Update 12 Jan 2020

I had wanted to give an update after small J’s first month of formal schooling as a followup to this blog post but with daily routines, schedules and also the virus outbreak it actually slipped my mind entirely until this came in my letter box last week.

For a good start, there were no calls from his form teachers (no calls equate to good news as from experience, teachers only call when there is trouble). I also don’t want to ask the teacher so early in the term to give feedback on small J.

With the exception of small reminders, small J is adapting formal schooling very well (evident by the sweet note from his form teacher last week).

He packs his school bag everyday, bring out papers for me to sign, write on his journal (of course teacher will guide them), ensure there is enough pocket money, very aware of the on-goings in school (in fact he reminded his older sister of her activities in the school bus as the sister almost took the school bus home) and generally very happy and well-adjusted. He is even appointed the PE ranger and very happy to have this responsibility. I know he has been eating the same kind of food at the canteen , slowly encouraging try more variety. There are days when he dozes off in the afternoon after a long day but other than that he is seems to have grow from a preschooler to a primary school kids almost overnight! I think that The Little Executive P1 Prep Camp has really give small J a taster, a good start and a foundation of the demands of formal schooling hence he was better prepared and well adjusted. I hope that he will continue to improve on all the 10 essential skills as outline by the camp!

Review

Finally, the day has arrived for small J to spend almost 2 full days with The Little Executive. He was super excited to spend two days away from his child care (though he only has less than 1 month with his childcare that he has been with since 18 months -super bitter sweet -sorry for the digression).
I do not believe that I need to prep my kids academically for primary 1 as they may lose interest in what is taught in primary school. School is for learning and I would like to keep it that way and not to learn ahead of the school curriculum, so long the kid can read and count, I think these are sufficient academic knowledge to handle the rigour of formal education especially in the first year, especially with no exam in primary 1 and 2, I think we can let loose a bit on the academic front of formal education.

What I am more worried is the emotional side of the transition. From a smaller class setting to a bigger one, where there is less attention from teacher as it is 1 teacher to 30 as compared to a way smaller ratio in childcare, some kids may find it hard to have themselves heard.

At the get-go, the kids were given a school journal/diary – scheduling and timetable skills. At the end of the day, they will have write down the timetable of the activities they had done for the day. Later, this will be further develop into planning and prioritizing which is a skill that is required even as a working adult!

To introduce the concept of emotional regulation , the kids were introduced to the “emotion wheel” where they need to be able to express their own emotions and communicate their needs, ie simply put it not to show their unhappiness through tantrums and cries.

I love how each kid has been given responsibilities and roles within the small class setting on the onset. The first thing small J shown me when I went during his lunch break was that he was proudly announcing that he was the “whiteboard monitor” ! (develop responsibility and leadership )

We as adults and parents often overlook and take for granted simple things like asking for helping (it is not a sign of weakness but this is vital especially when the level of independence up many notches above child care), raising your hands when need to answer questions take time to do your work carefully, my shirt is always neat and tidy (personal grooming is important for work and school too) and finishing their work on time (this is super important, kids like to “kepo” and chit chat with other pupils).

The ability to get organised and to pack their bags is also a very important skill set that I often overlook. Hence, as part of the 2-day camp they will discuss items to bring, whose responsibility is it and what if the child forget to bring something to school. (independence)

Initially, I didn’t quite grasp what skills you will get from playing games , and I quickly found out that by playing team games is also one way to develop social skills and sportsmanship. The kids learnt how to play fair, what happen if they win or lose , how to be a gracious winner or how to persevere.

In the camp, they also simulated recess time, about making the right choices (small J chose to buy stationery!) and most importantly , money skills and counting the right change.

Another important skill is classroom skills – manage work and behaviour in class – learning to check one’s work, learning how to be careful , having a growth mindset and most importantly if an activity was difficult, how can they be resilient and persevere.

They are also taught how to handle bullies in school and what they must do when they are faced with a bully – social skills

I had the opportunity to catch up with the facilitator at the end of day 1 on small J’s progress and weaknesses that we need to focus and manage. He was unable to regulate his emotions well and he tends to walk around the class as he completes his task very quickly. It is really good feedback as this is not an observation from child care (perhaps he is very too used to the routine/rules in child care as he has been there for 4.5 years) unlike the P1 prep camp or Primary 1 which are entirely new settings.

On day 2, small J being more familiar with the other kids and facilitators was able to regulate his emotions better and even check his work carefully before handing it up. Phew, seems like he did managed to adapt quite quickly to the new environment and hope it will be the same when it comes to the real deal!

The Little Executive
138 Bukit Timah Road
Singapore 229844
T: 69081889
Email: knockknock@thelittleexecutive.asia

There is only one final camp left which is from 17 to 18 December from 10 to 5pm, do sign up here . I may even do a follow-up post a few months after small J enter primary 1 , to see how well he has transition to primary 1 with the help of the P1 prep camp by The Little Executive.

Preview

Given that I have two kids in primary school, you might think that I have an idea how to prepare no 3, ie small J well for primary school. I had two very different experiences with the older two. With big J, given his easy going nature and he was well-liked in child care, I thought that he will transition to primary school easy. I was so wrong as he has a hard time getting himself heard in a class of 30 ( much bigger than his child care class size) and I often get complain from his form teacher of his misconducts. I couldn’t understand why he was behaving the way he was, I guess it is partly his nature of dealing with handle his own emotions and his form teacher was not the most caring of teacher. She couldn’t really handle the pupil well but I can’t really choose the teacher. Luckily, it did resolved after having new teachers in P3 (yes, it was 2 years of emotional rollercoaster with big J, almost like walking on egg shells)

When it was big C’s turn, she is very fortunate as she has one of the most caring teachers in school. And being a girl (more obedient of the two gender), I had zero complain. If there was ever any weakness is that she is very shy, unwilling to speak out loud enough for her class to hear her especially in the initially days as she is more introverted in nature. However, she did blossom well under the teacher and even was nominated as the model pupil too! The teachers were also happy to see her slowing gaining her confidence but it did take many months.

