9 (plus 1) pocket-friendly holiday activities under $50

Yey!!! The holidays are upon us again! It’s coming up next week. If you are, like me, looking for some wallet-friendly ways to entertain the kids, and letting them learn something at the same time, I’ve got recommendations for 9 non-academic holiday activities.

Nature Exploration @ Singapore Botanic Gardens

This is our long-time favourite. Holiday activities range from 1-hour storytelling sessions, tours or craft & drama sessions costing just $6 per child, to 4-hour ‘Celebrating WildLife’ workshops at $50 per child. This holiday, kids attending the these workshops can learn about freshwater streams & ponds, birds of the night and creepy crawlies. 

And if the kids are not tired after the sessions, and you want to do something more exciting, have a little picnic by the Swan Lake where the kids can run amok, or head to Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden. Find out more or register here. 

Science Fun @ Lollipops

Another of our favourites, and we always keep an eye on what they have to offer. For December, kids can learn about life sciences and be ‘Little Doctors’, learn about the science in cooking while making lollipops and edible glass, or learn all about dinosaurs in three sessions. The classes are conducted at various community centres across the island, and prices range between $38 and $50. The 3-day Dinosaur workshop costs between $114 and $130. Members enjoy the cheaper rates. Suitable for kids aged 5 to 10 years old.

Find out more about Lollipops activities here.

Or head to the OnePA site and search for ‘Lollipops’.

Explore Science @ EJ Creators

There are more cost effective courses through the OnePA site, like the ones by EJ Creators. They are holding three types of courses - Amazing Fun to learn about robotics and logical thinking, Eco Kids to learn about to learn about the environment and recycling, and The Fairy Lamp to learn about electronics and have some hands-on experience with light bulbs, batteries and circuits. Prices range between $18 and $23. Suitable for kids aged 5 to 8. Find out more by heading to the OnePA site and searching for ‘EJ Creators’.

Explore STEM @ Bricks 4 Kidz

Some of you might be familiar with Bricks 4 Kidz, which is located at Safra Toa Payoh and Turf City, and focuses on imparting engineering, mechanics and architecture knowledge using LEGO and DUPLO bricks. Holiday workshops at their Toa Payoh branch ranges between $190 and $580. This holiday, however, the folks at Bricks 4 Kidz are bringing two holiday programmes to community centres. These are Despicable Brick Minions, during which kids will create their own minion story with mosaics, create their favourite 3D characters and motorized models. The other workshop is Interesting Inventions, where kids will learn the difference between an invention and a discovery, learn how inventions solve problems, find out how inventors get their ideas patented and even be challenged to invent something or improve something to solve a problem. Prices range between $35 and $58, and the workshops are suitable for kids aged between 5 to 10 years old. Find out more by heading to the OnePA site and searching for ‘Bricks 4 Kidz’.

Science Exploration @ KidsSTOP

Some nice activities here about chemistry, environment and physics. The chemistry workshop looks quite interesting, as the kids will also get to make their own bath salts, while honing their inquiry and investigation skills. Even more intriguing is the physics workshop called Spring Fling Junior. Kids get to play with springs and rubber bands and attempt to make their own toys out of these basic materials. Prices are at $45 for each 2.5-hr workshop, and there are different sessions for different age groups, ranging between 4 and 8 years. Find out more about KidsSTOP activities here.

Chinese art exploration @ InnoArt

Both my kids have been going for holiday art classes elsewhere, and this time, I thought it would be nice if I infuse a little Chinese culture into their holiday programme. What I like about the programme at InnoArt is its flexibility. Kids can sign up for half-day sessions, or even 5-day sessions. Or kids can mix and match several half-day sessions to be exposed to different art forms. Just tell the folks which day or days your kids will be joining. Half day (am) is from 10-12pm and costs $50, while half day (pm) is from 1.30-5.30pm and costs $90. There are different classes for ages 4 to 8 years and 8 to 16 years. Find out more about InnoArt activities here.

