National Gallery Singapore has taken its biennial offering online, with lots of interactive activities that aim to encourage and empower kids in navigating the changing times with empathy and confidence.

The virtual exhibition showcases nine playful and interactive art experiences that explore topics relevant to the times such as Home, Diversity, Time and Environment. There are also various activities

When: Now until Dec 2022

Explore the website and have fun here.

Those who have got animal lovers in the family can sign up for virtual interactions with the creatures at our wildlife parks.

On March 19 (10am), you can go behind the scenes of the avian hospital and meet Jurong Bird Park’s avian vet Dr Gabrina who will answer all your burning questions. Or learn what goes into the training of sealions and their behavior on March 25 (2pm) with their care team.

$10 for a 20-minute session. Visit Mandai Wildlife Reserve’s website to book or for more information.

Continue exploring Asia from home through the Asian Civilisations Museum’s through their virtual tour of Asian artefacts and objects in their collections. With engaging videos and kid-friendly resources, they help keep your child entertained while they continue to learn.

To keep track of upcoming events and other fun activities they offer, visit the link here.

Gardens by the Bay has put together free e-books and craft activities – with a plant theme, naturally – to keep your kids busy at home. From making 3D paper tulips and orchids to colouring fun, there’s plenty to choose from. You can also play them videos featuring its team of horticulturalists showcasing parts of the Gardens, and e-mail questions to the Plant Doctor.

Find out more on its website, and head to the ‘Learn With Us’ section.

Bring out their inner scientists with a curation of content on the Singapore Science Centre’s website and Youtube channel. Or you can shop its selection of stay-home learning activity kits ($10), from learning how to make a pair of anaglyph 3D glasses to creating your own fossils. Each kit also comes with a video tutorial.

Visit Singapore Science Centre’s website for more.

Do your kids love to draw? Adobe and Time magazine joined forces to create an online art lesson series. Each episode includes a new drawing assignment and they’re best for kids up to eight years old.

Check out the link here.

“Cooking is always appealing to young children, especially when they can enjoy the spoils of what they have created in the kitchen such as cakes or cookies”, says Matthew Scott, head of Pre-school Courses at British Council Singapore. “They can learn the practical skills from kneading pastry to measuring the right amount of ingredients.”

Bake a yummy chocolate cake or dessert with your kids. No oven? Try this no-bake peanut butter chocolate pie. Check out our easy and healthy kid-friendly recipes.

If your kids are crazy about cars, this website by automaker Porsche is perfect for them. You can also find a wide selection of child-friendly games and activities for free.

Check out the link here.

Google Arts & Culture is an educational website with fun facts, awesome activities and surprising stories for families to explore together. Visit museums, learn simple recipes and discover the great masters of the art world.

Check out the link here.

From Netflix to Disney+, major streaming platforms have unleashed plenty of kid-friendly shows that’ll keep the entire family entertained. Plus, many of them bear lessons that anyone can take away from.

What’s on? Here’s our guide to some of the best shows to watch, from Disney and Pixar’s new hit animated film Turning Red to El Deafo, an animated series about a girl who loses her hearing but learns to embrace what makes her extraordinary.

Netflix, which previously allowed teachers to screen its educational documentaries in schools, has put them on Youtube now that schools are closed and kids are at home.

The documentaries on the Netflix US Youtube channel include nature series Our Planet and series like Explained, which delves into topics like the world’s water crisis. The films Period. End Of Sentence looks at efforts to dispel the stigma surrounding menstruation in India.

Improve your child’s Chinese while you stay home together. Check out this curated list of Mandarin cartoons on Youtube channels. These animations include familiar favourites that are translated from English, such as Peppa Pig and PJ Masks, as well as cartoons from Japan, Korea, Russia and, of course, China.

Put the family’s iPad to good use with Apple’s 30 Creative Activities For Kids, which features apps that are free to download from the App Store.

Build and knock down a Leaning Tower Of Pillows in slow-motion using the Camera app, or draw emojis with crazy eyes and moody eyebrows using the Keynote app. Older kids may enjoy dissecting a life-like virtual frog using Froggipedia, a cost-efficient alternative to dissecting lab specimens.

Android users can try apps from the Google Play Store such as Epic! Kids’ Books, Audio Books, Videos and eBooks, which provide multiple modes of engagement for children, says Poh Yeang Cherng, principal consultant at Kingmaker Consultancy, which specialises in cyber wellness.

Even a commonly used app like Google Earth can keep the kids entertained as they revisit memorable holiday spots or explore new destinations, he says.

Too much screentime? Consider these alternative activities instead:

Make use of any old packaging that is destined for the recycling bin, Matthew from British Council Singapore suggests. “For example, I have fond memories of fashioning a castle out of old cereal boxes and toilet rolls! For older children, the complexity of the tasks can be escalated to tasks like origami crafts, or even a friendly competition to see who can make the best paper aeroplane.”

And if you found bits and pieces of art supplies, try out some of these craft activities from the Queen herself!

Empower your kids to take charge of their learning and play time. Teach them to establish clear routines through a template or chart. “Tasks can be separated into categories such as ‘Must do’ and ‘Want to do’, and then divided into the different times of the day: morning, afternoon and evening,” Matthew from British Council Singapore shares.

Encourage them to think of different topics such as art, play, or even simple housework. This way, kids will be able to balance a sense of responsibility with fun.

All sports facilities such as the pools are still shut, but ActiveSG has compiled workouts for the whole family that you can do at home, including circuit training and games. They can also learn some cool ninja-inspired moves with Ninja Tots, or get moving with a hip hop class by O School.

If your kid or their friends have to stay home, consider Zoom playdates.

“Have the kids say Hi to one another on Zoom,” suggests Dawn Fung, founder of Homeschool Singapore, a community of homeschoolers. The kids can also play games like Pictionary or Taboo on Zoom.

A reward chart typically involves awarding a child star-stickers when he meets certain objectives set by his parent, such as doing household chores or hitting academic or personal milestones. Dawn recommends flipping the script.

When your child designs a reward chart for you, the goals he wants you to work towards may be different, she says. He may want you to earn stars by spending more time playing with him, for instance.

Dawn says: “It can be a humbling experience. You may rethink how realistic your goals for your children are. Perhaps you will exert less pressure on them afterwards.”

Artist and illustrator Gracie Chai suggests involving the kids in decluttering the home and using the discards for craft projects. Shredding past years’ assessment books to make collages could spark joy – not only of the Marie Kondo kind – for kids out of school.

If the clean-up unearths old photographs, your children may get a kick from posing and recreating photos of you when you were their age.

Text: Young Parents, Additional Reporting: The Singapore Women’s Weekly