Must do! 4 Singapore Heritage Trails to bring your children 4-8 years old

One more week before the June school holiday ends. So are you running out of ideas where to bring your children?

I love authentic experiences. Not that I don’t bring K to theme parks, museums or fun kid places. But I love fresh ideas for experiences that are enriching and engaging for children.

There is so much about Singapore that K still don’t know about and I realized that we don’t need to travel out of the country, for him to experience something new and educational. In fact, I learn so much about my country each time I develop these heritage trails itineraries for K and his friends.

I have put together a series of posts and activity sheets that I have previously created (tried and tested with 6-7 year olds!), that will be useful guides for you to bring your children on a cultural and heritage walkabouts around Singapore.

Singapore Heritage Trails for Children

The four key cultures that will be introduced through these trails will be the Chinese, Arabs/Malays, Indians and the Peranakans. The Arab Street and Little India walkabout take about 4 hours, while the Peranakan and Chinatown trails are a little more extensive, as there are separate areas to go to.

The cost of each walkabout is kept at a minimal, to only meals taken at these locations, admission fees to the museums and small souvenirs that your child might be keen to bring home with him/her.

 

1. Arab Street 

The Malay historic district is on Arab street, right off Beach Road in an area known as Kampong Glam.

The key landmarks for this Arab Street walkabout will include Sultan Mosque, and the Malay Heritage Centre. But do spend more time browsing through the textile, handicrafts and rattan shops along the streets. And keep a lookout for the shops with Muslim and Arab influences, selling the Islamic prayer rugs and skull caps, sarongs, batiks, all which have been in Arab Street to 3-4 generations.

Do make sure to pop by one of the coffee shops to relish in a plate of Nasi Lemak or Goreng for lunch.

Arab Street Trail for Children 1

Here’s a post of my previous Arab Street Heritage Trail experience for a more visual breakdown of the things that children can do, and download a copy of the Arab Street Trail for Children Activity Guide.

 

2.  Little India

The Little India trail starts at Serangoon Road at Tekka Centre, where you can have some South or North Indian cuisine, coupled with Teh Tarik for breakfast, then shop for an traditional Indian costume for your children.   As you take the walk down Serangoon Road, you will see many Goldsmiths shops and you can buy a flower garlands made out of jasmine, lilies or chrysanthemum flowers, from the little carts that line the street leading up to the Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple.

Little India Heritage Trail for Children 1

Here’s the post on the Little India Walkabout and your can download a copy of the Little India Trail for Children Activity Guide here. 

 

3.  Peranakans – East Coast and Koon Seng Road

I guest-blogged on The Gingerbread Mum about my Peranakan Heritage Trail, and you can download a copy of the Peranakan Heritage Trail Activity Guide here.

Peranakan Heritage Trail for Children 1

 

4. Chinatown – Telok Ayer and Pagoda Street

The trail for Chinatown starts at Telok Ayer Street for a visit to one of the oldest  Chinese Temple in Singapore, Thian Hock Keng. Before moving on to Pagoda Street (which is not a short distance to walk to btw!), stop by for brunch at Maxwell Road where you can savor authentic Hainanese Chicken Rice or Hum Chim Pang.

Once you reach Pagoda Street, there will be plenty of handicrafts and souvenir shops along the way, and the vast variaties of knick knacks sold in these shops might distract the children off the purpose of the visit for a while. However, don’t miss seeing the traditional Chinese Medicine shop with their tonics, and strong smelling exotic herbs left outside their shops in rattan trays to dry in the sun.

Chinatown Heritage Trail for Children 1

Then make your way to the Chinatown Heritage Center on Pagoda Street to view dioramas of the dark living quarters of the Chinatown immigrants. Read this post to see what to expect at Chinatown Heritage Centre and my experience visiting Chinatown.

Here’s the link to download the Chinatown Trail for Children Activity Guide.

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These Heritage Trails are must do for children 4-8 years old as they will be sure to learn something unique to the rich heritage of Singapore. And I am certain that you will find yourself learning something new about these cultures too!

 

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Art At Village Hotel Katong

After spending some time exploring Katong in mid 2013, an incidental opportunity came up a few months after to contribute to Peranakan art in the same vicinity of Singapore.

A hotel in Katong worked with Heart Studio to commission Peranakan-style art pieces for their hotel rooms, so K was able to work on a piece for the hotel, together with a group of 4-7 year old children who have been taking art classes from Heart.

PeranakanartKyle’s piece for Village Hotel Katong

Village Hotel took over the former site of Paramount Hotel at Katong and it opened in Nov 6 2013 after a renovation that cost SGD$30 million. The hotel has a small mall on its first 3 floors, known as Katong V, consisting of children enrichment centers, an Italian eatery, Modestos and a supermarket, Fairprice Finest.

Village hotel comb 4

In line with the heritage of the Katong neighborhood, the rooms are tastefully furnished with Peranakan accents.