I guess, different child (ie different gender) and different teachers do make some differences in how well the child transition into primary school. For no 3, small J who is a boy, I am not leaving it to chance. I hope to prep him well emotionally to primary school (in hope I get less or zero calls from the teacher).

I am not looking for an academic preparatory class which is also offered in my child care as well, as they can read, write and count, in my honest opinion sufficient to start primary 1. However, I am looking more of the softer skills- emotion, communications , social skills and even the new buzz word – growth mindset.

Most P1 prep camp offered in the market are academic in nature. I think The Little Executive (“TLE”) has one of the most unique P1 prep camps in Simgapore – it is non academic, hoping to equip the P1 going kids with soft skills and confidence. If you have seen my initial sharing on social media on TLE, you would have heard of the 4Q (IQ, EQ and Executive Function, Resilience) which forms the core of TLE’s curriculum.

TLE hopes that after completing the 2-day camp, the P1 going kid will be equipped with problem solving skills (simple things like friend taking your eraser without your permission), take on challenges and simply to try new things (growth mindset) , independence (especially in a bigger class setup and less hands-on care givers unlike child care teacher), overcome fears of speaking up (this was what big C faced) or more vocal kids, when to speak , how to develop responsibility and leadership , money skills (choice between food and the lures of the bookshop), emotional regulation, social skills (new friends or even bullies) , classroom skills (focus and listening to teachers and executive function skills (set goals, self motivation).

These are the top 10 skills that they hope to equip the kids in the 2-day camp.

There is only 2 camps during the school holidays : 28/29 November and 17/18 December from 10 to 5pm, as the spaces get filled up quite quickly, do sign up here .

Frankly, I think preparing them emotionally is as important (if not more important ) as preparing them academically to face the challenges of primary school education.

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post.  No monetary compensation was received. All opinions are my own. 

Media Invite

I always loved dressing up my kids and the best celebration/event of the year is definitely Halloween and my kids volunteered to any form of dressing up as it will be an event that they return with sweets and candies of all kinds!

And that was what we did last weekend when we were invited for the preview of Kidzania Singapore’s SpookyTown 2.0 and the masquerade hunt. After last year’s successful debut of Kidzania’s Halloween Night event Spookytown , they are back by popular demand with a sequel titled SpookyTown 2 and The Masquerade Hunt. With all the quirky characters created for the fictitious town called SpookyTown, this is one event that is extremely suitable for families with kids age 3 and above (my 4 year was unfazed going into the “most scary” location – Mayor Fabiola’s Mansion – so its tried and tested).

It was also our first time visiting Kidzania past its operating hours -at 6.30 pm. I loved how they decorated the entire venue to the Halloween spooky theme and yet still not too scary for the younger ones!

For those who had been to the first installment last year, the story ended when the cure was found and all citizens were transformed back to their usual selves. But Mayor Fabiola who caused the explosion has disappeared! With 3 new characters – Quinn, the grumpy leader, Ginn, the hysterial doll and Tinn (the monkey reminded me of the monkey in the music box in Phantom of the Opera), they will help guests embark on The Masquerade Hunt to find Mayor Fabiola with the help of the Spooky Case Files (which you will receive upon admission). I loved there is an element of “treasure hunt” for the older kids who love solving puzzles.

Tip no 1: Don’t be late as the first show to set the story was The Masquerade Ball which is at 6.30pm sharp! and playing my favourite song from Phantom of the Opera – Masquerade!

Even though I know the layout of Kidzania at the back of my head, the map for SpookyTown is completely different, as they used a handful of the rooms as the event is a smaller but more intimate setup. So do refer to the map in the Spooky Case Files to navigate your way around SpookyTown.

Tip no 2: Please go to Mayor Fabiola’s Mansion (Stadium) as your first stop as it is the most popular and it is one of 4 must go venues to get the clues and to answer the mystery question – who is Mayor Fabiola? as the queue can get rather long.

The other 3 must go venues to solve the mystery are Marvellous Mask Shop (Job Info Centre) where you can design your very own Masquerade Ball Mask and clue, Hector’s Wacky Hat Shop (Marketplace) where you will get your next clue if you solve a riddle and Whimsical Garden (Shopping Alley) where you need to find out what Mayor Fabiola took from there!

Depending on the queue, it wouldn’t take too long to visit the 4 must go main activities to gather the clues to solve the mystery. Thereafter, you can join the masquerade ball, shows and fringe activities.

Tip no 3: Be at the Main Square to join the Masquerade ball at 8pm where you can spot Mayor Fabiola based on the clues we have gathered from the 4 venues.

Tip no 4: Join the Spookytacular Street Show (Hotel Flamingo ,where the firemen put out the fire! ) at 7pm, 7.30pm and 8.30pm where they will reveal the 3 puppets Quinn, Ginn and Tinn! Or Time-out with Ginn at
6.45pm, 7.15pm, 8.15pm and 9.15pm. (Theatre).

Besides that, there are also many fringe activities to indulge in where the kids do not earn Kidzo but candies (hey, its Halloween after all!). The noteworthy ones is the Ballroom Dance at the Spooky Town Dance Academy (driving street) and Fear Box Challenge (Newspaper Edition).

There are still 4 themed role- play for those kids who wants to experience Kidzania pretend play occupation – at the Mountaineering school where you overcome your fear of height, SpookyTimes delivery (my kids just loved delivering goods/newspaper where you don’t get Kidzo but candies) SpookyTown Tour by WTS Travel and SpookyTunes by Music Lifestyle.

