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Art classes for Kids

By scoutiemama on December 23, 2010

There are plenty of options when it comes to art classes for kids here in Singapore. Some offer art and crafts. Some offer a variety of techniques and medium. Some strives to teach kids how to be creative through art. Others even sought to introduce kids to the styles used by the masters at an early age. Here are some that we like. ~♡

Art Classes is not just about drawing and painting

Abrakadoodle

Kids develop confidence and skills such as fine motor skills, ability to listen and follow directions, cognitive skills and language in an enchanting environment that develops individual creativity.

Lesson Type & Fees: $275 per 10 lessons*

Where:

  • Cluny Court  501 Bukit Timah Rd #02-13/15
  • Playground @ Big Splash 902 East Coast Parkway Blk B #02-05B

Website: www.abrakadoodle.com.sg

Art Boot Camp

Their website says that they aim to build the self-esteem and confidence equip children with an understanding of artistic techniques, and the practical skills required to execute them.

Lesson Type & Fees: 10 weeks blocks staring from $320 per term +Material Fee.*
Where:

  • 200 Turf Club Road #01-23A & #01-26, Turf City
  • 313 Tanjong Katong Road

Website: www.artbootcamp.com.sg

Art Zone

Art classes and craft workshops such as paper, woodcraft, canvas, pottery and mural painting, clay work, collage, papier mache, origami, craft work using recycled/waste materials.

Lesson Type & Fees: 4 lessons blocks at $75 for regular and flexi-time classes. One time classes are are available for crafts lessons.*

Where:

  • 81 Clemenceau Ave #02-25 UE Shopping Mall
  • 1 Jalan Anak Bukit #02-36/37 Bukit Timah Plaza
  • Club CSC #03-05 Bukit Batok West Ave 2

Website: www.artzone.com.sg

Artz Graine Art Studio

Artz Graine Art Studio designed programs that consist various art media and techniques, hone kids skills in drawing, Western and Chinese painting, Sculpture and preparing their portfoilio for DSA entry to SOTA and school with art niche.

Lesson Type & Fees: Fee from $300 for 10 sessions inclusive of art material onwards.

Where:

  • Blk  4 Queen’s Road (off Farrer Rd) #02-107
  • 56A Jalan Jurong Kechil Road, JK Building

Phone: 64757688, 64661680
Email: info@artzgraine.com.sg, ask_edu@artzgraine.com.sg
Website: www.artzgraine.com.sg

Kids Art

Offers Art, Origami and Craft classes for kids. The focus is on art techniques such as tracing, shading and tones.

Lesson Type & Fees: Blocks of 4 classes cost around $100. You get a free t-shirt and bag with crayons on registration. Flexi-classes may be arranged. *

Where:

  • Tiong Bahru Plaza #06-04A
  • Beauty World Centre #01-30
  • Katong Village #02-29
  • Ang Mo Kio Central Blk. 728 Ang Mo Kio Ave. 6 #02-4220

Website: www.kidsart.com.sg

LPN Art School

Offers a variety of programs for different age groups as well as Chinese art.  A variety of medium such as clay, paper clay, plasticine, oil pastel, poster  and marker are used.

Lesson Type & Fees: Blocks of  12 classes. On-Spot Art session are avialable at the Liang Court branch or during school holidays and roadshows.

Where:

  • Suntec City Mall #03-023, Tower 2, (Front Atrium, near Toys ‘R’ us)
  • Liang Court, #02-31B (Coming up from the escalator next to Starbucks)
  • Choa Chu Kang, Choa Chu Kang Centre, #04-04 (Next to Lot 1 shopping mall)

Website: www.artlpn.com
Blog of Liang Court Branch: www.shanzenartshop.com

My Art Space

A Little painters program with modules named after the names of major art movement like Expressionism, Fauvism and Pop Art.

Its not just the name. The program claim to teach kids the best kept secret of great masters like Monet, Van Gogh, Matisse through exploring acrylic on canvas.

Lesson Type & Fees: Blocks of  6 classes cost around $220 or 8 classes for $300.

