FAREWELL!

Dear Parents,

 

     It has been a pleasure to have you actively tuned in to our channel and involved in this space throughout the past three weeks. Your participation and encouraging feedback/comments have been our best motivation to persevere through this advocacy project which we aim to advocate for children to have their childhood. However, all good things will come to an end. We would like to let you know that our project has ended and we hope you had fun engaging in the activities with your child as much as we had sharing them with you. We are glad that you have forked out time and effort in spending quality time and bonding with your child. *Thumbs up! Give yourself a pat on the back. We wish you all the best and we hope that you will let your child experience the joys of childhood.

     Last but not least, we are considering to maintain our channel by sharing more activities which you can engage with your child in this space. Hence, we WANT to HEAR what you feel and think about it. Share your feelings and views with us by leaving a comment(s).

 

P.S.: On a light note, remember to let your child enjoy his or her childhood and NEVER compromise it with academics. Through the activities which we shared with you, we hope you saw how children can learn and have fun at the same time. Thank you.

Yours Truly,

Joyce, Gui Ling and Joanna

 

"Let's sweat it out!"

Dear Parents,

Have you been coping well with healthy week? The weekend is approaching! Why not get active as a family by heading outdoors and exercising together with your child? 

            

 

With hectic weekdays spent at work and in school, why don't you and your child spend the weekends together exercising? Exercising helps to relax your body and mind. It is important for children to exercise frequently as it keeps them strong and healthy, and encourages them to lead a healthy lifestyle. By exercising as a family, it will promote family togetherness and strengthen your relationship with your child too.

 

What you need:

• Sports equipment, attire (depending on the exercise which your family is engaging)
• Water to hydrate yourselves

What to do:

Here are some activities to consider:

• Soccer 
• Jogging 
• Brisk walking

• Cycling
• Swimming
• Dancing
• Badminton 
• Roller blading
 

Introduce the above-suggested activities to your child and decide together on an activity to engage in over the weekends.  

OR

Introduce your favorite sports to your child and vice versa (if any) through a sharing session. Get involve together in the preferred sports over the weekends.

 

After engaging in the activity/sports, chat with your child and share your experiences with him or her and vice versa.
 

Have fun while staying healthy!

Relax your body and mind by exercising and enjoy the process of keeping fit and healthy. Share your experiences and feelings with us by leaving a comment(s) and/or you may choose to email photos of the activity/sports that you did with your child as a family to a.child.in.me@gmail.com and we will upload them on your behalf (*credits will be made to you and your child).

Ps: Stay tuned to our final post this Friday, 15 March 2013.

Yours truly,

Joyce, Gui Ling and Joanna

 

Play or exercise? A child's body doesn't know the difference. But their minds tell them when they're having fun.

-youthfitnessguy.com-

 

"Let's eat healthy!"

Dear Parents,

It's healthy week! Let's start by eating healthily! A healthy activity has been planned for you and your child below:

Butterfly Sandwiches

Even the pickiest child will love these sandwiches, especially if he or she helped in the making.
It is important to cultivate healthy eating in children since young. Healthy eating benefits children's growth and holistic development. Besides, it boosts children's immunity system and prevents them from falling sick easily. To address the increasing trend of obesity in young children, healthy eating is one of the key solutions.

*Adapted from 501 Activities for Kids (Hodges, 2000)
What you need:

• Bread
• Cream cheese, cheese, or peanut butter
• Decorations such as fruit (e.g. strawberry, banana, apple) or vegetable pieces (e.g. carrot, lettuce), cheese slices, slices of sausage or ham, celery, raisins or anything else nutritious, tasty and colourful

What to do:

1. Cut a slice of bread into two or four triangles and face them outwards on a plate to form the 'butterflies' *
2. Apply a spread to the triangles
3. Decorate the triangles**

        *you and your child can come up with other designs too
       **allow your child to decide what goes on the sandwich, he or she will love to help and make suggestions

---YOUR SANDWICHES ARE READY TO BE EATEN!---  

Reference

Hodges, D. (2000). 501 Activities for Kids. Australia: Hinkler Book Distributions Pty. Ltd.

Be creative and enjoy the process of making healthy sandwiches with your child! Share your experiences and feelings with us by leaving a comment(s) and/or you may choose to email photos of your sandwiches to a.child.in.me@gmail.com and we will upload them on your behalf (*credits will be made to you and your child).

Ps: Stay tuned to our upcoming post this Thursday, 14 March 2013.

Yours truly,

Joyce, Gui Ling and Joanna

To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art.

-La Rochefoucauld-



"Let's squish and pinch"

Dear Parents,

Have you ever felt that dough sold in retail is too pricey to afford at times and you wish you knew how to make dough for your child? FRET NOT! We have a plan for you! Why not engage in a dough making activity with your child this weekend?

                               

Dough making is an exciting process which allows children to explore with their five senses. It gives children the opportunity to experience the different textures  of ingredients while they mix and knead  them. It also builds on children's vocabulary as they are introduced to a list of things required to make dough.