There are also many carnival games at The Marketplace and the redemption booth to redeem your prize once you solved the mystery.

Tip no 5: Comes dressed the best as a family and stand to win prizes more than SGD 300! Remember to hashtag #spookytownbestdressed and even if you don’t win, you get lots of photo ops with all the quirky characters! So do come dressed to your part to have a more wholesome Halloween experience!

Date: Friday to Sunday 25 to 27 October 2019 Friday and Saturday 1,2 November 2019
Friday and Saturday 8,9 November 2019

Time: 6.30 to 10pm

Venue : Kidzania Singapore

Prices: From SGD 43 onwards (on-site purchase is SGD 48) , link below

https://kidzania.com.sg/event/spookytown-2-the-masquerade-hunt/

After uncountable visits to Kidzania, and probably my kids had done it all – all occupations offered at Kidzania, we entered Kidzania for an entirely different experience and feel for the very first time. The entire venue was decorated with a spooky feel and dimmed lighting but yet, it is not so scary, perfect for the little ones. For kids who loved Kidzania (which kid doesn’t), this is one Halloween event perfect for families with young kids! So if you are looking for a Halloween events for your family and worry about it being too scary for your younger ones, I have tried and tested Spookytown 2.0 with my kids age 4 to 10 and they had so much fun, they are asking to go back next year’s Halloween!

Review

After watching The Gingerbread Man, I was once reminded why I loved SRT’s The Little Company productions for the past 8 years. After a slight deviation in recent productions, we are back with all the elements of a true TLC productions – catchy tunes, awesome backdrop and cast and the “awww” moment with the moral of the story at the end. Even as an adult watching I am wildly entertained and “energised”!

While it does not follow the original storyline, I loved it for the originality and of course with all TLC’s production, I loved that there is a very strong message at the end for the show. The kids realised the importance of teamwork as champions would need a team for the champions to be successful and of course always listen to your mother!

Worthy mention was Alyssa Lie as the nefarious Fox , she did such a wonderful interpretation of the fox that she is my favourite charactor – totally foxy. Of course, kids all unanimously love Ginger portrayed by Juni Goh (we last saw him as Badger in Fantastic Mr Fox) as his character totally speaks to the kids who only want to do what they insist and going out of their way – unfortunately often into unknown danger.

The non-stop tunes and catchy once that my kids came back humming through the weekend! The audience were also part of the action as we were constantly invited to help “create more energy” (you have to catch it in order to know what I mean) and also participated in the warm-up before the big race!

Review by Big C :

I like Ginger. He has lots of energy just like me. He wanted to run in a big race and I feel like it too. I learned that working as a team is very important to complete a very big job!

Media invite

For the final show of the year, after a marvelous 2019 season comprising Fantastic Mr Fox and Gretel and Hansel, we moved on to another classic – The Gingerbread Man but not quite the storyline that we are familiar with!

Ginger is a giant cookie who walks, talks and loves to run as fast as he can! Teamwork is important on the farm where Ginger lives. Unfortunately, he prefers to do things on his own, and ends up making a terrible mess. Worst of all, he broke his mother’s most prized possession, the oven. Under the influence of Fox, Ginger leaves the farm to join the local race, hoping to win a brand new oven for his mother. When Anya and the farm animals realise Fox’s real aim is to gobble Ginger up, they hurry to his rescue. To defeat Fox, Ginger must now learn how to work as a team. With rousing music and lots of action, this fun-filled musical is sure to delight children of all ages.

Director Kate Golledge (Chicken Little, 2017, Red Riding Hood, 2013, Fantastic Mr Fox, 2012) returns to direct the wonderful cast, with Juni Goh (Fantastic Mr Fox in Mandarin, 2019) as Ginger, Natalie Yeap (The Nightingale, 2018) as Ginger’s mother, Anya, and Alyssa Lie (Chicken Little, 2017) as the nefarious Fox and Ryan Ang (LiaoZhai Rocks!, 2019) as Weasel.

From 23 Oct 2019

Weekdays: 10am
Weekends & Public Holidays: 11am & 2pm
Venue : KC Arts Centre – Home of SRT

Prices from SGD 26 onwards (excluding SISTIC fee) For booking , please click here

Media invite

I am sure most of us parents grew up watching Sesame Street on the telly. I can’t tell characters of the newer cartoons like Paw Patrol, PJ Masks but I definitely know which is Elmo, Oscar, Cookie Monster from my childhood of watching the telly and singing to

Can you tell me how to get?
How to get to Sesame Street

And Sesame Street celebrates 50 years! yes older than most of us and its everlasting popularity is still evident especially in Universal Studio. Here mypreciouzkids at Universal Studio Osaka where we took so many photos with mascots!

Now we get to run with the Sesame Street mascots on 17 November 2019 at the world’s first ever Sesame Street Run. Sesame Street Run Tour making its stop in Singapore as part of its Southeast Asia tour following a successful run in the Philippines earlier this month. Besides the opportunity to run along side my favourite characters, I am also taking this opportunity to start a new lifestyle with the kids just like the motto – healthy and strong with every steps. A 5km maybe a tad daunting for my 4 year old but I am sure all of us will be able to cross the finishing line together. If you have been following my IG, recently we walked 4km in total from Gilman Barrack to Henderson Waves and back! That walk inspires me once again participate in a fun run with all my kids!

At the media launch at Our Tampines Hub which is also the venue of the run, Aaron Goh, founder of Heroes Pvt Ltd explained that
“This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity is not to be missed. Like the iconic television show which has educated and entertained children for over three generations, the run celebrates 50 years of bringing people and the community together through interaction with our favourite Sesame Street characters.”

In contrast to other running events, the Sesame Street Run promises a fun-packed day with loads of activities for the whole family! The five kilometre family run caters to all ages, from first timers to experienced runners. Witness the star studded line up of your favourite Sesame Street characters such as Bert and Ernie, Elmo, Cookie Monster, Grover and many more! Aaron also told us that you get to learn your ABC while covering the entire 5km from A for Abby all the way to Z for Zoe.

