FOM actively supports making museums, art, and history fun, enriching and accessible to all. As a result, we hope you are taking advantage of the many opportunities Singapore offers families to explore these worlds. Below is a list of just some of the special museum activities open to families. We suggest you keep an active eye on your favourite museums' websites. And don't forget our own Super Saturdays! events, many of which are planned specifically for families.

We'd also like to encourage you to visit a great little blog site that many of us have found, chock full of fun Singapore activities, many of which would make great family outings: http://localadventures.blogspot.com. It's regularly updated and ideas range from city to country events. Thank you Benardine for allowing us to link to your site.

We welcome additional recommendations; please send any suggestions you have with a short description/recommendation to: FOM Webmaster.

Did you know that not only is The Peranakan Museum especially child-friendly, but also that the second Sunday of every month there are special activities for families? Straits Family Sundays provide a four-hour workshop for you and your family. The drop-in programmes (see below) include a craft activity, a chance to dress up, a tour component and a whole lot more. Come join us as we explore different themes of the Peranakan culture each month.

To discover more Peranakan Museum current activities, plus many other programmes everyone in your family is bound to enjoy, visit the Peranakan Museum website's activities page (just click on the link above).

Straits Family Sunday: Two of a Kind (12 February 2012, 1pm - 5pm) NEW
Surprise your loved ones with handmade presents by creating a paper replica of a bakul siah (lacquered basket) and a Valentine’s Day card. Children aged 6 - 8 years, will get a special tour of the galleries to learn about objects that come in pairs. Get a chance to dress up as Babas and Nonyas and examine the handling collection or relax with a good book in our reading corner.
The workshop is complimentary with the purchase of a ticket. For more info, please click here.

Patterns Of Trade Festival (31 March - 1 April 2012, 1pm - 6pm) NEW
Don’t miss a fun-filled weekend bursting with delicious treats, vibrant beats, and dazzling dances from India! Marvel at the intricate designs and bright colours of incredible Indian textiles with free admission to the Patterns of Trade exhibition. Explore an array of Indian and Southeast Asian cultural treats at our activity bazaar. Children will enjoy discovering the many designs in the show through colourful creative crafts.
Free admission to all galleries from 9am to 7pm. For more info, please click here.

Rainbow Safari
Is it a bird? A fish? A crocodile? Something new altogether? Let your children find out at the ACM on the Rainbow Safari--an interactive tour conducted by FOM docents that introduces children to Asian cultures and stories through animals lurking at all corners and on everything! This half-hour tour is followed by a hands-on activity with a take-home memento. Programme duration: 1 hour. Museum entry charges apply. Recommended for 6 - 9 year olds (P1-P3). Recommended group size is 10-40 children. Accompanying parents/teachers are welcome. Venue : Asian Civilizations Museum, 1, Empress Place, Singapore

Note: Bookings need to be made through the Education Dept of ACM.
To book and enquire more, please contact our education officer at 6332-7886 or drop an email to adibah_daud@nhb.gov.sg.

The Story of Dr. Sun Yat Sen (Runs through January 2012)
Did you know that Dr. Sun Yat Sen visited Singapore eight times? In fact, he was a great traveller who had supporters from all over the world. Unravel the life and times of this great revolutionary leader of China in this interactive exhibition.
Children can explore Dr. Sun’s room and discover little known facts about him through stamps and play. They can also bring home a free activity book. Suitable for children aged 7 years and above.
For more info, please click here.

The Adventures of Tintin (Runs through May 2012)
Tintin is the famous young reporter in the comic series created by Belgian Georges Remi, also known as Hergé (22 May 1907 - 3 March 1983). Tintin and his dog companion, Snowy, enjoyed exciting adventures that took them to various places in the world such as Tibet, Congo, America, Russia and even the moon! One of the adventures, "The Secret of the Unicorn", has been made into an animated movie.
"The Adventures of Tintin" exhibition will open in time for Singapore's release of the movie in November 2011. View the full range of Tintin postage stamps issued by Belgium, France and the Netherlands from the museum's Universal Postal Union Collection. Rarely seen original stamp artworks, colour trials, and other philatelic materials from the Museum Voor Communicatie, the Netherlands, and Musée de La Poste in France will be on display for the first time in Singapore.
For more info, please click here.