Where:

  • 21 Tanjong Pagar Road, #04-01

Website: www.myartspace.com.sg

Twinkle Art

A wide range of art and crafts programs are offered in this art studio, which is run by a residential artist with awards. They even have pottery and modeling clay classes

Where:

  • 20 Jurong West St 93, #02-14, Jurong West Sports & Recreation Centre

Website: www.twinkleart.com

WowART Studio

Cultivate traits such as sense of expression, communication and creativity. Sought to help each child grow and prepare himself for the world ahead, nurturing his Imagination, Versatility, Self-awareness, Motivation, Confidence and Independence along the way. Comment from a friend who attended its trial class- “This one really teach the kid about art”

Where:

  • 200 Upper Thomson Road #01-10 Thomson Imperial Court

Website: www.wow.com.sg

*Pricing are indicative only. Base on the last published rate on the provider’s website

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Free Flash Cards – South East Asia Countries

By learningmum on January 17, 2011

This set of flash cards presents South East Asia countries in the form of flags.

Flags included in this set are :

Brunei,Cambodia, East Timor, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam.

Download World Flags-South East Asia Countries.ppt (476kb)

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Mobile Apps for Busy Parents

By scoutiemama on September 12, 2011

Having had my iPhone for two years, the applications that are free or deliciously cheap to download have made our lives easier and also so much more fun and enriching.  Some of them helped teach kids about reading, writing and general knowledge and  keep them entertained for good period of times. Others just help us go about our tasks faster and more easily.  Its’s not just for iPhone users either, some of the apps are also available on Andriod and other mobile devices.

Mobile Apps we love.

Entertaining and teaching our kids

iWriteWords (Free/$2.99)

This app makes starting my kid on practicing his writing almost effortless. My boy starts learning the correct sequence of the strokes with this application and enjoyed it so much he asked for my iphone so that he can practice writing.
More on iWriteWords…

Learning to write made easy.

Available on: iPad, iPhone / iPod Touch.

 

Mee Genius (Free)

Books read in karaoke style for the kids. Beautiful illustration of familiar tales and fables together with fresh editing make the story engaging for the kids. Each book is read as the word being read is highlighted. The app comes with 6 free stories. More on Mee Genius…

This app help read to your kid.

Available on: iPad, iPhone / iPod Touch, Android.

BrainPOP (Free)

This app enhance our general knowledge daily with a new video of an animated movie of the subject of the day and a quiz. We have lots of great time learning from this app.
More on BrainPOP…

BrainPOP is a great way to build up general knowledge.

Available on: iPad, iPhone / iPod Touch.

Shape Builder (Free/$0.99)

A combination of puzzles and learning new objects, numbers and letters  with sounds and  voice over. This app is great for the 3-5 years old for learning names of objects and solving puzzles.

Mobile Apps we love.

Available on: iPad, iPhone / iPod Touch

 

Making our lives easier

Go There ($2.99)

This is a guide on how to get from point A to point B in Singapore. Especially useful for when I want to go to a new place  to explore with my boy.  The app just need your current location and destination and tells you the time you will need and amount you will spent getting around by bus, train and bus or taxi. I love this application. The $2.99 I paid for it more than pay for itself from the amount of cab fare I saved.

Getting around made easy

Available on: iPad, iPhone / iPod Touch.

Evernote (Free)

Voice notes, camera notes or just plain old text, this application is great as it sync with your iphone and your online account. Hence, I always have access to my notes whether I have my iphone with me or I am just in front of a computer.

Available on: iPad, iPhone / iPod Touch, Android, Windows Phone 7 and BlackBerry.

Dictionary (Free)

Always handy to keep around when in doubt of the meaning of a word, when in need of a similar word or just to verify the pronunciation. This free app lets you search for a word, switch between dictionary and thesaurus mode and listen to the word. You can even add a word to your favorite list. There is also a word a day feature to enrich your vocabulary.

Searching for a word and finding it

Available on: iPad, iPhone / iPod Touch, Android,Windows Phone 7 and BlackBerry.

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Lullaby and Goodnight

By scoutiemama on October 13, 2011

This cute bedtime story from littlemangoplace just make me want to squeal -it’s so cute! There is lots of interactivity with this unique soft book for a baby or toddler’s bed time.Best of all,the story goes through some of the things babies do before going to bed, which is a great way to introduce the bedtime routine and good habits.