For families with younger children and grandparents in tow, the run will also have separate three and one km leisure walks so everyone can cross the finishing line together!

With categories ranging from SGD42 to SGD126 for the same 5 km fun run, each ticket category will come with a myriad of colourful items that will have you squealing with delight such as a dri-fit Sesame Street t-shirt, a Sunny Day’s medal, a smart scarf, a pair of socks, a sweatband and more. So you get to choose how much of the memorabilia you will want to keep. So you main purpose is to do the run, the tickets goes to as low as SGD 42. I will be sharing more of the other promo codes on social media which is especially useful if you have a big family like mine!

The 50th year run will have all participants witness a giant birthday cake blowout and be flagged-off with a countdown by Sesame Street’s very own Count Von Count. Additionally, guests signing up will also get to experience fun activities and themed Sesame Street carnival games and quizzes as well as photo opportunities with their favourite Sesame Street characters.

Tickets go on sale from now till 30 September 2019 via sesamestreetrun.com.

Sesame Street Run Tour

Date:
17 November 2019, Sunday
Time:
7am – 12pm
Venue:
Our Tampines Hub
Website | Facebook | Instagram

Giveaway

Thanks for our sponsors, I will be giving two Go Cute with Elmo race pack entitlements (including race entry). I will choose one from FB and one from IG.

1. Liked FB pages of mypreciouzkids.com and Sesame Street Run

2. Followed mypreciouzkids and Sesame Street Run on Instagram

3. Answer this question on the FB post or IG post or both! What is the slogan for Sesame Street Run? See

4. Tag as many friends who will keen to run with Sesame Street (one tag per comment)

I will be picking the 2  lucky winners using random.org. The giveaway closes on 15 September 2019.

FB winner:Kim TL

Ig winner: mandyalextrixie

Media Invite

When I reached the venue I was surprised that there were many in the audience who were there without kids in tow ie grown ups. I would have thought this production would appeal to kids and young family. I was so WRONG! From the get-go, I knew the reason why. Based in the BBC’s Walking with Dinosaur series with the content is like what you will see from watching National Geographic, reliving the time from the start Pangaea till the extinction of dinosaurs. Totally informative and brought to live with 18 life size dinosaurs with the small and agile ones like
Liliensternus and Utahraptor, fully-armoured Ankylosaurus and Stegosaurus to the huge and scary ones like the T Rex and the tame ones like Brachiosaurus.

Amazingly real that for the entire duration of the show, yours truly who has walked on Earth for more than 4 decades believed that dinosaurs still roamed the Earth. I was constantly bombarded with questions by my middle two kids….. How did they make the dinosaurs moved, is there a human inside the dinosaurs moving them ? Frankly I have no idea (except for the smaller dinosaurs where we can see there is a man inside), the rest of them especially the gigantic ones, i will put it as an engineering genius, puppetry at its best and perhaps don’t try to hard figuring it out and just enjoy the live experience.

I have not watch the BBC Walking with Dinosaurs series (it’s next on my to do list). The paleontologist /storyteller spend the entire 1 hour 40 min (20 minutes intermission) explaining to the audience the evolution  of dinosaurs from the very beginning, Pangaea and they even illustrated how the 7 continents that we have today came about. I would say the content is  more suitable for lower primary kids onwards. That said even though my preschoolers couldn’t really appreciate the contents fully, they totally enjoyed all the sequences when the dinosaurs appeared in, predator, herbivores, defending their turf and was tickled to their funny bones when the paleontologist examined dinosaur’s dung!
We were treated to different types of dinosaurs – a total of 9 species, I didn’t keep count but there is 18 life size dinosaurs throughout the live experience. Not to be missed are the backdrop which changes from
splitting of the earth’s continents to arid desert of the Triassic period, to the lush greenery , volcano eruption, forest fires and ultimately the comet that ended it all.

I was in awe how real the dinosaur were done up that the entire production cost over USD 20million and over 1 year to build. This is one show not to be missed and I have to live till this old to watch these “real” dinosaurs right before my very eyes.
This is one live experience that every one should not miss. Those who watched the BBC’s Walking with Dinosaurs show, those who love National Geographic, kids who love dinosaurs and for all the rest of us how is it like if dinosaurs still roam the Earth and see it with our very own eyes.

These are some stills from the opening show on 29 August showing the 9 different species in the live experiences. For some of the video highlights, you can view my IG stories but as always , if you are planning to catch the live experience and be awe for the very first time, skip the videos!

Pre-event blog

After a fantastic month of July , August has beckons with no less fanfare with 18 big life size dinosaurs roaming right here in Singapore Indoor Stadium! This is one for all the dinosaur lovers, and I have 2 at home! The dinosaurs are so real , I suspect for the entire duration of the show adults and kids alike will believe that dinosaurs are still roaming on earth!

Walking With Dinosaurs opened its World Tour in the UK in July 2018 and has embarked on an international tour, taking over arenas across Europe, and now heading into Asia with a stopover in Singapore. The $20 million production features updated, state of the art technology, underlining its position as the biggest and best dinosaur show in the world.

This updated production will showcase spectacular and colourful changes to the dinosaurs based on the latest scientific research including the likely feathering of some species. The one-hour, 40-minute show depicts the dinosaurs’ evolution with almost cinematic realism. Walking With Dinosaurs – The Live Experience has scenes of the interactions between dinosaurs, how carnivorous dinosaurs evolved to walk on two legs, and how the herbivores fended off their more agile predators.

