Ntataise is excited to announce the 2025 Ntataise Championship is live, and this year promises to be our most energetic and joyful yet! Under the theme “Music and Movement”, we invite caregivers, practitioners, and communities to join us in celebrating the power of play-based learning. With rhythm in their steps and smiles on their faces, children across South Africa will discover how music and movement can open doors to learning, self-expression, and connection.

The 2025 Focus: Music and Movement

This year’s theme, Music and Movement, was chosen because of its unique power to unlock children’s potential. When children sing, dance, and move, they are not just having fun – they are:

• Developing language and communication skills through rhythm and rhyme.
• Strengthening gross and fine motor skills through movement and coordination.
• Building confidence and self-expression in a safe and joyful space.
• Learning the values of teamwork and belonging through shared musical and physical experiences.

• Highlight the value of play in learning: Through fun, engaging activities, children experience how play builds foundational skills in literacy, numeracy, social interaction, and problem-solving.
• Strengthen ECD practice: Practitioners receive fresh inspiration, new tools, and innovative methods to integrate play-based learning into their daily practice.
• Build community: Families, practitioners, and communities come together in a shared celebration, reinforcing the message that early learning is everyone’s responsibility.
• Elevate national conversation: By showcasing the joy and impact of ECD, the Championship sparks awareness and advocacy at a national level -drawing attention to both the potential and the gaps within South Africa’s ECD sector.