Fun With Kids: Holiday specials at Universal Studios Singapore, NYE countdown activities

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

Countdown at Singapore Sports Hub

From free UV face painting and glitter tattoos to LED-lit see-saws and swings, your kids will have plenty to look forward to at the Singapore Sports Hub on New Year’s Eve.

The family-friendly activities, which start at 5pm, include roving performances by soap bubble artist Caroline Cornelius-Jones.

Taking centre stage is the Let’s Celebrate 2025 countdown show hosted by Mediacorp and a 15-minute fireworks display at the stroke of midnight.

Go to

str.sg/CBEs

for details.

Holiday specials at Universal Studios Singapore

Step into Emerald City and meet Elphaba and Glinda. If your children have watched the musical fantasy film Wicked, now showing in cinemas, they will be excited to spot the familiar settings and characters at Universal Studios Singapore.

Until Jan 1, the theme park’s New York zone is decked out in decoration inspired by the hit movie.

At the Universal Studios Store, you will see costume displays of The Wizard and Madame Morrible, created by the film designers.

Get an Elphaba- or Glinda-inspired makeover at The Emerald Beautification Salon, which offers face painting, hairstyling and nail services (from $30).

Explore the rest of the park for more festive surprises. For example, catch a new light and music show with visuals projected onto the Far Far Away Castle. The medley features beloved characters from DreamWorks Animation, including Shrek, Trolls, the Madagascar crew and Kung Fu Panda’s Po.

There is also a fireworks display at Lake Hollywood at 9pm daily until Dec 31.

Tickets cost $89 an adult and $68 a child aged four to 12. They come with a Christmas set meal, $5 retail voucher and 20 per cent discount for a makeover session. Find out more at

rwsentosa.com/ussxmas24

Maths calendar for children

Here is a quirky desktop calendar created for children aged seven to eight.

The Singapore Maths Calendar 2025 features a daily mathematics question to help them hone their problem-solving skills, says its writer Yan Kow Cheong.

Psst, do not tell your kids: The answer to the daily sum is the date it falls on.

For example, on Feb 2, the question is: How many circles can 4 half circles make? On March 20, the problem is: Tim is 21 years old. How old was he last year?

The monthly calendar pages also have comics that combine maths concepts and fun facts about Singapore’s native animals such as otters. The comics are written by children’s author Neil Humphreys and illustrated by James Tan.

“Mathematics needn’t be mere drill-and-kill exercises. It can be fun yet challenging for children to be exposed to the beauty and joy of the subject,” Yan says. “Remember: A maths problem a day could keep the tutor away.”

Buy it at $19.90 from its publisher Child Educational Co’s website at

str.sg/uHSc

and retailers including selected Popular bookstores.