Preparing for Primary 1 – Part 2

I wrote a post on how I prepared my girl for primary school 2 years ago. Time flies and now I am going to prepare my boy for primary school next year. When I relooked into my list of preparation, I still find them very useful and they shall be applicable to my boy with some adjustment in expectations though. It shall also be more challenging this time round as I will be preparing for XX to wake up early for morning school after 2 years of afternoon school in Primary 1 and 2. YH will be in afternoon school. Hence, I need to adjust for both kids concurrently.

1. Eat a good breakfast

I find this a challenge to implement when I am not at home to ensure this goes through smoothly. I had tried for the past 2 years to prepare nutritious breakfast Continue reading “Preparing for Primary 1 – Part 2”

10 Fun Outdoor activities for the kids 2013

Singapore is a small, sunny island. We do not have much land. However, there are much to see and play and have fun if you look properly and explore around. Every weekend, we bring our kids outdoors. Even when I had morning sickness, was heavily pregnant and after my baby was out, we continued bringing the kids out. We want our kids to enjoy their childhood while they can and while they still want to tag along with us on weekends.

I have put together 10 fun outdoor activities to do with your kids. Continue reading “10 Fun Outdoor activities for the kids 2013”

My first business trip – thoughts on the plane

Beautiful scene looking out of the plane

In the days running up to my business trip, XX was really upset. I had done all I could do (read here for all the things I tried to do to comfort my kids prior to the trip) to make my absence easier for her but it does not seem to work for her. As my travel date got nearer, she was almost tearing everyday, chanting “I don’t want mummy to travel”, it really broke my heart. Continue reading “My first business trip – thoughts on the plane”

5 Indoor Places to go with your kids

Here are my 5 simple indoor places to bring your kids to.

1. Indoor Playground (Fidgets)

This is located in Old Turf City at Bukit Timah Road.

Like many indoor playground, it has all the play areas. But what we like about this place is that it has a separate area for below 2 years old, a separate one for 2-4 years old and the main play area for all ages. The large main play area has many play themes that kids will not be bored with. The cafeteria and sofas are just beside the younger play areas. Parents will be able to enjoy a cup of coffee while keeping a lookout for their young ones.

Admission fees: $19 (2-10 years old), $10 (under 2 years old), free (adults and babies under 1 year old)

2. Time zone Arcade

We like the Time zone Arcade at Compass Point. It has many games appropriate for younger kids. The popular ones are the small bowling lanes, basketball throws, Percussion game, roll up balls into holes, and Air Hockey Table game. After the games, kids can have the joy to redeem the gifts using their e-tickets.

Fees: A pre-paid Timezone card to play the games

3. Safra Yishun Swimming Pool

This is our favourite swimming pool so far. Safra Yishun Swimming Pool has 1 long slide and 1 short slide that all ages can play. There is a man-made waterfall where you can stand under to enjoy the pitter-pattering of water on your shoulders.  (However, recently the slides have been closed for renovations.)  There is a baby pool, a learning pool for kids, an Olympic size pool and a pool with Jacuzzi. Music is played throughout the day and on some weekdays evening, they play romantic songs and soothing music while you soak in the pool.

Another attractive feature of the pool is that there is warm water for shower which is important when you have kids. You will find that bathing them is a breeze. The luxurious space in the shower area and separate changing area is definitely another draw for us. You do not need to bring along shampoo and shower gel as each shower room has a shampoo cum shower gel dispenser unless you prefer using your own.

Admission Fees: Free for Safra members, $3 for guest on weekends

(This place is actually outdoor, but I find it such a cozy setting especially in the evening, I have decided to add to this list.)

4. ChangiAirport Terminal 3

Amazingly, Changi Airport Terminal 3 is SO kids-friendly, tourists or passengers in transit would have mistaken the terminal as a shopping mall rather than an airport. Weekends are packed with families with young kids. What’s fun is an area with big stencil tracing blocks where kids or adults can colour on with the crayons and paper available. Also, there is a 12 metre tall jumbo twister slide and a shorter one for the less adventurous. There is an area for television viewing tuned to Cartoon network where you can deposit your kids there while you shop around the vicinity.

Not only that, there is an indoor playground located in Terminal 3 , B2 as well.  It’s called Singkids.  Check out this Japanese designed PlaySystem as they called it!

Admission Fees: Singkids – $18 per 2 hrs (off-peak), $18 per hour (peak)

5. Ikea Tampines

Ikea is a famous kids-friendly furniture mall. Over at Ikea Tampines, there is an indoor play area for kids while the parents shop around or enjoy the famous Swedish balls at the cafeteria near it. Even the cafeteria has a small round play area for kids while the parents eat and watch their kids beside it. Kids above 4 can sign up as members of småles kids club where they can have a sticker with each visit and use the stickers to redeem small gifts.

Shopping at Ikea is a pleasant experience. The kids can’t wait to reach the kids furniture area where all the things are kids’ size. There are toys to play too. Everything is so adorable even to the eyes of parents; it’s hard not to get something from here.

Admission Fees: Free

Do you have other interesting places to bring kids to?

Our neighbourhood is just as fun

In Singapore, we have ample and countless playgrounds just within a simple neighbourhood.  Recently, as I am taking a short break due to fatigue and stress (see my post in “My baby is 8! (month old I mean)“), I had more time with my kids together.  One of the things we did was to explore our neighbourhood.

We found many playgrounds within walking distance of probably half a kilometre radius from where we stay, and the last of our count is 17!  This is not inclusive of those we had not covered by foot yet!

Each playground is unique.  Some are simple and some are more challenging which makes it fun for kids in various ages.

Below are some playgrounds that we find interesting.  And some are slightly further away but still within 10 minutes of a bus or car ride from where we stay.

Bishan St 22

Bishan

Bishan

Bishan St 13

Bishan

Bishan

Bishan

Bishan St 12

Bishan

Bishan St 12

Bishan St 11

Bishan St 11

Bishan St 11

Bishan Park

Bishan Park

Bishan Park

Bishan Park

Bishan Park

Bishan Park

Bishan Park

Toa Payoh Lorong 8

Toa Payoh Lor 8

Toa Payoh Central

TPY Central

Junction 8 Shopping mall Level 3

Junction 8

Junction 8

With so many playgrounds spoilt for choice, it will take some months before we will start exploring other neighbourhood!

Do you have great playgrounds in your neighbourhood? Share with me! I would love to know!