Recently, I noticed that whenever Lil Pumpkin does something related to Science, she would write "JJ" on the cover.
At first I was a little puzzled over it... then I remembered that she has a set of science-based comic books, JJ's Science Adventures, where JJ is the acronym of the main protagonists' names, Joyce and Jonathan, who go on exciting quests to discover the secrets of science.
Did the comic books have such a great impact on Lil Pumpkin that she channels her inner "JJ" to help her complete her Science work??! haha
From Aurelia Tan, the same local author that brought us Science Made Easy with Doodles {a unique pictorial companion guide to the current MOE Science syllabus}, JJ's Science Adventure is a series of educational comic books designed to help readers master key learning objectives stated in the Singapore Ministry of Education’s Primary School Science syllabus.
The story goes that after receiving their birthday presents from their grandfather, Joyce and Jonathon {JJ} find themselves in possession of two bags which transform into Robo, a talking robot, and a teleportation portal. With a set of keys from Robo, the kids open the portal into sub-dimensional world created by the ‘World Maker’, an incredible invention by their grandfather to help them learn science.
Each comic book is based on a specific unit {e.g. Forces, Magnets, Heat & Light} and converts the learning objectives for that unit into a sci-fi adventure story that captures the interest of students through the use of engaging narratives and fully-coloured Japanese manga graphics.
In the adventure for Heat & Light, the twins journey into the World of Heat and Light where they solve challenging puzzle traps laid by their grandfather. Will they survive the constant sabotage by a minion sent by Mr Sinister and win the prize that helps them unlock yet another Science secret?
Like I mentioned before, Lil Pumpkin is a visual learner so enjoyed learning and remembering new bite-sized Science concepts via the cute drawings in the comic books.
And through the adventures in the comic books, she sees that Science isn't boring. On the contrary, Science is fascinating yet very relatable to the world we live in!! Definitely something she wants to explore more and dig into deeper!
The storyline is simple enough to follow, even for young Science learners like Lil Pumpkin. She particularly liked the "Did You Know" interesting trivia sections and "Challenge Yourself" sections where she could test herself on specific new concepts learnt.
As a parent, I liked that key learning points are highlighted to ensure that we can easily identify them as learning points to emphasize to our children. I reckon that the comic books are easy-to-digest for those in lower Primary, and is a fun revision companion for those in upper Primary that want to take their minds off all the "heavy textbook" reading. The book is also small and light enough to carry about and keep Lil Pumpkin entertained on the train or during waiting times.
If you're interested, JJ's Science Adventure {Heat & Light} comic book costs S$18.90 and is sold online here, in Elm Tree shop at Paragon & Downtown East, and in Junior Page bookstore at Alexandra Retail Centre {ARC} & KK Hospital. More information about the series can be found on Harvest Edutainment website.
For my own special friends & blog readers, I've TWO JJ's Science Adventure {Heat & Light} Educational Comic Book {worth S$18.90} to give away!! A perfect Science enrichment book for P2 - P6 students, or even for younger children if you'd like to introduce Science concepts to them.
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Details: * Open to Singapore residents only. * Ends Sunday, 2 Sep 2018 2359hrs {Singapore time} * Incomplete or inappropriate entries will be deemed invalid and will not be included. * Winners will be announced by Wednesday 5 Sep 2018 on this blog post and notified via email with further instructions on how to collect prize. Winners have 2 days to reply, or the prize will be redrawn.
P.S. To date, there are 3 titles in the series: Magnets, Heat & Light, and Forces. Stay tuned for another giveaway next month for JJ's Science Adventure {Forces}!!
I was at a work talk, which was pretty mundane, but at the end the speaker was telling the story of The Three Bricklayers to drive home the idea of having the right attitude and understanding the big picture. Basically the story goes like this,
"Someone saw three men working. He asked the first man what he was doing and the man said he was laying bricks. He asked the second man the same question and he said he was putting up a wall. When he got to the third man and asked him what he was doing he said he was building a cathedral."
They were all doing the same thing. The first man had a job. The second man had a career. The third man had a calling.
At an organisational level, it's important for an employee to know that no matter how small our job is or how insignificant it may seem, we are all laying bricks to build the company up. There is a big picture in our daily actions, and what little we do still makes a difference.
On hearing that parable, I related it more to me being a mum and how I communicate to Lil Pumpkin about her studies, though.
