Play, Learn and Explore with the Doctor For A Day App {Giveaway}

Since Noey recently declared his intention to be a doctor when he grows up, he was thrilled when I recently told him that I had just the thing for him to get started on his "training": the 'Doctor For A Day' app by Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital! 

Ok, this iPad-starved boy of mine would be thrilled play with any game on the iPad, but this game is one that I, at least, would be happy for him to be spending his screen time on.

The 'Doctor For A Day' App was developed by Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital following the overwhelming response to their 'Doctor For A Day' programme, and allows children to bring their role-playing experience back to their own homes. The first of its kind here, this edutainment application is filled with many learning opportunities to stimulate children's minds and rouse their curiosity about the medical profession. Better yet, children can earn points and unlock achievements while playing the games and exchange these for actual physical doctors' toys. 

Noey was certainly thrilled when I handed him to iPad to give it a go. I sat down next to him while he played and I confess there were times when I wanted to take it over and play on my own -- it's pretty fun! Here's what you can find on this app:

1. Doctor's Office -- Customise your very own doctor avatar to start. There are a whole host of options: you can choose the gender, skin colour, hair style, style of glasses (because all doctors wear glasses, yo. Must be the many years of hard studying...), and moustache (the girls get pretty hair accessories). You can also change the wallpaper for the room.  This is what Noey came up with. He's Dr Smith. Dr Smith earns tools for his doctor kit as he completes his tasks and Noey is just dying to get more stuff.

2. Little Surgeon -- Here the children are taken step by step through surgical procedures like a tumour removal surgery and a cataract surgery. They are taught to inject, incise, and suture, amongst other things. But first, don't forget to wash your hands! This game is easy enough for Mei to manage as well, which she does competently. 

3. Anatomy Memory -- A memory game where you learn the part of the body at the same time. There are three levels of difficulty and as it gets harder, you get more cards and race against the clock to complete. We had quite a bit of fun with this one, and found ourselves racing against each other to get the fastest time after a while!

4. Pharmacy Panic -- Take on the role of the pharmacist and dish out the correct medicine to your patients, but do it quick before their patience runs out! This time based challenge was my favourite. It was panic indeed for us, especially in the hardest level where it got tricky trying to get all the medication right within the time period and before the patients got grumpy! It certainly trains your observation skills and accuracy.

So, fun and educational? This certainly checks those boxes.

The rewards from playing with this app are real too, because from now till 12 noon on 25 November 2014, if you try your hand at the "Hard" level of Anatomy Memory and are among the top 400 players on the Leaderboard, you will receive a Golden Ticket to Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital's upcoming Doctor For A Day programme! You can read about Noey's experience during the first run of Doctor For A Day last year here. So if you're keen to let your kids be a Doctor For A Day, here's some incentive to download the app and get cracking! The 'Doctor For A Day' app is available for download on all iOS tablets (not the iPhone) and Android smartphones and tablets here. Recommended for 4 to 8 year olds.

GIVEAWAY! 

Thanks to Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital, we also have A PAIR OF TICKETS to their popular Doctor For A Day programme to giveaway! This pair of tickets is for the session on Saturday, 6 December 2014 at 3.40pm. (The programme runs for 90 minutes.) Do note that the child has to be between 5 to 10 years old to participate in the programme.

To enter this draw to win a pair of tickets, you have to complete the following steps:

1. Like the Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital Facebook Page

2. Like the Life is in the Small Things Facebook Page

3. Comment on this Facebook photo telling me the names of two of the games you can find in the Doctor For A Day app, AND Tag two friends to join the giveaway as well!

4. Leave a blog post comment here telling me what you like best about the Doctor For A Day app, and leave your e-mail address so I can contact you if you win.

You have to complete all 4 steps to qualify so don't miss any out! 

Terms & Conditions:

• The child must be between 5 years to 10 years of age to participate in the Doctor For A Day programme.
• This giveaway ends on Thurs 27 Nov 2014, 11.59pm and is open to Singapore residents only. 
• Winners will be contacted using the contact particulars provided when entering this giveaway and will have 24 hours to respond, failing which a new winner will be drawn. 
• All incomplete entries will be disqualified. All entries will be verified before the winners are announced. 
• To be fair to our sponsors, please note that all fake Facebook accounts (eg. accounts set up purely to take part in contests with no or very few real friends) will also be ineligible to win.

