Posted on

#5’s puzzle creations

As usual, #5 likes to nick Kate’s toys.

He came and showed me what he had built with her mini puzzle pieces.

Fighter Jet

He went on to tell me that this time, he had done something even better.

The parts were detachable!

The front could fly out and the middle section could lift off.

Wow, I was really impressed and told him so.

Encouraged by my genuine interest in his cool plane, he went away and came up with an even more elaborate plane.

He ran around searching for me and explained in detail how the parts could be ejected and what functions they played.

He fitted them all back and offered it to Kate and I to play with.

I marvel at how he is able to imagine it in his mind’s eye, make it all symmetrical, and design the parts to fit and fly.


Clearly something I can never do.

All I have been coming up with when playing with Kate was some dull tables, cars and chairs. Which never really looked like tables, cars nor chairs.

#5 is really creative and I need to find more ways to encourage it and let it develop further.

Unfortunately in school, his creativity is never supported but usually dampened as he is seen as being non-conformist. There are hardly any chances for him to express it, even in art class.

Well, good thing is, his spirit is indomitable!

~ www.mummyweeblog.com – a blog on parenting 6 kids in Singapore ~



Posted on

What we get up to during the holidays

School holiday crazy has reached new heights. With 6 kids spanning the ages of 3 to 17, the past 2 weeks went by at breakneck speed as I juggled their schedules while preparing for the opening of my enrichment centre in July.

For the first week, I left the house at 7.30am every morning to send #2 to school and crashed into bed past midnight. Several times, I had to drop a kid and pick another up without having time to go in and check what’s happening with the rest. This is definitely more exhausting than the school week.

School holiday schedule
As #2 and #4 are having their O levels and PSLE exams this year, they returned to school for the first week for supplementary classes to cover what was not taught during the term.

Besides that, they are inundated with homework to prepare for the upcoming exams. I’ve engaged a tutor to come over to our place and they arrange their slots with her themselves. #2 also has study sessions with her classmates and I support her by being the chauffeur if the location is inconvenient.

Robotics class

I have to send #5 for some holiday programs to keep him from watching too much TV at home and from annoying Kate no end.

It was much easier logistically when they were younger and I could bundle all 5 along for the same events. Now, with each child having 1 or 2 activities per day, I’m running around like a mad woman.

This was how Tuesday went for me:

7.30 am: Left the house to send #2 to school. Reached home, quickly made breakfast for #1 and dropped her off for a full day of school. She’s having a busy week with one assignment due every 2 days.

9.30 am: Made it on time for a work meeting.

12pm: Rushed home to pick #5 and took Kate along.

12.30: Picked #4 from school and took #5 for class. Kate whined to follow gor gor and kept saying that she was a big girl and wanted to go for ‘class’. Unfortunately she was not allowed in.

Did the shades herself

As we walked off in search of lunch for a starving #4, with a grumpy Kate shuffling along, we chanced upon an art school. I popped in to ask if they had ad hoc lessons for her age and lo and behold, they did! #4 and I couldn’t be more delighted as we said our goodbyes.

Chicken sandwich

Having bought ourselves an hour of special mummy-daughter time, we ducked into the nearest cafe. After a charming lunch, we turned around to pick Kate from class and #4 was so amused that the young teacher was able to handle her for a whole hour and even managed to teach her to colour in gradient tones. Kate was so proud to show us her artwork.

3pm: #4 had arranged to go over to her cousin’s house for a cookie baking session and I dropped her off before sending Kate home for her afternoon nap. It was time to head back and pick #5 from his class.

5pm: #3 called and said she was done with volunteering at the Home. They are required to complete 15 CIP hours this round. Mummy taxi despatched again. Luckily, the hubs called right at that moment and he went over and picked them up.

6pm: Their grandpa walked through the door and we all had dinner at home together.

8pm: Everyone was in a holiday mood and the teens suggested we go for waffles. Came back, settled Kate to bed and did some work before calling it a night.

Diggersite @ ECP
For #5, I try to get him to go out and do some physical activities to expand his energy. Lots of swimming, trampoline park and play dates with his friends.

Before I left to spend the day catching up with my old friend and her boys, I had to ensure Kate was well occupied when she awoke. I looked around to see who was home and tasked #3 to take Kate out for tea after her nap. They went to the neighbourhood cafe for a slice of cake and tete a tete.