As she progresses through her schooling years, her school load is getting more and more intensive. Every other day, I'm telling her to "study hard", or "do your homework" or "remember your revision" etc. Even I reckon that I sound like a broken record and find it sian to say it over, and over again...
I know Lil Pumpkin is a curious child and likes learning new things, but sometimes schoolwork or listening in class can be boring. Rather than just reminding her on completing the immediate task e.g. learn her spelling or finish her homework, I should remind her to see the end result and focus on the bigger picture i.e. gaining more knowledge, creating a life that she wants, being a useful citizen of the world, having the ability to positively impact others in the future etc.
Maybe then, she would be more self-motivated to strive on completing the challenging tasks at hand without me prompting, and not be disappointed if she has mini set-backs in her schooling journey.
Lil Pumpkin may be laying bricks every day, but if she can envision her own personal "cathedral", she will enjoy her school years more, and grow more through the process. Right? #mummymusings
It's easy to tell when Lil Pumpkin likes a book because she will go read it all by herself again, and again, and again... without any prompting by me. Like this Science Made Easy with Doodles book that's co-authored by local writers, Aurelia Tan and Dr. Koh Siak Meng.
It's not even a fictional storybook, but actually a unique pictorial companion guide to the current MOE Science syllabus that extrapolates all the important core concepts and condenses them into colourful & cute little drawings that make it easy for young students, like Lil Pumpkin, to understand.
Lil Pumpkin is a visual learner and has always been interested in arts and doodles, so this was exactly what she needed to introduce her to the key scientific facts, concepts and principles that she is/ will be learning in school, and help her to remember them better.
Wordy textbooks with little or no pictures just doesn't cut it for her at the moment (ી(΄◞ิ౪◟ิ‵)ʃ)
“Science Made Easy with Doodles” is a complete set of 18 doodles, for the nine Lower Primary and nine Upper Primary Science units in the Ministry of Education {MOE} Science curriculum. It covers Diversity, Cycles, Systems, Interactions & Energy in both Lower Block {P3 & P4) and Upper Block {P5 & P6}.
The book itself is A4-sized and wire-bound. Every page is fully colour-printed on a hardy artcard and laminated, so we don't have to worry about the pages getting crumpled or tearing if water is accidentally spilled on it.
It happened before though, as since it's so light and provides a quick and easy revision of Science topics, we like to bring the book out for Lil Pumpkin to read while waiting, and she accidentally knocked a cup of water over it during dinner. We quickly wiped it dry with tissue and there wasn't any damage or need to dry it much further.
Here are some examples of the cute doodles, which Lil Pumpkin likes to copy out sometimes and that's good I reckon because it helps her to remember better haha.
Each page highlights and summarises key teaching points of 1 unit. Just the fundamental information, nothing too in-depth or confusing. I love that all the abstract science concepts in this new school subject are broken down step-by-step, and presented clearly & succinctly for Lil Pumpkin.
Actually, I heard that quite a number of schools have also used the illustrations found in the book as learning walls for the students!!
If you're interested, "Science Made Easy with Doodles" book costs S$32 and is sold online here and in Junior Page bookstore at Alexandra Retail Centre {ARC} & KK Hospital. Check out Harvest Edutainment website for more information on the A2-sized wall posters and customised wallpaper that are available too.
For my own special friends & blog readers, I've TWO Science Made Easy with Doodles Pictorial Guidebook {worth S$32} to give away!! A perfect Science study companion for P3 - P6 students, or even for younger children if you'd like to introduce Science concepts to them.
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4. Leave me a blog comment telling me your best Science tip + FB name you used to like the page + name you used to subscribe to the newsletter. For those unsure of how to comment, choose "Name/URL" option then add your name and comment.
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UPDATE: The giveaway has ended. The winner is Petrina Pang & Katherine Ke. Stay tuned for more blog giveaways on Sakura Haruka! Check out my current readers promos too. Thanks for your support!
Details: * Open to Singapore residents only. * Ends Friday, 29 Jun 2018 2359hrs {Singapore time} * Incomplete or inappropriate entries will be deemed invalid and will not be included. * Winners will be announced by Tuesday 3 July 2018 on this blog post and notified via email with further instructions on how to collect prize. Winners have 2 days to reply, or the prize will be redrawn.
This is my fave family photo at the moment - taken in Harajuku, Tokyo during our family trip there last year. It was just after we bought Lil Pumpkin her first vintage namesake jewelry piece {which she's holding} that she chose for herself. Her daddy said we should have just named her "Uniqlo"... so much cheaper haha.
