Every year during the June school holidays, the National Heritage Board will open all NHB museums and heritage institutions for free admission. This year the annual Children’s Season will be going on from 30 May to 28 June. Children’s Season is a chance or time to allow the young ones to discover the heritage, art, culture, and science, as well as other everyday aspects of life in Singapore.
For a list of the participating museums, please click here.
We brought the girls to the National Museum and Singapore Arts Museum.
The theme for National Museum is Masak Masak (a Malay word for “play”).
The 3 replicas of the old playgrounds in Singapore. I should bring the girls to see the real playgrounds one day.
Do take note that the bouncy castle playgrounds will be open every Saturday & Sunday till 3 Aug, 11am to 1pm & 3pm to 5pm.
Inside the museum, we found my childhood game, "rubber game", but multiplied a 100 times!
Never imagine I would have this chance to ‘play rubber’ with my children. Surreal.
Another special exhibition was done by NUS Industrial Design, Luma-City. An immersive space with larger-than-life toy vehicles. Push them around and see the luminous magic come alive.
Moving on to Singapore Arts Museum, we visited the Children’s section at 8Q SAM. Presenting Imaginarium – A voyage of Big Ideas, from 14 Mar to 19 July 2015.
Huge tetris blocks! Inviting all kids to be architects, builders and master-planners of their own estates or castles like my girls called it.
Band of Doodlers, illustrations sprawling across the walls. Everyone is free to draw on the walls and express yourself through pictorial form.
Interactive exhibits like this, with bicycles, LEDs and stereo equipment. Activation is through interaction between the artwork and the visitors. Cycling to provide the energy for the display. Pretty cool.
In another room, we found some embroidery stuff. And with the simple instructions on the wall, the girls created their personal pom pom ball. All the materials are FOC too.
I always like to bring the girls to the main art museum building to check out the current exhibitions. From now till 18 Oct, SAM presents After Utopia – Revisiting the Ideal in Asian Contemporary Art.
In one of the Gallery, we found this large piece of art.
Made Wianta – Air Pollution. Made with motorcycle exhaust pipes and stainless pipes. Designed to remind people of the air pollution is our cities and a reminder that people are the one who can control or stop this pollution.
Chris Chong – Block B, a single channel video with sound.
Svay Sareth – Mon Boulet, a single channel video installation with metal sphere. The video captures this man who spent 6 full days and walked from his home in Siem Reap to Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. As he walked, he hauled behind him this huge 2 meters wide 80 kg heavy metal sphere.
The museums hold much interesting art and cultural values not only for the adults but also for the kids. Maybe this June holidays can be a good chance for parents to start this education with your children. You will be surprised how they react to the art pieces (sometimes bored, sometimes with their own interesting perspective).
