Examinations are over and holidays are around the corner. This is when the mad rush for holiday courses, meet the cartoon characters at the mall, special trips to the Science Centre gets planned out. God forbid, one of them should mouth the words,"Mum! I am bored!".
Over the years, I have developed a list of websites to check on to see what I can plan for a more interesting and productive holiday for my kids. This will also expose them to various activities and interests in a bid to find their passion in life. At a minimum, they can say they have tried it and had fun.
It was all in my head but in the true spirit of decluttering my mind, I will put it in an organised list for everyone. Please feel free to share in the comments section what your own list so everyone can benefit from it.
Here's my list. All of the websites I go to research for activities below, most likely have an email subscription service or a Facebook page that you can join. I do it for the ones that interest my family most so I don't miss out on the interesting stuff.
- People's Association
The People's Association has a wide range of activities and courses for both the young and old. Lifestyle courses like yoga or cooking appeals to all ages. They also have a section specifically for the kiddies. Booking can be done online. Most courses are held in Community Clubs - so you can choose the one nearest to home or where the kids are aka near gramps' place. The courses are fairly economical so it is a great place to start. Passion Card members get a discount. - SAFRA
SAFRA works a lot like the PA. The website is moderately easy to use and booking can also be done online. They have 5 club houses to choose from and some of the courses they offer may not be available in the PA website. They also have other services like the Interest Clubs which provide additional privileges if you choose to join them. These clubs are great if your family has a specific interest e.g. movies or travel. If you are a member, you get discounts as well. - National Library Board
I go to the GoLibrary link on the left navigation bar and search for events. These include regular story telling sessions, crafts workshops and interesting talks. Most of these are free so if you are on a budget, the library is a great place to be. You can book activities and pay (if needed) online easily. Since libraries are all over the island, more likely than not, you will be able to find activities that are near your place of preference. - National Parks Board
If your family is outdoorsy, this is the website for you. I am on their email subscription list so I get informed of activities like garden walks and educational talks. Registration can be done online but payment is either by cash at the location or by mail in cheque prior to the activity. I have sent my kids on a couple of activities and they enjoyed them. - National Heritage Board
I don't always go to the parent website but to the various museums' websites. My favourites are Asian Civilisations Museum, National Museum of Singapore and Singapore Art Museum. Some of the great things are like family days and free entry to museum days. The annual International Museum Day often brings carnivals, special exhibitions and art installations that are tailored for kids. Tickets can be bought at SISTIC or at the location itself. - SportOnKids
Set up by the Singapore Sports Council, it is a club that promotes healthy living through sports. Paying just annual fee of $20, kids would have access to the sport activities that are organised by the club. Most of these activities are try-one-time sort of format to gauge interest in children. For example, my kids have done rock climbing, skating, motor-crossing, archery, yoga and even fencing. Others include kayaking, Frisbee, handball, swimming and football. As these cost either $5-$10 or nothing for members, it is a great way to expose children to the different sports activities. - Places of Interests
These include the Singapore Zoo, the Jurong Bird Park, the Night Safari and the Science Centre. These places normally have special exhibits, overnight camps and tours available during the school holidays. I have done the specials but not tried the overnight camps with the animals yet. The costs are normally high, but the model of the overnight camps are very interesting and helps in family bonding. One other place is the Esplanade, which have free open concerts and would have interesting art activities during the different festivals. - Enrichment Centres
These are great places to check out. On top of their regular classes, they normally would do special courses for the school holidays. This is also a great way to check the centres and their courses out, to see if they might be suitable for your kids before you shell out the big money for regular courses. Here are some that I have used before and happy with the results.
Eduplus Language Centre - Chinese courses
Genius R Us- Baking and Entrepreneur courses
Tony Buzan Learning Centre- Mindmapping and Creative Thinking courses
Legrand School of Dance - Dance courses - Shopping Malls
Go to the various websites of the shopping malls and undoubtedly you will find activities that are designed to attact kids and thus, their parents to the malls. A lot of these activities are free and often comes with free gifts. If luck has it that your kids are enamoured with the latest cartoon craze, then these would be fun for them to attend. Beware of lines and often over zealous parents that may irk you with their 'kiasu' ways. All in all this is a great option if you also have shopping to do. Something suitable for the whole family. Here are some links to start you off.
CapitaMalls Asia
AsiaMalls
Takashimaya
Other than these activities, don't forget the usual favourite family activities like, travelling, swimming, having a meal together, cooking a meal together, visiting a park and catching a movie. After all, what matters is for the kids to have a fruitful and relaxing holiday break.
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