Craft and bake @ Spur Box

How about an all-in-one storytime, baking and crafting session, for just $40? The folks at Spur Box have created several Christmas themed Junior Gourmet session where kids between the ages of 2 and 12 years old can listen to stories, bake and craft. Some of these include the Cocoa Logcake session, where kids can listen to the story of The Little Christmas Elf, bake a chocolate log cake and craft and elf key chain. Those who head to the Snowman Cakepops session will listen to the tale of Frosty the Snowman, make cake pops and a snowman craft. Find out more about Spurbox activities here.

Sports activities @ ActiveSG

Want to expose the kids to a plethora of sports activities? ActiveSG has a range of sporting activities such as aquatics, archery, snorkelling, kayaking and ultimate frisbee. There’s even an opportunity to get behind the scenes and find out all about the operation of a public swimming pool and the job of a life guard.

And if you are a Singapore citizen or permanent resident, as well as an ActiveSG member, you can use ActiveSG dollars to offset up to 30% of the programme fees. Find out more about ActiveSG activities here. 

Bouncing Fun @ Beary Fun Gym

Get more trampoline fun and brush those trampoline skills with a 2-hour guided programme at Beary Fun Gym’s Changi outlet. For $30 per session, kids 4 to 10 years old get 1 hour guidance on those jumping skills, and 1 hour of free play. If you prefer for your kids to have better gymnastics skills, then the Bukit Batok branch has a similar 2-hour guided programme which focuses on fitness circuits, parachute games and manipulative games, for just $30 per session. Find out more about Beary Fun Gym activities here. Or check out Beary Fun Gym’s Facebook page.

Speech & Drama @ Magic Moments

So far, many speech & drama holiday courses that I’ve come across cost at least a couple hundred dollars. Imagine my surprise when I found something that cost just $100 for a 3-hour programme over 4 days! Ok, granted, that isn’t exactly less than $50, as this post’s title says. However, if you do the calculation, the average price per day is only about $25. I think that’s extremely economical. This holiday programme is conducted in both English and Mandarin, across several community centres and is suitable for kids aged 4 to 8 years old. Find out more by heading to the OnePA site and searching for ‘Magic Moments’.

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6 must do activities this holiday season

The holiday season has arrived!! Here are 6 awesome activities to keep the kids occupied.

Disney Winter Wonderland Christmas @ Changi Airport

Photos: Changi Airport

Ok. We expect this to be super popular this holiday, and based on what we've heard, the first weekend of its opening has been crowded. And I mean CROWDED!! Think castle inspired by Disney's Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty (inside an airport!) and a Mickey Mouse Club House Bouncy Playground that looks set to attract all Disney fans young and old. The biggest attraction for kids must be the Playground, which allows them to cruise down a three-metre high slide, bounce off sticky Velcro walls and leap into the ball pit. There are also multi-sensory shows and special performances on certain dates. Because it's expected to be a squeeze, it's better to go on weekdays or weekend mornings. You at be able to get a better shot of the castle too. Otherwise, be prepared to be photo bombed.

Date: now till 5 Jan 2015

Multi-sensory show time on weekdays: 5pm, 6pm, 7pm, 8pm and 9pm.
Multi-sensory show time on weekends, Public Holidays and Eve of Public Holidays: 1pm, 3pm, 5pm, 6pm, 7pm, 8pm and 9pm.
Playground opening hours: Opens daily from 12pm to 10pm. To enter the playground, simply present any same-day receipt with a minimum spend of $30. Every $30 spend allows a single entry.
Mickey and Minnie Mouse meet-and-greet sessions: 19, 20 and 21 December at 1pm, 2.30pm, 4pm, 5.30pm and 7pm at Terminal 3 Departure Hall, beside Check-in Row 11.
Stage performances: Weekends from 6.30pm to 7pm at Terminal 3 Departure Hall, beside Check-in Row 11.

Character shows and meet & greet @ shopping malls

What's Christmas without shopping mall hopping to catch stage performances of favourite characters? Here are two of our favourites.

