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

Netflix’s Pokemon Concierge

Be warned. This new series by Netflix may get your kids asking for a Pokemon plushie or two.

Pikachu, Psyduck and friends have always looked adorable, but stop-motion animation series Pokemon Concierge takes their cuteness to the next level.

The four-part show, which debuted on Netflix on Dec 28, follows Haru, a newly appointed concierge at Pokemon Resort who makes sure every guest from the Pocket Monster world has a good time.

Indeed, none of them is there to battle it out. If your kids are hardcore fans of the Pokemon-themed arcade game, they may be disappointed to learn that there are no fight scenes here.

But parents will appreciate the themes of self-discovery and friendship, and that each episode is only 14 to 20 minutes long.

While the human characters are sculpted out of clay, most of the stop-motion Pokemon characters sport a fuzzy felt coat. You and your kids will want to cuddle them.

Free nature tours at Gardens by the Bay

Go on, gently feel the plants at Gardens by the Bay’s outdoor gardens.

As your children go on a guided walking tour themed Seeds and Senses (Touch), launching in January, they will learn that some of them have furry surfaces, while others can be sticky or rough.

These varied textures often have a special purpose, which can help the plants flourish.

For example, the Gold-leafed Bauhinia has dense golden-brown hairs on its young leaves to protect them from predators and sun damage.

Caladiums, on the other hand, have tiny, wax-covered bumps that cause water droplets to roll off their leaves, keeping them clean and dry.

This new theme is now part of the attraction’s free Nature and Sustainability series, which started in January 2023.

Some routes from the series include complimentary entry to the Flower Dome or Cloud Forest for Singapore residents.

Each tour can take up to 25 people and lasts for an hour on weekend mornings. 

Go to www.gardensbythebay.com.sg/sustainabilitytours for details.

Keppel Centre for Art Education

Seven fun interactive zones await your kids at the revamped Keppel Centre for Art Education.

Located on Level 1 at the National Gallery Singapore’s City Hall Wing, the space lets kids aged four to 12 create, imagine and play while being inspired by the art of Singapore and South-east Asia.

For instance, in the Experimentation zone’s Makers Studio, they can use large wooden pieces to assemble their own 3D sculptures.

The Expansion zone features an adaptation of Indonesian artist Raden Saleh’s monumental Boschbrand (Forest Fire) to present an interactive tropical forest.

Using special digital paintbrushes, children can learn about composing an artwork by playing with the scale of the animals.

The centre is open from 10am to 7pm daily. Admission is free and your children can also join paid programmes that offer guided learning experiences.

While walk-ins are welcome, you are encouraged to book a time slot at str.sg/igUk