Nine species are represented from the entire 200-million-year reign of the dinosaurs. The show includes the Tyrannosaurus Rex, the terror of the ancient terrain, as well as the Plateosaurus and Liliensternus from the Triassic period, the Stegosaurus and Allosaurus from the Jurassic period and Torosaurus and Utahraptor from the Cretaceous period. The largest of them, the Brachiosaurus, is 11 meters tall and 17 meters from nose to tail. It took a team of 50 – including engineers, fabricators, skin makers, artists, painters and animatronic experts – a year to build the production.

The history of the world is played out with the splitting of the earth’s continents, and the transition from the arid desert of the Triassic period is given over to the lush green prairies and forces of the later Jurassic. Oceans form, volcanoes erupt, a forest catches fire – all leading to the impact of the massive comet, which struck the earth, and forced the extinction of the dinosaurs.h

https://mediabank.sportshub.com.sg/documents/EDM-library/WWD2019/30s_WWD_TVC_HIRES_NEW+EF.mp4

WALKING WITH DINOSAURS – THE LIVE EXPERIENCE

Season:                 From 29 August 2019

Venue:                   Singapore Indoor Stadium

PERFORMANCE TIMES:             
Tuesday – Friday:     7:00pm
Saturday – Sunday    10:30am, 2:30pm and 6:30pm

TICKET PRICE:                         
From $78
* Excludes the booking fee of SGD$4 per ticket

BOOKINGS:              
INTERNET:  www.sportshubtix.sg

Truth to be told, as family it was the first time we visited Jewel Changi Airport after it opened to the public in April. We even had obtained preview tickets which I gave up given that the crowd was too massive and not fully operational yet.

Finally after 3 months since its opening, we made our maiden visit as a family. I have visited a few times on my own as I was at the airport to drop off hubby for his business trips and have been waiting to bring the family to visit Jewel. Even after my personal visits, I am still in awe with Jewel more so for my kids who have not been there before.

With the opening of Changi Experience Studio and Canopy Park, the game has been upped several times as Jewel is no longer a big shopping mall next to a world class airport but a tourist attraction in itself.

I decided to choose Changi Experience Studio to be part of our first visit as there are certain height limitation at the Canopy Park which did not allow my younger ones to participate (we will visit when the younger boys are taller) and also coincided my trip as it is final weekend of the Pokémon Parade at Jewel.

Upon stepping into Changi Experience Studio, we went immediately a very futuristic place. Each visitor is given a card which will be used throughout the entire visit.

After the short introduction, we came to a time tunnel showing the entire history of Changi Airport from the raising of the control tower and each and every of its terminal all the way to the new Terminal 5 which is in construction as we speak.

After the time tunnel, we were by a beautiful section filled with live plants and flowers provided by Changi Airport’s own nursery which is a fact we learnt at Hanging Garden. Besides that, kids learn the difference between a road and a runway, the nursery maintained by Changi Airport, the different terminals at Changi Airport using the card and matching it to the different touch points. There are so many facts that we didnt know about Changi Airport that we had learned from this section.

Another super futuristic area and where you can break a sweat is the Amazing Runway where you can choose between powering a car or plane. The faster you pedal, the vehicle of choice will prevail. For shorter kids, you can also use the hand pedal to power the vehicle of choice. A mega thumbs up for family bonding as well as we raced to challenge each other!

At Sky Deck, we can get to know  many of the cities flying from Singapore included flight time and get inspirations for your next city of travel. Big J said that he wanted to visit Houston as it is a whopping 25 hours flight time from Singapore!

Another section that we spent quite a far bit of time and family bonding was at the Smile Challenge where your smiles are given point and ranked. You can even get into the Hall of Fame. This challenge made me realised big C has the nicest smile as her scores appeared into 3 of the Hall of Fame. I gave a few tries and it’s not easy as I didn’t even get into the Hall of Fame, not 1 time!

The next two sections was the Arena and Backstage where there are many interactive games relating to the airport operations.

You get to collect trolleys, guide taxi to the passenger queue, identify prohibited items in the carry on baggages, identifying fingerprint at immigration, sorting baggage, loading passenger and turning around planes.

The penultimate which is the most beautiful is the Garden of Harmony where you get to make music with different instruments through interactive means and be treated to a beautiful symphony at the end.

Finally, we are treated to a 3 minutes Finale showing the past, present and future of Changi Airport – something that we should be immensely proud of!

A truly informative and interactive experience with lots of hands-on interaction and in my honest opinion this is the way museum for the future should be like, fun and interactive for its visitors!

We spent a good 90 minutes there and could not stay longer as we were rushing to beat the weekend lunch crowd at Jewel and went off with some photo momentos of our visit. We even managed to spend time at Pokemon Centre, played the Jewel Pokémon game and also joined in the Pokémon Parade after lunch!

Now it’s time to plan for a return visit to Jewel and covered areas that we didn’t visit.

Changi Experience Studio

Opening hours: 10 am to 10pm

Location: Level 4 Jewel Changi Airport

Standard Rate – Adult

Adult – SGD 25  |  Child/Senior – SGD 17

Singapore Residents*

Adult – SGD 19  |  Child/Senior – SGD 13

CapitaStar Members [Available only at Jewel Concierge Counters (L1, 2, 5)]

Changi Rewards Members [Available on Jewel App and at Jewel Concierge Counters (L1, 2, 5)]

Adult – SGD 18  |  Child/Senior – SGD 12

Family bundle SGD 54 for 2 adults and 2 children

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post. No monetary compensation was received. All opinions are my own
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Review

SRT’s The Little Company production does not disappoint and true enough it was truly enjoyable reproduction of Roald Dahl’s Fantastic Mr Fox and plus point it was all in Mandarin – I wouldn’t complain as the kids had one full hour of Mandarin and for me to brush on some Mandarin words as well (I wish there are more of such Mandarin productions for kids in Singapore).