As you probably know, May is my fave month of all since young. Mostly because it's my birthday month, but now also because ALL our birthdays are in May!! Yup, the boy, Lil Pumpkin and I are all May babies!!! o((*^▽^*))o
Every time May rolls around, I get the same sort of excitement and warm, fuzzy feeling I get when Christmas is coming. Everything seems lovely, everything seems merry, everything seems peaceful.. except that from this year onwards, we have that one little glitch called "Mid-year Exams" aka "Semester Assessment 1 {SA1}" to get around. Le sigh.
I don't deal with exam stress very well, although I must say that Lil Pumpkin is one chill little girl when it comes to exams haha.. good for her. She doesn't seem fazed or stressed at all. Every time I ask "Are you ready?" she'd answer positively. After the exams I'd ask, "How did it go?" and she'd say "Good" (ﾉ≧∀≦)ﾉ
Can't wait until it is all over next week so that we can get the birthday celebrations rolling!!! I really hope that her exams never fall on her actual birthday on 12 May... that would really suck.
Last Thursday we bought the Creative HansVision PX2131 Chinese electronic dictionary for Lil Pumpkin. Apparently students in Primary, Secondary and JCs are now allowed to use e-dictionaries during the compo paper for PSLE, GCE N(T), N(A), O and A-Level Examinations so schools allow them for use during class and school exams too.
However, exactly when they can start using them in class and during school exams will depend on the school. Some schools only allow kids to use them from P4/P5 onwards, while others, like Lil Pumpkin's school, lets them use them from P3 onwards.
It is not a necessity. Students are still allowed to use the traditional paper dictionaries to help them write compositions like before, but given this time and age where kids nowadays are more geared towards technology like mobile-phones, tablets and computers, they would probably be more comfortable using e-dictionaries compared to paper dictionaries {which I still personally prefer!} where it is quicker and more convenient to bring around.
However, for paper dictionaries, you have to be precise in knowing the number of strokes or exact hanyu pinyin for each Chinese character. There is no "auto-correct" or any intuitive help that an electronic dictionary provides.
I guess that can be the reason why you would or wouldn't start your child on an electronic dictionary. It doesn't "force" them to count the number of strokes or know the hanyu pinyin before they need to check the meaning of the words. So, it is thus useful for a child who struggles in this area, and yet it provides no motivation for them to improve on them either.
Anyway, I'm not going to discuss whether to get a paper or e-dictionary in this post. Maybe another time.
But since I posted on my Facebook page & Instagram that we got Lil Pumpkin the PX2131, a few parents requested for a review on this particular model so I'd focus more on that here instead.
Background of Chinese e-dictionaries in Singapore for use in exams
Since 2007, the Ministry of Education {MOE} allowed the use of electronic CL-CL dictionaries during examinations for all levels from PSLE to pre-University starting 2007.
There's a list of approved Chinese e-dictionaries compiled by Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board {SEAB} for PSLE. Approval for use in national examinations is valid only for 5 years for a specific edition/version starting from the examination year following the year of application. Vendors need to apply for an extension of the validity period of the approved dictionaries, which they do so don't be afraid to get one now even if your child's PSLE is after the current approved period.
From this list, you can see that there's only 3 major players in the market - Besta, Creative and ZZ. A quick check online shows that Besta and Creative are the more established brands, while ZZ is a new company and their dictionaries were only added into this list from this year. All 3 are local, Singapore companies {but ZZ originated from China}.
The first approved Chinese e-dictionary {HansVision PX2051} was a collaboration between Creative and Ministry of Education for our students. Then Besta started their All Pass series targeted for students to bring into exam halls and ZZ was established in 2016 and started selling their versions last year.
Why did we get Creative HansVision Chinese E-Dictionary PX2131?
We bought Lil Pumpkin her Chinese e-dictionary the night we found out that she could use it for her P3 compo exam paper, which was a week later. We wanted to get it fast so that she'd have time to get used to the e-dictionary in time for her exams.
Just so you know, we didn't really have much time to do a comprehensive comparison of all the available models out there. I assume that the internal software {Chinese dictionary, vocabulary bank, Chinese idioms list, hanyu pinyin search functions etc.} is about the same across the board. However, I asked around, read some reviews and we narrowed down to the model we wanted to get her based on some factors that were important to us.
