School Holiday Activities Your Child Will Love
 


 Wondering how to keep your kids entertained during the school holidays? We’ve got you covered!
 
We might not be able to travel, but that doesn’t mean your kids can’t have fun during the school holidays. Planning engaging things for your kids to do will bring them some much-needed respite from the stress of schooling during a pandemic. So, keep them busy during their break with a variety of activities that are so entertaining, they may not even realise how educational they are!
 

Foster creative experiences
 


 Art can provide a very natural and safe way for children to express themselves. They can play, experiment, make a mess, and create stories.
 
Children are naturally creative on their own accord. But if their creativity isn’t fostered, they begin to lose it as they grow into adults. Pablo Picasso famously said, “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.” One of the best ways to encourage a lifelong love of the arts is to enroll your kids in art classes.
 
Art classes teach children how to properly hold a paintbrush, pencils or markers and build hand muscles while playing with clay. Older students will benefit by learning proper painting or drawing techniques, and even build muscle when learning to create more physically-demanding forms of art like sculptures. 
 
‍Perhaps more so than anything else, art helps children express emotion in a meaningful and honest way. Kids gain a sense of confidence as they take the emotions they are feeling, acknowledge and process them into something visual.
 
Whether it’s drawing, painting or sculpting, art gives a kid the tools to be creative, think outside of the box, consider all avenues, and to be inventive and innovative with a solution or idea. Fostering creativity through art is also a perfect way to engage both the left and right sides of the brain, helping a child to make better decisions, retain more information, and improve comprehension.
 
Encourage your child’s self-expression through art at Global Art located at Bedok PointCentury SquareEastpoint MallHougang Mall, and White SandsHiArt located at Tiong Bahru Plaza; or Studio Miu Art located at The Centrepoint.
 

Burn off energy (without tearing down the house!)
 


 Indoor playgrounds can provide your child with the stimulation they need in a safe and comfortable
indoor play place.
 
Many children love indoor playgrounds because they provide a safe and secure place to learn and explore. From big slides to ball pits and jungle gyms, indoor playgrounds offer a plethora of fun and educational activities to keep your child entertained and happy.
 
While characters and plots may seem silly to adults, children love to pretend that they are in imaginative scenarios when they visit an indoor play place. Whether they’re running from villains or trying to save a damsel in distress, let your child’s creativity and imagination soar in a controlled and hygienic indoor environment — one of the best places to create positive playing and learning experiences for your child.
 
Since most kids these days are glued to electronics, it’s easy to see how these sedentary lifestyles offer little to no physical benefits. When you take your child’s iPad away and bring them to an indoor playground, they will immediately feel the urge to run, jump, climb, swing, and explore!
 
Book a play date at Pirate Land located at The Centrepoint, or Sunshine Childhood Playland located at Northpoint City.
 

Game-changing fun for the whole family
 


 There are plenty of kid-friendly games to choose from with something to suit every age range.
 
Children in the 1970s and 1980s lived in a golden age when arcade games dominated their afternoons and arcades seemed to exist on every corner. Eventually, those long afternoons and pocketfuls of quarters faded as video game arcades were replaced by home gaming systems and more advanced technology.
 
Today, however, as arcades enjoy a resurgence in popularity, modern-day childhood can also benefit from the unique appeal of arcade games. But a visit to a game arcade today is much different than the days of yore. From shooting games, claw machines, basketball, air hockey, skeeball, dancing and rhythm games, as well as bumper cars, arcades have evolved from dimly-lit, flickering halls of machines to interactive go-to family-friendly entertainment destinations. 
 
There are many ways in which taking kids to the arcade can foster family bonding. Not only that, when played in moderation and in a healthy environment — it can actually help kids develop critical-thinking and motor skills. A good game requires patience, quick reflexes, and cleverness to attain the objective and beat the machine. It’s not just fun — it can help kids reach their full potential, too. 
 
Steer them towards a claw game at Caribbean located at The Centrepoint; City Hero located at Century Square; Comic City located at Changi City Point, Fun Claw located at Causeway Point, Play United located at Hougang Mall, Tiong Bahru Plaza, and YewTee Point; or The Claw located at Bedok Point. Take turns beating each other’s high scores at Arcade 1998 located at Tiong Bahru Plaza; Timezone located at Causeway Point, Northpoint City, and Waterway Point; Virtualand located at Century Square; or Zone X located at Eastpoint Mall
 

BONUS: In-mall activities
 


 Strengthen the parent-child connection with these fun hands-on workshops!
 
Your children won’t be short of things to keep them busy while you shop, relax and watch, or take part. Eastpoint Mall’s EP March Holiday Boot Camp on 15 & 16 March, offers kids two days of fun-filled activities featuring sports, arts and crafts, as well as music, from 12-5pm. Kids will also get to bring home goodies worth more than $40. Register your child now at the mall’s Customer Service Counter (Level 2) for just $10. Limited to the first 20 participants for children aged between 7 to 12 years. Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis, so hurry!
 
Over at Changi City Point, spend a minimum of $80 and your child gets to participate in Express Art Jamming on 20 & 21 March at 2pm & 4pm (#02-24), or Natural Soap Bar Workshop happening on 27 March at 2pm & 4pm (Basement 1 Atrium). 
 
There are also Miniature Clay Food Making and Bubble Tea Cup Sleeve workshops held at Century Square Roof Garden on 27, 28 March & 2, 3, 4, 10, 11, 17 & 18 April at 1pm & 5pm. Simply spend $50 (maximum two transactions) and you’ll be able to sign up both you and your kiddo for either workshops. Slots are limited to 10 sign-ups per session so don’t miss out on this chance for a fun bonding session where you’ll get to use your hands to make creative keepsakes. 
 
You can sign up for both workshops at Century Square and Tampines 1, but remember to head down to Century Square Roof Garden for the actual workshop.    
 
These activities will not only fight boredom but will also challenge their minds and muscles — strengthening their bodies and releasing all that pent-up energy — ultimately keeping your kids happy and healthy. A worthy outcome indeed!
Back