KidsSTOP

We visited KidsSTOP during a school holiday and it was probably not the best idea to visit during peak hours.  The kids enjoyed themselves but it could have been more fun if we had the luxury of time to leisurely enjoy each exhibit.  

There were long queues at the hot favourites like the Dino Pit where you can dig for "dinosaur bones".  The kids were given only five minutes to play (understandably so because of the crowd) and E, the dinosaur lover, was clearly not too satisfied with this touch and go approach and wanted to queue for another round.  By then, the queue had grown even longer. So, we decided to maximize our time and explore the place (instead of getting stuck in queues) before our session was over (each session was limited to 2 hours).

As I was there alone with the kids and I have a 8 year old and a 3 year old - the 8 year old gave a cursory glance at some exhibits which the 3 year old had a lot of interest in, I had to leave the 8 year old on his own at times to explore the place (thankfully the area wasn't huge so I could occasionally check that my boy had not gone missing!) while keeping a close watch over my 3 year old.  

And of all days, the settings on my DSLR went nuts! Okay, not really.  Just that the hubby set it to burst mode to take photos of the fireworks display on National Day and we forgot all about it until I started taking photos and blurred images were all I got.  I had no idea how to revert to the original settings and ended up taking most photos with my phone.  So, pardon the image quality.

We started off at this exhibit where you can role play being a pilot seated at the cockpit, complete with a photo opportunity of the kids looking smart in a captain's uniform. This attracted mostly the younger kids and  I was surprised that E enjoyed this exhibit so much that he came back to this a second time.  Pilot in the making, perhaps?

Next, was the ever popular Dino Pit where the kids dug for "dinosaur bones".  I'm not too sure about the digging part because the bones looked exposed to me instead of being buried under the sand.  It would have been more exciting if the kids actually had to spend some effort digging and be rewarded with their find.  Nevertheless, this is a huge hit with the kids.  You can never go wrong with sandplay!

                                  C used to be all squeamish about stepping on sand but now she loves sandplay at the beach, at the playground and right here in this sandpit.

Here's another interactive exhibit which C enjoyed.  You can choose from different-sized gears, connect them together and make the gears move round and round.

 

 This was another hot favourite judging by the long queue.  Kids get to operate this clamp-like thing which grabs coloured balls from a big basket.  Someone has to standby to catch the balls when the coloured balls are being released.  This catching the balls job is serious business and the child needs to stay focused.  I was guilty of distracting E when I asked him to smile for the camera and he missed the moment.  All the balls came tumbling down and everyone there had a good laugh!

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Intense concentration

This is when the 4 years age gap comes in handy.  I can sit back and relax while E and C climbed the play structure.  C made it all the way to the top with the help and encouragement from her brother.

A must try for the older kids.  You are pulled up to 7 metres and dropped.  E went all the way up to 7 metres the first time but on the second try decided to go for 6 metres instead.  It can be quite scary especially with the suspense building up when you are being slowly hauled up to 7 metres.

This section is not housed in the main area.  It is behind a set of doors found near the above exhibit. This brought out the performer in C.  She spent most of her time in this section on the stage.  There is a control panel where you can control the lights and other special effects.

                                                                                                                                                
  This was captured on the panel where director wannabes can control various components of a stage set.

For the boys, this was the attraction.  You can choose from a variety of scenarios and it gets projected on the screen behind.  You can now imagine you are a hero, fending off dinosaurs and other exciting adventures.

Back at the main area, we explored the Human Body section.

                             

                                                                                                                             
Incisors, molars and yes, those are intestines.  You can examine the internal organs on an operating table, that is if you are not grossed out by it (which my kids were).

Trying to get the skeleton to co-operate!

This was taken at the last stop and made me laugh.  This is an exhibit on construction.  And look at what we have here.  Construction workers loafing on the job!  What were meant to be bags of cement have now become cushions!

They were reluctant to leave so we hung around this tiny play area after our session was over.

We didn't manage to visit every exhibit because of the crowd but it was definitely a hit with the kids.  I'm coming back on a weekday!

Do note that KidsSTOP is catered for children aged 18 months to 8 years.  Although E had fun, a number of the exhibits did not interest him while C was very entertained by almost everything.  

For more information, visit  http://www.kidsstop.edu.sg/.

*Disclosure: We received complimentary entry to KidsSTOP for the purpose of this review.

Power Up!

I did not have the privilege of being fed bottles of chicken essence while cramming for exams. My induction into the world of chicken essence came during my confinement period, after the birth of E. Having received bottles upon bottles as gifts, I guzzled the yummy goodness day after day. It was definitely way more palatable than DOM, pig trotters and other strange tasting (in my opinion) post natal meal options. Plus the empty bottles were the perfect size for storing small portions of expressed milk.

Unlike me, my kids now have the privilege of enjoying chicken essence that is specially formulated for them. I attended the Eu Yan Sang Power Up! Essence of Chicken series media briefing a couple of weeks ago and was introduced to Singapore's first and only Essence of Chicken series for children without caramel colouring. 

