100-Day Project #11 - No Harm Trying

Some kids are very shy and reserved while some are very open and friendly. My kids definitely falls into the latter. They are mostly friendly and engaging, make friends easily and are comfortable in a crowd. This is something that is rather alien to me. As a child, I almost always will try to fade into the background. Seriously, the then-me would love to have a coat of invisibility!

One example will be when they attend kids' shows that are usually held in shopping malls. To break the ice and get the mood going, most such shows will almost always have a Q&A session where the kids get to go on stage to answer a question and get a small gift. My kids will always have hands up to try to answer. Yes, even my littlest who probably has NIL idea what is going on!

They are not afraid to try. They will always WANT to try. It doesn't matter that they may not get it, come next question, their hands will shoot right up again! What a great attitude and I am so happy to learn this from them!

Try: to attempt to do or accomplish

100-Day Project #10 - Taking Initiative

My kids are very pampered by my mom. She have no qualms about catering to their preferences when it comes to food. My mom always says that my kids thinks her house is like a hawker centre, want what got what!

As with all grandmothers, she dotes on her grandchildren and do not ask them to help with anything in the kitchen. Then again, I must say that I too need not help in the kitchen. Being the most fantastic cook in her own family, my mom prefers to do things her way and we who are not even a quarter as accomplished in the kitchen as her will make sure to steer clear!

One day, while my mom was preparing dinner, I was quite delighted to hear my gals volunteer to pluck bean sprouts. My mom's reaction, however, was pretty classic as her reply was "Aiyo, you all can or not. Wait my bean sprouts got no head no tail!" Of course my gals professed that they know and thankfully yes the bean sprouts retained their heads safely!

I am very happy to know that while it does not happen always or even very often, they sometimes do take the initiative to help :)

Initiative: readiness and ability in initiating action; enterprise

100-Day Project #9 - Learning is Everywhere

My gals were recently involved in a performance. Being rather regular performers, this is not something new or unfamiliar to them. in fact, both gals thrived on such opportunities and are always grateful for any performance!

Time round however only my no.2 was performing per se. No.1 was too tall and did not fit into the needed profile. When I first knew about it, I was a tad worried, that my no.1 may feel left out as an earlier show this year saw only my no.2 performing as well. 

I was quite pleasantly (and gratefully) surprised when she told me that she is happy as long as she is involved in the performance, in any way! Her logic - "I can learn about performing, whether backstage or front stage, it doesn't matter, I am still learning and get to observe."

Learning: the act or process of acquiring knowledge or skill

100-Day Project #8 - Never Cease To Feel

This is my no.1's favourite movie. She had seen it no less than 7 times. No, I am NOT kidding.

Yet everytime she watches it, she is in tears. Yes, even after 7 times! While I can understand that hormones are upside down now in teenage years and she may be more affected since the story is about her age now. But after 7 times? Seriously???

We happened to chat about this once and I was asking her how come she still cries? I can understand for the first 3 times? but 7??? She answered "I still feel it! What the characters go through when things happen and when they lost contact etc."

Is it becos I am jaded, as a much older person, that I am not as touched? Or she is just more emotional? I think is the former. As we go into  adulthood, we are taught (unknowingly) that we should NOT feel or be affected as much as we are now "adults". Yet, feelings are very much part of a person, a human. Is it wrong to feel and empathise? Is it "un-adult" to feel?

I am humbled, that my child was able to teach me that feeling has nothing to do with being adult. One can still feel and should continue to feel!

Feel: to have a sensation of (something), other than by sight, hearing, taste, or smell

100-Day Project #7 - Apt Imagination

At 4-years-old, imagination is a wonderful thing. It creates worlds of make-believe that makes role-playing realistic. It allows you to have your own rules and it allows you to create your own characters and environment! Needless to say, my littlest has an imagination as big as Mount Everest!

He can be a pirate now, shooting canons at the castle that he is attacking. Next he will be a train conductor, instructing his older sisters to get on or off the train. His worlds can be a complete fantasy at times and sometimes completely realistic too! He loves role-playing doctor as he could then go around poking all our butts with his "needle" and hearing our "Ouch!"!