Good Luck!

[28 Nov 2014]
RESULTS!

Congratulations to Joanne Lee-Ho! You are the winner of the pair of tickets to Doctor For a Day! We will be in touch with you shortly on the registration for the event so please look out for our e-mail. Thank you all for participating!

Getting In The Act with Act 3!

Let the wild rumpus start!

Raaaar!

And so it did, on a Saturday morning a couple of weeks back when both Noey and I got to attend a drama workshop at Act 3 Drama Academy. Yes, you read that right. I rocked up with Noey on a Saturday morning expecting to be watching him have fun but instead found myself taken to a separate room with the other parents and given a short 30-minute session to allow us to experience first hand a taster of what a drama worship at Act 3 Drama Academy entails.

Frankly, I wasn't prepared do be participating in a drama workshop of my own -- it's been more than 20 years since I participated in an Act 3 workshop of my own! -- but I quickly warmed up to the idea as our instructor for the morning quickly put us at ease. We were put through a series of activities which the children would themselves be experiencing in their own group.

First, some Warm-Up Exercises to get us thinking, moving and using our voices.

Then we were encouraged to move around to develop our Spatial Awareness, not just of ourselves but also in relation to the use of space in the room. This saw us moving around creatively, alternately being led by different parts of our bodies like our noses, or our left leg!

Next, we were introduced to the concept of Tableau, where one uses one's body to create a still picture to represent a scene. First by ourselves, then in groups, we moved to music and froze in positions to represent a story. It was fun and funny too! 

Lastly we were given a taste of Improv, and yours truly was roped in to play an annoyed mother. Not something I'm unfamiliar with, thankfully! Together with Edmund (Edunloaded) as the Dad and Mark (Parenting with Purpose) as the rebellious teenage son, the scene involved us parents lecturing our son and we were free to come up with whatever we pleased. This was the trickiest segment since what do in your role is heavily dependent on your co-actors -- what they say and what they do.

I certainly learnt a lot from that short session!

Our improv scene.
(Thanks @olimomok for the pic!)

After we rounded up our session, we went to join the children in theirs. From the moment I walked in, I could tell that Noey had had a great time. They had been exploring the same elements of drama as we had, re-enacting Maurice Sendak's Where The Wild Things Are. We watched the children in some scenes and joined in for some others, and I could see that Noey was really in his element, eagerly volunteering for roles, contributing his ideas, and roaring his heart out. I loved watching how uninhibited he was and how much he got into it. 

I also loved how engaging and animated the instructors were, and how there were no right or wrong answers, or right or wrong ways to doing things. We were all free to express ourselves and boy, did we have a lot of fun doing that!

Max sending the wild things away.

Noey here is Max, waving goodbye to the wild things as he sails for home.

Let the wild rumpus start!

The instructor later told me that she found Noey really creative and that she really enjoyed having him in the class. I think I'd overlooked how much of a creative spirit my little man is till it came rushing out at me that morning. Perhaps that ability of his to turn on the tears at will would come in useful for something after all! I think drama is something we would be exploring more of in time to come.

If you're interested to in exploring drama with your kids too, Act 3 Drama Academy has a series of exciting Holiday Workshops this November and December for children from ages 2 years (with accompanying parent) right up to 15 years. These workshops are based on water-inspired classics such as The Snail and The Whale by Julia Donaldson (for 3 to 4 year olds), How The Whale Got His Throat by Rudyard Kipling (for 5 to 7 year olds). Promising to be highly interactive, these workshops seeks to encourage children to think creatively, verbalise their thoughts as well as discover and develop their sensory skills, as well as broaden their imagination. Do check out the following links for more details:

• Whale Of A Time! (for 2 to 7 year olds)
• Love Ooka (for 8 to 10 year olds)
• Moby Dick (for 11 to 15 year olds) 

Thanks for a wonderful morning of discovery, Act 3!

