Tag Archives: play

Halloween Brick-or Trick Party Nights at LEGOLAND Malaysia

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We were in LEGOLAND Malaysia a couple of weekends ago and it was the start of their Halloween Brick-or-Treat Party Nights. Since we were also staying at LEGOLAND hotel, the best part was the extended opening time. Every Friday and Saturday from now to 31 October, the Park will be open until 8.30pm so the kids can play for an even longer time.

Halloween at LEGOLAND

adorable LEGO pumpkins

The Halloween Brick-or-Treat Party Nights take place at LEGO Kingdoms from 4pm to 8.30pm. You can start your Brick-or-Treat journey at Lord Vampyre’s Ballroom with a count-the-bats maze then explore the Brick-or-Treat trail and be rewarded with lots of fun and goodies along the way. At the end of the Brick-or-Treat trail, each participant will be rewarded with a special limited edition Halloween 2015 Commemorative DUPLO Brick.

love the spooky set-up

castle all decked out

the rides are more fun in the dark!

Look out for the LEGO Giant Pumpkin and giant LEGO White Ghost at The Beginning (quite hard to miss!) and grab some scary pictures with the Halloween LEGO mascots, including the newest monster – Frankenstein! The kids were super excited to see the mascots and we managed to get pictures with Frankenstein, Green Witch and Lord Vampyre.

spot the kids!

with Frankenstein

Lord Vampyre and the Green Witch

There are live shows at Castle stage at specific show times throughout the day as well as LEGO building activities. The kids loved the face-painting bit and there was a queue of eager children (and some adults) waiting for their turn to get their face or hand painted.

face-painting

it’s Batman!

showing off the pumpkin on her hand

Halloween at LEGOLAND Malaysia Resort is happening from 2 – 31 October and the park will open until 8:30 pm on Friday & Saturday, 7 pm on Sunday, and 6 pm from Monday to Thursday. Tickets for entry are priced at RM85 per person. Annual Pass holders can enjoy free entrance and bring a friend for just RM70. Time to head to LEGOLAND for a fun Halloween celebration if the exams are over!

Indoor Fun with Tickle Your Senses

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The haze is really getting me down. Every time I think things are getting better and we have a few blue sky days in a row, the haze returns with a vengeance and outdoor activities are cancelled. We have been staying in a lot more than usual so I’m grateful for Tickle Your Senses and their lovely sensory kits that are keeping the kids busy and the adults sane.

Tickle Your Senses was started by two mums, Felicia and Chiao Chyi, who wanted the best sensory play experiences for their children. So a lot of experimentation, planning, and love have gone into perfecting the kits available. There are playdough kits with cute and safe cutters for kids to squish and shape, and water beads kits for fun water play.

Tickle Your Senses

To be very honest, I dislike the typical play dough you buy in toy stores. The dough gets stuck everywhere, it smells funny, and I don’t like how it feels in my hands. Any commercial dough sets given to the kids as presents will *ahem* mysteriously disappear from the house without a trace. In fact, the only dough I let the kids play with is the homemade sort, but I’m way too lazy to make playdough in different colours so I’m glad Tickle Your Senses has solved that problem for me!

Alphabet kit

Body Parts kit

The playdough smells good, has a great texture, and doesn’t get hopelessly stuck on every possible surface. They add a drop of essential oil to engage your child’s sense of smell when playing with the dough but you can opt for unscented dough if you prefer. The playdough is made of plain flour, salt, water, cream of tartar, oil and food coloring and is taste-safe for little ones.

The playdough kits are available in a wide range of cutters from fruits and animals, to alphabets and numbers. You can also get accessories like extruders, scissors, rollers, and even a playdough mat to keep the mess under control. We chose the alphabet kit since Adam is still learning his letters and sounds, and the body parts kit because it’s just so amusing!

Playing with playdough helps with fine motor development, builds strength in the hands (very important for handwriting), and encourages imagination and creativity. The kids can sit and play with playdough for hours and hours and not get bored because there really is no limit to what they can make with the dough.

Adam forming his name

Anya’s rainbow creation

funny dough person

Mr Dough Man surrounded by body parts

The kids adore water play but the weather has been keeping us indoors. We haven’t had swimming classes for more than a month now! The water beads kits from Tickle Your Senses are such a great alternative to outdoor water play. They are so calming, smooth, cool and squishy that I couldn’t resist grabbing some and just holding them in my hands as the kids scooped the water beads from one container to another and back again.

blue water beads sea creature kit

scooping and transferring

squishing the beads

The water beads kit comes with one jar of pre-soaked water beads and a tiny packet of unsoaked beads. I was sceptical about the volume of beads we were going to get with that little packet but it turned out to be many times that of the one jar and now we have lots of beads to play with.