CBeebies Live! Countdown to Christmas @ Plaza Singapura


Say hello to Teletubbies and Super Numtum, as they sing and dance and keep kids entertained. The singing ZingZillas will be strutting around the mall to meet and greet shoppers. Everyone’s favourite Mister Maker will also be making special appearances via a special TV link.

Character shows
Date: now till 7 Dec 2014
Venue: Main Atrium Level 1
Time: Mon to Fri (no show on Tue) 1pm & 7pm; Sat & Sun 1pm, 4pm & 7pm
Spend min. $30 to redeem a photo pass with your favourite Teletubbies or Super Numtum after the show!
Meet & Greet Zing Zillas on 27 to 30 Nov and 6 & 7 Dec

Art & craft workshops
Date: 10 Dec to 21 Dec 2014
Venue: Main Atrium, Level 1
Time: 12pm, 2pm, 4pm & 6pm (daily) (Additional workshop on Sat & Sun @ 8pm)
Spend min. $60 in a single receipt to redeem a pass to the workshop!

Mr Men and Little Miss @ OneKM

New mall OneKM near Paya Lebar brings in Mr Men and Little Miss characters Mr. Strong, Little Miss Sunshine, Mr. Bump, Little Miss Hug and Little Miss Princess for the holiday season. The mall’s atrium will also be decorated as Dillydale Town, where kids can engage in activities such as sand art, wire craft, shrink art key chains and princess dress up. It's the latest mall in town, so all the more to visit!

Mr Men Little Miss Meet and Greet
Date: 11 Dec - 21 Dec 2014
Time: Weekdays 2pm, 7pm; Weekends 1pm, 3pm and 7pm
(No Meet & Greet on Wednesday)

Mr. Men and Little Miss Dillydale Town
Date: 11 Dec - 25 Dec 2014
Time: Weekdays 12pm to 8pm, Weekends 11am to 8pm
(No activities between 4pm – 5pm)
To qualify, simply spend a minimum of $80 to redeem a Game Pass.

Christmas Wonderland @ Gardens by the Bay

Yuletide in the Flower Dome

Photo: Gardens by the Bay

Christmas in a greenhouse? Oh yes! Walking through the scenic Flower Dome, taking in the sights of the beautiful flora, can be quite a therapeutic experience. This season, it becomes a winter experience too, as the Flower Dome transforms into a red and white floral winter village wonderland. Bring along warm clothes, because the temperature will be cool as well to match the sights. Fans of Miffy can also catch her in action over three weekends. Kids can also create Christmas cards for loved ones, inspired by the Italian Luminarie light sculptures, and by the unique, intricate patterns of snowflakes.

Date: now till 6 Jan 2015
Time: 9am to 9pm
Price: S$12 (Adult), S$8 (Child), S$8 (Senior) (One conservatory)

Miffy Meet-and-Greet
Date: 22-23 Nov (12pm, 1:35pm, 2:40pm, 3:45pm, 5pm), 29-30 Nov & 13-14 Dec (10:30am, 12pm, 2pm, 3:30pm, 5pm)
Venue: Flower Dome

Christmas Paper Craft: Stencils of Luminaries
Date: 20 - 21 Dec 2014
Time: 2pm - 4pm

Photo: Gardens by the Bay

Italian Luminarie

Over 30 intricate light sculptures will make their debut showcase to create a breathtaking evening garden scene. Handmade by skilled Italian craftsmen, the magnificent luminaries are made of white wood frames from the south of Italy and illuminated with lights of a myriad of colours. The Italian Luminarie also includes the Casa Armonica and Spalliera. The Casa Armonica is a beautifully lit mini capola measuring 7.5m wide and is 9m high. The gazebo will host performances such as Verses by the Garden Lights by Act 3 Drama Academy. The Spalliera is the largest masterpiece, at 31 m wide and 17m high – that’s approximately 5 storeys! It will also host Blizzard Time three times a day, weather permitting.

Date: 29 Nov - 1 Jan 2015

Time: 7pm - 12:00am
Venue: Supertree Grove
For more information, visit the Gardens by the Bay website.