We took the boys to try their hand at being construction workers and it was harder than it looked! Finally they managed to manoeuvre the diggers properly and could plonk the sand in the bucket and pick up the wooden logs. Only grouse of the parents was the pricey $5 per 5 minute tokens.
Les Miserables

With the older girls, the activities we bond over have changed from kiddy fun to things like watching musicals and going for fancy meals. I was so excited that Les Miserables is back after a 20-year break and I knew the girls would love it as much as I did. To prepare them, I asked them to read the book, which was the same copy I read when I was a teenager. As expected, only #2 finished the book and she had to explain the storyline to the others.

Needless to say, they enjoyed the musical thoroughly and it was well worth the money. I taught them to play the scores when they were younger and finally they had the chance to hear the songs sung live.

Influencer event

Saturday was a back-to-back day for me. Was woken up by Kate at 7am and we cycled to the playground after breakfast. Went back to shower and had a meeting in church at 9.30am. Excused myself from the last bit and rushed home to pick Kate up as we were invited for an influencer lunch with Mr Seah Kian Peng, CEO of NTUC.

The hubs was left with the other kids and they took the opportunity to go for their favourite sashimi lunch without Kate around.

Lunch done, we made a quick exit and went off to meet some old schoolmates for a lunch-extended-to-tea session.

Kate was exhausted and had a nap in the car. After her forty winks, she was all ready to go swimming with her little cousin and #5. The rest of the family waited for us to get back to have dinner.

We rested on Sunday, and I had a nice long nap with Kate. All refreshed and recharged for the week.

My very own wheels

Come Monday, we were off again with a full week. Met up with a childhood friend and the nicest thing is to see our kids playing together like we did when we were little. We decided not to try the newly opened places to avoid the crowds.

Instead, we went to Kaboodle at East Coast Park as Kate and #5 enjoyed themselves the last time and we had the whole place to ourselves the entire few hours.

As we parted with the other kids, #5 asked if they could go to Lilliput, the mini golf centre which their grandparents used to take them to. Unfortunately, it was closed on Mondays.

#5 asked for my phone to google other mini golf places. I was quite certain that there wasn’t any other in Singapore and handled my phone to him.

He found out that Amazonia had a 9-hole mini golf, which glows in the dark! And they just had to go there! The 2 of them were jumping up and down with excitement and after much pleading, I relented. It was the holidays after all. Besides, I was busy the next day and the both of them were going to spend the day at home.

Amazonia at Great World

I love going out on weekdays. The indoor playground was relatively quiet and being a weekday, entry was for unlimited hours.

While they made new friends and played happily, I ordered lunch and did my work. Another handy skill I’ve picked up. Being able to pull out my work and delve right into it anytime, anywhere.

We had to leave at 4.30 to pick their cousin up for swimming lessons and Kate fell asleep in the car.

New found friend

When we reached home, she insisted on following us to the pool. While their cousin had lessons, #5 swam by himself and Kate made a new friend. Good for her, as I continued with my work while keeping an eye on her.

Sam @ 8Q

On Wednesday, we met up with an old friend and took the kids to Sam (Singapore Art Museum) @ 8Q. It is housed in a separate building from SAM and is situated on Queen Street.

Added bonus is the free entry for Singaporeans. We spent about 1.5 hours there, although the kids didn’t quite get the environmental message. At least we tried to expose them to different forms of creativity.

Dental surgery

The school holidays are also the time when we get the extras done. #2 was getting her braces fixed but the x-ray showed that she had an embedded tooth which needed to be removed first.

We went to Orange Orthodontics at Lucky Plaza medical centre and had it done by Dr Seah, an Oral & Maxillofacial surgeon as it was a delicate surgery due to the location of the tooth. The good thing was that she did not need to do it under general anaesthetic, but could get away with IV sedation. All went well and she is staying home to recuperate.

That was a whole morning gone, and I squeezed every minute out of the 1 hour when she was sedated to zip out and get my partner to sign some documents for submission. I literally ran back to the clinic as I wanted to be there when she awoke.

As though my Thursday was not harrowing enough, while I was home and tending to #2, Kate burnt 2 fingers on the iron while looking for our helper. Thankfully I had worked in the burns department in the hospital and knew what to do.

The hardest thing was to convince my helper not to put all sorts of remedies on her, and to insist that the hubs not run her fingers under cold water but tap water. She was crying hysterically because of the pain and I gave her paracetamol and applied fresh aloe vera to the burn. When she woke up from her nap she was feeling much better.

Casting call

Even though the older ones are independent, they still need mummy to accompany them for certain things like auditions and private vocal lessons. I’m happy that the strings are slowly released and they are not overly independent at this stage.

That’s how our June break has been going so far.

2 weeks down, looking forward to a more relaxing 2 weeks!