Village hotel comb 3

There are spacious, comfortable-looking rooms to provide a home away from home for visitors to Singapore, and for local families staying over the weekend for a stay-cation. Village Hotel will be a good option if you are planning to explore the Peranakan heritage and culture in Katong, or want to go on a gastronomic tour visiting the local eateries in Katong/Joo Chiat area.

Village hotel comb 2 Village hotel comb 1

Village hotel Katong 9

It was too bad that we didn’t managed to get to see K’s actual piece displayed in Room 512, since the room was occupied by a guest during our visit.

Nonetheless, the idea of having his art work displayed as part of the accents to a Peranakan-inspired concept to the room, has been a great encouragement to him to continue putting in his best effort for all his art creations.

So if you ever plan to visit Village Hotel Katong and stay at Room 512, look out for his artwork, the one with the rooster inscribed on the teapots.

Kyle Peranakan art 2

 

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Portraits of a Singapore Mom Blogger 3

Adora 13

‘We weren’t poor but we weren’t rich, so we didn’t have any real heirlooms to speak of. But before the house got sold, we all went back and looked around (it’d been vacant for a while) and I just sat in the kitchen and cried, and picked up some old drinking glasses and plates, just to remember my grandma by.

We also found a pile of her kebayas, so one of my aunts collected them and distributed them to each of the ladies in the family. So  I have a set too. I also asked to borrow my grandma’s kerosang to use on my kebaya at my wedding. It made me feel very comforted that Mama was with me in spirit on my big day.”

‘Today, some frown at me when I’m out with my family. Because we’re an inter-racial family. I wonder if my ancestors, back in the 15th and 16th century, had to undergo the same stares because they were Chinese and Malay/Indonesian families. It’s thanks to them that we have a Peranakan community today.

Most Peranakans (Nonyas for the ladies, and Babas for the men) trace their roots to the Straits Settlements (if you weren’t paying attention in History class, that’s Penang, Malacca and Singapore for you); my own family is from Penang, though sadly, that’s about as much as I know. 

We weren’t full fledged ‘live in Joo Chiat shophouse, wear kebayas and bake kueh-kueh all the time’ kind of Peranakan family. We were more of the ‘cook a couple of Nonya dishes, like our spices, sprinkle a few Malay words in our daily speak’ kind.

But Peranakan I am, no matter how watered down, and this is my story.’

Adora 14

What is your earliest memory of your heritage? 

‘I have so many memories of my childhood, and the bulk of them are of the years I spent at my grandmother’s house in Katong. I was cared for by my grandmother, Mama, and she cooked the most amazing dishes.

Mama never had a food processor or a grinder or a blender. Everything was done by hand, the old fashioned way, with a lesung. I remember her squatting in the kitchen pounding away. Chilli, turmeric, ginger, garlic…If I close my eyes and think hard, I think I will be able to hear the sounds. 

She always wore her kebaya for big occasions, but for daily outings, she would wear her muah (the skirt that goes with the kebaya) with a self-sewn top. She made all her clothes; I remember my parents will buy her cloth every year.

I never knew I was ‘Nonya’ / ‘Peranakan’ / ‘Baba’ until much older. All I knew was that I was ‘different’. My friends didn’t seem to know what Garam Assam or Sambal Pedas were and I found that to be strange because my grandmother cooked them so often that I thought they were very common dishes. Come to think of it, I had all these spicy dishes even as a kid! The adults would eat with their fingers at dinner time, but the kids used utensils. Except if they wanted to appear grown up. 

I also found it strange that my friends referred to objects by different names that I. “Towel” to me was “tuala”. To wash one’s bum after a poo was “cebok”, armpit was “ketiak”, to get a second helping of rice was “tam bah nasi”. I wondered why we called our aunts Mak Koh/ Ko Besar and Koh-chik. It was only  in my teens that I realized they were Malay words; I always thought they were Hokkien words, because that was the main language my grandmother and I conversed in.’ 

Adora 16

‘I also remembered playing cherki with her while waiting for my school bus. It’s funny because none of her children know how to play it. and I was the only grandchild out of 14 who knew. I would like to think that I was the closest one to her, because I stayed the longest with her.’

Of all the things you have learnt from your parents (in terms of tradition or culture), which do you feel was the most valuable? 

‘They were more family oriented. My parents always reminded me to respect my elders. Everyone older than us had to be greeted and invited to eat at meals (e.g, “Kong Kong jiak, Mama jiak, Dad jiak, Ma jiak) – so the youngest in the family would have a long list of people to address before actually eating!’

Adora 18

What is that one thing that you intend to pass down to your children in regards to your heritage?

‘I will definitely pass down my grandmother’s kebaya to my girls. And my wedding kebayas. My husband is French-Canadian, I am Peranakan-Chinese, so the kids are um, well, a good mix of stuff. I want to be able to tell them as much of their culture as possible, so when they are asked, they wouldn’t simply say, “We are Eurasian”, but rather, would be able to elaborate on their rich backgrounds. Oh and if they want, they can have my lesung as well :)’

Adora 15

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Adora shares her light-hearted stories on everyday life as a mum of her lovely girls at her blog http://www.gingerbreadmum.com.

Adora 17

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