PUBLISHED ONAugust 31, 2020 10:40 AMByKwok Kar PengScroll to the end of this article to sign up for a complimentary trial class at JCube's edutainment outlets!
Parents and kids would certainly welcome the upcoming one-week break (Sept 5 to 13) when there's no need to wake up before the crack of dawn for school.
But if you think your little one is going to get bored at home or you simply want them to pick up more knowledge and have some fun, head down to JCube, located just opposite the Jurong East MRT station and bus interchange.
The mall is home to big chains like Don Don Donki, Daiso, and Shaw Theatres, as well as family-friendly food and beverage outlets.
There is also a wide variety of enrichment, educational, and activity centres with offerings ranging from ice-skating, music and ballet to public speaking.
Many of them come with free trials, too! Scroll to the end of this article to find out how you can sign up for a complimentary trial class.
The Rink
Unit: #03-11
Now that we have to cancel our overseas trips, this is probably the closest we can get to a chilly holiday. Book a two-hour session at Singapore's first and only Olympic-sized ice-skating rink, but don't worry if you or your kids can't skate. You can rent a skating aid — which comes in the form of a penguin, seal, or snowman — which is a great tool in helping you balance on the ice.
Or if you want to get serious about it, there are also lessons such as Basic Core Blades Learn-to-Skate, Advanced Figure Skating, Advanced Speed Skating, and Advanced Ice Hockey that you could sign up for.
Seimpi School of Music
Unit: #04-13/14
There is a common belief that music helps to develop creativity and the right brain. But good news, mums and dads, there's another belief that music engages both the right and left brain!
According to a fact sheet by the Dana Foundation — a private philanthropic organisation dedicated to advancing our understanding of the brain — the ability to produce and respond to music comes from the right brain. However, it adds: "Processing such musical elements as pitch, tempo, and melody engage a number of areas, including some in the left hemisphere."
Now that we understand how music helps, consider visiting Seimpi to find out more about their proprietary Music for the Intelligent Mind (MIM) programmes.
The school offers courses for various instruments such as the ukulele, classical violin, piano and guitar, as well as pop piano and guitar. In addition, their English and Chinese Speech & Drama classes will also help improve the children's language proficiency and performing ability.
Speech Academy Asia
Unit: #04-05/06/07
These days, it may not be enough for kids to enjoy learning and do their best in school exams. Parents are gradually seeing the importance of helping their children gain soft skills, including how to speak well, comfortably, and confidently before an audience. (A future television presenter, or even Speaker of Parliament, perhaps?)
Besides perfecting this important ability that will last them for life, instructors at the public speaking academy will also help students gain essential character development such as leadership and entrepreneurship.
Playtime
Unit: #03-01
Allowing children the opportunity to play and be exposed to different types of toys cannot be stressed hard enough, simply because they learn best during play. Not only do they improve their motor skills wielding the toys, but they also develop their language and social skills, emotions, imagination, and their ability to concentrate. Play builds their self-worth, because it gives children a sense of their abilities, helping them feel good about themselves.
Playtime — suitable for children aged nine months and up — is equipped with an awesome play area as well as an art and craft station. Parents can also leave their children here while they run their errands at the mall.
Dancepointe Academy
Unit: #04-01
Ballet is one of the most popular enrichment classes for children, especially girls, and it's easy to see why. The dance form helps them develop muscular strength, flexibility, coordination, posture, and grace. They will also train their memory remembering choreography, and build confidence performing before an audience. Plus, it's a great way to keep fit!
This centre specialises in ballet, and their Creative Pre School Ballet class is open to little ones aged three and four years old. Lessons combine movements with classical ballet techniques, music, and story-telling, where kids can develop their physical skills, stimulate their imagination, and channel their energy. Older kids can try the Classical Ballet programme.
Taoz Ceramics Studio
Unit: #04-16
There's something intriguing about this old art form, creating something beautiful, useful, and totally of your own design out of wet clay. And for some parents, the romantic pottery scene in the 1990 movie Ghost is truly unforgettable.
Consider a single trial lesson first to see how you like it, before signing up for the studio's course packages, available at beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels. This sounds like a great way to push your creativity and patience up a few notches, and it's a meaningful family activity for the school holidays.
Edufirst Learning Centre
Unit: #04-17
Every child learns at their own pace, which sometimes, may not be aligned to what's happening in the school classrooms. If you feel your kid needs extra help, time, and attention to keep up or perform at their best, tuition centres will come in handy.
This Ministry of Education-registered tuition centre offers English and Maths classes for pre-school levels, as well as English, Maths, Science, and Chinese for primary school levels. For students in secondary school, they can attend English, Elementary Maths, and Additional Maths classes to hone their understanding of the subjects.
Students preparing for the N-Levels and O-Levels can also sign up for classes on Physics, Chemistry, Biology, the Humanities, and Social Studies.
True Learning Centre
Unit: #04-02/03
The centre offers Mathematics, Additional Mathematics, Integrated Programme (IP) Mathematics, and H2 Mathematics classes at the secondary and junior college levels, as well as English, Mathematics, and Science subjects at the primary school level.
Boasting a qualified team of National Institute of Education-trained curriculum writers and tutors, including award-winning teachers, they believe in empowering every child with their unique and engaging teaching methodology to enhance the students' confidence in learning in order to unleash their potential.
Sign up for free trial classes below, or click here if the widget is not displaying properly.
This article is brought to you in partnership with JCube.
kwokkarpeng@asiaone.com