Fun With Kids: Kinetic energy playground, Dyslexia Association charity walk, new local fantasy book

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

Free playground driven by kinetic energy

A playground that transforms your kids’ energy into dazzling effects? Yes, here is one free-to-play pop-up structure that will fascinate the young and young at heart.

The Kinetics Energy Play is open for all to explore as part of Singapore Design Week until Oct 6. Find it at the level 2 linkway that connects Marina Square and Millenia Walk.

Created by Kinetics Play, a playground design company, the 4.4m-tall structure has covered slides and climbing nets. But what sets it apart from other playgrounds are its features driven by kinetic energy.

For example, pedal on a stationary bike to power up a fan. You can also run on a “hamster wheel” and rotate a hand crank. These actions convert your energy into electricity to switch on LED lighting around the structure.

Visit it after sundown for the best effects. The playground will be exhibited next in Dubai.

Dyslexia Association charity walk

Make it a memorable Children’s Day on Oct 4 with a charity walk. Join Dyslexia Association of Singapore’s (DAS) 24-hour challenge, which kicks off at 6pm at its Jurong Point Learning Centre.

Led by its facilities management officer Roy Low, the walk takes you to all 13 DAS centres across the island. It is slated to end on Oct 5 at 5.45pm at its Toa Payoh branch.

Mr Low has trained to build his stamina and will sacrifice sleep for the 90km feat. But you can join in at any part of the journey or turn up at the centres to cheer him and other participants on.

The event seeks to celebrate the determination and resilience of students with dyslexia on their learning journey.

Registration fees cost $30 a person or $120 for a group of five. The money raised will go to the DAS bursary fund, which supports children from low-income families. Children aged six and under can join for free.

Check out the route and sign up for the event at

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Read The Epic Tale Of Mikaela Kong

K-pop fan Mikaela Kong, a natural dancer, is bent on being the next big star. But the 13-year-old’s plans are thrown into a spin when a boy with a prophecy appears – Mikaela is said to be the reincarnation of the Monkey King.

Now, should she go save the world from imminent doom or follow her dreams?

The Epic Tale Of Mikaela Kong, released in September, is author Vivian Teo’s second book series for intermediate readers, following her five-part science-fiction novel My BFF Is An Alien (2020 to 2022).

The story takes inspiration from her childhood. She enjoyed watching xianxia television dramas, a fantasy genre based on Chinese mythology and immortal heroes.

“Journey To The West was one of them. The show left a deep impression on me when I was young and I’ve always felt Sun Wukong (the name of the Monkey King) is one of the coolest Chinese superheroes around,” says the 46-year-old freelance writer.

She adds that it is not a guide to the classic Journey To The West literary work, but a fun read about friendship, loyalty and celestial prophecies. It is slated to have four volumes in all.

Teo, who has two daughters aged 12 and 14, started writing the story when her elder child began secondary school in 2023.

“That was when I had a deeper understanding of the life of secondary school students these days,” she says. “In the story, you see Mikaela juggling school work, her passion and world-saving duties. It reflects how I feel for our teens in Singapore, who have so much on their plate and longer ‘working hours’ than adults.”

Buy the book for $16.90 at publisher Epigram Books’ online shop at

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