One weekend, we were all exhausted after coming home from their Saturday activities. All 5 of us slept like piggies! My littlest woke up nearing dinner time, asking for food. As I struggle to wake up from my grogginess, he said something that jolted me awake.

"Daddy is a super hero!" he declared.

"Awww..." I can almost hear that!

Taken aback, I asked why and which super hero is he? 

OK, some explanation here. While most kids may see their dads as their super hero, my kids never said so. Not becos he is not heroic but more becos he is so fierce that they only see the fierceness and discipline. To them, super heroes save the world but Daddy scolds! So I was TRULY taken aback!

His answer? "Daddy is the Hulk!" He proudly declared. Why???

"Coz Daddy make Hulk noise (grunts) and this (thumps like "Hulk Smash")"

I burst out laughing and I know that hubby dearest, who was trying his hardest to pretend to sleep was listening in too! His shaking shoulders were hard to ignore! Daddy the Hulk then obliging gave a loud grunt and breathed loudly which brought my littlest scurrying to my side of the bed, pointing at his dad "There! Like that!"

The last super hero I would imagine my hubby to be is Hulk yet hearing what my littlest said, its hard not to draw the similarities though I would REALLY appreciate the 6-pecs that Hulk has!

Imagination: the product of imagining; a conception or mental creation,

often a baseless or fanciful one.

100-Day Project #6 - Cutting Bangs

My no.1 had had the same hairstyle since she was P4. Now a teenager, I wasn't too surprised that she indicated that she wants a change of style. She wanted to cut bangs and was wondering if it will look ok on her.

In my opinion, bangs means youth. Don't ask me why but it just seems that way to me. She pondered on it for awhile, researched online and even tried out apps that allow you to superimpose a hairstyle on your own photo! 

At the hairdresser, I asked if she would want to go ahead or wait till a couple of months later when she is due for her next cut. I know that she wasn't very confident of having bangs so really do not want to push her. Much to my surprise, she wanted to go ahead with it.

Upon asking, she told me simply "Actually, after thinking so much, its only hair and it will grow back." For a teenager, that seemed so unbelieveable! Yet, in my mommy's heart I was so proud that she worked that out herself and was mature enough to know that it is indeed ONLY hair and it does grow back!

Happy ending - She was very happy with her bangs and was quite surprised that just a few strands of hair could make such a big difference and yes she agreed with me that having bangs do make her look younger!

Mature: fully developed in body or mind, as a person

100-Day Project #5 - Wait For The Right Moment

We were recently at the zoo. It was glorious weather being a tad windy, hardly any strong sun and no rain :) The little ones saw plenty of animals and were happily walking from one enclosure to another. At the end of the day, when we were about to go home, we stopped at the River Safari souvenir shop after seeing the pandas.

Well actually the littlest one, who was the keenest to see them, didn't actually saw the pandas as he himself fell asleep! We tried waking him up to see but he cracked open his eyelids, took a glance and promptly went back to sleep after declaring "I know! But I want to sleep!"

Anyways, at the shop, my no.1 was browsing and saw a red panda soft toy. She told me that she felt indignant every time she sees it as many years ago (at least 7 years ago!), when we were at Hong Kong Disneyland, she had wanted this but we said "No!" *Opps!*

Well, she went to the Daddy, told him the (sob) story and Daddy dearest of course said "OK, u get it now then." SUCCESS! Now, those who know my hubby will know that this success definitely did not come easy! He is more a disciplinarian than an indulging dad so u can well imagine my no.1's glee!

I was teasing her that she remembered till now and she told me cheekily "Well, it worked!"

Seems that waiting for the right moment, even after 7 long years, can sometimes work wonders!

Wait: to remain inactive or in a state of repose, as until something expected happens

100-Day Project #4 - Wake Up...

Spied the following phrase on my no.1's desk...

"Wake Up With Determination, Go To Bed With Satisfaction"

What a great mantra to have! Indeed if we all could have this mantra and live by it, we will all be much more fulfilled at the end of everyday. Granted, not all days are rosy, some are downright horrid! Yet, I always believe that there are always two sides to a coin as there is always something good in anything bad. Some may say that I am deceiving myself. Maybe. But at the end of the day, finding something good, going to bed feeling better and waking up feeling much better, that would be the main point. Finding contentment is a skill and I was glad to be reminded by my no.1!