All Tickle Your Senses sensory kits and materials are sent via fast courier mail to ensure that your purchases are well-kept and in good condition when they reach your hands. Shipping is $7 flat rate for any number of products and you enjoy free shipping via courier when you spend $80 or more (so grab a few friends and order together!)

GIVEAWAY! :)

To help your kids beat the boredom of being confined indoors, we have one playdough kit and one water beads kit from Tickle Your Senses to give away! One winner will be picked for each kit so there will be a total of two winners.

To qualify, simply do the following by Wednesday, 21 October 2015, 2359H (Singapore time):
1. Like the ‘In the Wee Hours’ Facebook page.
2. Like the ‘Tickle Your Senses‘ Facebook page.
3. Like and comment on this Facebook post telling me which playdough or water beads kit you want to win. Remember to tag a friend in your comment. Do refer to their website to see the full range of kits available.

Terms & Conditions: This giveaway is open to Singapore residents only. Winners will be contacted through Facebook message and will have 24 hours to respond, failing which a new winner will be drawn. All incomplete entries will be disqualified. All entries will be verified before the winners are announced. To be fair to our sponsors, please note that all fake Facebook accounts (e.g. accounts set up purely to take part in contests with no or very few real friends) will also be ineligible to win. One winner per household, please.

Keppel Centre for Art Education at National Gallery Singapore

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A few months back, Adrian and I visited National Gallery Singapore for their Naked Museum Tour and I’ve been longing to go back since. Last Friday, Anya and I attended the media preview of Keppel Centre for Art Education, a new immersive learning facility that will encourage young visitors to cultivate their interest in art with programmes designed to make learning art enjoyable and accessible.

The Keppel Centre for Art Education will be the first of its kind in the region to provide children the opportunity to access original artwork, handle art tools, select artworks, write labels and conduct exhibition tours for their peers through experiential learning and role-play. Through this and other programmes, the Gallery hopes to enrich art education in Singapore and enable more visitors from all walks of life to appreciate art.

At the Art Corridor, young children will be invited to touch, explore and change the look of artworks through interacting with moveable elements. The Art Corridor provides a highly tactile and visually impactful interactive art experience that may be enjoyed by visitors of all ages.

Inspired by the topographical maps of waterways in Singapore, Voyage by Twardzik Ching Chor Leng is a large-scale puzzle artwork found along the Art Corridor. It was interesting to see how children of different ages interacted differently with the artwork. The older children were trying hard to move a chip through the maze without the chip falling into one of the holes but the younger ones were doing their best to push as many chips into the holes as possible!

Voyage by Twardzik Ching Chor Leng

Look, Mummy! 3D glasses!

with Twardzik Ching Chor Leng

Anya’s favourite space is the Art Playscape featuring The Enchanted Tree House by Sandra Lee. Children can enter the space through a special tunnel, look through periscopes, communicate using talk tubes and hide in the split-level Tree House. It feels like you have walked into a beautifully illustrated pop-up book!

Inspired by the idea of ‘entering a painting’, Art Playscape develops curiosity and imagination through active play, movement and discovery for young visitors. Through 5 different self-guided adventure trails, visitors uncover hidden stories. Mysteries, unexpected surprises and fantastical creatures await.

Climbing onto an elevated lily pad

spying through a periscope

checking out the books in the tree house

playing snakes and ladders

At the Project Gallery, kids can design and create their own fantastical mobile homes in Home-a-Sapiens by Tan Wee Lit. Designed as an immersive and contemplative environment, the Project Gallery invites visitors to use art to imagine creative solutions to real world issues. Visitors can also display their art pieces in the Project Gallery as part of the collaborative learning process that connects their creative ideas with the artist’s artworks.

It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s…a flying bus-home!?

home is where the Ark is

plumb the plump tree

making her flying bus-home

with artist Tan Wee Lit

Visitors to the Children’s Museum will gain insight into the creative process of different artists in an environment inspired by their respective studios. In Home, Language and Letters by Milenko Prvacki, children can use a variety of photographs and collage materials to create a visual letter to be sent to the artist.

different materials for the artist to work with

the artist’s tools

hands-on session

making a swing from some materials

with artist Milenko Pravacki

The kids were fascinated and inspired by the detail of the Woodlands cityscape made out of clay, plasticine and sticky foam by 13-year-old artist Xandyr Quek, which is part of the Centre’s special display programme based on the 2015-2016 theme of ‘Homes’.

admiring the clay and plasticine cityscape by 13-year-old artist, Xandyr Quek.

a closer look at the clay and plasticine cityscape of Woodlands

by world-renowned British artist and autistic savant Stephen Wiltshire

we had a great time!

