Sometimes, I get a panic attack when I think about how fast my girls are growing up. I thought they were just babies in my arms yesterday, but today, they’re already running and jumping everywhere, having a mind of their own.

Baby Jayne attended her first ever enrichment class last weekend, and it suddenly hit me that she too, is no longer little!

Happy to be invited by Julia Gabriel Centre For Learning for my two girls to attend their trial classes. I’ve heard so much about how good Julia Gabriel is, but I’ve yet to see it for myself. It was a great opportunity to check it out, I thought! Plus, I was really curious to know how Jayne would react in a class setting like that. :)

JG very kindly arranged for Joey and Jayne to attend different classes, specially catered to their age group and learning needs. Joey was to attend the EduDrama class, where kids would learn to build self-confidence, self-expression and problem-solving skills through drama, puppetry, etc. For Jayne, she was arranged to attend the EduPlay class, which would stimulate creativity and curiosity and enhance awareness of the environment.

In the end, both kids attended the same class because Joey refused to leave her sister! =.=

I sat in through the entire 2-hour session and I actually enjoyed myself! =D The main reason was because the 3 teachers conducting the class were very entertaining and dramatic, and they made the sessions interesting and engaging throughout! I also liked it that the session was conducted in a mixture of English & Mandarin segments (the Chinese teachers were from Mainland Chinese and spoke perfect Mandarin!). Check out the photos I took during the class! :)

Free play time at the start of the session

The English teacher was obviously the one in the centre. The two by her side were the 2 Chinese teachers. During the free play time, the teachers got to know the kids and their names, and observed the personality of every child.

When free play time was over, the children were asked to keep the toys together with the teachers. My little Jayne became one of the helpers! =D

Song & dance session

Demo of art & craft… My Jayne actually sat there and watched the whole demo!

And when asked to try it, she did it readily! I’m so proud of her!!! =D

Then the kids got a chance to do up their own art pieces by following the demo earlier on. Jayne may not understand everything, but she had lots of fun dipping the rollers into the paint sponge and painted!!!

 

Story-telling time! Joey enjoyed this segment more than Jayne because Jayne could not really understand yet. :) The robot was funny though.. :)

Snack time! The kids were offered watermelon, raisins, biscuits and apple juice..

Then it’s free play time at the indoor playground! The kids went wild..

Finally, the whole session wrapped up with a session of song & dance again, and the kids even lied down and pretended to be star-watching and singing the song ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Stars’! Definitely a hit with Jayne! Haha!

It’s interesting to see that Baby Jayne is still very much a loner – She doesn’t really need to play with other people yet and is happy playing by herself. Joey, on the other hand, would find a friend to stick to. :)

All in all, I must say that the trial class was a very balanced one – There was art & craft, song & dance, story-telling, snack-time and playground time. I was happy that in the midst of having fun, my kids also learnt something as well! Thumbs up, Julia Gabriel! Thanks for the very wonderful experience! :)

Check out the little firemen in my house! =)

We brought the girls to visit the Civil Defence Heritage Gallery last weekend and it was interesting! =)

The Central Fire Station is the oldest station in Singapore and every Saturday 9am-11am, the station is open for members of the public to visit. We didn’t make it for the open house, but instead visited the heritage gallery which was situated next to the fire station. I love how majestic and bold the building looked!

Don’t you just love old buildings with a piece of history? =)

 

At the main lobby of the heritage gallery, there’re showcases of different kinds of helmets and badges..

 

The heritage gallery is divided into 2 levels. Level 1 exhibited all the actual fire engines from past to present, and showcased significant fire outbreak cases and shared experiences by outstanding firemen.

One of the ancient fire engines that was powered by steam! One thing that never changed over the years is the bright red colour of the engines!

There was an ancient telephone on display and the girls had fun with something not from their era! I told them that’s a telephone and they were tickled! It sure didn’t look like the cordless phone at home or Mummy’s blackberry!

When you pick up the ear piece, there’s a recording that broadcasted, ‘Help! There’s a fire here! Please come!’ 

An even older fire engine! Looks so antique!

Ancient fire hose..

Level 2 had more operation-related exhibits. You will learn about what civil defence officers do when there’re natural disasters or accidents that resulted in people being trapped.

You would also gain knowledge on how rescue operations are carried out during a chemical outbreak or other hazardous events.

One of the few interactive elements of the gallery is this area where children can wear the SCDF uniforms and helmets and pose for photographs..

The uniforms were too huge for Baby Jayne, but she was happy enough wearing the helmet. :)

The gallery is not big, and you can complete the tour within 30 minutes. Still, it was interesting especially because kids are always fascinated with the bright red fire engines! It was educational because along the way, we could explain to them how important it was to be fire-safe, not to play with fire or things that can cause fires.

Best of all, entry to the heritage gallery is absolutely free-of-charge! They’re open from 10am to 5pm everyday, so bring your kids for a visit! If you can make it on Saturday mornings between 9am to 11am, your kids can also go through a tour at the Central Fire Station where they will see live demonstrations of how rescue missions are conducted. I’ll be back for that another day! =)