Merry Fishmas @ S.E.A Aquarium

Photos: S.E.A Aquarium

Santa can swim? Only at S.E.A Aquarium! You have to see it to believe it. Santa appears up to three times daily to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, and is sure to make any kid grin with glee, on top of seeing all the merry marine life there. There are also fun-filled Christmas themed activities, such as an adventure trail for children. While being part of the magical marine kingdom, do be considerate and take care of the marine life, such as switching off your flashlight when taking photos of those that are sensitive to light.

Date: now till 4 Jan 2015
Time:10am – 7pm
Price: S$38 (Adult), S$28 (Child), S$28 (Senior)
For more information, visit the S.E.A Aquarium website.

Holiday art classes @ Heart Studio

There are many holiday classes to choose from. In my opinion, the ones at Heart Studio is one of the better ones that I've sent EV on. This holiday, their signature holiday programme is back again, for kids aged 3 to 4, 5 to 6 and 7 onwards. Each programme is specially catered for each age group, and is designed to develop specific skills. For example, the programme for kids 3 to 4 focuses on drawing subjects such as bunnies, caterpillars, spaceships and Olaf using basic shapes. The programme for kids 5 to 6 focuses on colour blending and using different mediums, while that for kids 7 onwards focuses on different painting techniques such as dabbing and creating 3D effects. Besides these well thought out classes, what's more important is the teachers, they really do teach art with a heart, and are able to connect with the kids really well. Read our past reviews here.

Date: 8 Dec till 19 Dec 2014
Price: S$75 per class
For more information, visit the Heart Studio website or call (65) 6554 7563.

Taiko drum classes @ Hibikiya

Photo: Hibikiya

Now this is something different that the whole family can do together for great bonding! Learn to play the Taiko drums, which are Japanese percussion instruments commonly played at Japanese festivals and celebrations. As Taiko is best performed in a group, families can participate in a three-hour course to learn to play the drums together in unison. Combining vigorous movements with loud choruses of enthusiasm, Taiko drum-beating is not only great for bonding, but also a great workout. If the Taiko drum bug bites, then the family can even take weekly lessons with founder and instructor Namiko Sakai at Hibikiya, which is Singapore's only Japanese music studio.

Date: Arranged upon enquiry
Time: 3-hours for a family bonding course
Venue: 63 Jalan Pemimpin, #01-02 Pemimpin Industrial Building
Price: Available upon enquiry
For more information, visit the Hibikiya website or email enquiry@hibikiya.com.sg.

Happy holidays!!!

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Book Box Thursday: I'm A Big Sister

I wish I found this book before AA was born. It would have been so apt to read it to EV then, to prepare her for her new role as a big sister. But as I discovered, I'm a Big Sister by Joanna Cole is relevant and still makes for good reading even now.

As the title goes, this is a simple story about a little girl who gets a new baby sibling. After introducing herself, she soon becomes mummy's little helper, and helps to look after the baby.

What I like about this is that no gender is given to the baby. This means that this book is relevant to be read to any big sister who is getting a new sibling.

What is also heartwarming is the way the story ends. In just a few lines, the story brings the focus back to the big sister, and emphasizes that there is only one 'her' and that she is unique in her own way.

'Mommy loves me. Daddy loves me.

I am special to them.

I'm the only me in the whole world!'

When reading this to EV, I could see the 'light' in her eyes, as she realised that the tale was also referring to her. That though there is AA now, there is only one EV, and that DaddySay and MummySay both love only one EV. Every time when we reach this part, we always give each other a hug and kiss, and for some time after, we would snuggle and cuddle. I really love these moments.

The best moment of the book though is the last page.

Isn't this just so awesome?

The heartwarming tale is matched by the colourful pastel illustrations by Rosalinda Kightley. There is a touch of whimsical gentleness and playfulness to the pictures that makes it even more appealing to big sisters like EV. I also like the way details like the table and the hanging laundry add depth and realism to the story.