The Keppel Centre for Art Education will present an annual change of installations and feature a series of adult- and family-friendly programmes, such as daily tours, workshops, lectures, forums, family weekends and community days. It is slated to open together with the Gallery on 24 November this year. Located on the ground floor of the City Hall Wing, the Centre is easily accessible to schools and families with young children. Admission to the Centre is free.

N.B. This article on Keppel Centre for Art Education by The Straits Times features a familiar face!

Playeum Children’s Centre for Creativity

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I’m getting pretty sick of the haze but since we can’t do much about it, here’s another indoor activity for the public holiday and weekend. We checked out The Art of Speed at the brand new Children’s Centre for Creativity by Playeum at Gillman Barracks and the kids had a blast! Details on location, opening hours and admission charges are right at the end of the post.

look for the pink elephant

Near the entrance is Vroom!, a section suitable for toddlers. I tried to get David to hang around within that space so I could chill a little and he spent some time there but was eventually more interested in the rest of the activities. It’s a small but interesting area for the younger kids with blocks, wooden vehicles, cushioned ramps, and a peg board of objects of different shapes, sizes, and textures to explore.

Vroom!

lots of different sounds and textures to explore

lots of different sounds and textures to see, touch and hear

Anya and Adam headed for The Dark Space for some Shadow Play. They experimented with how the shadows of the shapes shifted and changed as they pulled on a rope with a light source attached to it. They then put on headlamps and walked around the space to create their own moving shadows.

exploring light and shadow

shadow play at The Dark Space

The main attraction for all three kids was Create for Speed. Several race tracks were laid out in a row and the children manipulated the tracks around cardboard tubes and over ramps and wooden stools to create a race track with unique curves and loops before testing the track with little toy cars. But the kids really just wanted to build their own LEGO cars and fling them down the communal ramp to see which car would make it down the ramp and over the gap in one piece!

Create for Speed

having a go

building LEGO cars

trying to get cars over the gap in the ramp

Finally, the Play Maker Space allows kids (and adults) to use their imagination to make their own vehicle out of an assortment of recycled materials. We’re not talking about the boring stuff we hoard at home in the form of toilet rolls and random plastic containers! There are also cardboard tubes of varying thickness and length, wooden sticks, plastic washers, different types of wires and tapes, etc.

The older ones worked on building a ramp for marbles on the peg board wall while David and I tested vehicles on a ramp made from a plastic sheet. We found one made from Yakult bottles and plastic washers that worked very well and he played happily with that for some time.

play maker space

trying out a toy he found lying around

the older ones building a track for marbles

The Children’s Centre for Creativity encourages children to play and to create based on their imagination and provides them with some of the tools to do so. To be perfectly honest, it’s not an indoor playground where you can dump your kids while you hide in a corner and fiddle with your phone. Your kids will want you to play with them and to look at their clever creations or even build something big and amazing together and you’ll enjoy being engaged in their play. In fact, you may even get a bit competitive when it comes to building the best LEGO car that will make it down the ramp and across the gap without breaking apart.

Children’s Centre for Creativity
Blk 47, Malan Road
Gillman Barracks #01-23
Singapore 109444

Opening hours:
Tue to Sun, 10 am – 6 pm

Admission charges:
Child (aged 1–12): $20
Accompanying adult: Free
Additional accompanying adult: $10

The Dark Knight Takes Over City Square Mall

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Adam loves superheroes and enjoys zipping around in a cape. His favourite superheroes are Batman and Superman and he was so excited to watch The Dark Knight in action and to take a photo with him at City Square Mall earlier today! He even wore a Batman cap, t-shirt and shorts for this special encounter with The Dark Knight.