Firstly, the e-dictionary had to have a handwriting input function as that's the main way Lil Pumpkin searches for words in the dictionary app she uses at home. At the moment, she rarely searches for words with hanyu pinyin mainly because 1) most of the times she already doesn't know how to read the characters, that's why she needs to search haha, and 2) it is just quicker to write it out then to type out the hanyu pinyin.
Basically with this factor, it eliminated almost all of the Creative HansVision models except for PX2131 as that's the only one that has a handwriting input function. Even the latest PX2181 model that was released this year does not have a stylus / handwriting input function {see comparison table at end of post}!!
Besta All Pass 3 {the older versions are out of production and not in sale anymore} and ZZ models were still in the game though.
Secondly, we wanted something compact and light for her to bring to and fro school. Creative HansVision PX2181 and Besta All Pass 3 fit this criteria. ZZ e-dictionaries are apparently modified car navigation devices. They are newer, touchscreen, coloured, have bigger writing surfaces, use built-in batteries but are also heavier, bulkier and require frequent charging {and they also didn't have the Wildcard Search function - see below for details}.
Thirdly, we wanted to buy from an established brand because it's for use during exams. I mean, I don't want her to bring it to exams then suddenly it conks out and won't work!
Although I like that ZZ e-dictionaries are touchscreen, coloured & have a bigger writing surface, there is not much track record on how long they can last without charging, how they heat up, how they will hold up against kids bringing them around in their school bags or kids inevitably dropping them from their desk every now and then {fyi, their screens are made of glass, compared to plastic for Creative & Besta} and whether their resolutions will distort or become pixelated over time... like how quite a number of parents complain about Besta All Pass e-dictionaries, even up to recent months for All Pass 3.
{image from a parenting forum}
{image from Besta Facebook page}
Yup, even with the clam-shell case design, some parents complain that their kids' Besta e-dictionary screens crack or have black lines across. And the stylus doesn't have a slot in All Pass 3 e-dictionary itself {it's stored in the provided case} plus the handwriting input function isn't as sensitive as Creative HansVision PX2131...
So with all these in mind, we chose Creative HansVision PX2131 as Lil Pumpkin's first Chinese e-dictionary!! *throws confetti*
I say "first" because I expect to have to buy a few times in the course of her studies haha since parents say these e-dictionaries don't last thaaaaaat long {2 years tops?}, she might lose it and better versions will be out by the time she takes her PSLE. But still, I hope that this e-dictionary will last her a couple of years.
Quick Review
You can see the full specifications in the table above or from Creative HansVision's website. The English and Chinese manual is available here. See comparison between PX2131 and PX2181 {2018 model} below.
1. Box set & accessories
One unit comes with Creative HansVision PX2131 e-dictionary, a retractable stylus, black earphones, a mini paper cleaner, 1-year warranty card and 2x AAA batteries. Cost is S$59.
Hard cover case {black only} can be purchased from Popular bookstore at $6.90 or Creative HansVision at S$5. Additional stylus can be purchased from Creative HansVision at S$3. For purchase from Creative HansVision, you may call to order & have it delivered to you, or buy direct from their service centre: A Genuine Technology, 1 Rochor Canal Road #05-67 Sim Lim Square.
2. Design
I was surprised that Creative HansVision PX2131 e-dictionary is so small haha... like a mini calculator? Some say like a BlackBerry phone. But good that it's light and compact for Lil Pumpkin to bring around.
Buttons are pretty small for adults, or those with fat fingers hehe, but for kids like Lil Pumpkin they are reasonably easy to press. For the screen, I would prefer it to be bigger as sometimes the complicated characters seem too cramped and she is not able to distinguish the different strokes properly. However, it is big enough for her to write her characters and read most of the time. Back-light is a hit too.
Unfortunately, it does not come with a cover. You have to purchase a hard protective case separately. However, the PX2131 seems pretty hardy and unless the kid is going to sit on it or drop it face down, it doesn't really need the cover for protection. The on/off button is also not protruding like the rest of the buttons so it's not likely to get switched on accidentally too.
There is a stylus slot for the accompanying stylus at the back, and a headphone jack at the side. It's a very simple, no-frills design which I actually like so that Lil Pumpkin won't get distracted when using it to study. With her phone dictionary app, it's easy for her to lose focus and start fiddling around with other apps or games.
3. User-friendliness
Lil Pumpkin {currently P3 student} spent less than half an hour to learn how to operate the basic functions from her daddy. She would need more time to practice using it efficiently though.