I love it from the get-go, as the audience are already familiar with character as Mr Fox and his family are all around the theatre interacting with children in the audience before the show starts. They were taught some “digging” actions used by underground animals like mole, badger, rabbit etc to be used throughout the show. It was a lot of “digging” to be done to escape from the clutches of the evil farmers. I love that it was there were lots of interactions with the children in the audience as well. You can see a digging action video in my IG story.

True to the story (even to the rats in the cellar, which didn’t leave an impression on me when I read the book), this production did not deviate from original classic storyline by Roald Dahl with clear character development of the three farmers with some slap stick comedy much to the delight of the children in the audience. There were also many tender moments between Mr and Mrs Fox and with their kids.

Boasting a cast of regulars like Ric Liu and Sugie Phua, and my first time watching Vester Ng as the unforgettable Mr Fox, with a total of 6 performers playing 10 characters all with clear diction and powerful vocals.

This production also testing new limits with stage props that are beyond the stage perimeter ie a roast chicken in a middle of the theatre! A first in my years of watching TLC productions.

There is also a moral dilemma being surfaced as Mr Fox went around plundering from the farmers’ produce and Mr Badger reminded him that it was not right to steal from others. However, the predicaments that the animals were in were created by the farmers and hence Mr Fox is doing what he can to protect and feed his family. This is a good point to discuss with the kids after the show of what is the moral of the story and what is wrong and right which seems blurred while we cheered whenever Mr Fox “steals” to survive.

If there is anything to critic perhaps being a regular to TLC productions I expected more music, song and dance. There were some but not as much as I would expect from a typical TLC productions, but that doesn’t take away this very wholesome and interactive performance where they spent more time in narrating (done by Mr Badger) the storyline in 1 short hour.

This is a very good production to introduce the younger ones to Roald Dahl’s classics and for the older ones, to see one of their favourite stories come to live on stage and in a different language too! This is one for Roald Dahl’s fans and also to catch one of the rare Mandarin children productions in Singapore (SRT TLC only does one a year).

Media invite

Before even going through any details, or video or past reviews of the English production, I already know it is going to be a sell-out due to two very important elements that we parents love – Roald Dahl and Mandarin!

Truth to be told, I didn’t grow up with Roald Dahl’s books but my kids did and I found his stories are just in a league of its own, so witty and so much morale to the story. We absolutely loved reading and watching recent Matilda the Musical.

The Little Company’s production of Roald Dahl’s Fantastic Mr Fox in 2012 was a huge hit with parents, teachers and children.

This July, The Little Company is excited to present Fantastic Mr Fox in Mandarin!

Fantastic Mr Fox is a classic tale of goodies and baddies. It is an inspiring story about the brave and clever Mr Fox who, with the help of his family and friends, outsmarts three farmers’ nasty schemes in order to provide food for the animal community.

The farmers Boggis, Bunce and Bean have been digging up the animals’ home, trying to get Mr Fox by any means possible. Trapped underground, Mr Fox and his family and friends are starving, leaving Mr Fox with no choice but to devise a plan to find food for everyone to survive.

Filled with humour and packed with action, this is a fantastic show to be enjoyed by children of all ages.

Fantastic Mr Fox in Mandarin了不起的狐狸爸爸

Date: Wed, 31 Jul – Sun, 8 Sep 2019

Weekdays: 10am
Weekends & 12 Aug: 11am & 2pm
 9 Aug, 17 Aug, 25 Aug & 8 Sep : 11am

Venue: KC Arts Centre – Home of SRT

Ticket Pricing(Excludes Booking Fee)

Weekdays 
Standard: S$29, S$26

Family Package of 4: 
Cat 1: S$98 
Cat 1 tickets (with TLC CD Vol.2): S$110  

Weekends & Public Holidays
Standard: S$49, S$39, S$36

For online booking, click here

Do check list of promotions on the same website for discounts and savings. The last I check, the seats are running quite low especially on weekends.

Review

I learned during the media call took Chantal Prudhomme from Base Entertainment Asia 2 years to bring Aladdin the hit Broadway musical to Singapore and this will be its only Asian stop. Aladdin will run for 6 weeks and ends 1 Sept.

Featuring a very strong and world class cast from mainly Australia, US and Canada, their diction were crystal clear that I could catch most of the jokes and laugh my hearts out, their singing voices and choreography were nothing short of world. With a massive set similar in set to that touring the US, no expenses were spared down to the embellishment on their costumes, or the tassels on the throne.

Given that a majority would have as recently watched the Aladdin the movie, one might wondered what is in there for them to catch Aladdin live of stage. You may have have the same story line that we know so well and the songs from the movie that many of us know by heart but the energy, the dancing, the magic tricks, the costumes, the cast, the beautiful sets are something you can’t experience from watching it at a cinema.

The audience were instanteously brought into the city of AGRABAH through the opening act – Arabian Nights . There was a beautiful solo by Graeme Isaako who plays Aladdin – Proud of Your boy (which was written for the movie but unfortunately eliminated), a sweet rendition of A Million Miles Away by Graeme and Shubshri Kandiah who plays Jasmine a totally new song written by Alan Menken especially for this musical production) before bringing the house down with Friend Like Me to end Act 1. The whole entire sequence in the Cave of Wonders and Friend Like Me was just amazing, I lost count the number of dance genres that were being showcased , the number of costume changes , and the pyrotechnics! I don’t want to give it out too much , I would just say I will pay to just watch this segment, and you have to watch it for yourself. The snippet of Friend Like Me shared below was just like 1/10 of the whole entire segment!

Act 2 opens with a bang with Prince Ali with an amazing 126 costume changes! Before long, the entire stage darkened and turned into a starry night to the tune of A Whole New World , I got goosebumps just listening to this and of course at the same time trying to figure out how the magic carpet flies. There was a comical sword fighting sequence with High Adventure where I saw some excellent choreography performed the 3 talented trio of Aladdin’s sidekicks – Babkak, Omar and Kassim.

