Fun With Kids: Sharity-themed scavenger hunt, physical play ideas for pre-schoolers
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Join Sharity at the 2024 edition of Heartstrings Walk, co-organised by Community Chest and Marina Bay Sands.
PHOTO: MARINA BAY SANDS
SINGAPORE – Make family time all the more special with these ideas and activities.
Sharity-themed scavenger hunt
Sharity is celebrating its 40th birthday. Join Community Chest’s pink elephant mascot in a scavenger hunt at the 2024 edition of Heartstrings Walk, co-organised by Community Chest and Marina Bay Sands, on Aug 24.
Your kids can look forward to collecting limited-edition memorabilia along a 4km route.
It is for a good cause too. All proceeds from the event will be channelled to more than 200 programmes supported by Community Chest.
Tickets are priced at $40 for an adult and a child aged 12 and below, and $20 for each additional person. Every child will be given an activity kit.
Another fund-raising segment is a 4km non-competitive walk. Registration costs $25 a person or $40 for two.
Both activities start at 7pm and take place along the Marina Bay area. Find out more at str.sg/EhA8
Physical play ideas for pre-schoolers
I’m A SCDF Firefighter is a role-playing game which aims to help children hone their locomotor skills.
PHOTOS: PCF SPARKLETOTS
Early childhood educators from PAP Community Foundation (PCF) Sparkletots pre-schools have come up with Singapore-themed physical play ideas to engage their young charges.
The games were introduced at OCBC Arena on July 30 at the Nurture Kids Day Out event, a collaboration between Sport Singapore and PCF Sparkletots.
Here are two activity ideas that you can adapt to play with your kids at home.
I’m A SCDF Firefighter Contributed by teacher Nur’Ain Ismail, PCF Sparkletots @ Paya Lebar Block 125
Through this role-playing game, children can hone their locomotor skills as they make their way through challenges to put out a “fire”.
First, involve them in setting up an indoor obstacle course. You can, for example:
Make a tunnel using cardboard boxes for kids to crawl through.
Mark a zigzag path on the floor using masking tape for them to stay on course.
Line up cushions on the floor as “debris” for them to hop over.
Add a tossing stop and sneak some hand-eye coordination and numeracy skills into the obstacle course. They can use crushed paper balls imaginatively as water to put out the “fire”. Count aloud the number of balls that make it into a laundry basket.
Amp up the game atmosphere by playing sound effects from your mobile phone, such as sirens, and sticking cutouts of flames on the walls.
You and your kids can also create a simple firefighter costume and make toy fire extinguishers.
Hover Over The Orchid Contributed by teacher Faridah Razali, PCF Sparkletots @ Paya Lebar Block 23
The Hover Over The Orchid activity encourages children to practise counting and work on physical movements, such as jumping.
PHOTO: PCF SPARKLETOTS
This activity is designed to acquaint children with Singapore’s places of interest and national flower Vanda Miss Joaquim. At the same time, kids can practise counting and work on physical movements, such as jumping.
Before you start, draw or print pictures of five orchid petals and five matching sets of local attractions. You will also need a die.
Arrange the petals in a circle and place a different attraction next to it. Put the duplicate pictures of attractions in the middle.
To play, your kids can choose where they want to stand. You then roll the die to determine the number of steps they have to jump in your preferred direction (for example, five steps to your left).
Ask them to name the place where they have landed and talk about it. Then, find its matching picture in the middle.