The event was both informative and entertaining. I received a greater understanding of the brand and is further assured of the quality of the products. 

To ensure quality consistency, the company implemented a herb fingerprinting process to quantify the ingredients and properties of Chinese medicine used in each product. Every production process demonstrates full GMP accreditation for quality assurance and product safety. The company has the ability to control its total supply chain from the sourcing of raw materials to the production, distribution of its products and the provision of treatment. 

At the event, we were given milkshakes infused with ingredients that are used in the Power Up! Essence of Chicken series. Power Up! Essence of Chicken is made with natural herbs used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) which are blended with cutting-edge food technology to help  kids’ metabolism and growth and to prevent common problems such as loss of appetite and challenges feeding fussy eaters, lethargy and inability to focus in class.      

Benefits of Power Up!

Power Up! 100% Pure Chicken Goodness series is made up of three variants, each with its own exciting flavour to entice the child’s fickle palate:       

1. Power Up! Concentration aims to boost mental power, improve concentration and promote growth.

2. Power Up! Vision  is packed with the health benefits of Wolfberries, Beiqi and Baihe extract and  gives the child improved vision, better sleep quality and stronger mental clarity.   

3. Power Up! Appetite livens up the child’s palate with Dangshen, Huaishan and Fuling extract and improves appetite, soothes digestion.

The highlight of the event (for the kids) was the appearance of one of the Power Up! monsters.

There was a game segment where we had to sort out the ingredients used in Power Up! according to the three variants in the series.

I received a one week supply of Power Up! for the kids to try at home. When I introduced the product to E, I was very surprised by his response. My fussy eater who usually viewed any new food with suspicion was very curious about this new product.

He studiously examined the description on the box and seemed to liked what he read. I think the product made a first good impression on him because of the catchy sounding name! He'll be the one reminding me to give him his daily dose of Power Up!.

On one particular night, he said,"Can you give me my Power Up!, I need to sleep well!" I was very amused! I think he must be very convinced of the benefits that he read about on the packaging.

C, who didn't quite take to the taste the first time she tried it, is now slowly being converted by her ever enthusiastic brother. Being the foodie that she is, she does not want to miss out on good food! With her brother asking for Power Up!, every night without fail; she is afraid of missing out on something delicious. 

She has been asking to try it and takes a few sips each time. I think she'll be asking for more in no time. The Power Up! fan back home will ensure that!

Here's E having his daily fix!

Giving a satisfied "aaahhh"

*****

Every bottle of Power Up! is 100% free from caramel colouring, added flavouring or salt, preservatives, sugar, fat and cholesterol. Voted "Best in Natural Health Tonic 2014" by Parents World magazine, Power Up! stands out from competitors by being the first and only Essence of Chicken in the market formulated for kids that is caramel-free (food additive). It is specially formulated for children age 2 years and above.

* This post is sponsored by Eu Yan Sang. All opinions and photos are my own.

Happy Morning

This is a rare moment. To have the both of them beaming at the camera at the same time. Both are in high spirits because there is plenty to be happy about! A holiday, breakfast in PJs while watching cartoons in the hotel room (we break plenty of rules when we are on holiday) and the promise of a dip in the pool right after breakfast.

It doesn't take an expensive holiday to make them deliriously happy. Just a short break at Pulai Springs with a few other doting family members, doing nothing but eat, swim and goof around in the hotel room; and it made their day!

I couldn't resist including this photo. You can't see their faces here but you can imagine the big smiles on their faces playing peekaboo!

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Emotions In The Loo

I love this photo for the conflicting emotions captured. And the fact that it is shot in the toilet. I guess when you become a mum, you seize every opportunity to capture defining moments regardless of locale. 

And this photo aptly depicts the stage each child is at. E loves smiling for the camera and is very eager to pose for photos. He used to have this forced smile, a weird-looking grin when he was younger. He didn't really care for taking photos because that meant he had to sit still and sitting still when he was younger was a big deal to him! Now, he will be the one telling me where and when he wants to have a photo taken.

Baby C has her moods when it comes to photo-taking. It's not easy to get her to smile for photos unless it's a candid shot. When you ask her to smile, she'll simply tilt her head sideways - that's her smiling pose. The above shot was obviously taken when she was not in the mood. She didn't want to sit on the ledge, wanting to run around the toilet instead.

She'll turn 2 in four months time and she's getting more assertive and aggressive (just ask E about the hair-pulling and biting incidents). She just learned to say "no" and is using the word with relish. So here she was, very upset about being told to sit still while I took the photo.

I didn't manage to get 2 smiling faces, but it's a photo which will warm my heart; each time I look at it.

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Mess with Me: A peek into a mess-loving household

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Outside the Lion's Den

Here's evidence that kids can have fun at the dentist. Okay, they have not entered the lion's den but any positive association with the dentist is welcomed. And it starts in the waiting area!

Royal Rumble - Kid's edition