Cute soft book with zip around the book and a handle.

The milk bottle can be taken in and out of the refrigerator.

Brushing teeth and changing out of your day cloths.

The tooth brush is great for pretend play where the baby and mummy can pretend to brush the teeth of the bear. The bear in the cloths is a real cloth door and he can be use in the other pages that follows.

Interactive Bath and Pajamas.

The bear doll get a nice tub and soap. He can then change into his pajamas.

A book in a book with windows showing the night sky.

A book in a book with windows showing the night sky.

Mummy can tug the little bear to bed here.

 

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West Coast Park playground revisited

By scoutiemama on February 17, 2012

We returned to West Coast Park a year from our first visit and were pleasantly surprised  with quite a number of additional playgrounds and features. Here is an update on the stuff we see at West Coast Park Adventure playground.

We spotted several new play areas that seems to be tailored for the younger ones. Our group of 5-8 year old boys enjoyed the new playground, taking their time to explore the new play features.

Brightly colored play area with a fire-engine for kids 2-12 years old

Make music with drums or pretend to be firemen. The kids zoom in and out of the cute fire-engine, similar to the one at Pasir Ris Adventure Playground. There seems to be more toddler friendly features over here though.

The boys love the panel with the steering wheel.

More play equipment for kids 2-12

Play feature that spins and any thing with racing tracks equals fun for the boys.

The giant spinning wheel.

Buggy for rent and more spinning play features.

The section at the park for the older kids have some interesting add-ons as well. The pyramid for climbing have two cool looking slides added to it. The flying fox, obstacle course, a play structure that look is like an atom, together with many balancing beams and climbing features make this look like an ideal training ground for future adventurers-in-making.

New slides are added to the already fun pyramid with safety nets.

Obstacle that looks fun and challenging to balance on.

Cool looking feature with nets for climbing.

Four rows of flying fox…sure cut down on the waiting time for this popular feature in playgrounds.

The ultimate flying fox.

The balancing beams, tunnels, rock climbing walls and ladders sure looks like fun for kids who need to expand their energy and train up their motor-skills.

A playground for kids age 7 and above

Almost all the old stuff are still there except for some changes to the signs and instructions for play. The boys still love the ship playground the most, settling for good old fashion sand play and pretending to be pirates after exploring the new stuff.

The ship playground is still the favorite.

The boys love climbing to where they can steer the ship, the fort and dig for "treasure".

The upgrade to this already awesome outdoor playground makes coming here double the fun. Upgrades and more pavilions seems to be in the works which is great to mitigate the heat in the afternoon.

Where: Parallel to West Coast Highway (Right behind the McDonald – 71 West Coast Highway Singapore 126844 )
$$$: Free

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Peranakan Museum for Kids

By scoutiemama on February 11, 2012

I have wanted to visit the Peranakan Museum for some time as our family is a quarter Peranakan/Straits Chinese/Ba Ba/Noya* and I have been wanting to let my six year old have a little more exposure to this aspect of his heritage for some time.

The kids friendly Peranakan Museum

I am worried that the museum will not interest the kids, but they have quite a bit of fun and excitement or the two hours we spent there, thanks to the efforts from the museum to integrate kids friendly and interactive features to their exhibition space.

These exhibits at the museum depicts a marriage ceremony for olden days Babas.

There are many stations in the museum where kids can interact with.

Stop and Touch Wedding Gifts

Our boy is quite excited to put his hands in the stop and touch station where he can see, touch and feel the the exhibits. There are also audio visual to learn more and little assignments to explore all the places

Engaging multimedia stations and fun stamping stations

The boys love collecting the stamps on the colorful activity sheet provided by the museum. Each stamping station is located at different sections of the museum and introduces a symbol related to the theme of the section. The symbols are those frequently found on the motifs used by the Peranakans.

A stamping station featuring the Qilin, a symbol for pace and happiness

We found a clear multimedia presentation on how certain items are created. The boys were immediately captivated.

A multimedia presentation on how a piece of ornament is created

I love how the museum recreate a scene or living space for us to have a better idea on how the people live in the past.

A traditional Peranakan kitchen

Elaborate jewelery and culinary set up on the dinning table

Beautiful purses that have symbols and patterns sewed from beads.

