It’s time to get shipshape and “buckle your
swash” in preparation for an imaginary voyage on the high seas, as the National
Museum invites families to its Island Adventures!
But
tell them they’re going on an island adventure – and they’ll definitely get
excited!
Tell your children they’re going to learn
about Singapore’s history this coming holidays, and you might not get the
enthusiastic response you were hoping for. But tell them they’re going on an
island adventure – and they’ll definitely get excited!
That’s the idea behind the National Museum
of Singapore’s Children’s Season 2012. Island Adventures lets children of any
age (any parents) find out what it was like to travel on a ship to an island
called Singapura 200 years ago. And without realizing, your little one will
pick up all sorts of information about the origins and evolution of our
country, through fun, interactive showcases and storytelling.
The season runs from May 26 to July 22.
During their day at the museum, kids can spend some time in Port City to learn
more about kampong life. They’ll also find out the development of Singapore as
a port, where people with different trades met and did business. They play at
different professions, too, becoming a letter-writer, a cobbler or a street
hawker.
During
their day at the museum, kids can spend some time in Port City to learn more
about kampong life.
Building Singapore is an activity zone
where children of all ages can create their own versions of our iconic
buildings. And there’s also an interactive installation where kids can explore,
interpret and have fun with Singapore’s landscape. Additional activities and
workshops will take place throughout the two months of the event. These include
Open House days, where the usual $5 per head entry fee will be waived. Roving
acts will appear every Saturday and Sunday: Discover when Singapore came alive
and what the early settlers did, as you and your children meet colorful
characters, including a pirate, an Indian merchant, and a Chinese stowaway.
The museum will be hosting open-air showing
of movies suitable for all ages. See 1980s cartoon An American Tail – the story
of a plucky young mouse who’s separated from his family as they’re emigrating
to the US – on Friday, May 25. The nest day, catch The Land Before Time, a
classic animation that tells the story of a brave dinosaur tribe that’s
journeying to escape climate change. And remember to bring your picnic baskets.
Additional
activities and workshops will take place throughout the two months of the
event.
Finally, what’s a kids’ event without
storytelling? Island Tunes tells the history of Singapore through song and
dance in a fun singalong session. And the most lasting memento of the season is
a specially written storybook, The Fearless twins and the Magical Kaleido, A
Narrow Escape, published by the Preservation of Monuments Board.
Siblings Toby and Tabitha go back in time
to Singapore in 1935, when our modern monuments were everyday buildings. There,
the twosome solve mysteries, have adventures and escape from peril. The book
will be launched with interactive storytelling sessions, where you can also
score a copy at a special preview price.
There,
the twosome solve mysteries, have adventures and escape from peril.
The Island Adventures event is co-curated
with Chong Tze Chien of The Finger Players, and designed by Lin Shuxian and
Jonathan Yue of Gosh Design. It’s jointly presented by the National Heritage
Board and the Museum Roundtable.
