of Montague in the Western Cape. Tell us about yourself? A mother of two,...
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What is Aitsa? On the 15th of January 2014 the Dwarsriver Valley Initiative opened an after care centre in the small village of Kylemore just outside Stellenbosch for 25 children. This year the Aitsa! After Care centre caters for 105 children, ages 5 to 8, every weekday afternoon from...
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For the last two years the MRP Foundation has been running its technology-based education programme, TechEd in KwaZulu Natal and working closely with local and global partners. Read more about what they are doing here.
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I was watching one of the teachers at my daughter’s little school yesterday. She patiently held out the bottom part of a tower for my almost-three-year-old to attach the remaining part. This experience was riddled with frustration for my daughter and exhibited ultimate patience by the teacher. But completing...
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Image courtesy of Cafemom It was World Read Aloud Day on the 24th, in which people are encouraged to participate in the promotion and enjoyment of reading out loud. But what happens when the youngsters are old enough to read themselves, or at least attempt to decipher a few...
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“If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart.” – Nelson Mandela We’re still talking about all the things we love in February. And how fitting that on...
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Images courtesy of Petco February is the month of love, and what love is sweeter than that between a child and their first pet? We automatically think of kids and dogs playing in the garden, but there are a number of other, smaller and more interesting pets to consider...
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Not leaving: an act of trust and love, often deciphered by children” ― Markus Zusak, The Book Thief Image courtesy of Jay Blessed In February every year we are surrounded by the images and sounds of romantic love, from heart-shaped balloons in the checkout aisle to boxes of chocolate; there’s...
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“We need technology in every classroom and in every student and teacher’s hand, because it is the pen and paper of our time, and it is the lens through which we experience much of our world.” – David Warlick Courtesy of WikiSpaces Technology is growing at an exponential pace, and...
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“Words and pictures are yin and yang. Married, they produce a progeny more interesting than either parent.” ― Dr. Seuss If one of your new year’s resolutions is encouraging your children to read more, then you should revisit comic books as a way to get them hooked on reading....
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“Our products are designed to give parents peace of mind knowing that their children can learn while playing with our mother-tongue apps.” Sibella Knott-Craig, founder of Xander Apps. There is a lot of work that goes into building a good children’s app, and most of it is behind the...
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“Mindfulness is about being fully awake in our lives. It is about perceiving the exquisite vividness of each moment. ” – Jon Kabat-Zinn. It’s a brand new year and the festive stress and excitement are behind us. As we head home and get ready for work and the new...
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LEGO produces nearly 20 billion LEGO bricks a year – or 36,000 a minute, and also makes 306 million (tiny) tyres a year – more than any other ‘tyre’ manufacturer. Lego blocks are part of every childhood, and we have surely all spent many happy hours as children...
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“Today I learnt a lot about the way Mr Mandela grew up: (his childhood) is just like mine and yours. I admire him for the fact that he was prepared to die for freedom. When I grow up I want to be just like him.” – Simphiwe Maluleke (12),...
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“A re-gifted ‘free hug’ coupon.” – Devin W. Most of us have spent weeks planning, budgeting and making gift lists for the festive season. But while we were planning to buy or make something totally appropriate and spot-on, somebody out there has been eyeing the lavender soaps, or...
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“In the summer, the days were long, stretching into each other. Out of school, everything was on pause and yet happening at the same time, this collection of weeks when anything was possible.”―Sarah Dessen, Along for the Ride Although the children might be looking forward to a few weeks...
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Of all the hard jobs around, one of the hardest is being a good teacher. – Maggie Gallagher If you’re lucky enough, your child loves their teacher, and wants nothing more than to show it with a special year-end gift. We’ve done some research online and found that although teachers...
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“We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” ― Winston S. Churchill We’ve been hearing ‘Jingle Bells’ on repeat in the supermarket since November, when stores started counting down the shopping days ‘till Christmas. It’s so easy to get caught up...
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