Time changes everything…almost. One of the things that has amazingly stood the test of time is none other than the Monopoly game. Sitting among the newer (and often noisier) games in the toy section of any major department store are stacks of Monopoly. And sitting somewhere in our bookshelves at home is that box of Monopoly game ready to be played for the next round. Because Monopoly has stood the test of time, it shares the limelight as a game that transcends … [Read more...]
Doctor for a Day : A Free Educational App for Kids!
Following the overwhelming response for ‘Doctor for a Day’ Programme, Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital now extends the make-believe experience beyond its wards, with the launch of ‘Doctor for a Day’ App, available for download on iOS and Android tablets. Recommended for children aged 4 to 8, ‘Doctor for a Day’ App is filled with many learning opportunities along with brain teasers that will stimulate a child’s mind and rouse their curiosity about the medical profession. This is Singapore’s … [Read more...]
5 No-Tears Ways To Help Kids Love Chinese
Dana speaks Mandarin fluently and we've often been asked by friends and readers how we enthuse her in learning Chinese. It's no secret really, we do it these 5 ways:1. Through TravelsOne of the key uses of language is for communication. Travelling helps children see the language come alive and when you are in a foreign country, they see first hand how useful the language is. For this reason alone, we've brought Dana to Taiwan twice for language immersion. She saw how we interacted … [Read more...]
Abrakadoodle Marine Parade – where Art is more than meets the eye…
It was a regular yet irregular weekday afternoon - while I was at work and the wife was held up in office too (it was both our hectic season). When she finally stepped home, she was pleasantly surprised to see Dana quietly drawing at the dining table - she was midway through her personal rendition of Piere Auguste Renoir's 'Auvers sur Oise', tracing the lines which would eventually be the rolling landscape dotted with lush green trees accentuated by white fluffy clouds … [Read more...]
5 Reasons Why we like the Holiday Programme at Kids Gallery Singapore
Kids Gallery Singapore opened its doors on November 2010. It was originally founded in Hong Kong in 1996 as a unique concept in arts enrichment education for children. Today, Kids' Gallery operates centres in Hong Kong, and partners in Singapore, China and India. In a short span of 3 years, Kids Gallery Singapore catapulted itself to become a leading Kids Arts School which offers a comprehensive Creative and Language Arts Curriculum aimed at arousing a deep interest and developing … [Read more...]
Why we love Art at HeART Studio
Among all the enrichment lessons Dana attends, she enjoys Art the most. It's not uncommon to see her doodling on the whiteboard easel and on drawing paper. My office wall also boasts a growing collection of her drawings. Being the outdoorsy, adventurous girl that she is, it came as a pleasant surprise she loves art so much she repeatedly ask for art lessons. Not wanting to dampen her enthusiasm, we decided to re-shuffle our schedules and recently enrolled her at HeART Studio.Why … [Read more...]
Weekend Wandering: Dentist for a Day!
I stared into the blinding light, trying to make sense of my surrounding. My eyes quickly focused on a masked face which was approaching me, eagerly... but before I could react, I heard a muffled voice speak through the surgical mask, " Hi Daddy..." her eyes squinted with a wide smile beneath the mask. I smiled in return and replied, " Hi Dana!" but before I could continue, she commanded, " Open your mouth..." I sheepishly obliged as she proceeded to examine my teeth with a mouth mirror … [Read more...]
Daddy & Dana Duet – Caribbean Carnival
Singapore is a developed and affluent nation. With that comes abundant opportunities and resources for our children to acquire skills and knowledge that many kids in other parts of the world have little access to.Parents here are therefore confronted with a unique 'first-world' problem associated with outsourcing. We shuttle our children from one enrichment to another, complete one accessment book after another, hothouse the kids from … [Read more...]
12 Tips to maximise your day at Kidzania Kuala Lumpur!
During the September school vacation, we specially booked a flight and made a short 3D2N trip to Kuala Lumpur just to bring Dana to Kidzania! KidZania originated in Mexico and currently has 8 other KidZania worldwide in Santa Fe, Monterrey, Tokyo, Koshien, Jakarta, Lisbon, Dubai and Seoul. Unlike traditional theme parks, there are no arcade games and no rides. Instead, KidZania is a safe and interactive edutainment (education & entertainment) park where children can lead … [Read more...]
{Giveaway} How Intelligent is your Child? Understanding Multiple Intelligences Workshops
Multiple Intelligences start with the premise that 'every child is smart'....we just need to help them find out what they are smart in and capitalize on their preferred learning style(s). As an educator, the Multiple Intelligences (MI) Theory (developed by Dr. Howard Gardner, a professor of Education at Harvard University 40 years ago) is not new to me. In fact, I enjoy using Multiple Intelligences strategies in my classrooms to engage my students in learning.In a nutshell, there are at … [Read more...]