The chemistry between Jafar and Iago (his parrot sidekick) were as good as the chemistry between Aladdin and the Genie, and as Patrick Brown who plays Jafar, it is really awfully hard being evil and yet funny, but he just did that!

I can’t believe I have not talked about Gareth Jacobs who plays the Genie. I had the opportunity to hear him speak during the media call, I already felt his immense humour and showmanship during the interview. I was blown away every minutes that he was on stage. He could even have his own touring show. He is so funny, flamboyant and he practically own the stage whenever he is on.

Coming from the words of the Genie, we all loved Happy Ending, I am sure everyone left the theatre feeling fuzzy, warm and happy.

It was one magical night for my family, especially for my kids who fell in love with Aladdin after watching the movie very recently, and to see it all come to live on a massive stage production, they felt the magic all over again but it felt more real as it was performed directly in front of their eyes! Something just cant be replicated in the movie! No amount of words can describe what we just experienced – you just have to just watch it yourself!

Media Invite

Ain’t July the best month of this year, I know I am super biased as it is my birthday month! Fresh from watching Aladdin the movie, comes the theatre production of Disney’s Aladdin brought to you by Base Entertainment. The theatre production couldn’t come at a better timing, my kids are all singing A Whole New World after catching the movie during the school holidays.

I vividly remembered when I first watched the award winning animation some 20 plus years ago as a young girl probably a little older than big J, and I was mesmerised, till today I can sing A Whole New World without missing a lyric. Its so surreal the Disney magic now rubs off on my own kids after catching the 2019’s remake of Aladdin on the big screen last week.

From the producer of The Lion King (one of the best productions ever, read my previous review) , the beloved story of Aladdin comes to life in this spectacular new musical. Based on the Academy Award®- winning animated film, Aladdin made its world premiere to critical acclaim at Broadway’s New Amsterdam Theatre on March 20th, 2014.

It quickly established itself as one of the biggest new blockbusters in recent years, breaking 14 New Amsterdam Theatre house records and welcoming close to 10 million people worldwide. This spectacular production boasts a cast of 34 and a staggering 337 glittering costumes, which feature 1,225 different fabrics, 712 different styles of beads and almost 500,000 Swarovski crystals. 40 tonnes of exotic flying scenery and 60 tonnes of automation and staging will be transferred to Singapore in more than 30, 40’ sea containers to recreate the fantasy city of Agrabah including the colourful marketplace, the lush palace of the Sultan and his princess daughter Jasmine and the legendary Cave of Wonders. The talented principal cast features Gareth Jacobs in the role of the Genie, Graeme Isaako as Aladdin and Shubshri Kandiah as Jasmine

Featuring all the songs from the classic Academy award winning film, including “Friend like Me”, “A Whole New World” and “Arabian Nights”, prepare to experience the unmissable theatrical magic that is Aladdin.

This production will play its first and only Asian stop at Sands Theatre. For all those growing up watching Disney animations, and for the kids who absolutely loved Aladdin, the Genie and Princess Jasmine or even Abu, this is a must-watch!

Aladdin

Season: Sun, 21 Jul – Sun, 1 Sep 2019

Tue – Fri: 7.30pm
Sat: 2pm & 7.30pm
Sun: 1pm & 6.30pm (Friday 9 Aug performance will be a matinee at 2pm.)

Venue: Sands Theatre at Marina Bay Sands

Ticket price: From SGD 68 onwards *exclude SGD 4 booking fee

Booking online at Sistic and Marina Bay Sands.

Media invite

Review

It was a very uneventful day even though it was my birthday as I didn’t take leave, the typical Friday routine of going to work and sending kids for class, then working from a cafe while awaiting the kids to finish class. Thankfully for Kurios – Cabinet of Curiosities, it turned my uneventful birthday to one of my most memorable birthday ever and with my whole fam bam (thank you to the wonderful people who brought Kurios to Singapore)

Having watched two other Cirque du Soleil and coming from such a well-known circus establishment, I have very high hopes, a tad unfair as compared to other circus performances which do not have such lustrous background and history. I am glad to say Kurios has exceeded my expectation of the limit of circus performances.

Especially for a first timer like daddy A, he has not watched any Cirque du Soleil before or any circus for that matter (he was overseas when we caught the last year’s circus which came to Singapore) so he is a total circus newbie! Perhaps, I should let him have a go from the view of a circus newbie for the benefit of people who will be catching the circus or Cirque du Soleil for the very first time, before I gave my own verdict being one who has watched countless circuses (plus past 2 Cirque du Soleil) in the past years.

Daddy A’s review – a first time circus experience!

Daddy A has followed me/ the family to several live stage performances more as a companion than truly enjoying such show (he slept through some parts of Evita the Musical – true story). First time, he truly enjoyed watching a live performance. It was exhilarating watching live circus performances, he felt an adrenaline rush, heart beat pumping , certain part of the acts, he was literally sitting on the edge of his seat, in anticipation of what the performers will attempt next.

His childhood stereotype of lion jumping over firehoops, daredevils stunts , monkey juggling were all changed after watching Kurios as this is the future of circus, Kurios and Cirque du Soleil has reinvented the circus for a first time newbie. The roller coaster emotion is unlike anything he has felt before watching a live performance. He applauded an amazing and well-rounded performance from start to finish. Every person from the youn to old should catch this – an entertainment and night to remember for the family! Personally, I think and this will be a double-edge sword as I can’t think of any other circus acts will be paled in comparison to his virgin circus experience.

My review – having watching 2 past Cirque du Soleil and many others

Having watched two other Cirque du Soleil, Totem and Kooza and coming from such a well-known establishment which reinvented circus performances from the traditional circus that we know of, I have very high hopes, a tad unfair as compared to other circus performances which do not have such lustrous background and history as Cirque.