~ www.mummyweeblog.com – a blog on parenting 6 kids in Singapore ~
Posted on

Glamping in Bintan @ The Canopi

We went glamping (glamorous camping) at this newly opened resort in Bintan and the kids loved the place so much that they are already asking to go back.


It felt like we were entering a make-believe land, a Smurf village of sorts.

The wow factor is definitely there, and everything looks picture-perfect.

However, operationally, they do not seem ready although they have been running for 9 months.

Here are some tips so that you go prepared and will be able to make the most of your holiday.

Glamping – glamorous camping

From Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal, it took us an hour to reach Bintan. Guests of The Canopi are ushered through the express lane and it was a short 5 minute ride to our resort.


Once we alighted from the shuttle bus and stepped into the lobby, this magnificent view awaited us.

“This is the largest swimming pool I have ever seen!” exclaimed #5.
The Lagoon

The lagoon stretched as far as the kids could see.


Right in the middle is the wake boarding section, which is run by a Singaporean.

The rest of the water and land activities are situated at the far end of the lagoon.
Little smurfette
We got the keys to our room and the kids couldn’t wait to dump their stuff before heading out to do the activities.

They oohed and aahed about everything and loved the safari themed rooms. All in high spirits as though they had stepped into magical land.

Tip: There are no phones in the rooms, so you either have to walk to the lobby reception for any requests, or you can WhatsApp the number that is given when you checked-in.

Also do note that there is no mini bar, thus no fridge to chill anything you might need to chill.

#5 called it his fort

Some examples of our requests, to manage your expectations:

Bedroom slippers, please. Sorry, we don’t provide.
Hand towels? Sorry, ran out.
A glass of beer? Sorry, machine broken.

The tent floor is really rough so pack bedroom slippers along if necessary. Or perhaps that’s what the cute little ‘well’ outside each tent is for!

To wash everyone’s feet AND slippers so you can wear them inside the tent. Ok, maybe it’s just me who has sensitive feet, but it felt like I was walking on woven rope.

The kids quickly changed into their swim gear and headed towards the water sports centre. After realising that they had to walk one big round, they decided to swim across instead.


Thank goodness I brought Kate’s pram along, because she could not swim across and it was taking her a long time to walk such a long distance.
$9 per  hour

There are a lot of activities for the kids. They started with the Water Sports Park which has giant trampolines, slides and obstacles.

Kate did not join them but was content to play with her pool toys.

The kids enjoyed the water park so much that they went again the next day. If the kids are young, they need to be accompanied by an adult.

Bumper boat – 15 min

They also had lots of fun in this Motorised Bumper Boat, with water guns to spray one another. It can go quite fast, and #5 loved spinning it around like those dizzy tea cups at theme parks!

Kayaking

Both single and double kayaks are available and it was rather idyllic kayaking around the lagoon.

The Land Sports Centre is situated right behind the water sports and it is open to public as well. As we were there over the weekend, it was very crowded with locals, especially on Sunday.

The kids were disappointed that they did not manage to do any of the land activities.

The electric scooters were all rented out, and we were told that the ATV bike adventure only commenced at 3pm. When we went over at 3pm, they told us that it was over-subscribed.

Wake-boarding

This is a nice place to learn wake-boarding and the kids were able to stand on the first few tries. #1 even managed to turn successfully!

There were several groups awaiting their turn and as most people paid for the 1 hour session, and with 2 cable lines, it was quite a wait.

If we ever do return, it will definitely be on a weekday.

Chilling

The resort has 1 giant float, which was anchored right in front of our tent.


The younger kids woke up at 7am and after breakfast, they relaxed here while waiting for the older girls to get ready to start the other activities together.
Getting around

After a few times of walking round and round under the scorching sun to get to the activities, we decided to call for a buggy.


There is Wifi throughout the resort and you can WhatsApp the reception for a buggy but they have only 2 or 3 serving all the guests so you might have to wait.

Tip: Don’t forget to bring hats, sunscreen and goggles as there isn’t any gift/merchandise shop.
One and only restaurant

The biggest bugbear is the lack of food options at the resort, and the fact that it is not cheap.

There is only one restaurant to serve the entire resort. No beach front cafes, no bars, no convenience stores.

There is a little kiosk right at the far end of the lagoon (at the land sports centre) selling a small assortment of drinks and ice cream.

Breakfast: The buffet breakfast was included in our stay, but the spread was very basic. It also took a long time for them to replenish the food when the crowds came in.

Lunch: We ate here again to save time, but the standard was generally below average. The only items which were slightly better were the pizzas, spaghetti bolognese and mee/nasi goreng. Rather expensive at $20 each for a simple lunch with drinks.

