Gone are the days where going to a museum meant staring at a collection of artefacts and reading a bunch of words, which you’re most likely to forget before you walk out of its door and honestly, it doesn’t exactly spell out fun for the little ones.
This June, you’ve got an amazing line-up of activities to choose from at the National Museum of Singapore’s Get Curious! Children’s Special 2019. In other words, fun geared towards the young ones.
Here’s a peek at some of the many activities that you should take note of!
1. Character Tours
Follow a policeman, amah and mama shop owner as they take you back in time to discover stories behind their treasured objects.
The route is a secret, but each of them has enthralling stories to tell.
Date: Sats & Suns
Hour: Bet. 2 pm – 4 pm (duration: 30 min)
Admission: Free with museum admission ticket
Suitable Ages: 5 -10 yrs
2. Majie Ah Di’s Letter by The Learning Connections
Majie Ah Di’s Letter is an interactive drama performed in Mandarin, following the journey of a young girl called Ah Di.
Ah Di leaves her hometown in China and comes to Singapore to work in order to support her family. One day, feeling homesick after an incident, Ah Di seeks the help of a letter-writer in Chinatown. As for the rest of the story, you’ll have to watch the performance to find out.
Date: 1 Jun | 23 Jun 2019
Hour: 3 pm (duration: 45 min)
Admission: $10/child | Free for accompanying adults (register here)
Suitable Ages: 4 – 7 yrs
3. Sensory Playdate by Home Play Singapore
Pop into the Magic & Menace exhibit where seven sensory play stations have been set-up. Here little ones can search for insects and feed "birds”, create their own play dough collage with nature materials, paint with a "durian", build a bird’s nest, hunt for eggs, and make their own bird toy to bring home!
Date: 5 Jun | 16 Jun | 30 Jun 2019
Hour: 10.30 am | 2.30 pm (duration: 1.5 hrs)
Admission: $20/child | $15/additional sibling | Free for accompanying adults (register here - sold out)
Suitable Ages: 1.5 – 8 yrs
4. Art as Therapy Workshop: Market Day Memories
Team up your little ones with their Ah Ma or Ah Gong to create vibrant coloured artworks that bring to life memories of growing up in Singapore and going to the market!
Date: 20 Jun 2019
Hour: 10 am (duration: 1.5 hrs)
Admission: $10/grandparent-child pair (register here)
Suitable Ages: 6 – 12 yrs
5. Young Cinema
Sit back and cuddle up with your little ones to enjoy a selection of short animated films, each one a meaningful story about a treasured object or place.
Featured films include:
Erhu: This 5-min short film takes viewers back to the days of colonial Singapore in the mid-1800s, when emigrants arrived in droves after Singapore became a free port. The story follows the life of a Chinese coolie and erhu player, and how his beloved instrument saved his life after an ill-fated accident.
One Small Step: This is the story of Luna, a Chinese American girl who dreams of becoming an astronaut.
Negative Space: Even though Sam’s father is hardly ever home because he is often away on business trips, he is able to connect with his son by teaching him how to pack a suitcase.
Date & Hour:
Fri – Sun: 10 am – 12 pm | 2 pm – 6 pm
Hari Raya Special (5 Jun 2019): 10 am – 12 pm | 2 pm – 6 pm
Admission: Free
Suitable Ages: 6+ yrs
6. Toymaker: Make Your Own Wind-Up Space Shuttle by Amazing Art Shuttle
Swing by the Growing Up gallery for an interactive tour and stay on to build your very own wing-up toy using everyday objects.
Date: 8 Jun 2019
Hour: 3.30 pm (duration: 1 hr)
Admission: $10/parent-child pair (register here)
Suitable Ages: 4 – 8 yrs
7. Timmy & Tammy Discover Singapore Hawker Food – Storytelling by author Lianne Ong
Immerse yourself in the interactive storytelling session by Lianne Ong, the author of Timmy & Tammy Discover: Singapore Hawker Food. Discover various ways of packaging hawker food, explore real samples of herbs and spices, and have fun with rhyming songs.
And if you decide to swing by on Hari Raya, you’ll get to learn how to make a simple ketupat-inspired woven mat!
Date & Hour:
Hari Raya Special (5 Jun 2019): 11 am (duration: 1 hr)
15 Jun 2019: 2.00 pm | 3.30 pm (duration: 30 min)
Admission: Free
Suitable Ages: 4 – 8 yrs
For more information, click here.
Photo credits National Museum of Singapore