The boys love playing pretend the olden day phones and touching the beaded slippers and accessories in the pull out drawers

More interactive features for the kids to touch and learn

*Peranakan/Straits Chinese and Baba-Nyonya are terms used for the descendants of late 15th and 16th-century Chinese immigrants to Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei.

Where: 39 Armenian Street  Singapore 179941
Hours: Monday: 1pm to 7pm  Tuesday to Sunday: 9am – 7pm (to 9 pm on Fridays)
$$$: $6 for adults. Free for kids below 6 and Singaporean Students
(Tip it’s half price on Friday and there are open house days from time to time)

More On Peranakan Musem on the website

 

 

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Senkang Swimming Pool -Slides and fun

By scoutiemama on February 5, 2012

With a Competition Pool, sheltered teaching pool, a kids fun pool a jacuzzi and 8 slides, Seng Kang Swimming Pool is one water play place that offers loads of fun for those who love slides with their water play.

The 8 slides for the adventurous

The slides are only for those who are above 1.2m  though, which is good as they look kind of high for the younger ones.  The young ones are happy to stay at the fun pool thought with 2 slides of their own and tunnels and water features to play with.

The water fun pool for kids

The kids pool get water splashes for extra fun

The water splash features at the fun pool

Part of the larger Senkang Sports Complex, with a community club and Mc Donalds located right beside it, there are a few places for food and drinks for the hungry kids right after their water fun time.

$: Entrance fee at $2 for adult and $1 for each child on weekends
Where: 57 Anchorvale Road, S(544964)
Hours: 8.00am-9.30pm daily. Close on Mondays

 

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Tools and Books to help kids learn about managing money.

By scoutiemama on January 29, 2012

Good money habits can be an invaluable life skill. Ultimately, we are the ones to cultivate these by having money conversations and setting a good example to our kids, it never hurts to have a few props to help us along the way.

Money Savvy Pig

This piggy bank introduces the concept of making money management choices to kids.

This piggy bank is divided into four sections. “Save”, “Spend”, “Donate” and “Invest” basically helps reinforce to the child the choices they need to maker to manage one’s money. The bank comes with a set of stickers so that the kid can personalize their bank.  Some of the stickers come with pictures on it while some are blank so that the kid can draw their own. He can then place the stickers on the bank so to remind himself of the goal he is working on. This piggy bank also comes in red, pink and green as well as a non see through version.

Money Savvy Pig has also received a number of awards/accolades, including USA Today’s “One of the Best Products of the Year” and Parents’ Choice Foundation’s “Educational Toy of the Year”.

The Allowance® Game

The Allowance® Game is similar to monopoly but teaches money in ways kids can understand through everyday real life situations, such as buying ice creams, buying houses, taking out mortgages. The kids get to learn about money management and counting money through the game. Recommended for age 4 and above.

This game is great for teaching kids to identify money values, add & subtract money

Raising Financially Fit Kids

This book is for adults who want to raise financially sercure kids

Designed for adults concerned about raising children ages 5 to 18, Raising Financially Fit Kids is centered around a developmental map covering ten specific money skills each child can master by the age of 18 to become a financially secure adult. It gives parents a step-by-step approach to helping their kids become habitual savers, smart money mangers, and responsible decision makers. Some of the values this book  are certainly valuable, bringing across points such as  “Money is a tool for achieving and maintaining independence”, “Saving is good; accumulation for its own sake is not”, “Spending is best done wisely and within one’s means”, “Greed is not good.”

The book is divided into age-appropriate sections, so advice for parents of 5 year olds is different from that of parents of 9 or 13 or 18 year olds.

