Fun With Kids: Watch Dream Productions, go crocodile-spotting, read about dung beetles
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Pixar Animation Studios’ series Dream Productions features familiar characters as well as new ones, such as Paula (left) and Xeni.
PHOTO: 2024 DISNEY/PIXAR
SINGAPORE – Make family time all the more special with these ideas and activities.
Watch animated series Dream Productions
Fans of Disney and Pixar animated film Inside Out (2015) and its 2024 sequel will want to watch Dream Productions, which stars familiar characters and new ones.
The direct-to-streaming series dives deep into what Riley dreams about every night – good and bad. But who is responsible for these experiences that take place during sleep?
It turns out that when Riley’s memories need extra processing, Joy and the rest of the Core Emotions send them to Dream Productions studio. Viewers are introduced to Paula, who has been directing dreams since Riley was two years old.
Even though Riley is a teen now and her interests are evolving, Paula has not changed her approach. All she knows is to incorporate Rainbow Unicorn in them and she desperately needs a new style.
To save her career, Paula teams up reluctantly with Xeni, an eager avant-garde director.
The series’ director Austin Madison likens Joy to a mother who takes care of Riley. “But Paula is that aunt who was cool when you were little, but now needs to figure out how to reconnect,” he says.
All four episodes are now streaming on Disney+.
Go crocodile-spotting
Spot estuarine crocodiles in their natural habitat at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve.
PHOTO: ST FILE
Did you know that estuarine crocodiles are the largest crocodile species in the world? Also known as saltwater crocodiles, they can grow up to 7m in length.
In Singapore, you can find them in their natural habitat at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve.
Learn fascinating facts about these majestic reptiles at the next Croc and Friends sharing session on Jan 11 from 4 to 5.30pm.
Wildlife advocate and National Parks Board volunteer Bernard Seah has been leading the free programme since 2018. It takes place at the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve’s Lookout Point monthly, when a low tide coincides with a Saturday or Sunday.
Take along a pair of binoculars, a telescope or a camera with zoom lens to get a closer look. No registration is needed. Find out more at str.sg/bydq
Read about dung beetles
Authors Emily Lim-Leh and Pauline Loh with their new nature-based picture book, Dung, Dung, Dung, Dung!.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF EMILY LIM-LEH
A 2023 Straits Times article on dung beetles inspired Singaporean author Emily Lim-Leh to come up with a new picture book Dung, Dung, Dung, Dung!.
At that time, she and fellow local author Pauline Loh were planning a three-book series, Earthkeepers, which shines a light on small and often unseen creatures that play a key role in nature.
“Here’s a tiny bug diligently collecting dung with so much purpose. As I read up and discovered how its role plays such a big part in the forest ecosystem, I really wanted this to be the star of our first book,” Lim-Leh says.
The authors added fictional characters Coral Ling and her classmate Ernest Lee to liven up the story.
The series is illustrated by Cheng Puay Koon, with two more titles slated for release in 2025.
Each book introduces a field expert, such as Dr Sean Yap, a forest ecologist who has a keen interest in dung beetles.
To ensure the book’s accuracy, he helped review the manuscript and drawings, down to details such as how he and his colleagues would set up a trap to attract the beetles.
Buy it at $16 from publisher Graceworks’ website at str.sg/H3Rw