I had my excitement built up since the big top raising on 15 June, which i had to miss it as I was not in town. I love it whenever the circus is in town, the sheer sight the big top in town really makes me all excited even before watching the actual performance stemming from my childhood memories whenever my parents brought me to watch the circuses that came to town.

The overall set and costumes were in a league of its own clearly depicting
19th century, with train and airplane that is a replica of what we would see in the same era. For the entire duration, the audience were transported to an old yet magical and mysterious era. There are such details to the props, costumes and even the music soundtracks to set the overall theme and story even before the actual circus acts unveil. ( I am listening to the soundtrack as I am doing this post).

Those who were yearning for the typical circus acts like juggling, balancing, clowns, contortionists, aerial acts, Kurios does not disappoint. What exceeded my expectations and wow-ed me (even being regular circus patron) is when the performers rethink and push their limit beyond the conventional juggling and balancing. Four particular acts (shown below) which are typically not the most impressive in a circus partly as they are not as fast-paced was totally improvised to give regular circus patrons like me an entirely new experience. Everything was put beyond their limits and literally brought up to the sky. There is an aerial component in every of their juggling and balancing acts.

A special mention to a very Rima Hadchiti, the artist who plays Mini Lili is 3.3 feet tall and weighs 41 pounds. She is one of the 10 smallest people in the world. How she was kept in the costume of one of the performers and suddenly pop up, I guess that is the magic of circus! You have to watch it yourself to believe it!

Some of the kids favourites were the contortionists mimicing the fluidity of sea creatures, Acro net and Banquine.

If I am forced to choose a personal favourite act of all the acts, (though it will be a difficult choice), it would the the aerial acrobats, they are as if dancing in air, very beautiful and surreal. The simplicity of it all – two performers and their aerial straps, I was truly mesmerised.

There were of course some segments were by the clowns come to entertain – an invisible circus which was entertaining , but there was one segment whereby a member of the audience invited to stage, I couldn’t quite grasp the concept and message, but that does not take away the entire well-rounded performance from start to finish.

Kurios – Cabinet of Curiosities is true to its name, a cabinet full of surprises, fueling imagination of the young ones, and for the older and more mature audience, making them rethink of the impossible and reinventing the convention! I would say this is one for the entire family, my 4 year old -sat through the entire 2 hours and 15 minutes performance (there is a 25 minutes intermission) and even gave a standing ovation at the very end! I was very lucky to have watched the opening show which fell on my birthday making my birthday extra memorable, so if there is any special occasion in the family, do make Kurios as part of your celebration! It was one of my most memorable birthday celebrations!

Initial post

If you have been following my blog for the past few years, you would have known my affinity for the circus shows stemming from my childhood experiences of my parents bringing me and my brother whenever circus came to town. Sometimes, my parents will bring us all the way to Genting Highlands to watch magic shows too!

Here are my cuties pies in the last 2 Cirque du Soleil that came to town – Kooza and Totem the past years.

Cirque du Soleil is back in Singapore with a brand new show for the first time in Singapore called KURIOS – Cabinet of Curiosities .

KURIOS will premiere under a brand-new white-and-grey Big Top from 5 July 2019 on Bayfront Avenue, next to Marina Bay Sands . Written and directed by Michel Laprise, KURIOS – Cabinet of Curiosities,
Kurios celebrates the greatest inventions of the 19th century, as audience members are transported into the Curio Cabinet of an ambitious inventor who defies the laws of time, space and dimensions in order to reinvent everything around him. Suddenly, the visible become invisible, perspectives are transformed, and the world is turned upside down.

Since its debut, critics across North America and Japan have been raving about KURIOS – Cabinet of Curiosities. In an alternate yet familiar past, in a place where wonders abound for those who trust their imagination, a scientist (“The Seeker”) is convinced that there exists a hidden world – a place where the craziest ideas and the grandest dreams await. Out of his curio cabinet steps an international cast of 47 artists from 17 countries, a collection of otherworldly characters made up of world-class gymnasts, acrobats, contortionists, hand-puppeteers, yo-yo wizards, clowns, actors and musicians. Together they turn the Seeker’s steampunk world upside-down as they are guided by an energetic gypsy jazz, electro swing soundtrack.

Some Curious Facts about KURIOS….

• To make the Accordion Man’s attire, the costume-maker spent an entire week sewing inside the costume
• Rima Hadchiti, the artist who plays Mini Lili is 3.3 feet tall and weighs 41 pounds. She is one of the 10 smallest people in the world
• The mechanical hand weighs 750 pounds and measures 15 feet by 6.8 feet
• More than a hundred costumes were created to dress the cast of KURIOS
• There are 426 props in the show, the most of any production in Cirque du Soleil’s history
• The 122 tour members come from 18 23 different countries. Some have been touring with Cirque du Soleil for more than 15 years
• This is the first time that Cirque du Soleil presents a welcoming act on top of the big top before the show starts. When weather permits, 3 artists climb up the big top and greet the guests from above while playing music and acting. Guests get a taste of the KURIOS experience as soon as they enter the site
• It took the team of props makers approximately 250 hours to build Mr. Microcosmos’ round belly
• All performers are responsible for applying their own make-up every show, which can take them between 40 minutes and two hours

KURIOS – Cabinet of Curiosities by Cirque du Soleil

Season: From 5 July – 4 August 2019

Venue:  Under the grey and white Big Top on Bayfront Avenue beside Marina Bay Sands (the big top will be going up 15 June)

PERFORMANCE TIMES:                
Tuesday – Friday: 8:00pm
Saturday: 4:30pm and 8:00pm
Sunday:  1:30pm and 5.00pm

TICKET PRICE: From $95 through SISTIC

* Excludes the booking fee of SGD$4 per ticket