Bunny Wonderland (Runs through January 2012)
To celebrate the zodiac year of the rabbit, the museum is organising a fun and interactive exhibition for young visitors. Discover things you never knew about these loveable animals and meet famous bunnies whose popularity has transcended time and cultures at the new 'Bunny Wonderland' exhibition
For more info, please click here.

Message Me - A Communication Exhibition (Runs through March 2012)
The Message Me exhibition explores the development of communication; from the picture language of Egyptian' hieroglyphics to the short form text messages of our modern mercurial world. Printing and letter writing served as the main form of communication for about 2000 years. The last 100 years, saw a spurt of inventions, such as radio, television, morse code, fascimile, computer, mobile phone and the Internet.
Message Me examines the messages that have been sent for a variety of reasons. Be it through a formal letter or a short message, the contents very often provide an insight into the situation which prompted the writing: complaints, love, advice, confession, absence or friendship.
For more info, please click here.

For the latest special exhibitions and programmes of interest to children, please visit NMS' education page on its website. There you will discover information about its guided tours for schools, and interactive guided tours for students ages 5 to 12 (Kindergarten & Primary).

Dreams & Reality: A Storytelling Session for Children (1 February 2012 : 10am - 10:30am, 11am - 11:30am)
Let professional storytellers inspire the young ones through stories about the subjects, artists, themes and art works featured in this exhibition! With rich visual stimulation and plenty of interaction, the storytelling sessions will be a wonderful introduction into the world of art for young children aged 5 to 8 years old.
Free for children on a first-come, first-served basis. Limited to 30 participants per session. Admission fee for exhibition applies for accompanying adults.
For full details, please click here.

In-gallery Atelier Sessions: Sketch & Draw! (Runs through 5 February 2012 : Fridays and Sundays, 3pm)
Learn sketching tips and experience how an art student works in an atelier (French word for an artist’s workshop) with a real model posing for you. Under the guidance of a professional artist, the sketching and drawing sessions will introduce you to the basics of capturing and mastering the essentials when sketching a model. There will be various sessions conducted in the gallery’s activity space.
Best for 13 year olds and upwards (Secondary 1 level and above)
$10 per student. For full details, please click here.

Enchanting Puppets (30 January - 5 February 2012 : 8:15pm & 9:30pm)
Come on down to the Waterfront Canopy and enjoy enchanting tales told through puppetry such as Chen Xiang Rescues His Mother, Wu Song Fights the Tiger, and Da Ming Mansion. Performed by the award-winning Jinjiang Puppet Opera Troupe.
Only for children aged 4 - 8 years with household income below $3,500.
FREE Admission. For more info, click here.

Chinese New Year Bean Art (29 January - 5 February 2012 : 11.30am – 1pm, 1.30pm – 3pm, 3.30pm – 5pm, 5.30pm – 7pm (Sat only))
Get creative with beans this Chinese New Year! Create your own masterpiece using beans and basic art material! Conducted in English. Recommended for children aged 4 and above, as well as the young-at-heart. Children below 7 should be accompanied by parent(s).
FREE Admission. For full details, please click here.

kidsREAD@LAA (Ongoing (Saturdays) : 4pm - 5pm)
Join in The Arts House's first kidsREAD@LAA as they promote the love of literature among children. kidsREAD is an effort by the National Library Board (NLB) to promote the love of reading and cultivate good reading habits among all young Singaporeans, in particular children from low-income families.
Only for children aged 4 - 8 years with household income below $3,500.
FREE Admission. For more info, click here.

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