Activities

Lots of hugs and cuddles when we read this story. I also showed EV pictures of herself when she was young, just like what happened in the story. Of course, lots of sibling bonding time with her little brother too. It's just so touching to see the two of them look out for each other, when they are not fighting over toys, or being cheeky with mummy, that is.

In our next Book Box Thursday, we'll be sharing a tale about a tiny dentist. Till then, Happy reading! 

Specially for ToddlyMummy readers!

Ready to go book shopping at My Imagination Kingdom? Here's a deal to make your shopping so much sweeter - a 15% store wide discount for the next two weeks, until 14 November!! Just use this discount code when you order: 'TOM15'. Happy shopping!

Disclaimer: We received a copy of I'm A Big Sister from My Imagination Kingdom. No monetary compensation was received. All opinions and images are my own.

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Thank you for reading. If you like this post, please do connect with me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, so I can share our fun adventures, thoughts and exploits with you. 

Book Box Thursday: The Wheels On The Bus

One of my EV and AA's favourite song is The Wheels On The Bus. Just humming it is enough to get them grooving. So imagine their surprise when I opened a particular book and began singing to them. They must be thinking: why is mummy singing, not reading?

That particular book that I read was The Wheels On The Bus. Illustrated by Annie Kubler, this book was intended for AA, but as it turns out, EV has taken a liking to it too. I believe they are attracted by the bright colours and 'active' illustrations. Many things seem to be happening on the same page, and it's interesting to see the attention given to the details. As the song develops on each page, different passengers, such as a clown and a magician, 'run' to catch the bus, and join the children and adults already on it. The bus seems to be rushing somewhere, as illustrated by the water splashes near the wheels and the little animals who are trying to move away from the bus' path. 

Soon we realise that the bus is bringing the passenger to a carnival, and this is depicted in the final page. In fact, what's interesting is the back cover. Instead of the usual summary, the back cover shows a road, presumably the route taken by the bus, with passengers such as the clown waiting by the bus stop. This means that besides just reading the text, the book is also great for picture storytelling and discussion, which is helpful in the development of visual literacy.

It's currently officially the kids' favourite title. Every night, I will have to read it to them without fail. I believe they like the fact that their favourite song also comes in the form of a book, not just something that they can hear, but something that they can read, feel and touch. They like it so much that they like to read it themselves too.

Here's AA reading it himself, and putting his finger to his lips, to the lines 'The parents on the bus go shish shish shish…'.

Activities

In line with the 'bus' theme of the book, I brought AA on a bus ride, and it was a fun bonding time for mummy and son. AA also did a 'shapes' activity, where he made a bus using different shapes cut from felt. 

Other possible activities include:

- DIY bus pretend play, where I made a 'steering wheel' out of recycled cardboard, arranged chairs in rows, and we boarded the bus!

- Paint a bus, and introduce other types of transportation at the same time, such as car, truck and motorcycle

- Take a ride on a open-top bus

We hope you enjoy The Wheel On The Bus too. Till the next Book Box Thursday, happy reading!!

Disclaimer: We received a copy of The Wheels On The Bus from My Imagination Kingdom. No monetary compensation was received. All opinions and images are my own.

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Thank you for reading. If you like this post, please do connect with me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, so I can share our fun adventures, thoughts and exploits with you. 

Book Box Thursday: The Forest Fable by Gelyn Ong

Book Box Thursday is a new bi-weekly column. Here, EV, AA and I will share books that we love, as well as the crafts and activities that we do. We may also suggest other activities that can be done.

For the first Book Box Thursday (BBT) we thought: why not start with something local? Did you kor that there are many children's titles by local authors? We will look into some of these in future BBT, but first, we will share one by a very young inspirational author.

The Forest Fable is written by nine year old Gelyn Ong. Besides being an accomplished artist with works that have raised a whopping $500,000 for the less fortunate since 2010, she has also been an ambassador for the World Wildlife Fund for Nature since 2012. And now she has added another achievement to her list - that of an author!