Satisfaction: confident acceptance of something as satisfactory, dependable, true, etc.

100-Day Project #3 - Never Lose Heart (Tenacity)

No.2 had been wanting to get on the school team for Floorball. Being a very very petite gal, we did try to taper her hope (and expectations) by reasoning out that it may not be very easy as there will be (very) many bigger sized girls who will be vying for that few spots. She was not daunted and told me that she will still want to try.

After many gruelling training sessions, a training camp and tryout sessions, she came home one day quite disheartened. The list for the school team came out and she was not on it :( We left her alone to sort it out on her own and told her that its ok, there is always next year. She was rather upset for that evening, keeping to herself and not wanting to talk.

A few days later, she told me that there is an extra training session and that she wants to go. Curious as normally such extra sessions were reserved for the school team, I ask why is there a need for her to go? She told me "There is one more slot left for school team and I want to try." It was stated such a matter-of-factly that I was floored for a few seconds.

Tenacity : the quality of being tenacious, or of holding fast; persistence

I know that with an outstanding older sister who is an all-rounder in sports, academic and leadership, she feels the pressure to measure up even when we told her that all of them are different. She wants to try, even when there is only ONE slot. To her, that one slot is hope, notwithstanding that it is only ONE! Her tenacity amazed me. She is usually quite laid back and do not really put in 100% effort for almost all things. Studies comes naturally to her so that was pretty effortless as well. I am so grateful for this ONE slot. It showed me how determined she can be. Hopefully it will also show her that sometimes the journey is more rewarding than reaching the destination itself.

100-Day Project #2 - I Can

My no.3 had always been a go-getter. However, being the youngest and having 2 much older sisters meant that he has always been left out of most things because of his age. The 2 sisters had to play with him at his level which is not very easy at times. Though I must say that they do try, sometimes after some nagging from me of course!

At his current age, he is game to try anything and everything! His granny was peeling hard boiled eggs one day and he asked to peel too. The granny gave him one and a bowl, instructing him to put all the shells in the bowl. In the granny's mind, she had already "written off" that poor egg as seriously you don't really expect it back in one piece after a "peeling session" by a 4-year-old.

He promptly sat down and began peeling, in all seriousness. In a very short while, he promptly showed all of us a big fat shiny egg, in ONE piece and without a single chip off the egg white! Needlessly to say, we were all amazed! Upon seeing our reaction, his parting shot "See, I said I can. U all don't want to listen,"

We all stand corrected, my dear little one! Yes! Indeed YOU CAN!!!

Can: to be able to; have the ability, power, or skill to

100-Day Project #1 - Adaptability

#1 Adaptability

My no.1 recently had to overcome a challenge, a physical challenge and one that even I cringed at the mere thought of it :( I will not share it in detail here as I know that she would prefer to keep it private.

At first she was very distraught about it. She cried bitterly and for that moment, I was really at a loss for what to say and do. Being Mommy for more than 10 years, it still did not prepare me for this moment. It wasn't something that was easy to accept nor get use to. It is not something that is over in a while. It will be a VERY LONG while. I know I had (need) to get her out from that black hole and I was very grateful to have a light bulb go off shortly.

Putting it into perspective, she quickly thought through and accepted it. With her dark cloud lifted, she was back to her chirpy and cheeky self. Though she still had reservations, it was not that dark deep kind. Rather, she took it off in a totally new direction and could even come up with advantages of having it!

The D-Day came when she had to face that physical challenge for real. She took it bravely. I was pretty worried and kept checking with her if she was ok. After the 3rd time asking, she told me "Mommy, don't worry ok? I will probably forget about it 10mins later!"

Adaptability - able to adjust oneself readily to different conditions

She taught me that. No matter how tough or difficult the situation, she had taught me again and again that adaptability saves the day (and your sanity too!). Adapting to the new condition also meant a new perspective which then makes everything else much easier.

