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Children’s day weekend is one of the best times for the family to spend time playing together and building bonds.
At Octoburst, a festival put together by Esplanade, there are many activities which the whole family can take part together.
Outdoor activities are the ones where fathers would be interested in.
A Pipe-ful Play Garden A Pipe-ful Play Garden which has started as a pre-festival feature is the perfect place to have some fun in the sun! Children who havea green thumb and/or love putting things together can grow their very own little pocket garden and together with other children, construct a living and ever-growing pipe-maze for everyone to play with.
This community artwork that encourages learning and family-bonding through play is created by Playeum, Singapore’s first Children’s Centre for Creativity. Focused on bringing play back into children’s lives, this activity was developed in collaboration with architect and designer Chih Wen Chaw. This is a perfect opportunity for fathers who love DIY stuff to build something with their children.
On 9th October, this space will become a vibrant garden!
Snakes and Ladders There will also be a life- sized version of snakes and ladders for the family to have some board game fun!
Imagining the City: A Sensory Walkabout ($28 per adult-child pair) On 9 October 2:30pm, join Moses Tan as he brings you around Esplanade to shade unusual and interesting textures using a French technique called frottage. Using the textures that they have collected during the walk, parent and child will work together to create an artwork of an imaginary city.
If you prefer the indoors, there are also no lack of activities to take part in.
In the House Esplanade, together with Playeum, co-curated this activity which features artist-educators who will share with parents how the arts, fun and purposeful play can be used at home to
support the learning and growth of their little ones. There is an interesting line-up over the 3 days.
These are some of the activities lined up: (full schedule: https://www.esplanade.com/festivals-and-series/octoburst/2015/in-the-house)
Join the Imagin8ors – Tomorrow’s Imagineers! for all three mornings from 11am to create your own moving machine (9 and 11 Oct) and musical instrument using Makey Makey (10 and 11 Oct) which will delight you for many hours at home. Tomorrow’s Imagineers! is a 2 part series of fun activities hosted by Imagin8ors that are designed for your child and you to tinker with technology and intersect it with art. Inspire and develop your child’s curiosity andexplore and play with Motion and Sound.
Imagin8ors is an exciting Education Technology startup backed by Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) and Infocomm Investments, and PlugandPlay (a leading technology accelerator based in Silicon Valley). We are about Nurturing imagination and inherent creative potential of each child through deeper learning experiences. We design workshops and digital solutions where parents and children can engage and co-create together.
“At Imagin8ors we recognize and promote play as the cornerstone for learning today and in the future. Children engage in the process of hands-on creative play with little intervention from adults, constructing meaning in their daily lives. We believe that play is intelligence, necessary for cognitive development, fundamental to imagination and creativity.” Barbara Beaufait, Chief Learning Officer Passionate parents from Science Centre’s “Busy Hands, Happy Hearts” book also believe that the act of Making with your own hands is a fundamental step to learning and nurturing creativity. Come join them in “Light Play” to explore and tinker with light to discover how art, craft, Science and Technology can come together to create a fantastic creative experience for you and your family. They are also in daily in the afternoons!
There will also be a permanent display of upcycled clothing by Agatha Lee from Greens Issues by Agy. "Upcycle and Weave" showcases upcycling possibilities that the kids can try out with their parents at home. The set up will include T-shirts, cut t-shirt, samples and a woven t-shirt stool as well as a loom for kids to try their hands at weaving old clothes into something new . Agatha believes that this is a great initiative to get kids thinking about their possessions, the need to treasure them, and if they really don't need them, upcycle or recycle them.
Seema Dadlani-Ramchand and Harsha Dadlani-Dhalani, a pair of sisters who believes that reading gives them to the opportunity to bond, learn and grow together will be reading from their Jayden and Janelle Book Series. The series which is supported by the SG50 Celebration Fund, comprises 6 exciting titles featuring familiar sights such as the HDB estate, Esplanade and Gardens by the Bay; local food such as chicken rice and ice-kacang; and colloquial terms such as 'uncle' and 'aunty'. The stories also embed social values including family bonding and eating together, racial harmony as well as neighbourliness. Catch Seema and Harsha’s storytelling session on 10 Oct at 1:15pm and on 11 Oct from 4:30pm onwards.
“We hope that the Jayden and Janelle book series inspires parents to read with their children and instills strong family values while learning about the Singapore culture.”
Seema Dadlani-Ramchand & Harsha Dadlani-Dhalani
You can also have a chance to create stories with your children through an improvisational story game – “How to find your Big Red Dot”. Join Father and Son team Calvin & Dylan Soh for this Creative Confidence class on 9 Oct 4-6pm.
If you have green fingers, come learn how to make your own pocket garden and/or learn about DIY composting! These activities complement Playeum’s A Pipeful Play Garden at the Courtyard. Permaculture Designer Nova Nelson aims to reunite urban cultures with nature one small foodscape at a time. During her workshop “Urban Composting and DIY Pipe Planting”, Nova will share tips and tricks to composting in an urban setting and include a hands-on session on herb propagation in space saving pipe planters. Come make your very own mini pipe planter with Nova on 10 Oct 2pm-4pm.
Nova Nelson sums up the essence aptly:
"We live in a time that calls for more purposefulness on this planet. Every family can play a role. But we get a little stuck and ask ourselves - how can we make a difference? Where should we start?
In the House is a thoughtful curation of individuals and families making a difference through a DIY spirit that will help us create, collaborate and connect with each other. The many workshops will offer experiences and ideas for you and your family to try and explore together."
Come with your family to join these inspiring individuals in the house!
My Bright-Light Idea! ($28 per adult-child pair)
Daddies, have you ever wanted to make something on your own but never quite got started? At this workshop, you will learn how to turn an unused piece of cardboard into a brand new night-light in this upcycling workshop. Come up with the zaniest design, snip away and make your very own night-light to bring home! This is a workshop conducted by the Sustainable Living Lab (SL2), a social innovation lab. With a vision to create a sustainable world via a purposeful maker culture, they help communities and organizations run purposeful hardware hackathons, help makers through technology programs and spend time crafting sustainable products.
This is great time to bond with your children as you let your creative juices flow and learn about upcycling.
Other fun activities for the family to enjoy include: 1. On the Spot Drawing Competition and Colouring Fun – 9 Oct 8:30am-11:30 am
2. Let’s Play! – 9-11 Oct 4:30 – 5:15pm
3.Octopost Performances at Esplanade Library
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