From baking cookies and mooncakes to doing mini walking marathons, some 3,000 pre-schoolers from Maple Bear worked hard last month to raise money for less fortunate children.

Their fundraising efforts have bagged $107,777 for Make-A-Wish Foundation and Children's Wishing Well, both charities for children and teenagers, announced the Maple Bear pre-school chain in a release last week. The annual fundraiser is organised in October, to coincide with Children's Day.

This year's edition saw pre-schoolers taking part in a range of activities at their own centres, from bake sales and fundraising carnivals to mini walking marathons, where parents donated $1 for every minute their children walked around a field.

The kids walked sideways and backwards to keep their spirits up.

Chief executive of Maple Bear Singapore Patricia Koh said this year's event has exceeded expectations, as there were initial concerns that people might not be generous with their donations amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Social distancing rules also meant activities had to be confined within each pre-school centre, and the children could not gather together for a major fundraising event as they had done in past years, she said.

However, the children, teachers and parents responded well to the cause, said Mrs Koh. She added that the fundraiser serves to remind the pre-schoolers of the less fortunate among them.

"We want our children to see that there are other children out there who need more," said Mrs Koh.

"And even though they are very young - they're only two to six years old - I think they do seem to understand that."