 

Act 3 Drama Academy
126 Cairnhill Road
ONE-TWO-SIX Cairnhill Arts Centre
Tel: +65 6735 9986
Web: www.act3international.com.sg 

Orchard Parade Hotel Family Staycation

I love me a good staycation, especially one which the whole family is able to enjoy.

A couple of weeks back we had the opportunity to check out (or rather, check-in into) Orchard Parade Hotel to experience their Family Staycation Package on behalf of TheSmartLocal.com and it was a welcome break for all of us. I have a soft spot for this hotel since it was here, albeit in its previous incarnation as Ming Court Hotel, that my parents celebrated their wedding banquet nearly 40 years ago. Considering how constructions is a constant in Singapore, it delights me whenever I am able to find and hold on to a piece of the past. This hotel is one of those pieces of my family history.

Orchard Parade Hotel.

Of course, while the building still stands, the hotel itself is very different. Renovations over the years have kept the hotel current and it continues to draw visitors keen to take advantage of its location at right at the entrance to Orchard Road, our country's most famous shopping street.

 Bright and airy lounge area.

So this hotel might be one of the stalwarts around, but we quickly discovered that one advantage that an older hotel has over some of the newer ones is: Room Size. We were booked into a Family Room and were quite bowled over by the size of it when we first entered. At 50-60sqm, it was HUGE! Even with a king bed and super single, there was still plenty of room for a sitting area and a small dining table. I reckon it's the size of a suite in some of the newer hotels. There was also a balcony (though there wasn't much of a view) and a good sized bathroom with a bathtub and separate shower. It was very comfortable, and the child-friendly touches, from the towel animals on the bed, to the craft packs that the kids received, to the child crockery and utensils were made us feel right at home.

The very large Family Room. There's a balcony beyond the curtains too!

Plastic bowls and cups for the kids

Getting bunny to sit straight...

So happy to see this doggie!

Getting into the craft packs they found waiting for them. I was really pleased to have this table, which sits 4, for the kids to colour and draw at, and eat their snacks.

One of the highlights of our stay was the pottery painting session that is included as part of the Family Staycation Package. In the heat of the mid-afternoon, we were more than happy to be ushered into the air-conditioned activity room, but were even more excited to find that a whole playroom set up for some family fun. The kids were instantly drawn to the cartoons being screened, and balloons and a large version of aeroplane chess to play. And on one side, a table set up for some painting fun. The kids were given a clay cupcake-shaped container and guided to use acrylic paints to design and decorate their own. When they were done, the cupcakes were left out to dry, after which we could bring them home. Mei in particular was very chuffed with her handiwork and has been using the container for her accessory odds and ends.

The playroom!

Balloon hats

Trying out a jumbo sized-aeroplane chess game.

Happy to be painting!

Concentrating on their task.

Painting on the chocolate chips.

The completed cupcakes!

Of course, no hotel stay is complete with a swim, so we had to squeeze that in too.

The pool area.

My water baby!

We had to zip off for Noey's graduation ceremony before returning for the night. I teased Noey that the stay was graduation gift to which he asked why we couldn't stay a further night. Perhaps another time, son!

The article I wrote for TheSmartLocal.com is out -- you can read it here: Orchard Parade Hotel - Gigantic Family Staycation Rooms. Click over for more details and package rates.

Thank you Orchard Parade Hotel for your hospitality and for making our stay a memorable one!

Riotous Fun at A Midsummer Night's Dream by Shakespeare's Globe

"The course of true love never did run smooth."

And how it did indeed run riot in this absolutely stellar production of A Midsummer Night's Dream by Shakespeare's Globe Theatre!

I felt a tingle of excitement from the moment the actors stepped out on stage in their renaissance costumes and I continued to be riveted throughout this madcap, highly inventive staging of one of Shakespeare's most beloved plays. A Midsummer Night's Dream is a comedy and indeed we were kept laughing as this comedy of errors unfolded. 