This is a Chinese-to-Chinese dictionary so there's no English meanings given and even the buttons are labeled in Chinese. It is daunting {even for me!}, but in a way I'm glad as it "forces" Lil Pumpkin to recognise and widen her vocabulary. Basic knowledge of Chinese words like 开关 {on/off}, 目录 {menu}, 说明 {help}, 输入法 {input method} etc. required. There's English help if you press 【说明】.
4. Pronunciation Function
You can check the pronunciations of just the character{s} searched, but the full reading of the meaning{s} or examples of use is not given. It would definitely be useful to have the latter.
The voice is clear, and only works when listened to with earphones though.
Very handy to have so many different ways to search for the Chinese words meanings and readings, for single and multiple characters. However, at her current Chinese language level, Lil Pumpkin will not likely use all now. The Wildcard Search is extremely helpful, but I suspect 部首 Search will be used the least. If it lasts {and hopefully it does!}, this e-dictionary will be even more useful at higher levels and is acceptable for use at O' & A' Levels too.
6. Special Handwriting Input Feature The screen is relatively sensitive i.e. you don't need to press too hard for it to pick up your writing & you can write without a stylus. However, Lil Pumpkin still writes her Chinese characters quite big and slow and sometimes she needs to do it a few times to get the correct words because after she finishes writing the radical, pause to check, then write the second part of the word, the dictionary suggestions would have already popped up and may not contain the word she was looking for.
Do note that this e-dictionary does not have a "true touchscreen". It's useful only for writing the characters, but you cannot choose options or navigate by touching the screen. I hope they improve on this for later models though.
7. Battery Life Hard to say since we got it just a week ago but since it has just a black & white screen and simple blue back-light, I don't expect it to eat a lot of battery power. The screen will stay lit when it is powered on, and the e-dictionary will automatically power off if there's no activity for 20 mins.
Anyway, 2 x AAA batteries can be easily changed from the back. 8. Value-for-Money We paid S$65.21 {S$59 + S$6.90 less 10% for Popular members, no discount on PX2131 as it is NETT price}. It is not terribly expensive as an electronic teaching aid, and with the functions it comes with, plus I expect Lil Pumpkin to use it for at least 2 years, I reckon it is value-for-money.
If you buy in school, or during their roadshows it might be even cheaper. Initially, I was surprised that the PX2131 was so low-tech, even though it's one of their latest models #firstworldproblems But then again, the exam e-dictionaries are meant to be low cost, most likely to make them accessible to all students from all family income levels. You can see that all of them are around S$50-100 each and at this price range, so I can't expect a whole lot of applications or functions like how I might be used to with a smartphone.
9. Does the child like it??
As you can see from the video above, Lil Pumpkin likes her new e-dictionary because she finds it helpful, and also because I think it's a novel study toy for her haha.. Yesterday, Lil Pumpkin had her P3 Chinese compo exam and she said that she used it, mainly for checking how to write words using hanyu pinyin input.
Her classmate has the Besta All Pass 3 which she played around with and liked that design too because "it can open and close", and "has a small box at the bottom to write in".
That "small box" is actually smaller than PX2131's writing surface and not as sensitive though, according to some users. I told her that if they improve on their technology & flaws, we can consider getting it next time as I prefer their clam-shell case design too. My old JP-EL e-dictionaries from Casio were like that too.
P.S. I heard from some parents that there are no display models at Popular bookstores for Creative HansVision e-dictionaries. Only for Besta e-dictionaries which has their own counters {promoters only work 1pm - 9pm though} in Popular.
However, we bought ours from Marine Parade Central's Popular and they had display models for customers to play around with for PX2131 and the latest PX2181. From what I gather, main difference is PX2131 has the handwriting input, while PX2181 doesn't but has the newest function of inputting the four tones of classical Chinese phonetics (四声) and non-stress voice (轻声) for a faster search. E.g. cheng2jiu4 will get the result �?就
If you wish to try out all Creative HansVision models, then go to their main office at 63 Hillview Avenue #03-09 Lam Soon Industrial Building. I called their office a few times to ask questions about the products and they seem quite friendly.
*Note: This is not a sponsored post or advertorial. All opinions are my own.
It's been a long time since it was just you and me alone for more than a day or two and at first, Mummy was a tad worried about how we were going to get along our week. Even though you are on holiday, you still have a few enrichment classes to attend and Mummy still has to go to work and train. Plus, I also wanted you to enjoy your short break too and not miss out on having fun!!
Your Dad has always been a hands-on family guy and Mummy has always depended on him for a lot of things like transport and taking care of you when I had my other commitments. So without him around, it's as if Mummy lost an arm!