The action-packed live show wowed the crowd, especially when The Dark Knight made a grand entrance by rappelling down from the 4th floor. Definitely not something you see in your typical mall live show! The Dark Knight saved the day by making short work of Joker’s henchmen and thwarting the Joker’s evil plans before taking some time to pose for photos with the little fans.

waiting for the live show to start

Joker easily defeats a Batman imposter

the real Batman makes his way down

Joker’s henchmen are easily gotten rid of

Batman will protect you from the Joker!

a photo with The Dark Knight and Joker

There is a showcase of DC Super Heroes costumes on display and kids can also show off their superhero skills by taking part in the DC Comics Justice League Adventure obstacle course. Other activities include hand and face-painting and Batman mask-making. Adam had a lot of fun completing the obstacles and was very proud of the Batman logo painted on his hand.

DC Super Heroes costumes on display

can’t miss out Batman

getting the Batman logo painted on his hand

DC Comics Justice League Adventure obstacle course

running like the flash

getting rid of villains

capturing Penguin

time for a Choo-Choo City Express ride!

looking very pleased

To bring the superhero experience home with them, shoppers can redeem a Justice League stationery set and exclusive foldable storage box with a minimum spend of $250 ($350 for Fairprice receipts). Additionally, shoppers with at least one receipt from kids’ ware or education & enrichment outlets will receive a Choo-Choo City Express ticket.

The Dark Knight ‘Live’ On Stage
Date: 5-13 Sept
Time: Mon – Fri, 7 pm; Sat & Sun, 2 pm & 7 pm
Venue: Level 1 Atrium
Redeem a Meet & Greet pass one hour before the show with a minimum spend of $50, limited to 50 passes per show.

DC Comics Justice League Adventure
Date: 5-13 Sept
Time: 12-9 pm daily
Venue: Level 1 Atrium
Redeem an Adventure pass at L2 Customer Service Counter with a minimum spend of $30, limited to 200 passes daily.

Batman Mask-Making Session
Date: 5, 6 & 12, 13 Sept
Time: 4 pm
Venue: Level 1 Atrium
Redeem a pass 10 minutes before each session at the Level 1 stage area, limited to 20 kids per session, aged 4 years and above.

Jack and Jill at Bukit Timah Hill

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Nursery rhymes are so easy to remember even when they barely make any sense. What do our kids know about fetching water from the top of a hill? Or about wrapping up wounds with vinegar and brown paper? Jack and Jill at Bukit Timah Hill by author Gwen Lee puts a spin on well-known nursery rhymes by adding some much-needed local flavour and context to the familiar verses. The original verses are also included at the end of the book (in case you can’t remember them).

Jack & Jill at Bukit Timah Hill

Anya at Bt Timah Hill

So instead of Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater, we have Peter Peter Durian Eater and that is perfect for the durian season we are having at the moment. The kids were so amused by the idea of Peter eating a ridiculous amount of durians and gargling salt water from the durian shell. In another nursery rhyme, the good old Kueh Tutu takes the place of Hot Cross Buns.

Peter Peter Durian Eater

spiky delight

Other local icons like The Night Safari can be found in this book of Singaporean nursery rhymes and they even have the animals cooking curry! Kids will also be able to relate to the localised version of This Old Man much more than the traditional one. What is a knick knack paddy wack anyway? Give me an old man playing zero point, capteh, goli, hopscotch and five stones any day!

Curry at the Night Safari

at the Night Safari!

This Old Man

trying to kick a capteh

hopscotch

Jack and Jill at Bukit Timah Hill is published by Epigram Books and they are currently having up to 50% off selected titles (until 15 August) so this book costs just S$8.94 (usual price S$14.90). An earlier book of Singapore nursery rhymes by the same author There Was a Peranakan Woman Who Lived in a Shoe is going for the same price too. Grab them both while you can!

Disclaimer: We received the book from Epigram Books for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

Dakota Crescent: Tian Kee & Co. and Dove Playground

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Dakota Crescent is slated for development by the end of 2016 so we decided to pay a visit before it’s gone for good. We haven’t been there in more than 4 years but the sleepy housing estate still feels largely the same. The Tian Kee & Co. provision shop is now a little cafe and we had breakfast there before heading over to the Dove playground. I still think it looks more like a Seal than a Dove though!

The food at Tian Kee & Co. was pretty decent and these days I’m delighted if a cafe serves proper hot meals and not just sandwiches, cakes and pastries. There are so many hipster cafes now that only assemble food but don’t actually cook anything. The kids loved the rainbow cheesecake and inhaled it in a matter of minutes.

The Dove playground is actually in better condition than it was in when we visited some years ago. At that time, it was pretty grubby and Adrian didn’t even let Anya touch it. Either that or we have lowered our standards now that we have 3 kids! Haha.