This delightful book features Gelyn's very own paintings, which are whimsical in nature and understated in colours. Yet there is a sense of calm worldliness and realism to it that grabs the eye. According to the book's description of her, her artistic flair was first discovered when she was four, and after years of nurturing, it had advanced from scribbling with crayons to a more expert knowledge of acrylic and other materials. 

When I first introduced the book to EV, I went through the cover with her. I asked her to look at the picture and we discussed what the story might be about. I said the title, the author and read the author's description to her. When she realised Gelyn's age, her eyes widened in amazement. After our reading session, she actually went around with the book in her hand, telling every family member she came across about the author.

The Forest Fable is more than just a story; it has an educational message. It teaches the importance of the world's rainforests and how protecting it will also bring protection of the various animals that depend in it for their livelihoods. And it does so through a simple tale of seven types of animals including a bear, porcupines, orang-utans and owls, and a lumberjack' quest to chop trees and endangering the animals’ homes.

The first thing that catches one's attention are the visuals, with its intricate, detailed patterns of the trees and animals. Colours are distinct yet understated, and though the lumberjack plays a crucial role, only his legs and axe are seen entering and leaving the pages. The animals also seem to watch him as he leaves. This prompts discussions on what these visuals mean, and how it affects the story. This helps to develop visual literacy, important I think in today's world as kids are so much more visual than before.

The Forest Fable occurs over a span of seven days, and features corresponding number of animals. For example, on Monday, there is one bear and on Tuesday, there are two porcupines. It is helpful to teach the days of the week and counting.

In terms of language, this enchanting fable is extremely simple. It uses repetition, repeating how each day, the lumberjack discovers different animals, realised that if he chops down the trees, they will have no place to eat or sleep and then decides to leave. This makes it easy for young minds to follow, and even read for the older ones. There is also some rhyme, such as “Two porcupines were cowering in fright. ‘If I chop down the tree, the porcupines will be wolf food tonight.”, so this can be explained too.

Activities

Puppet play
We have a monkey puppet at home, and it joined us during our reading session after I was done the introductory with EV. It is really apt as an orangutan is one of the characters. Monkey 'read' the fable. Along the way, he engaged in conversation with EV, talking about the characters in the fable, his ‘brother’ the orangutan, how without the trees, his ‘brother’ would have no home and that’s so sad isn’t it? Thanks to Monkey, the story became more personable and engaging, as compared to if I just read to her and discussed  about it. The story came alive for her, and I think that was important to help her appreciate the tale even more. Like the animals, she shouted ‘Whoopee!’ after the lumberjack decided not to chop down any trees any more. The Forest Fable is currently her favourite story in the Say Family Library.

Toilet roll painting
We also did a painting activity on another day while visiting her maternal grandmother, and in the excitement of it all, I forgot to take photos. Silly me. 

Anyway, we made use of recycled toilet rolls to paint leaves in red, orange and green, according to the colours used in the story. We bent the round rolls slightly to make oval shapes, dipped them in paint, then stamped them on to the paper. Before that, I had drawn an outline of the trunk and branches, which EV painted in. This activity also let EV revise shapes, warm and cool colours, which she had learnt during last week’s art lesson at heART Studio.

Other possible activities include:

- taking a nature walk to let her experience the dense rainforest, like Rainforest Trail at Botanic Gardens

- doing a leaf sensory box

- paint on leaves, paint with leaves

We really enjoyed The Forest Fable. We hope you do too. Until next time, happy reading!

Recommendation: Songs - Rainbow Colours & Days of the Week

I chanced upon these two songs on Youtube, and EV is loving them. They're good for learning the colours of the rainbow and the days of the week (EV is starting to babble 'Monday, Tuesday, Friday..., so this song comes in handy). 

Recommendation: Web/Blog - Great sites for activity ideas & free worksheets

Here are two websites for activity ideas and free worksheets.

Activity Village

Lots of free colouring pages, crafts, worksheets, printables of all sorts and even sudoku for children of different ages. It also features themed activities for selected holidays and seasons such as Christmas. I like that it is jam packed with resources that I can quickly download and print for EV, and AA in future. The preschool section is where I frequent most, and it has numerous templates for early learners, such as handwriting sheets, and materials for learning the alphabet and numbers.