I mean, it's nothing to shout about as many other mummies do solo-parenting much more often than me as the dads have to work odd shifts or travel overseas on business trips often {your aunts are good examples} but since I don't usually have to, and since Mummy still feels like a big kid at times hehe... I was a wee bit concerned if I could handle it well.
As the time came nearer, and after overcoming my initial apprehension, Mummy got down to do more planning of our week together and rescheduling of some of our usual activities. I decided to take leave so that we could spend more time together doing fun things instead of you coming to work and staying in the office with me.
And boy, did we have an action-packed and fun-filled week! We watched Tomb Raider at the cinema, went scooting, rock-climbing, and even ice-skated for the first time!!
Mummy took lots of photos and videos of our week together and updated your Dad every day. I know you missed him a lot too as you wanted to FaceTime with him every night as well.. you really are your Daddy's Girl.
I hope you enjoyed your March holidays with Mummy, my darling. I hope you have more good memories of Mummy playing and spending time with you, not just nagging at you to study or be a good girl...
May we have more of these special mother-daughter dates together, even as you get older and more independent ❤
It's the last day of Chinese New Year!! After 15 days of celebrations and feasting... CNY is officially over after today. Hope everyone managed to have a reeeeeaaaally good rest and fun time with your loved ones.
I certainly took full advantage of the long weekend, and added 2 extra days to it haha since Lil Pumpkin's school was closed on the following Monday and Tuesday too. The boy's clinic is fully closed for the year only during CNY so it was a real treat for all of us (♥ω♥ ) ~♪
Still {!!} slowly getting back into the grind of work and our usual family schedule now (。-ω-)zzz
On Monday {CNY Day 4}, we brought Lil Pumpkin to see Butterflies Up-Close at Science Centre Singapore. The previous week, she went on a school excursion to the Science Centre with her classmates BUT they apparently spent the whole time there in a lab learning about insects!! They didn't get to explore the different exhibitions or events at our award-winning Science Centre which was such a shame as they have so many creative and innovative experiences available for the kids to learn more about science.
Oh well. Poor Lil Pumpkin was so disappointed and I didn't understand why they had to go all the way there to learn in a lab too when her own school has good labs haha so anyway we brought her back to make up for that disappointing school excursion.
Butterflies Up-Close is a permanent exhibition at Science Centre that opened from April 2016. Spanning 600sq metres and divided into 5 different zones, it is a joint project with Sentosa's Butterfly and Insect Kingdom to guide visitors through the metamorphosis of a butterfly - from egg to adulthood.
With only around 1 in 20 eggs making it to adulthood, the butterfly is met with numerous dangers and threats during each stage of its life cycle. At the exhibition, participants gain a deeper insight on how the butterfly behaves, interacts with its surroundings, and survives each stage of its life cycle to become a beautiful winged adult.
There's a diverse range of butterflies to learn about here from the region and on entering, you see this amazing giant art-piece that's made of real butterfly wings. Approximately 4,000 wing pieces from 28 different butterfly species actually.
Don't worry, they were collected from the butterflies after they ended their life cycles naturally!
Since we arrived early in the morning and it was our first paid exhibit we went to that day {we also went to Circus! Science Under the Big Top, read more about it below}, there weren't any other visitors as the crowd start trickling in around noon.
We took our time to read the descriptions, learn some cool trivia {did you know that moths usually rest with their wings flat, while butterflies with their wings folded??}, observe real butterflies under microscopes, check out some of the live caterpillars in the tanks..
... and of course, take photos hehe.
The highlight of the Butterflies Up-Close is definitely the Live Butterfly Enclosure. Although the number of butterflies and species vary on the season, you can expect around 500 live butterflies of over 15 species imported from countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia and Australia flying freely here.
And yes, you are allowed to touch and pick up the butterflies yourself! This thrilled Lil Pumpkin {and meeeeee} tremendously! ✿♥‿♥✿
Note: The staff will teach you how to pick them up safely from their legs. Do not touch their wings!
The Live Butterfly Enclosure is Singapore's largest indoor butterfly aviary where both humidity and temperature are carefully regulated to ensure that both the plants and butterflies thrive well there.
It was a lovely, cool respite from the hot weather outside for sure.
There's a little Research Pod in the center of the enclosure where you can see parts of the butterflies under microscopes, learn about their anatomy and see how a butterfly "shimmers" as you alter the angle of light shining on it.