Embarking On "100-Day Project"

Inspired by tons of 100 day projects online and on Instagram, I was super tempted to start on something! Yet, at the very back (and honest) portion of my mind, I know that I will be hard pressed to actually MAKE something continuously for 100 days! Heck, sometimes just trying to do a week's worth of memory keeping is hard enough! 100 days? Who am I trying to kid?!

So....in a (rare) brilliant moment, I turned to writing. I think (hope) that I should be able to do a 100 day's worth, staying through to the project. But what can I write continuously on for 100 days? My days are spent circling around my kids' schedules, and trying to fit everything in for all that they want to do. Many a times, my daily photos are taken in an instant, when something happens and "snap" I go :)

Cutting a long pondering short, I then decide to do.....

"100-Day Project of Things My Kids Taught Me"

That, should do it! I really hope and it will serve as a great look back too!

So, next post will be the start of this momentous 100 days project! Wish me lotsa of luck!

*fingers crossed* 

*to know more about the 100 days project and its creator, go here :)

Our Interactions with a certain Paper Monkey

The kids first encounter with the Paper Monkey Theatre was when they had a performance at SAFRA Jurrong. You may ask what am I doing there since I practically live on the other side of the island! Well, ask the Daddy! After he chanced upon the advertisement of the Paper Monkey performing at SAFRA Jurong, he was determined to bring the kids to see them. 24hourly Dad? But of course!

Hubby is a strong believer in the arts influencing the kids. He always wanted them to see the more vintage and weathered kind of arts, to let them know that it is not something that drops from the sky but it is there because of someone else's hard work and undying passion. With my kids being involved in theatre from quite a young age, they were suitably interested :P though it was quite the first experience for my No.3 as it turns out!

The short performance was to drive home how trees and animals are affected by deforestation using a simple fairy tale story with colourful and interesting looking puppets. The main character, a young girl, was presented as a shy person but with a strong desire to protect the forest and its critters. I had always been amazed at how alive the puppets become in the skilful hands of the puppet master!

Nearing the end of the show, "trees" were needed and the 2 older sisters "sabo" my No.3 and poor boy had to stand there waving tree branches but we could all see how excited he was! He was very taken by the main character as well and kept wanting to touch it!

After the show, we noticed that there were many other small and intricate looking puppets on display. It was very different seeing them up close apart from being on stage as one could really see how intricate the coloring was and how the expressions on the puppets were drawn to present its character!

One of the puppet master was also demonstrating a cute little dog that was unbelievably life-like! My No.2 was fascinated and asked to try handling it. Poor Mommy here had her heart in her mouth all the while as she pranced around with the little doggy! Thank goodness it was returned to them in one complete piece!

The kids enjoyed the play and completely no regrets driving all the way when we see the awe and the happy faces of the kiddos! It definitely isn't everyday that we get a chance to let them see these rare puppets up close and even try their hands at it!

So, when the Paper Monkey Theatre puts up a show - the Magic Lantern in collaboration with Esplanade to celebrate the Mooncake Festival, no prizes to guess who went!

I was initially worried that my No.3 will not sit through the whole 45mins. Thank goodness he did, most of the time apart from traversing from his seat to mine twice, asking for milk (yes!). Well, I can say he was *quite* behaved! At very least, no screaming and no tantrums. To which, I am most grateful!

This story is about filial piety and what caught my attention was a song about the greatness of Mother at the end of the show. It cleverly weaved in the modern day situation, asking us to go home and have meal with her...very touching!

To hear the song, click here!

All in all, I was again impressed with the extreme care and hard work that goes into making and preserving these puppets. They aren't exactly light to hold (kid you not! I tried once and the head was really H.E.A.V.Y!) Imagine swinging the puppet on one arm, saying its script with sword fighting scenes here and there as well! It was more than a job well done! It was a passionate display of how determined the puppet masters were, to continue to preserve this art form!

Show your support by liking and following their Facebook Page at

https://www.facebook.com/PaperMonkeyTheatre

or visit their website for more information at

http://www.papermonkey.com.sg/

A disclaimer - This is NOT a sponsored post. It was a post borne out of respect for the passion and the hard work of these puppet masters! I sure hope that my grandchildren will still get to see this art form!