 

 

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Chinese New Year Season Things to Do 2012

By admin on January 24, 2012

Happy Lunar New Year to our Chinese and Korean Readers. While visiting and collecting Ang Baos and munching on New year goodies are great fun for the kids, there are also plenty of other exciting places to visit and things to do. Here are some on our list:

Flower Show

Sentosa Flower Show- Check out the

Flowers are often given or exchanged to express good wishes during the festive season of Chinese New Year and the flower features loads of new year flowers and flower arrangement. The show include several large dragon displays, along with other themed sections, such as DinoLand and Flower Fairies.   More on Sentosa Flower Show

When: 21-29 January, 10 am-10pm
Where: Merlion Plaza, Imbiah Lookout, Sentosa
$$$: Free

 

River Hongbao – Enjoy the lights and events

Big Lanterns, Theme Park, Exhibitions and loads of programs such as Dragon dance performance, Chinese New Year Calligraphy Demonstration and Juggling. More on River Hongbao

When: 21-29 January, 12 am-11:30pm
Where: The float@Marina Bay
$$$: Free

Take a walk around China Town at night

Eu Tong Sen Street, New Bridge Road, South Bridge Road, Garden Bridge and side-streets near Chinatown MRT station will light up during the festive period. Pagoda, Smith, Trengganu and Sago Streets have loads of Chinese New Year stuff that absolutely fascinates the kids (and adults) We can spend hours window shopping and checking out the miniature dragon dance props, new year decorations and traditional decoration. There are plenty of goodies too.  While some of the stuff are available all year, Chinese New Year have loads more to see.

When: Chinatown lights up till 21 Feb,7 pm till late at night. The shops around should be up except for the first few days of Chinese New Year.
Where: Chinatown.
$$$: Free

Check out the Museums

Many museums are offering free entry during the Chinese New Year period. All National Heritage Board (NHB) museums, including the Memories at Old Ford Factory, Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM), National Museum of Singapore, Singapore Art Museum (SAM), Peranakan Museum, and Singapore Philatelic Museum on 24 January.

In addition, The National Museum will  offer visitors free entry to all its exhibitions, including special exhibitions, on Jan 28 -29 as well as on Feb 3, 4 & 5.

Festival of Abundance at Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall

Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall (Wan Qing Yuan)  will be having its open house – free admissions from 23 Jan – 6 Feb 2012  on 28, 29 Jan & 4, 5 Feb 2012, there will be free Chinese crafts and calligraphy demonstrations as well as free guided tours in English at 11:00am & 2:00pm. More on Festival of Abundance…
When: 23 Jan – 6 Feb 2012 10.00am – 5.00pm
Where: Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall. 12 Tai Gin Road, Singapore 327874

Check out the Huayi Chinese Festival

Crafts with Beans

Huayi – Chinese Festival of Arts was introduced as one of three annual cultural festivals at Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay celebrating Singapore’s multicultural heritage. There are free workshops such as craft work shop for kids as well as paid performances. Find out more on Huayi – Chinese Festival of Arts.

 

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Haw Par Villa

By scoutiemama on January 15, 2012

Haw Par Villa has been around forever. Well, not really but since way back in 1937,  created by  the founders of Tiger Balm as a venue  to preserve Chinese heritage by educating the younger generations on the important lessons in life.

A plaque featuring the founders of the villa and a statue of a dragon near the entrance.

It is one of those destinations that form part of my childhood memory of outings…so when the circle line make it so much more accessible to those of us without a car, we decide to pay a visit there just so our 6 and 8 years olds can get some exposure to Chinese culture and stories.

The circle line brings us right to the main gate of Haw Paw Villa.

There are lots to see at Haw par Villa, with many sculptures and figurines and 3 dimensional murals as well as steps, “caves”, “mountains”, pavilions at the grounds. According to wikipedia, there are over 1,000 statues and 150 giant dioramas. Most of these features stories and cautionary tales from legends, folklore and history. Some introduce famous people, deities and sages or or just whimsical and mystical creatures.

The boys were excited upon seeing the mountains, whimsical figurines and the adventure of climbing and running through caves.

There are many "caves" and "mountains" to explore

We are impress with the detail of the statues and how close some of them are in depicting the scenes in folklore and legends. The kids were intrigue by the statues and help themselves interacting with the statues and make believe plants and scenery. The place is a little old and definitely not as polish and equipped as mainstream museums and gardens, but we were amazed  by the amount of information on legends and stories the place contain. It also carries an old school charm in the way the statues and sculptures depict the familiar stories and legends.

The ones below are from the famous legends from the “Journey to the West”.

Tripitaka's horse and a fierce looking spider web

DO supervise closely though. The miniature mountains and rocks offers loads of climbing opportunities and as some of the items such as the spider web is made of wires. While it is placed far and high up, our adventurous boys manage to climb up to it and have a good close look and were seriously contemplating getting closer and touching it.