Dinner: We decided to venture out to one of the several kelongs around the resort. It was quite an experience for the kids, to take a powerboat out to the kelong, however the food was average. We ordered the set menu, which came up to $20 per person.

Dinner at Kelong
If you have ample time, getting out of the resort for good nasi padang or Thai food would be a much better option.

Tip: Pack along biscuits, snacks and mineral water. Or why not go all out and bring tinned food, cup noodles and portable stoves and have a picnic under the stars! I’m sure the kids would love the novelty of that.
Right in front of our door step

Choice of tents:

We booked the Lagoon View tents, which was great because of the convenience. The kids found it simply amazing to open their front door and almost literally step out into the water.

I loved the convenience as the kids could easily nip back in to use the toilets and I could still be in the room with Kate while she napped, while keeping an eye on the older kids.

However, it was really noisy with the music blasting the whole time, and if you have little children who are easily awoken, a better option would be the Safari tents at the back which are away from the lagoon.

If you are going with several families, it would be nice to book the Safari tents as they are clustered around a central pavilion and the kids can play together in a safe space while the adults sit around and chill, or prepare a BYO alfresco dinner under the stars.

We found the Jacuzzi tents a tad strange, as people were soaking in these little jacuzzis at their doorway in full view of everyone walking past to get to their Safari tents.
I was woken up in the middle of the night and sat outside my tent for awhile.

The utter silence, and fairy lights twinkling over the vast lagoon made the place feel rather mystical. Just an hour’s ferry ride away from home yet it felt like we were in a distant land.
Bintan Resort Ferries

The ferry ride turned out better than the kids expected as there was a deli (hotdogs, muffins, chips, cup noodles) and Madagascar 2 was being screened, so the hour passed quickly enough.

Fun times

All in all, it was a perfect holiday for us (the kids got over their disappointment with the land activities pretty quickly) as our friends who were there a day earlier pre-empted us and we were prepared.

I’m sure the kids would hold fond memories of this spectacular resort for a long time to come.

The Canopi

Treasure Bay Bintan
Lagoi
Bintan Island
Indonesia
www.adventureglamping.com

~ www.mummyweeblog.com – a blog on parenting 6 kids in Singapore ~
Posted on

DISNEY ON ICE: Magical Ice Festival 2016

“Mummy, can you take me to the Frozen show?”

These days, even 3-year olds are more up-to-date than I am.

If you are like me and haven’t already heard, Disney On Ice will be presenting Magical Ice Festival during the March holidays!

Elsa and Anna

Kate has been belting out “Let it go” with her 4-year old cousin often enough, to her older siblings’ lament, “Isn’t the Frozen fever over?”

To which I replied, “Girls, there will always be 3-year olds. Let Kate have her fair share of it, ok?”

Anna and Olaf

When I announced that I had been sponsored VIP tickets to Magical Ice Festival 2016, they changed their tune and all wanted in on it!

With beautifully choreographed figure-skating moves, elaborate sets and familiar tunes, who could resist?

They started reminiscing about the Disney on Ice shows I had brought them to when they were younger, and how over the years, they ‘came of age’ and had to save up their ang pow money to purchase those tickets themselves.

Their all-time favourite was the High School Musical Ice Tour 8-years ago, and we haven’t gone to any others since then. Now that we have Kate, the teens have an opportunity to re-live their childhood memories of their favourite Disney characters!

Elsa
Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy

This year’s theme, Magical Ice Festival, takes you on a sensational journey with your most loved Disney characters on ice. Experience a medley of Disney movies from The Little Mermaid to Beauty and the Beast, with special appearances from characters of the Academy Award winning and Number One Animated Feature film of all time – Disney’s Frozen!

Little Mermaid

With an extraordinary line-up of hit songs, memorable scenes and never-before-seen characters to look forward to, here are 10 magical moments behind Disney On Ice to get you all geared up for the show.

1.     Disney On Ice was founded in 1981 and has since travelled to over 75 countries and 6 continents
2.     The average size of the ice skating surface is 140ft [42m] x 70ft [21m]
3.     There are approximately 180 costumes presented at one Disney On Ice show
4.     And more than 100 people work on these costumes
5.     It takes 18 trucks to transport all production equipment for set-up
6.     And it takes between 12-15 hours to set up one Disney On Ice show
7.     But just about 4 hours to tear down the entire production
8.     Over 80 different colours of paint are used on the 183 props for this production
9.     The youngest performer on this year’s show is 19-years-old and the oldest is 44-years-old
10.   Each performer may change up to 8 costumes in one show
Elsa makes it snow

Kate can’t wait to be enchanted by her first Disney On Ice extravaganza. She keeps looking at the calendar and counting down the days.