But most of the time, we spent it chasing after live butterflies hehe...
Oh what an experience! Living in a concrete city, it's not often that we get to be so intimate with nature, especially beautiful creatures like butterflies. Sure, we try to bring Lil Pumpkin to parks and hiking trails every now and then, but it doesn't mean that we'd always be able to touch and have so many butterflies surrounding us.
And goodness, there were so tame!! A lot of them were just resting peacefully on plants, or sipping at their meals, and some even came to land on us by themselves...
The boy was especially popular with the butterflies.. just call him The Butterfly Whisperer haha. The whole time we were there, he had a butterfly on him either on his head, back, shoulders etc.
The staff said it's because he's wearing red and butterflies are attracted to red... but I'm wearing red too, how come they don't come to me as much??? #jealous
Lil Pumpkin was really gentle with the butterflies and I loved seeing this side of her.
She was aware of her surroundings and figured out for herself which butterflies were more likely agreeable to her picking them up {hint: bigger butterflies that were just resting and not feeding}, patiently inched her little fingers underneath their legs and ever so softly and slowly, lifted them up without frightening them away. Such a darling (‘∀’●)♡
I reckon we spent at least half an hour just at the Live Butterfly Enclosure.
There's no time limit and the staff won't chase you out but once more people came in, it felt kinda cramped and the butterflies were not as relaxed.
We stayed until Lil Pumpkin was well and ready to leave.. she was really pleased with the visit and I'm delighted that we brought her back to Science Centre where she not only learnt new things, but had fun doing so too ꒰✪ૢꇵ✪ૢ꒱à·†⃛
Took a lot more pictures which I compiled in the video above. You know I really like something when I take the effort to make a video of it haha so have a look, and if it isn't playing properly, watch it on my YouTube channel here.
After that, we explored the main Science Centre attractions as well as Circus! Science Under the Big Top to discover the secrets and the science behind the wonders of the circus before heading home. See my Instagram post above to check out the highlights of that exhibit.
Oh if your kids visit & really love the experience, you might want to consider holding a birthday party there!
Yup, I saw on their website that they have Butterflies Up-Close kids birthday packages now which includes a decorated party room overlooking the Live Butterfly Enclosure, face-painting / balloon-sculpting activity, guided tour, birthday food, party packs and even a memorable live butterfly release for the birthday child to mark the occasion!! Oooooo~!
Butterflies Up-Close Live @ Science Centre Singapore
Hall D, Science Centre, 15 Science Centre Road
Open daily 10am - 6pm {last admission at 5.15pm}
Admission: S$10 per adult or child {3-12 years old}, on top of Science Centre admission charges * Science Centre charges - FREE for Singaporeans during school term weekdays, S$6/adult & S$4/child for Singaporeans during weekends, public holidays and school holidays. Separate fees for non-Singaporeans apply.
Website: http://www.science.edu.sg/exhibitions/Pages/ButterfliesUp-Close.aspx
Ergonomic, affordable, well-designed AND light school bags for kids?? That's like the unicorn of school bags i.e. perfect yet mythical, because usually you only find two... maaaaaybe three factors in one school bag, never really all four.
However, with the new Bromin ergonomic and light backpacks for kids, you just might catch that unicorn.
School bags are a necessity for schooling kids. We often try to find one with the factors I mentioned above for when kids go to school, but often neglect the fact that the kids also have activities and enrichment classes outside of school. And sometimes the time carrying bags for those after-school / weekend activities and classes can be longer than when they go to school.
But then, how often are they using ergonomic bags to keep their backs healthy for those activities and classes? Do your kids clear their ergonomic bags meant for school, and use them to carry their books and stuff for outside school? Or do they usually use a random bag you had lying around, or the free bags that come with the classes with you sign up with them?
Honestly, Lil Pumpkin ends up doing the latter haha as it's just too troublesome to clear our her school bag each time to use for outside-school!! #oops
As someone who has been living with backaches and pain for most of my adult life, keeping my and my family's backs healthy is very important to me.
I made sure that Lil Pumpkin has an ergonomic bag with good back support for school {which is still going strong & she still loves!}, but it was only in the last few months that I realised that hey, she should have another ergonomic bag for her gym, Chinese and Maths enrichment classes, or when she goes to the boy's clinic or my mum's home too as she needs to carry her own bag considerably often then too.
Not to mention with the erratic weather, it's good to have a spare bag in case her usual schoolbag gets drenched in the rain!