 

Here's a safe and cost-effective guide on how to make dough which you can involve your child:
 

Things you need
(adapted from Beyond Social Services – Healthy Start Child Development Centre)
 

                           

        2 cups of plain flour                                1 cup of corn flour                                 1 cup of potato starch

                       

        Food colouring (optional)                                            Water                                                Mixing bowl

 

         Plastic gloves (optional)

 

Suggestions on where you can get the things:

- Plain flour from Cold Storage (e.g. 1kg: Prima - $2.60, Bake King - $3.20), FairPrice > Baking needs (e.g. 1kg: Prima - $2.50, FairPrice - $2.25, Bake King - $2.65, Pagoda - $1.85), neighbourhood (e.g. market, convenience store)

- Corn flour from Cold Storage (e.g. Maizena 200g - $1.15, Pagoda 454g - $1.70), FairPrice (e.g. Maizena 200g - $1, 400g: Maizena - $1.75, Pagoda - $0.85, Flying man - $0.70, FairPrice - $0.95), neighbourhood (e.g. market, convenience store)

- Potato starch from FairPrice > Baking needs (e.g. 350g: Windmill - $2, Pagoda - $1.50), neighbourhood (e.g. market, convenience store)

- Food colouring from:

• Cold Storage (e.g. Bake King 28ml egg yellow colour - $1.40, Star 25ml - liquid apple green colour, liquid egg yellow colour, liquid artificial cochineal red colour - $1.45/bottle)
• FairPrice > Baking needs (e.g. Bake King 28ml – orange colour, apple green, egg yellow, cochineal red - $1.10/bottle, Star 25ml – liquid true blue colour, liquid artificial cochineal red colour, liquid orange colour, liquid apple green colour, liquid egg yellow colour, liquid rose pink colour, liquid chocolate colour - $1.10/bottle)

- Mixing bowl from Daiso Japan > Kitchen

*each item at Daiso is priced $2

*all items mentioned above are subject to availability and location

*all prices are subject to location, promotion

 

HANDS ON - Do-It-Yourself!

Steps

1) Pour the plain flour into the mixing bowl

    *you can replace a mixing bowl with a big empty container

2) Add the corn flour

3) Add the potato starch

4) Mix the flour and starch together and add water as you go along

    *Mix the ingredients well

5) Knead the mixture until it's mushy and neither too wet nor stiff; you get dough

6) Add a few drops of food colouring if you want coloured dough

7) Knead the dough until the colour has been evenly spread out

**If the dough is a little or too sticky, knead a tiny bit of flour into it. If it is too stiff, add more water.

IT'S TIME TO PLAY YOUR HANDMADE DOUGH WITH YOUR CHILD!!

                                                       

                                     

Dough playing is spontaneous and it gives children the empowerment to create something from nothing. Furthermore, it promotes children's creativity and imagination and helps them to think outside the box. 

Have fun making and playing dough with your child! Share your experiences and feelings with us by leaving a comment(s) and/or you may choose to email photos of your handmade dough to a.child.in.me@gmail.com and we will upload them on your behalf (*credits will be made to you and your child).

Ps: Stay tuned to our upcoming post this Monday, 11 March 2013.
 

Yours truly,

Joyce, Gui Ling and Joanna

Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood.

-Fred Rogers-

 

 

"Toss Them High"

Dear Parents,

Have you ever played five stones when you were young? IF YES, do you remember all the fun you had playing five stones? Why not reminisce those childhood memories by making your own five stones with your child this MONDAY and playing it with him or her again! This will be a good time to bond with your child too.

 

 Five Stones

 

Five stones is an enjoyable and meaningful game which can enhance children's fine motor skills and eye-hand coordination, while at the same time provide opportunities for them to problem solve. It also promotes social interaction when children engage in the game with you and others.

 

To make your own five stones, you will need:

Fabric

      

Scissors

                                   

 Uncooked green beans or red beans                                                     Needle and thread

ACTION TIME - Do-It-Yourself!

Steps to take:

(adapted from 365 Things to make and do (Bolton, 2002))

*Adult supervision is necessary

        

1. Cut a small rectangle of fabric and fold it in half.  
2. Sew seams along the side edges. Sew strong stitches close together using a thread and needle*
   
   
3. Turn the bag shape right side out.
   
   
4. Half fill the bag with uncooked green beans or red beans.
   
   
5. Close the bag making a triangular shape by bringing the two side seam ends together and neatly fold the edges inside to allow for the final seam.
   
   
6. Sew the edge together firmly*
   One stone is completed!
7. Repeat steps 1-6 to make the other 4 stones.

     

Reference
Bolton, V. (2002). 365 Things to make and do. UK: Miles Kelly Publishing Ltd.

 

Have fun making and playing five stones with your child! Share your experiences and feelings with us by leaving a comment(s) and/or you may choose to email photos of your handmade five stones to a.child.in.me@gmail.com and we will upload them on your behalf (*credits will be made to you and your child).

Ps: Stay tuned to our upcoming post this Thursday, 7 March 2013.
   

Yours truly,

Joyce, Gui Ling and Joanna

 

Children have real understanding only of that which they invent themselves

-Jean Piaget-