It is hard to believe and convince our playful selves that the last public holiday was actually more than a month ago on National Day! Well, if your work schedule permits, why not take a break and spend some time with your preschooler when their school closes for Children’s Day. 

Is Children’s Day a public holiday in Singapore?

Unfortunately not, it is only a school holiday, recurring every first Friday of October since 2011. In 2022, Children’s Day would be on the 7th of October.

How will you celebrate Children’s Day in Singapore?

BrookieKids have a couple of ideas for you- activities that could take place at home and outdoors to spruce up your Children’s Day break.

1. Celebrate the Festival of Lights

The month of October is peppered with celebrations for the Festival of Lights, Deepavali, that falls on 24 October in 2022. Visit the Indian Heritage Centre from 1 to 23 October for 4 weekends of activities, including complimentary craft activities. The lights along Little India at Serangoon Road are also up since 16 September 2022. Take a drive through and while you are at it, can you spot the symbols of Indian culture? Hint: keep a lookout for the peacocks, elephants and musical instruments. 

(Photo credit: ST Desmond Lee)

2. Create your own adventure card, even on a short visit to the shopping mall

How do we get children to behave when we head outdoors? Here’s a really simple trick! Before heading out, make quick doodles/instructions on a small paper, fold it up and tell your children that it’s an adventure card! There is so much to learn and engage with your little one in the natural environments they are in. On the ‘map’ you create, draw out some objects or leave some clues that they are supposed to ‘find’. 

For instance:

• When indoors, let’s find a squirrel.
• Identify the spot where you see someone who wears a pink blouse.

Furthermore, add in rewards to motivate them! Completing the ‘map’ gives them an ice-cream treat (that you are already intending to buy for them; by the way, did we mention that you can find BrookieKids Mandarin Activity at Kind Kones in i12 and Forum? Completing the Mandarin activity gives you $2 off your purchase!). 

3. Free Mandarin Activity Pack by BrookieKids

If you are looking for fun and simple activities, get our complimentary Home Starter Pack here, where the objects in your home could come alive and “speak” with your little one! The activity pack comes with QR cards, and signing up for an account is free. Stick the QR cards around the house, and get your children up and about to scan and start speaking Mandarin. 

These are perfect to kickstart a weekend morning, or as a pre-dinner activity while we wait for the yummy dinner to be prepped, which brings us to the next activity. 

4. Make pumpkin soup…for Halloween! 

Halloween falls on 31 October every year; don’t forget the signature pumpkin carving! Without wasting food, let’s see how we can make the best of one pumpkin!

Tip 1: How to carve a Halloween pumpkin. Watch this 2min video!

Tip 2: Extract the pumpkin flesh and make a simple, healthy pumpkin soup for toddlers.  Here’s a recipe to follow:

Tip 3: Re-use the cut out parts for crafting! Dip into some paint and make a montage with the cut-out parts. How about drawing Dracula or Frankenstein with these parts? 

You are pretty set for an eventful and enriching time with your toddler! The environment that the child is in comprises a rich amount of resources. Learning opportunities can be simple and fuss-free for busy parents like ourselves. If you have some ideas to share, do drop us a note and we would be happy to publish! Happy Children’s Day and Happy Halloween to you!