Creativity
Great fun for adults and children.
Great way for kids to learn about colours and diffusion.
Great presents especially for Mothers Day and Easter.
The flowers above are part of the i LightUp Marina Bay in Singapore.
At night they are illuminated but I really prefer the white purity of the flowers during daylight. They contrast beautifully with the bright green foliage and blue skyscrapers. .
I made a very simple and quick version for my granddaughter from greaseproof paper. She has danced with it every day since so it’s very durable!
It’s also very easy and something you can enjoy as a family activity.
All you need is some greaseproof paper, a straw, pipecleaner or wooden skewer for the stalk and some glue and a rubber band. A blob of playdough or blutack helps but not essential.
I simply used different sized plates to draw round as templates and cut out four concentric circles from the greaseproof paper. The size depends on how big you want the finished flower. Then all you do is place one circle on top of another and make a small hole through the the Centre. Push the straw (or whatever you have chosen to be the ‘stem’) through the Centre.
Then it’s simply a matter of scrunching the Centre of the circles together around the stem. A blob of blutack or playdough may help to hold the circles together and stop them coming off the stem. The more you scrunch the better! Then I just bind an elastic band to hold the base of the circles to the stem and stick a crumpled bit of tissue to the Centre of the flower. That’s it!
Yesterday following a delicious meal in the exquisite ‘National Kitchen’ restaurant in the Singapore National Gallery we stumbled on a really fun activity area called ‘Who’s in the Wood’. I’m not sure who enjoyed it most. Our two year old granddaughter or the adults in the party!
Click here to see more: Who’s in the Woods?
When we were able to tear ourselves away from ‘We were in for another amazing discovery. The ‘Keppel Centre for Art Education’
On the first level of the Gallery, this imaginative Centre for children is made up of four areas. The Art Playscape, Art Corridor, Museum and Project Gallery. The activities and resources encourage children to think creatively, to problem solve and to communicate. In other words, everything that ‘The Jumbles’ believe in.
This is such a wonderful learning resource for residents in Singapore but a visit to the National Gallery including the Keppel Centre (and a meal in the’National Kitchen’ ) is also something I would rate as a ‘must’ for families visiting the country.
For more information and amazing photographs, click on the link below.
We visited the Haw Par Villa theme park in the Pasir Panjang District (MRT Circle Line) for the second time today.
The park in the middle of massive renovation works and so many of the areas were ‘out of bounds’ and it was very noisy. .
However, I would definitely recommend this place once the works are completed as it is going to be really beautiful.
This theme park is named after the ‘Aw Brothers’ who invented the Tiger Balm ointment and, as expected, the gardens contain many tiger statues
Haw Par is best known for its gruesome depiction of the ‘Ten Gates of Hell’ but, with over 1.000 statues and tableaux it is a magical journey into Chinese Mythology. To really appreciate it fully I would recommend acquiring a basic knowledge of some of the stories.
Children will love the animal statues and the numerous turtles and terrapins and will enjoy clambering up the steps and exploring the many tunnels that meander through the tableuxs.
I definitely would NOT recommend taking them to see the ten gates of hell!
Below is a very short video I took today of the restricted area.
After our previous visit a couple of years ago I made a pre-visit video for children. To view please use this link:
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Above: The Lions visit the Plaza Singapura Shopping Centre in Dhoby Gaut, Singapore.
Why?
In a nutshell, to chase away evil spirits and monsters like Nian and to bring good luck and fortune during the coming year.
There are two men inside each Lion. One at the head and one at the tail. The music follows the move of the Lion. The Lion has a mirror attached to its head and this is believed to expel negative energy.
The businesses hang a string of green vegetables outside the door. To this is attached a lucky red packet. Usually the businesses have prepaid for the visit by the lions. The dance culminates with the lions ‘eating’ the green vegetables and packet accompanied by a crescendo of drums and cymbals. Then they spit out the chewed up remains. This is a symbolic gesture. The lions are blessing the business with good luck and lots of customers during the new year! In return the lions are rewarded with oranges or tangerines which again symbolise good good luck.
Often the lions leave a Year Date spelt out in orange segments on the floor.
In the video below you can see the climax of the lion dance at Plaza Singapura
Come back tomorrow for more fun when we will be participating in the ‘Yu Sheng’. This is a traditional noodle tossing and great fun. Tastes great too! There’s also a DRAGON!
‘The Creative Child’ newspaper. Out now!
It is full of links to interesting articles covering all aspects of creativity.
Click on the link at the bottom of the page for a sample edition.
Out every Saturday, I will post the link to each new edition here on the website.
The Creative Child Newspaper
Happy New Year and welcome to a new year of Jumble Fun and lots more exciting Art, Craft, Science and Creative projects.
See what’s new by watching this short trailer:
This is a fun activity that all the family can enjoy.
All you require is a couple of balloons, some string and white glue plus scraps for the hat, scarf , buttons and eyes.
The balloons are slippery so it’s much easier with two people.
Watch the video below.
Play dough, bought or homemade, is a great creative medium. Modelling with the dough also strengthens little muscles thus improving fine motor skills.
Introduce different skills like:
I drew patterns and pictures in indelible marker on clear plastic to encourage my kids to use different skills to make different shapes with the playdough. (See above)
Follow the link below to see Maisie Jumble , inspired by the fibreglass sculptures by Ana Tzaievi , making her own from play dough.
Video link below:
Snow is pretty. It transforms the ordinary into a Christmas Card scene.
But what if it doesn’t snow?
Well, at Jumble House we have been trying out some ways of making your own.
See the results by clicking on this link below:
Creative Learning for Young Children 
