Chinese New Year: Hotpot-themed playground, Mofusand AR filters, fantasy graphic novel

SINGAPORE – Make family time all the more special with these ideas and activities.

Hotpot-themed playground, food plushies

Until Feb 22, your children can have fun on a hotpot-themed bouncy playground with a ball pit at Suntec City. The free-to-play Potsperity Yuan Yang inflatable is located at the mall’s atrium between Towers 1 and 2.

To join in the fun, sign up as a Suntec+ app member. This activity is for kids aged four to 12 and at least 1m tall. Adult supervision is required and participants have to wear socks.

There is also a bazaar selling traditional festive food such as bak kwa, pineapple tarts and mandarin oranges. The playful twist? All these treats have been reimagined as plush toys by Mr Merlion & Friends.

For $88, you can enter the bazaar and select five plushies from the various stalls. You will also receive a mahjong tile-themed blind box, and a chance to win a large tile cushion. Go to

sunteccity.com.sg/huat-a-potsperity

for details.

Free AR filters for Chinese New Year

Add a touch of festive fun to your family photos with three free Mofusand-themed augmented-reality (AR) filters.

The adorable cats like to play dress-up and invite you to join the fun by putting on AR headpieces in mandarin orange, cherry blossom or lion dance styles.

Go to

bit.ly/MofusandPawsperityFilters

on your smartphone for the filters or scan the QR code found at the festive installations in 17 CapitaLand malls.

These decorations, originally introduced for Christmas, have been refreshed with Chinese New Year elements like red packets, lanterns and peonies.

Until Feb 22, you can buy exclusive Mofusand plushies dressed in traditional Chinese get-up. To qualify for purchase, you must first spend at least $30 using CapitaLand’s e-vouchers at participating stores. There are two designs at the pop-up stores at Plaza Singapura and Bugis Junction. Buy one for $25 or get a set of two for $57.60.

At Nex mall, Line Friends minini fans can enjoy special redemptions. Spend at least $50 and receive a set of six red packets featuring the characters, or a minimum of $250 to redeem a round container. To qualify, scan the QR code on your NEXrewards app at participating stores.

The Dragon’s Eyes graphic novel

Graphic novel The Dragon’s Eyes follows the story of young Li-Ann, who does not understand the significance of reunion dinners on Chinese New Year’s Eve. Then a magical dragon appears and helps her realise that the tradition’s true value lies in shared family warmth, laughter and love.

This is Singaporean author-illustrator Megan Chew’s debut book, recommended for children aged six to 12. The 26-year-old, who is studying at Pratt Institute of Design in New York City, tapped her experience to create a fun way to explain why families insist on upholding traditions.

“My extended family has a tradition of meeting at my grandparents’ home every Sunday for dinner. I would often video-call them, see the amazing spread and get homesick. Chinese New Year represents a lot of what I miss about home while abroad,” she says.

Published by Plumleaf Press from Canada, the hardcover book retails at $24.95 and is available at

wolfgangonline.com/shop

,

liliewoods.com

and

closetfulofbooks.com

. It is also sold in bookstores across North America.