I recently came to learn of Bromin, a Singapore-based bag maker and importer, that has launched a new series of light-weight ergonomic school backpack for kids.
The Bromin backpack promotes better spinal health for school children and weighs just under 0.7kg {ergonomic school bags from other brands usually weigh 0.9kg}, are currently priced affordably under S$90 and have a lifetime warranty.
There are currently 2 designs - Bromin Lite and Bromin Tech, that are available in Sporty Blue and Fuchsia Pink. No guesses on which colour Lil Pumpkin went for, obviously heh..
Bromin Lite Ergonomic Backpack has the following features,
Weighs just 665g, which is even lighter than her current ergonomic schoolbag
Really roomy - measures 38cm high x 25cm wide x 21cm deep
Made of water-resistant high density nylon
Plush back-support cushioning for extra comfort
Waist and chest straps to even out the weight of the bag
Flip-top cover with G-hook buckle for quick access
"Box" design with with a wide, drawstring opening for easy access to the contents. You can see everything when it's open!
Segmented inner compartment {inside the bag} with detachable option to adjust the compartment size
Side utility pouch {inside the bag} for storage
Large front pocket that extends inward into the bag, keeping it compact even with a full load
Huge mesh outer pockets for pencil cases, water bottle, tissue packets etc.
4 plastic knobs at the bottom of the bag to help it stand upright at all times, even without support
Reflective light strips for extra safety
Bromin Tech Ergonomic Backpack has the following features,
Weighs 675g, a negligible 10g heavier than Bromin Lite
Really roomy too, but less deep than Bromin Lite - 38cm high x 25cm wide x 21cm deep
Made of water-resistant high density nylon
Plush back-support cushioning for extra comfort
Waist and chest straps to even out the weight of the bag
Zipper opening that opens up the front
Less compartmentalisation compared to Bromin Lite, but also has inner back and front pockets {inside the bag}
Large front pocket is flatter and not as spacious as Bromin Lite, but has extra inner compartments and a detachable key holder
Huge mesh outer pockets for pencil cases, water bottle, tissue packets etc.
Does not have any "bag feet" so bag might be wet if placed on a wet floor, but will still stand upright even when the main compartment is open
Also, the very spacious main compartment is a huge plus point. Depending on the quantity of books and supplies needed for each class, sometimes she also needs to put in a packed lunch, a change of clothes, and other extras. For this reason, I like her bag with multiple compartments, including a large central chamber, a second section for folders and other paper, an exterior pouch for pens and writing materials, and side pockets for her water bottle, tissue paper etc.
However, I'm not that keen on the clear plastic buckles used for the big round bag feet. Not sure how lasting that would be and would they become brittle after some time to crack and break? Also, if she dumps her bag that's heavy with books etc. on the floor, would it break from the impact? Hmmm..
BUT having said that, the good thing about having the bag feet as plastic is that it's easy to clean, light, water-proof and will not rust.
Lil Pumpkin wanted her cousin, Lil J, to have the Bromin Tech bag so that they can be matchy-matchy together :)
When my sis saw the bag, she said that it was such a bright pink!! But she also said, "Ya, good so that we can spot the girls easily and they won't get lost!!" hehe..
Bromin Tech is less bulky than Bromin Lite and I reckon would fit kids with a smaller frame better. It's still too big for Lil J and she's not able to make full use of its ergonomic functions now, obviously, as the bags are recommended for kids aged 6-10 years old, but she's still able to carry it comfortably and use the spacious bag to hold all her clothes, books, toys and accessories when she goes to preschool / childcare. And she loves having a similar bag to Lil Pumpkin too! ❤
Oh, and they also come with a lifetime warranty against manufacturing faults and defective parts. Just remember to register upon purchase.
If you're looking for a new school bag for the coming school year, do check out Bromin ergonomic and light school bags on Bromin website, and at Tom & Stephanie stores located at Eastpoint Mall {Simei}, West Mall {Bukit Batok} and One KM Mall {Katong}. I suggest going to the physical stores to let your child try the bags first before purchasing though..
Promo: 20% OFF Bromin ergonomic school bags for kids. Bromin Lite costs S$88 {U.P. S$108} and Bromin Tech costs $68 {U.P. S$88}. At these prices, I reckon you can still get two ergonomic bags for school, and outside-school activities, and they would still cost you less than a lot of ergonomic bags in the market nowadays. Not to mention, they are currently the lightest ergo schoolbag you can buy!! Valid until 31 Dec 2017 only.