Are the kids trying to emulate the monkey god?

Scene depicting the monkey god at the mountain of fruits and mountain.

There are also plenty of statues of sages and heroes. Below are the statue of Jiang Zi Ya and Confucius.

The statues of Jiang Zi Ya and Confucian.

Many murals depicts legends, most of them with a moral behind the story. The 3 dimensional characters captures the kid’s imagination. For almost all the murals and displays, there are clear panels in English, Chinese, Malay and Japanese with so we can get our fill of the stories behind the scenes and figurines we see.

Murals depicting legends.

More stories and figurines of animals.

Where: 262 Pasir Panjang Rd, Singapore 118628, Singapore (Besides Circle Line Haw Paw Villa)
$$$: Free
Hours: 9.00 am to 7 pm daily.

Tip: Bring mosquito repellent/patch and plenty of water. The place can get pretty hot and there are lots of walking and climbing to do.

Nearby: The West Coast Park outdoor playground is just 15 mins drive or a few bus-stops away. After a morning getting to know about cultural folklore and heritage, we proceed to a nice McDonald’s lunch and an afternoon of play over there.

 

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Huayi Chinese Festival of Arts

By admin on January 7, 2012

With Chinese New Year just around the corner, it is a good time to expose the kids to some Chinese culture. It is great to see that there is an event for just that. Huayi – Chinese Festival of Arts 2012 have quite a number of activities and workshops line up for the kids and adults. Here are the ones for the kids.

Free Workshops :

Fun with Hongbaos

Crafts with Hong Baos

by Foong Siu Ying (Singapore)

Learn how to turn your Chinese New Year hongbaos (red packets) into creative crafts like pen holders and decorative paper art that can be used as festive decorations!

(Conducted in English and Mandarin. Recommended for children aged 6 and above, as well as the young-at-heart.)

When: 7 Jan 2012, Sat ( Pen Holders) & 8 Jan 2012, Sun (Decorative Paper Art)
Time: 11.30am – 1pm, 1.30pm – 3pm, 3.30pm – 5pm
Where: Esplanade Concourse
$: Free (limited seats on first-come first-serve basis)

Chinese New Year Bean Art

Crafts with Beans

Kng Mian Tze & Rene Ong (Singapore)

Get creative with beans this Chinese New Year! Create your own masterpiece using beans and basic art materials.  (Conducted in English. Recommended for children aged 4 and above, as well as the young-at-heart. Children below 7 should be accompanied by parent(s).)

When: 29 Jan, 4 & 5 Feb, Sun, Sat & Sun 11.30am – 1pm,1.30pm – 3pm, 3.30pm – 5pm, 5.30pm – 7pm (Sat only)Where: Esplanade Concourse
$: Free (limited seats on first-come first-serve basis)

 

More Events

The Baby Panda (Singapore)

The Baby Panda

“No, no, no!” says Baby Panda to his mother, as he pushes his bamboo shoots away and runs off to the forest to play.  Baby Panda thinks he is always right, but when he meets with danger and obstacles in the forest, is he able to humble himself and pluck up the courage to get himself out of trouble?  Specially written for the 2–4 year olds, The Baby Panda brings children on a journey into the forest to learn about respect and courage through an interactive story filled with music and interesting characters! An original production by Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, presented as part of PLAYtime! in 2011.(45mins, no intermission. Performed in Mandarin)

When: 2 & 3 Feb 2012, Thu & Fri, 9.30am, 11am & 4pm4 Feb 2012, Sat, 11am, 2pm & 4pm
Where: Esplanade Recital Studio
$: $15 School Special: $10 (for school bookings of 10 students or more)

Mulan – The Legendary Heroine

Mulan - The Legendary Heroine

An interactive storyhouse performance  Let’s charge — for here comes Mulan! Let’s charge — and ride forth on military horses to beat off all invaders! This is Mulan — one of the most beloved heroines from ancient China. Our young friends must find this strange: Shouldn’t boys be the ones going to war on their steeds? Don’t soldiers devise war tactics and charge forward? Why is a girl unafraid of battle? Keep all of these questions in mind as we journey into the glorious adventures of the courageous Mulan!