Commanding the stage were West End stars Janie Dee and Aden Gillet in their double roles as Titania/Hippolyta and Oberon/Thesus whose strong performances really drew the audience into the story. You could feel that perceptible discontentment they had with each other, which led Oberon to play a trick on Titania by bewitching her, causing her to fall in love with the ass-headed Bottom. In this regard, the portrayal of the fairy folk as they were as earthy woodland creatures with antlers and skins, was a surprise, but one that was appropriate to convey the raw, sensual nature of the woods and also Titania's attraction for Bottom. 

The four Athenian lovers were delightfully young and their love for the object of their desires appropriately and shallow. This was brought to life by richly comedic performances, causing it not to be too difficult to imagine Lysander's and Demetrius' overnight turn of heart from Hermia to Helena. 

But the biggest laughs were reserved for the rude mechanicals, whose earnestness shone through even as they fumbled through their preparations for the staging of their play. Their final play-within-a-play of Pyramus and Thisby had the whole audience hooting with laughter, with the actors all crammed on a stage which was far too small, sinking their feet into unreliable floor boards that required urgent repairs even as the show had to go on. 

It was a lot fun. What I loved best of all is that this production made us fall in love with Shakespeare again and admire the sheer genius of his writing. All the lines which I worked so hard to memorise, all that clever use imagery and word play that my teenage self slaved over picking out of the script, they jumped out at me as I watched this show. Shakespeare, like music, is best heard and experienced than read. Then only do you truly experience the magic.

I had high expectations for this production and I was blown away. This is A Midsummer Night's Dream as you would probably have experienced it during Shakespeare's time (with a couple of funny local touches thrown in)! The last show is tomorrow. Please don't miss this!

A Midsummer Night's Dream is now on and runs only till the last show on Sun 16 Nov, 3pm. Click here for more ticketing information.

*We were invited to watch this show for the purpose of this review. All opinions remain authentically our own.

The K2 Graduation and Year-End Concert Milestone

These past few weeks has been tough for my mummy heart. 

First there was this: 

Yes, folks, I've got a (kindy) graduate on my hands.

For the first time his school decided to have a separate graduation ceremony for the K2s, so instead of receiving their certificates at the annual school concert, the little graduands got to have their own ceremony. I really appreciated the effort made by the school to do this. It meant two events (this graduation and the school concert), an additional set of rehearsals and two weekends spent in school for the teachers, but it meant that there was more time to celebrate these children at this milestone in their lives.

The programme for the night was a surprise for the parents, something Noey was very gleeful about. But my son can't keep a secret for long, and by and by, I came to realise that the children had been working on art work and a little sharing about what they wanted to be when they grew up. So what was his ambition? I'll tell you in a moment!

Saturday evening rolled by and it was a huge crowd that had gathered to watch sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, nephews, nieces, grandsons and granddaughters graduate for the first time. I was bubbling with excitement for my little man. I was not going to cry, I told myself. I didn't, but when I watched the pre-ceremony slide show with pictures of the children as wee little 3 years olds in Pre-Nursery, I did start to feel a little emotional. Where have all the chubby little faces gone??

Thankfully when the ceremony started, I felt nothing but pride and gladness over how far my little man had come. The same emotional little boy who took four weeks to stop crying and who still makes the most interesting observations came home with the "Most Reflective" award. The teachers gave each and every child an award for the character trait they had most exemplified. I thought a lot of them were spot on, including Noey's. 

After they received their certificates, the children stood on stage and proudly declared their ambitions for the future. Lots of them brought smiles to the faces of those watching. There was a little boy who wanted to be the President of Singapore, and another wanted to be "a boss like my father because I want to tell people what to do". A little girl wanted to be a teacher and come back to their kindy "so that I can teach children like me!". There was one little girl who wanted to be a Mummy because she loves children. I liked that. Her mummy is a SAHM and I think it's a testament to her time spent with her kids that her daughter wants to be a mummy too.

As for Noey, this is what he told everyone: "When I grow up, I want to be a doctor because I want to find a cure for the Ebola virus!" There was quite a roar of approval and amusement after he said that! Well, I hope that the cure for the Ebola virus is found way before then, but I love my little man's big dream and how it's really so him -- to pick up on a current issue, to be worried about a natural calamity and to want to do research! "I want to be a doctor-scientist," he has told me, and was delighted to find out that there was indeed such a thing. I'm sure his grandparents would be totally chuffed if he did decide to become a doctor! Perhaps he can fulfil their dreams in this respect the way I never did.