To be honest, I’m also looking forward to it!


Ticketing information:

Disney On Ice: Magical Ice Festival

When: 11 to 20 March 2016

Where: Singapore Indoor Stadium

How much: $25 to $120

Tickets can be purchased via:

1. www.sportshub.sg
2. Sports Hub Ticket Hotline: 31587888
3. SingPost outlets.


Photo credits: Feld Entertainment.

~ www.mummyweeblog.com – a blog on parenting 6 kids in Singapore ~
Posted on

Top 10 things to do with kids in Singapore

My kids have rounded up their Top 10 favourite activities here in our little red dot. We are not that boring after all. (Singapore, I mean. My kids will tell you that our family is really boring.)

1) Sentosa

Our island resort has seen extensive transformation over the past decade to become Singapore’s bona fide playground for the whole family.

Start the morning by taking the Cable Car over from Mount Faber to enjoy the scenic view. Delve right into the excitement with the Skyline Luge, a non-motorised vehicle using gravity to zoom down the slopes.

During the hottest part of the day, take shelter in 4D AdventureLand where admission fees include unlimited entry to the multi-sensory simulation rides and interactive shoot-out game.

In the evening, head out to Palawan beach where the adults can sit and sip a pina colada while watching the kids play at the beach. Or head over to Port of Lost Wonder, a pirate ship water play area designed with the young kids in mind. For the older kids, get their hearts pumping at the MegaZip Adventure park, Wave House, or Flying Trapeze.

If you prefer something more chi chi, Quayside aisle @ Sentosa Cove is the answer, as you dine within view of million dollar yachts. Satisfy your gastronomic cravings with their wide selection of fine restaurants and casual cafes.

Best suited for: The entire family
Approximate duration: A whole day, or two!

Sane tip: The island resort is also accessible via monorail from Vivocity, by foot along Sentosa Boardwalk, or by car/taxi. Grab a map of Sentosa as the island is divided into segments such as Resorts World Sentosa (RWS), Imbiah Lookout, Palawan Beach, Siloso beach, Sentosa Cove and more.

There are several hotels spread around Sentosa, the most family-friendly being Shangri-La’s Rasa Sentosa Resort & Spa along Siloso Beach which has a kid’s club. Within RWS itself, Festive Hotel offers family rooms, and staying on the island is convenient if you are spending the day at Universal Studios theme park. The older kids would also love Adventure cove, a water park situated within RWS.

Official website: Sentosa

Photo credit: Sentosa

2) KidsSTOP @ Singapore Science Centre

Learn Science in a fun and engaging way at KidsSTOP. Plenty of hands-on experiences including flying an aeroplane, dino pit excavation, pretend play at the supermarket, stop-motion animation, making friends with the feathered, furry and four-legged, and even a two-story climbing structure with mind boggling exhibits.

Best suited for: Ages 2-8
Approximate duration: 2 – 4 hours
Sane tip: Strollers are not allowed inside the premise. Socks are required for some areas.

Official Website: KidsSTOP @ Singapore Science Centre

Older kids can explore the adjoining Science Centre which includes an Omni-max theatre and outdoor water play area.

KidsSTOP

3) River Cruise @ Marina Bay

Swimming (or taking selfies) in the infinity pool on the 57th floor of Marina Bay Sands hotel has attained the ‘must experience before you die’ status. Another fabulous way to soak in the breath-taking Marina bay skyline is to hop aboard a traditional bumboat for a leisurely river cruise.

Best suited for: The entire family
Approximate duration: 40 minutes
Sane tip: Avoid the hottest part of the afternoon

Official Website: Singapore River Cruise

For the younger kids, take them on the Duck Tour which departs from nearby Singapore Flyer, and watch them squeal with delight as the Wacky DUCK bus transforms into a boat and makes a splash into the bay.

Marina Bay

4) Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum

Get up close and personal with three diplodocid sauropod skeletons nicknamed Prince, Apollonia and Twinky and feel the bone of the edmontosaurus dinosaur which lived 67 million years ago. There are more than a million specimens preserved at the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum located on the grounds of the National University of Singapore.

Best suited for: Ages 6 and up
Approximate duration: 2 hours. Longer if the older kids are interested in reading all the information presented.
Sane tip: Tickets have to be pre-bought via Sistic, and collected at their authorised agents, for crowd control. However, they do sell left-over tickets at the door on a first-come-first-serve basis. Call +65 6601 3333 to try your luck!

Official website: Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum.

For history buffs, it is worthwhile to visit the National Museum of Singapore and it has areas dedicated to children. For art enthusiasts, make some time to visit the newly opened National Gallery.

Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum

5) Parkland Green @ ECP

The East Coast Park (ECP) belt has been transformed with a new stretch of F & B outlets at Parkland Green to enhance the outdoor seaside experience. Have a leisurely tea break with unobstructed view of the beach while your kids play a round of laser tag. If you are feeling active, rent the family bicycle from Lifestyle Bike & Skate which can sit 6. Be prepared to sweat it out, especially if you are the only one paddling your tots!

After all that hard work, reward yourself with a satisfying dinner at East Coast Seafood Centre, and don’t forget to order Singapore’s signature Chilli Crab dish.

Best suited for: The whole family
Approximate duration: Varies
Sane tip: Most of the restaurants are crowded on weekends, make a reservation or have an early dinner.

Photo credit: Mamawearpapashirt.com

6) Trampoline Park

The weather in Singapore is erratic, and if faced with wet weather, let your kids expand their energies at an indoor trampoline park. According to my kids, the trampolines at Amped are bouncier and the large main arena provides sufficient space for stunts like back flips while Zoom Park Asia is more interesting with segregated areas for dodgeball, slam dunk and a rock climbing wall.

Best suited for: Kids of all ages, even the parents!
Approximate duration: Bookings by the hour.
Sane tip: Pre-booking required, and of course, a pair of socks.

Official website: Amped, Zoom Park Asia

Amped @ Jurong
7) Children’s Centre for Creativity

Nestled in the quiet Gillman Barracks off Alexandra road is the Art of Speed, an installation for kids to explore the essence of speed through four different but interconnected sensory and open-ended environments. Build your own cars and zoom them down the slope. The catch is, there is a hurdle right in the middle which the cars have to cross!

Best suited for: Ages 2-12
Approximate duration: 2 hours
Sane tip: Check their website for Busy Times as they may be closed for school bookings.

Official website: Playeum, Children’s Centre for Creativity
Art of Speed
8) Family-friendly dining

Why not incorporate some fun and lovely ambience into your meals? Our latest dining haunts are Brewerkz at Sentosa Boardwalk, and the Open Farm Community.

All time favourites include the award-winning Shunjuu Izakaya Japanese restaurant at the hip yet chill Robertson Quay, and the DIY pancake cafe Slappy Cakes at The Grandstand. (You might like to spend an afternoon at The Grandstand, where the kids can have a spin on the Go-Karts or fidget away at Fidgets World Indoor Playground while mum satisfies her retail craving at Pasarbella, the unique farmer’s market.)
Brewerkz @ Sentosa Boardwalk
9) Gardens by the Bay

Before you leave, don’t forget to make a stop at Gardens by the Bay, winner of several prestigious international awards for creative excellence. Stroll around the beautiful gardens, or pay for admission into the 2 domes with rotational displays.

The highlight of this yuletide season is the Christmas Wonderland attraction, where visitors will be enthralled by the combination of magnificent sculptures of light and sound. Do expect a huge crowd. 

Best suited for: The entire family.
Approximate duration: 2 hours
Sane tip: Savour our local cuisine at Satay by the Bay where there is a wide range of cuisines available, and little tables for the kids. Situated in the corner of Gardens by the Bay. Do go early as it gets crowded at mealtimes.

Official website: Gardens by the Bay

Photo credits: Gardens by the Bay

10) Indoor playgrounds

Besides the usual indoor playgrounds, unleash your child’s creativity at Kaboodle where they can build with giant foam blocks. Located at East Coast Park (visit #5 Parkland Green at the same time). For the under 5s, Hokey Pokey at Millenia walk has a huge array of play things to keep them entertained in a safe environment.

If time permits, other staple tourist attractions include Singapore Zoo, Night Safari and Jurong Bird Park.

Kaboodle at ECP
This post was first published as a guest post on Kuala Lumpur Kids.

~ www.mummyweeblog.com – a blog on parenting 6 kids in Singapore ~ 
Posted on

The Art of Speed by Playeum

I’ve been meaning to take #5 to the Children’s Centre for Creativity and as expected, he and his friend had so much fun exploring with cars and speed that they weren’t done playing even after 4 hours. This space is inspired by Australia’s Ipswich Art Gallery’s hugely successful “Built for Speed” installation.

Playeum

Kate couldn’t keep her little car on the ramp and ended up “walking” it carefully along the green ramp. Good for coordination!

The boys spent an hour trying to adjust and re-adjust the blocks under the ramp  to see if their car could run over the bumps and make it to the end. It was nice to see the boys work together, even with strangers.