DLTK

Don't underestimate this seemingly bare looking site. It has a lot of resources for home schooling, and lots of craft ideas too. What I like about this site is that it also lists the recommended ages for the various activities, so I can decide whether a particular activity is too difficult for EV to undertake. It also has loads of downloadable mini books that are good for early readers, or just for reading with the young one.

Mummy's fun phonics adventure

As I had shared here, I have been attending a phonics course conducted by Jann, a SAHM. Last Saturday was the last lesson. I was glad to be able to attend all six lessons at one stretch, as I was mentally prepared that I may have to disrupt it if my new baby decided to come out early. But as baby is still extremely cosy, I managed to finish the whole course without needing any make-up classes. 

While I wished there was more time to go through the individual letter sounds as well as to practice prompting, I think the phonics CD that was provided as part of the course is a good source material for the letter sounds. Other than that, for prompting, I guess it's practice, practice and more practice. It could be good fun too, as I see it as a path of discovery that one can take with one's child. Mummy and child learning together, that's nice.

I really enjoyed Jann's sharing during the lessons, and found all of them extremely inspiring. She shared many tips and ideas from her own experience of bringing up her two children who are of kindergarten and primary ages. Not just for teaching phonics, but for other areas such as reading, writing, maths and Chinese. She even gave some insight into what to expect for primary school. And it is these practical tips that are useful for parents. I like that Jann is very approachable, and I admire her willingness to share. I've always believed that learning should be full of fun and play, and Jann has reaffirmed this belief.

Sounds good? You bet! You can email Jann for more details: jannalin_mrc[at]hotmail[dot]com. For anyone who is still contemplating whether to sign up for Jann's course, I say - go for it! If you are looking for ways to support your young one's preschool learning with some home teaching, but have no idea where or how to start, then this course is a good starting point. 

Recommendation: Great sites for home teaching ideas

If you are looking for ideas & printables for home teaching, here are some great sites by mummies who home school their children.


Homeschool Creations

1+1+1=1

Confessions of a Homeschooler

2TeachingMommies

Not only do they share their ideas, they are also fantastic inspiration to anyone who wants to home teach their toddlers, or want to supplement what the kids are learning in school with home teaching. It just goes to show just how much we can do as parents at home to help in our kids' education, even if it's just one hour a day.

Recommendation: Web/Blog - Simple Kids Craft

Sometimes, it's really tough to think of creative craft ideas to make home teaching fun. Here's a good craft site to bookmark. From animal crafts to recycled crafts, this site has heaps of projects that are easy to do. Most projects use materials that are easily sourced, and takes not more than 30 minutes to create. The videos make it even easier to understand the instructions. What I like about this site is that it lists out the difficulty level of each craft, so you can decide to do it later if your child is not ready. Lots of fantastic ideas, and they keep coming!

Good reads in Young Parents February issue

The February issue Of Young Parents has some good articles that I'd like to share. I've also included brief summaries of what they are about.


a. Too young for homework? 
This article states that parents can get over anxious with prepping their children for primary school, especially with the peer pressure around this. This can be detrimental to children and may cause them to have negative view of school. It shares that starting a homework regime for children as young as three can backfire, and suggests ten ways to more effective prep children in an enjoyable way.


b. She's got a boyfriend!
This article advises that if your preschooler comes home and declares that she has a boyfriend, fret not. It's all part of pretend play.


c. Mummy wants a huggie
Very interesting read, especially for parents with boys. It explores the issue of boys refusing to let their mummies hug or kiss them in public when they reach a certain age. What should a mummy do?


d. Out of the (lunch) box
Three creative ideas for colourful and appetising bento boxes are shared here.


e. Sleep Tight, Sleep Right
This article explores the myths and truths behind putting baby to bed, eg 'To help your baby sleep better at night, don't let him nap for more than three hours at a time during the day'.


f. Don't forget me, mummy
A very insightful piece for mummies who have more than one child and find that they shower more love on the firstborn. It suggests what mummies should do to balance the love out. It is also useful for mummies who are expecting a second child or who have just given birth to one.