 

No sooner had I caught my breath after the graduation ceremony, then this and this happened:

The annual concert, and with two to watch this time! Mei performing in her first-ever performance, and Noey in his last. That day, I really felt it -- that ache as you watch your babies step out into their own. Still your babies but in so many ways, babies no longer. I was a bundle of emo-ness, I tell you.

The concert, it was great. The sessions take turns to perform their plays in English and Chinese, so Noey and Mei's play was in Chinese this year. Entitled "大微的故事", it told the tale of David and his anointing by Samuel. The second session performed the story of David and Goliath. Each year, the performances by each of the classes is cleverly woven into the story. The Pre-Nursery and Nursery children will perform group dance items and join in the group singing while the K1 and K2 children will be given roles and speaking parts in addition to group performances. In getting this to stage, the children have a lot to learn, from lines to songs, especially when it's in Chinese!

Mei and her classmates were little sheep dancing to 耶和华是我的牧者 and it was, as it always is with the youngest class, endearingly chaotic. I've seen her rehearse this dance a million times at home but on stage, Mei was excited but shy, hesitant to really get into it. Watching her reminded me that she is a wee one yet. More self-conscious than her brother, she isn't as comfortable on stage but I know she will come into her own in time to come. I loved seeing her up there. And in that adorable costume! Better yet that it was handmade by the teacher and children themselves. The headgear is made from an old white t-shirt with the front cut open and the sleeves tied to create ears. The kids then worked on sticking cotton wool on a piece of paper that was stuck to the top of their heads. It was so creative and the kids all looked so cute in it.

Noey's role was that of one David's brothers (Ozem) and while he only had a couple of lines, I thought he pulled them off flawlessly. No credit to me -- his teacher taught him! My offers to help him learn his lines were waved away impatiently. The most impressive part is that his teacher managed to teach the entire K2 class to recite Psalm 23, yes the whole Psalm, in Chinese! "So that they will carry the Word with them," said his principal when I commented on this while speaking to her after the concert.

Her words really reminded me of what we had prayed for when we chose to place Noey in this kindergarten -- that he (and now his sister too) would learn not just how to read and write, but also the word of God. To not just be prepared for Primary One but to be prepared for life with the proper grounding in Christian values, the school complementing what we teach at home. As I look back on how he's grown over the past four years, not just in stature but in maturity and understanding, I know he has been blessed by being here.

In a few days it will be the last day of kindy and after that, P1 orientation. Dear Lord, let my mummy heart hold out!

Big Hero 6!

Move aside Olaf, there's a new guy in town (who happens to also be white and love hugs!).

He is none other than Baymax, the adorable inflatable robot who is the star of Disney's latest offering for the holidays -- Big Hero 6.

We were privileged to be able to be among the first to catch the movie here in Singapore at Filmgarde Bugis+ over the weekend and this movie was a hit with both the kids and adults alike. I shouldn't have been surprised though, considering that this film was created by the same folks who were behind Wreck-It Ralph and Frozen. Talk about pedigree huh! 

I must admit that I hadn't the faintest idea what Big Hero 6 was about before stepping into the theatre but if you would like to know a bit about the movie, here's a quick introduction:

The protagonist of the story is Hiro Hamada, a 14-year old robotics prodigy who, after graduating early from high school, idles his time away participating in illegal bot fights. Unwilling to see him waste his life away in this manner, Hiro's older brother Tadashi Hamada tries to get Hiro to enrol for University in the same robotics programme that Tadashi is in. He brings Hiro to his robotics lab and introduces Hiro to his friends as well as Tadashi's latest project -- Baymax, a robotic personal healthcare assistant. Hiro is inspired and starts his own project to gain admission to the robotics programme. His project is a huge hit but alas, tragedy strikes. As a dangerous plot unfolds, Hiro and Baymax strike up an unlikely friendship, and together with the other self-proclaimed nerds adrenaline junkie Go Go Tamago, neatnik Wasabi, chemistry whiz Honey Lemon and fanboy Fred, this motley crew of six find themselves having to assume the roles of superheroes to save the town of San Fransokyo from the forces of evil. 