Create for Speed

At this station, they built their own Lego cars to race down the steep wooden ramp. Thing is, they didn’t realise that there is a hole in middle of the ramp! They ended up spending almost 2 hours here, building cars that could cross the hurdle.

Wooden ramp

And they succeeded!

#5’s speed machine

Kate played at the soft corner, and even though I tried to explain to her that the cars were meant to be rolled down the slopes, she was not keen on playing with the cars at all. Instead, she arranged the slopes into structures and rolled around on them. Whatever suits her!

I noticed that most of the girls gravitated towards the Play Maker Space, where they created their own cars out of recycled materials. This lady was so patient with Kate and assisted her in making her own set of wheels.

“What happened?!”

Soon enough, she was tired of playing with cars and we went across the street to Red Baron cafe for a quick lunch. When we returned, she was all recharged and played in the dark room shining her torch around and being mesmerised by the light reflected by the disco ball.


Sane tip: This installation runs until 3 April 2016. Excellent place to bring your boys if they are into cars.

Save tip: Re-entry is allowed. Peak periods – limited to 2 hours per entry. We were there on a weekday and were allowed to play for an unlimited time as it was not crowded.

Playeum
47 Malan Road
Gillman Barracks
#01-21
Singapore 109444
Tel: 62620750

~ www.mummyweeblog.com – a blog on parenting 6 kids in Singapore ~
Posted on

6 Activities to keep the kids away from Gadgets

I was invited on the program “Parenting Made Easy” with Susan Ng on 93.8 Live to share about how to deal with children and their gadget usage during the school holidays as many are left to their own devices. Literally.

Similarly as with most households, if I don’t plan activities for the kids, they would end up spending hours on their phones, iPads or computers. Here are 6 simple activities I do with my children during the school holidays to keep them busy.

Weekly scheduling keeps me sane!

1. Link what they read/learn with reality

I was reading to Kate “Oh, the Pets you can get” by Dr. Seuss and she has joined her siblings in clamouring for a pet dog. I decided it was about time I took them to S.P.C.A to show them what happens to dogs which have been abandoned, and to impress upon them that a pet is a responsibility for the long-haul.

S.P.C.A

Kate was attracted to the tiniest dog, and wanted to go inside the cage to pet her. Most of the other dogs are quite big, and some bark a lot, although many just lie there quietly. The kids were taken aback by the listlessness of several of the dogs as they are used to seeing dogs at the playground which are frisky and playful.

Poor little dog

This Christmas, you can spread some love to these animals by sponsoring items they require. Click their wish list for more details.

S.P.C.A. Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Singapore
31 Mount Vernon Road
Singapore 368054*

Viewing hours: 11am – 4pm
Closed on Thursdays, except on PH
Tel: 62875355

*From January 2016, they will be moving to 50 Sungei Tengah Road, Singapore 699012

Prince, Apollonia and Twinky

Kate has been watching the Jurassic Park sequels and keeps talking about dinosaurs. I took the opportunity to take her to the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum at NUS to show her the fossils of the dinosaurs and I can see how learning is so much more effective when the child’s interest in piqued.

Tickets have to be pre-bought via Sistic, and collected at their authorised agents, for crowd control. However, they do sell left-over tickets at the door on a first-come-first-serve basis. Call +65 6601 3333 to try your luck!

Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum
National University of Singapore
2 Conservatory Drive

Singapore 117377

2. Visit other libraries

I have been meaning to take Kate to the Central library at Bras Besah but have never found the time. She enjoyed herself so much that we spent more than 2 hours at the kids’ section.

She took a book, found herself a nice chair and ‘read’ to herself. She returned the book, chose another one, and chose another chair. Yup, that took her almost an hour. I think she had as much fun playing chair rotation as reading the books. Meanwhile, I grabbed a book from the parenting section and sat within sight of her.

I had the unexpected pleasure of being able to read while she kept herself occupied. I love this library! She spent the rest of the time watching some older kids play on the interactive computer terminals and after they left, she was so pleased that she had the computer all to herself, pretending that she knew how it worked.

Central Library

3. Take them outdoors

During the school term, we hardly get a chance to spend the whole afternoon mucking around the beach. The weekdays are occupied with school activities while we don’t enjoy jostling with the crowds on the weekends. I love taking the kids to the beaches in Sentosa as it feels like we are on holiday. Best of all, it costs nothing!

More fun with friends!

4. Encourage them to create their own games


On normal days, everyone is in a rush. We like to take it nice and slow during the holidays, to let everyone re-charge. In between our activities and parties, I allocate lots of time and space for them to create their own fun.

There is so much more that goes on when they make up their own games, their own rules, and learn to negotiate and compromise.