Recommendations: Web/Blog - The Bub in the Belly

I chanced upon this blog of a mummy who shares her experiences of learning at home. She also gives an insight into the difference between phonemic awareness, which is the basis for phonics or 'pre-phonic' and is about the sounds of letters and words, and phonics, which is the relationship between sounds and written symbols. In this entry, she also shares a book on phonics that parents can read to find out more. This blog is a good and inspiring read for mummies who would like to find out more about other mummies' experiences.

Recommendation: Web/Blog - Enchanted Learning

A wonderful site with lots of materials! Even if you are not a subscriber, there are lots of free printables to download and use. It has activities for children as young as pre-kindergarten to those in primary school. Some of the activities, especially those for the older children, are US-centric, but is still useful for general knowledge, or just to get ideas for activities. For parents with preschool children, there is a dedicated section to teach alphabet, numbers and so on, with heaps of activities. Though part of it is only accessible to subscribers, it is a good source of materials and ideas. Plus, the site also has lots of craft ideas to supplement learning. So even as a subscriber, the US$20 annual fee is still value for money.

Recommendation: Web/Blog - Learn The Fun Way

Based on Jann's recommendation, I visited this blog, created by a mummy with a similar name like mine. Mummy Winny writes about her fun class sessions with her daughter and shares about the activities done during each lesson, documenting her daughter's development and learning process. 


It is a perfect example of how mummies who has attended Jann's phonics sessions can effective put the lessons into good use at home. Truly inspirational! Thank you Mummy Winny!

Recommendation: Colouring & Tracing books

Here are some colouring and tracing books which I find are quite useful. They're also quite handy to bring around on outdoor adventures, and helpful in keeping EV occupied when we are having our meals. They were purchased from Popular, which also has heaps of other similar books.

Recommendation: Web/Blog - Starfall

This is quite a popular site for parents looking for good online material. I personally like the ABC section, a flash-enabled section which teaches the letters A to Z and their respective sounds. Each letter also includes mini games to match the upper and lower case of each letter. Other online materials are catered for older children, such as the Learn To Read, It's Fun To Read and I'm Reading sections.


This site also has a download centre to get materials such as ABC printouts or printouts of online books, which can be used as supplementary activities at home. Some of these, though, will need to be purchased from the store.


A great interactive site that's colourful and entertainment for the young ones.

Recommendation: Kumon First Steps Workbooks

We all know that developing fine motor skills like folding, colouring, cutting paper and pasting is an important part of learning for our young ones. But, the issue many of us, especially full time working mothers, face is thinking of creative ideas that also allow them to develop in other areas, like learning various fruit and vegetable names.


The Kumon First Step Workbooks solves that by providing lots of fun and colourful mini projects for the young ones. Kids aged two onwards can start with the 'Let's Fold', 'Let's Sticker & Paste', 'Let's Colour' and 'Let's Cut Paper' books. 

'Let's Fold' begins with projects on folding horizontal lines (eg, folding an apple so that when it is 'unfolded', a cut apple is revealed), before advancing to diagonal lines and basic origami activities. The 'Let's Sticker & Paste' starts with several sticker projects, followed by those that require pasting with glue (eg, pasting a square face on to a picture of a horse), including simple puzzles and pasting parts of an animal's face to make a mask. 'Let's Colour' begins with projects that allow children to colour the whole picture, before more advanced ones that require them to colour a white dot in the middle of an object, eg a tomato. The projects feature different things, such as fruits, vegetables and animals, allowing parents to teach their names at the end. A good way to reinforce what was learnt during the activity. The 'More..' books feature even more of these activities.


EV is having lots of fun with the beginner books, often able to finish around five mini projects at one go.


Once these beginning books are completed, it will be time to move on to the more advanced books like 'My First Book of Tracing', 'My First Book of Uppercase Letters', 'My Book of Easy Mazes' or 'My Book of Colouring'. Here is a guide that illustrates this.