One of the reasons we blog is so that we can share about things and experiences which matter to us, shapes us into who we are or are close to our hearts. Once in a while, we come across something truly exceptional and so closely tied to our values and beliefs that we just had to share it. This series of books by homegrown publishing firm, Epigram Books, is one of those: The 'Understanding Singaporeans' series consists of four illustrated handbooks, each with 20 questions and answers to … [Read more...]
More Books & Crafts to Welcome the Lunar New Year!
I shared a CNY book list in 2013 on resources available in our local National Libraries which we can read with our children to prepare for the Lunar New Year. I've found more titles to add to the list. Here are some of our picks: All titles available for loan at our National Libraries. 1. The Day the Dragon Danced. By Kay Haugaard; illustrated by Carolyn Reed Barritt. Call Number: English HAU Sugar and her Grandma are going to the Chinese New Year's Day parade, but Grandma is … [Read more...]
KidsFest 2016 – Room on the Broom and other well-loved Tales!
Mommies and Daddies, mark your calendar for KidsFest, as ABA Productions presents the most anticipated theatrical festival for children once again next year! In its fifth season, the curtains at School of the Arts (SOTA) will rise to captivate young theatre and literary buffs. For 3 weeks from 20 January 20 to 14 February 2016, KidsFest returns with 6 international theatre productions, adapted from well-loved children’s books. New Productions To Look Forward To 1. The Snow … [Read more...]
The Learning Lab – Learning for Life, Learning to Thrive
Education is not preparation for life, education is life itself. ~ John Dewey (American Philosopher, 1859-1952) It was rather late in the evening when we finally had the chance to plonk ourselves down on the sofa. Our daughter came prancing from her bedroom, full of energy and enthusiasm, eagerly wanting to show us something. As much as we want to hold our ideals of being attentive parents, it has been a rather long day at work and honestly we were not too eager to listen to one of … [Read more...]
Books on Japan for Kids!
By the time you read this post, we're off to a short vacation to the land of the rising sun. It's our family's very first trip to Japan, we'll be doing it entirely Free & Easy and relying on the locals to help us on a daily basis. Naturally we want Dana to know more about this amazing country before we go. Here are some titles from the National Library which we've read in the past weeks leading up to the trip. Apart from books, we've also watched this DVD "Jiro Dreams of Sushi" … [Read more...]
The truth hurts…when your child lies…
Have you had days when you just felt like an utter failure? Today was one of those days for me. I discovered my daughter had lied to me, in front of her classmates, right in school. I was crushed. My parenting mantra has always been good character above good grades. Yet my child has chosen to disobey me and displease God. This is not the first instance she lied this year and we've used all methods of discipline: time out, withdrawal of privileges, writing lines and yes even caning. We … [Read more...]
Danger Dan: A true-blue Singaporean Superhero brings reading to life!
It is a well-known fact that authentic learning is one of the best forms of learning. From applying what we have read and studied to actually seeing and visiting the places which we have read and, if we are lucky, perhaps even interviewing the author or seeing an experiment come to life! As adults, we feel the anticipation when seeing our favourite books bring brought to life on the big screen. In fact, the excitement is enhanced when we have the opportunity to visit places described in … [Read more...]
DIY AngBaos for Chinese New Year
We are still in bereavement and will not be celebrating Chinese New Year this year. But I'll like to share two easy Red Packet templates from the Timmy & Tammy series of Children's Books which you can DIY with your kids. It's simple, just download, print, cut and fold. And you'll have two very unique Red Packets which you can present to those you love. A good craft to keep the kids occupied tonight after the reunion dinner... Download here Download here We are avid supporters of local … [Read more...]
The Reluctant Goodbye: How to talk to young children about death…
My heart is aching as I draft this post. My beloved Grandma passed away peacefully last night on Friday the 13th...How I wish we lived in a world where we won't have to bear the the pain of losing a loved one! There was great outpouring of grief and among those present were primary school-going grandchildren like Dana and my nephew Caleb. Death is one of the hardest subjects to broach with children, especially when we are struggling to deal with our own deep sorrows. But death is also an … [Read more...]
Write a Newspaper Blackout Poetry!
As part of the year-long Singapore Writer's Festival 2015, Words Go Round (a platform which brings Singapore and international writers into schools to meet and interact with students and teachers) is launching a whole new host of exciting talks and workshops for schools and the public from 2 to 14 March 2015. This year, something of interest is the first ever Newspaper Blackout Poetry writing contest. Inspired by poet and cartoonist Austin Kleon, this contest challenges students to be creative … [Read more...]
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