#5 set up a simple game with Kate’s stacking cups. He later realised that she could not aim from such a distance and allowed her to move closer, closer, closer.
Cup and ball game
5. Let the kids prepare special dinners

Dining out is not cheap in Singapore, so the next best thing is to DIY our own ‘fine’ dining experience! From planning of the menu, to the preparation of the food and setting of the table. It also teaches kids so many important life skills, not least that food doesn’t just appear on the table!

Besides, it gives them a sense of achievement and a good way to bond. Use adult utensils for an extra special atmosphere. You’d be surprised how careful the kids are with glassware when you set your expectations and show that you entrust them to use them with care. (But of course, no long-stemmed wine glasses for the little ones!)
Dinner prepared by the kids

6. Give them free reign to bake

I know it messes up the kitchen, but there’s so much going on in an activity like baking. Planning sequences, math concepts like measuring and adding, and fine motor skills such as pouring and scooping.

Chocolate chip cookies
And the final product is so rewarding! I love it when we sit around the kitchen table after all the hard work, savouring our freshly baked goods. Sometimes it turns out to be a failure, and we have a good laugh about it.
#1’s artistic shot

Related posts:

6 Family-friendly restaurants that we love

~ www.mummyweeblog.com – a blog on parenting 6 kids in Singapore ~
Posted on

Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum

Kate has been watching the Jurassic Park sequels with #5 and had a lot of questions about dinosaurs. She asked if we could go and see them, like the animals in the zoo. I told her that dinosaurs are extinct and the closest we could get was to look at their bones in the museum and she was really excited.

Fossils of 3 dinosaurs

The first thing that greets you when you step into the museum is the majestic sight of three diplodocid sauropod skeletons named Prince, Apollonia and Twinky.

The older kids were blown away by the fact that this bone was inside a dinosaur around 67 million years ago! The Edmontosaurus is a type of hadrosaur, a “duck-billed” dinosaur.

Femur of Edmontosaurus

Somehow I had the impression that this museum was mainly about the dinosaurs. Little did we know that there are actually over a million specimens preserved here at this research centre. Wow.

Level 1: BIODIVERSITY – embark on a journey through the diverse groups of life forms on Earth, with a focus on native and Southeast Asian flora and fauna.

Crocodylia, Indonesia, Sumatra, 1912

Although Kate was not afraid of any of the specimens, it could be a little upsetting for some young kids. Kate was intrigued by them and went up close to have a good look. It’s like her encyclopaedia had come alive!

Leopard, Malaysia, Johore, 1970s

Level 1 is segmented into 15 zones: Life, Plants, Dinosaurs, Fungi, Towards animals, Molluscs, Arthropods, Reptiles, Birds, Tropical rainforest, Marine cycles, Mammals, Amphibians, Fish and Water to Land.

Japanese Spider Crab

The Japanese Spider Crab has the largest leg span of any living arthropod, capable of reaching 3.8m claw to claw! In spite of its size, it has a gentle disposition and is an omnivore which feeds on animal matter on the sea floor.

Orangutan, Borneo of Sumatra, 1930s

Level 2: Heritage – Singapore’s landscape and the study of biodiversity has evolved over the years. Delve into the nostalgic past and discover the museum’s history and Singapore’s geology. 

Black Marlin

The Black Marlin is one of the largest bony fishes and can reach speeds of 130 kilometres per hour! This 3.3m long specimen died after being stranded at East Coast Park in 1986, and weighed 245kg in life!

The dinosaur can be seen so closely on Level 2 that Kate was prompted to draw it. She took out her sketch book which is always kept in her bag, and spent almost half an hour with her drawings.

Twinky is about half the size of the other two sauropods, measuring 12m long. It is the first diplodocid dinosaur found with a complete, undisturbed series of vertebrae preserved in a continuous row with even spacing, from the atlas to the beginning of the whiplash tail. It seems to be a juvenile or sub-adult, and lived during the Jurassic period, around 156 to 148 million years ago.

“Twinky Delano MS LEE”
There is so much to take in that we will have to come back repeatedly over the years. Lots of information for the older kids to look at, read about and digest.

Gift shop

Sane tips: Tickets have to be pre-bought via Sistic, and collected at their authorised agents, for crowd control. However, they do sell left-over tickets at the door on a first-come-first-serve basis. Call +65 6601 3333 to try your luck!


There isn’t any food outlets situated here, but the gift shop sells instant cup noodles, a small range of snacks and cold drinks.

Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum
National University of Singapore
2 Conservatory Drive
Singapore 117377

~ www.mummyweeblog.com – a blog on parenting 6 kids in Singapore ~