Here's a quick sneak peek:

The storyline is straight-forward enough, but the film shines through on several counts. First there are the stunning visuals. We watched the film in 3D and swooping around with Baymax during the flying scenes was quite a treat! San Fransokyo borrows many elements from the famous cities of San Francisco and Tokyo that are used to good effect for the story. From the trams to the undulating terrain to the iconic Golden Gate Bridge, these helped to make backdrop recognisable despite the fact that the story was set in a fictious city.

But what makes this film a gem is the delicate balance it strikes between pain and empowerment, with the deft use of humour that does not detract from the underlying grief. There were plenty of moments where I laughed-out-loud and and similarly those that moved me to tears.

And of course, there's Baymax, surely the breakout star of the season! Cute and cuddly, I'm sure everyone will want to bring him home! Credit again to the scriptwriters and Scott Adsit who voiced the loveable robot for making him comforting without being patronising, compassionate without being cloying.

Big Hero 6 is one of Disney's best shows in recent times. Don't miss it when it opens in cinemas this Thursday, 13 Nov! For more information, do check out the Walt Disney Studios Facebook Page. As part of the promotions for this movie, there are interesting Baymax creation by celebrities and NAFA students on display at Bugis Junction till 24th November.

(Get your own Baymax Photobomb here!)

*We thank Disney Studios SG for the invitation to catch this preview. All opinions remain, as always, our own.

Hop & Honk: Funny and Full of Heart

What would a Frog Prince and an Ugly Duckling have in common?

Plenty, it seems, judging from ITheatre's year-end theatre extravaganza, Hop & Honk, a play that imaginatively tries to weave the two well-known fairy tales into one.

Mei and I made a girly date of it on the Saturday afternoon after the kids' year-end concert as the boys took off to do their own thing (ie. play with LEGO!) Being familiar with both tales, she was excited to see the duckling turn into a beautiful swan and… the Princess! Heh, guess the Frog Prince himself didn't hold much attraction for her!

Stripey frogs - NOT the family of the Frog Prince, much to his dismay.

While the two characters and the original tales provide the inspiration for this production, the story here is an original tale, starting off with its own backstory of how the swan's egg ended up in a duck's nest and how the prince got turned into a frog. From there, the story flows on to tell the tale of Cygna the ugly "duckling" and Anura the frog prince, their unlikely friendship, and their quest to find "the Land of No Difference", where they would not be judged and where their differences would be appreciated.

Ducklings with their teacher, the goose Edina and their sweet mother Anna Merganser.

With some catchy songs, witty dialogue and pretty spectacular sets, even though this is a show targeted at kids, I (the adult) actually enjoyed this show a lot more than I had expected. Mei was entertained enough to sit through the whole 85 minutes, though she got a little frightened when Herodias the Heron, the villain of the story made his appearance. How she laughed when his pants got pulled down to reveal his orange legs! Her favourite character was the pink Princess Trixibelle for obvious reasons, while I really liked Herodias' sidekicks, the weasels Chester and Lester, whose quick talking provided many laughs. 

Herodias caught with his pants down!

Sweet Cygna, now a beautiful swan, with Anura the frog prince.

It was altogether a great production, with plenty of good messages about respecting differences and being a good friend. I would recommend it more for children aged 6 and above though. It was a bit long for my fidgety little 3-year old and much of the humour, which I appreciated, simply flew over her head. Which is not to say that she didn't enjoy it though. She was still talking about the story and characters for days later. We also really appreciated the fact that the programme booklet had a colouring page and a spot-the-difference quiz that the kids enjoyed completing. Click here for some free Hop & Honk printables from littledayout.com! 

Hop and Honk is on till Saturday 15 Nov 2014. For more ticketing information, do refer to my previous post here. 

One of the best parts of attending an ITheatre performance: Getting to meet-and-greet the characters thereafter! Of course Mei was really excited, only the freeze up when it got to be our turn. 

Thanks for an entertaining afternoon, ITheatre!

*We were provided with tickets to the show for the purpose of this review. All opinions remain our own.