Following an exciting storytelling session, it’s time for our young friends and their parents to experience the life of the legendary Mulan! Recreate her village, make your own “armour” and “weapons”, and learn to devise your own shadow puppet performance in a series of fun-filled activities. Participants will also get to bring home their handiwork!

My Village (Props Creation)
What would the village that Mulan lived in look like? Give free rein to your boundless imagination as we start to draw and get hands-on. Learn to create simple props and backdrops as we bring Mulan’s village to life.

Protect My Country (Character Role-play)
Do you wish to protect your country just as Mulan did? Then we need to fully prepare ourselves first! Not to worry, we can use environmentally friendly materials to create all kinds of outfits, “armour”, “shields”, “weapons” and more. Once ready, we can venture onto the battlefield together with our fellow “Mulan”, “General”s and “Soldier”s!

Army Camp Under The Stars (Shadow Puppetry)
What would Mulan’s army camp look like late at night and what would you find inside their tents? You will be guided to devise your own shadow plays where you get to perform exciting stories from inside a tent! (1hr 30mins, no intermission. Conducted in Mandarin)

When: 4 & 5 Feb 2012, Sat & Sun11am, 2pm & 5pm
Where:Esplanade Rehearsal Studio (Meet at Esplanade Theatre Studio entrance, Level 4, 15mins before start time)
$: Adult-Child Pair: $28*(Tickets must be purchased as an adult-child pair. Children aged 5–8. Adults aged 16 and above)

Melodies of Classic Virtues: San Zi Jing and Di Zi Gui

San Zi Jing and Di Zi Gui

by Singapore Chinese Orchestra (Singapore / China) Experience classic Chinese texts in a completely new way through elegant Chinese classical music as the Singapore Chinese Orchestra performs specially composed modern musical interpretations of the San Zi Jing (Three Character Classic) and Di Zi Gui (Standards for being a Good Student and Child).

These two classic Chinese texts have traditionally been used to educate young people. The San Zi Jing covers a wide range of topics including ethical and moral values and served as a child’s first formal education at home. The Di Zi Gui, based on the teachings of Confucius, is regarded as an essential text for moral education and has been widely used across generations.

Conducted by Maestro Tsung Yeh, this concert features original music written by famous Chinese composer Xu Jian Qiang, melodious voices of the Victoria Junior College and Tanjong Katong Secondary School choirs, students from the Hong Wen School and Nanyang Primary School, as well as vocalist Yu Ji Xing. Professor Qian Wen Zhong, a renowned scholar from China and host of the popular Lecture Room television series, provides an added dimension to the performance with his narration and interesting anecdotes and stories. (1hr 30mins, including 20min intermission. Performed in Mandarin)  Co-produced by Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay and Singapore Chinese Orchestra

When: 4 Feb 2012, Sat 7.30pm
Where:Esplanade Concert Hall
$: $38*, $48, $68
Limited concessions for students, NSF & senior citizens: $27 Matinee (For Schools Only)4 Feb 2012, Sat2.30pm$18Available for school group bookings of 10 and above only, through Esplanade Box Office. Contact Esplanade at 6828 8389 or email: boxoffice@esplanade.com

 

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Cookies favor anyone?

By Zzmum on January 5, 2012

Instead of the usual goodie bag, you can choose to give out cookies as party favors on your child’s birthday.  Each cookie is individually packaged in a cello bag and then tied with a coordinating ribbon. If you have the time, you can bake them. If you cannot afford the time, you can order through some online sites. Beware! Some cookies are too cute to eat!

Here are some online sites where you can order the cookies.

 

Bake with love also has a kiosk called Little Red Shop in VivoCity #B2-K10. Prices start from $1.80 per cookie.

Photo from Bake with love.

 

 

These cute customised cookies from Yoke Bakery cost from $3 onwards with a minimum of 10 cookies.

Photo from Yoke Bakery.

 

Each customised cookie from Cookie Culture costs $2.60 onwards.

Photo from Cookie Culture.

 

 

Yummy looking cookies from Cookie Decorating in Singapore
 Prices start from $4.50 per customised cookie.

Photo from Cookie Decorating in Singapore.

 

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