Be the next Steven Spielberg
Let’s be honest, no matter how much we deny it, kids love their gadgets. After all, this is the smartphone generation and our children have found a most treasured companion in their tablets— whether it is from watching their favourite Barbie: Life in the Dreamhouse episodes, or from the myriad of games that are available in the App Store. People tend to shake their heads in disapproval, convinced that children these days are losing the adventurous spirit. But, why not embrace the rise of technology? Allow your children to film the moments with their little hands. Or allow them to make their own props to direct their own rendition of Frozen. You get a personalised documentation of how the world looks from their eyes, (perfect for the reserved child whose innermost thoughts remain unvocalised) and they get a creative outlet to express themselves. They can even busy themselves with piecing their scenes with a video editor, making their directorial debut truly deserving of an Oscar. Just be sure they’re prepared with a speech when that day comes.
Get on track to be a polyglot
Singapore might have its bilingual system in place, but why not consider adding one more to your little one’s repertoire. When they are young, their minds are more flexible and are able to absorb information easier. This means that they are able to learn quicker, and apply what they have learnt much more easily. Plus, learning a new language exposes your child to a new set of culture and values, and equips your child with new skills to make them more creative. French, Korean and Japanese classes are the most popular, but offer them alternatives through free language learning applications if they have an interest in another. Or, instead of learning a new language, why not consider enhancing their current knowledge by encouraging them to love their Mother Tongue or English as a language, and not as an examination subject. It’d be sure to make them like it a lot more!
Recreate Martha Stewart’s favourite recipe...
Let them join you in making tonight’s dinner, even if their well-intentioned help turns out to slow you down a little bit. But their frequent participation in the kitchen could have an immensely positive impact in the long run as it can relax and improve your child’s mood, while giving them a delicious outlet— cooking is the most delectable type of science your child can enjoy, anyway! If your kid is baking cookies, for example, allow them space for experimentation to modify their recipes to their liking. The cookies are too hard and dry? Perhaps offer them alternatives to soften them, such as not over-mixing, or add in more butter. Cookies are not chewy? Encourage them to think which item could be causing the texture to change, and get them to try different variations, to get the full sensory experience. Just ensure they’re properly cooked the entire way through!
And then get them sun-baked!
After they are done helping out with the pots and pans in the kitchen, get them out and into the sun with your pots and potted plants. From the little sets of gardening essentials sold, to the maintenance of your own spice rack, your child is sure to enjoy getting mud on their hands. And, they aren’t getting scolded for it? Score! But, in all honesty, beyond decorating their little piece of the earth with the prettiest flowers, they get to understand how nature works and the beauty of the circle of life. They will learn how essential plants are in our lives and grow a deeper appreciation for the world. Drop by the Botanical Gardens and see how many flowers your child can identify, or press fallen flowers from the park nearby to make a little scrapbook encyclopaedia for them to flip through.
Teach them about the mighty pen
Gone are the days where we write letters, decorating our envelopes and then excitedly dropping it into the mailbox and awaiting for a response to come. But, it doesn’t have to be like this. Grab an envlope (or make your own!) and a stamp, hand them to your child, and let them to write to their grandparents or to an imaginary friend across the world (shhh, they still think Santa is their friend). Let them express themselves wholeheartedly and without constraints. And then, bring them to a library to check out their favourite book series to indulge their daydreams for a little while, before giving them the option to write their short stories. Or, ask them to ponder about the possible alternate endings and craft one together to flex that creative muscle even more!
Or shake it off with a dance-off
À la Taylor Swift, teach them to shake, shake, shake it off. Throw some music on and bust your best dance moves out to impress your child, before extending your hand and allowing them control over the spotlight. Why not take it a step further and enroll your child into a dance class? There have been a rise of dance studios popping up all around the nation, so there’s sure to be one in your neighbourhood. How about hip-hop to get your child in groove, or perhaps consider ballet, tap, or jazz. Whichever genre you have chosen, your child is sure to love freestyling a few moves when they come back home. You can even put on a show at the next family gathering. Plus, physical activity releases endorphins, and makes your child feel happy and good, while giving them a creative outlet. And, as their designated dancing partner, you get a good workout in at the same time. Win-win!
Encourage the artist in them
Sounds vague, but there are so many different mediums for your little one to express themselves, so there would definitely be one that strikes a chord with them. For the child who prefers hands-on activities, consider introducing modelling or polymer clay in their lives. The bright colours and the ability to really create something from their very hands are sure to appeal to them, and they can recreate their favourite Disney characters, or make beads for you to wear around your neck. Some types of clay requires using the oven to harden it, so ensure you have chosen air-dry clay before purchasing, or assist your child in baking their creations. Or, alternatively, how about painting? Though they might have already done so in their classes, they are free to paint to their heart's content and you have another masterpiece to adorn your fridge with— and you only need paint, paper and a brush to kickstart their imagination. But, that’s not all: how about sewing, crocheting, making model transportation, creating a scrapbook and collaging, and making origami creations? Ah, the list truly is endless.
Start a collection
Collecting has been around for ages— from your grandparents collecting coins and little trinkets, to your parents collecting stamps and flowers. And while it might seem like a hobby more fitting for the older generation, your child might find extreme joy in it. Whether it’s to continue the family legacy (like the stamp albums hidden in the back of a drawer), or starting a new one that is entirely their own, your child is sure to enjoy themselves. If you are a family that travels a lot, consider using little souvenirs as their item-of-choice to document the places you have visited together. Other options are rocks, keychains, dolls and cards. As long as your child likes it, they can start their own collection, which helps in developing sequential and spatial reasoning. An added bonus is to allow them to wonder about the life of the items— did they once belong to someone? How were the items like before they came into their possessions?
Then start a game!
Children around the world, rejoice. For years, there have been countless parents taking away the devices and games from disgruntled children (sometimes accompanied with wails and whines, and a slight pout if you’re luckier), and we are now opening that dreaded Punishment Drawer up. Except, this time, we are no longer keeping another item but opening them up for enjoyment. Games can help your children to foster their problem-solving skills and boost cognitive flexibility and accuracy. So that means the next time they’re playing Pokémon, it isn’t just about catching that Gyarados. But if you’re worried your child would be glued to their screens, oblivious to their surroundings and harming their vision, an alternative would be board games. Games like Cluedo and Monopoly come in junior versions, so they’re age-appropriate for family game night. Or get physical and start a football match with the added bonus of sweat and endorphins. Score!
And then look up at the night sky!
Admittedly, Singapore’s skies aren’t the clearest in the world, with how bright our skyline shines. That doesn’t mean it’s not an option though! Teach your children the famous and more prominent constellations, and aid them in pointing out the stars in the sky. It’s okay if you’re not the next Galileo— there are plenty of astronomy applications available to aid you and your little ones in the right direction. As an added activity, you could try to get them to envision the stories behind the stars or to create art pieces reminiscent of what they have seen. Use glow in the dark paint to decorate their walls with their favourite planets, or make a new one up (bonus points if they draw little aliens on the planets), so they would never be without their favourite stars. And if they are still craving for more stars, why not drop by the Science Centre’s Observatory on Friday night for some good family fun? It’d be sure to please not only your child, but your senses too!