Kidszania - The Fun & The Not-So-Fun!

Kidszania definitely provides an experience of its own. Kids get to explore and try out different occupations, the very basic of what a job entails. It also allows them up close experience of doing something that earns $. Most importantly, succinctly summarised by my No.2 - "I am at "work" whole day and only earn so much?". Value of hard work!

The number of choices of jobs can be overwhelming. The queues daunting and the different requirements of some jobs - confusing! Though I must say, Kidszania does a good job of emulating a real virtual city for kids - "adulting" for a day does teach them that its not all roses in the land of adults!

Fun comes in many forms here :) Most kids have lots of fun going for their ambition. Be it being policeman, fireman, surgeon, journalist, CSI investigator, basketball player etc, they all have longer than long queues. Pilots, cabin crews etc have double queues which speaks a lot for their popularity! Parents are mostly left at the door, trying their best to get a decent shot of their kids while they "work". However, some jobs do welcome parents! If your kid is going for pilot or cabin crew, you will be welcome to join in as "passengers" and if they are going for their basketball tryouts, you get to be their adoring fans cheering them on!

Next on the list of popularity will be jobs where the kids get to eat! Want a piece of chicken? Go work at KFC. Craving for pizza, there's always Pizza Hut where u learn how to make a small pizza! Want some desserts? Go to the ice-cream making factory for some Paddle Pops! Need a more fulfilling meal? There's Soup Spoon where u get a soup of your choice and a croissant that u make yourself! Want some candy? There is the candy making store for you to try making your own. Be forewarned though, it's yet another double queue system!

My kids did not get to try the popular ones apart for one or two. The queues are really as long as the Great Wall of China and since I do plan to bring them back, I really do not want to waste time on queuing. One of the more popular ones that they did try was being Paramedics. They got to doctor a real "patient" (a child that volunteers to be patient) and ride in an ambulance! This job warranted a 40mins wait and we were entertained by firemen putting out a fire at a burning building nearby with the police maintaining order :) The firemen gets to ride in a fire engine as well! Oh! And they will receive a "Hospital Staff ID Pass" at the end of it. Every time u complete a job at a related industry, you will get a stamp :)

They also tried being a health researcher at the Health Institute on Level 2. This is sponsored by Lifebuoy and after learning how to make the liquid soap, they each get to bring back a sample bottle of it! I thought it was very generous of Lifebuoy!

Another popular one that they tried was the Milk Innovation Lab where they go through the steps of making the milk powder that they drank when they were young. This warranted a 1.5hrs queue where I settled their lunch with a slice of pizza while in the queue. They will also be given a sample pack of milk powder and a $5 discount voucher at the end of the session.

Oh! This reminds me! At the start of the session, they will give each kid a hair cover. Please do not throw these away! When your kids go for other food making jobs and it requires the hair cover, having an existing one earns them an extra dollar! Good way of reminding the kids (and parents) to reduce, reuse and recycle! PS. Owl not included :)

This was also where we experienced the 1st unpleasant encounter :(

When we first reach the queue for the Milk Innovation Lab, I quickly counted and confirmed that my kids will be able to go in for the next session. It was a session with a maximum of 6 participants and there were already 4 kids in queue. My kids happily queued and my poor legs were taking a much needed break when my No.1 signalled for me to go over. She whispered that a boy suddenly appeared and joined in the queue with his sisters who were originally in the queue. This effectively means that my kids will not get to go in together unless they wait for another session. It had been stated very clearly that all kids need to be present for all the queues and the parents who were nearby just completely ignored that. There wasn't much that we can do as no colored bracelets were given and there was no proof. I voiced my concern to the person in charge when they came out to ready the kids for the next session and thankfully colored bracelets were given for the next round. Seeing how annoyed my kids were, I decided to let them have a quick lunch while in queue.

After that first experience, I was more aware of how some parents simply flouted the rules with no concern for what they are teaching their own kids! My most common mantra to my kids is not to do unto others what you do not want yourself. Its common manners and simple logic yet, its much easier said than done. Many a times, its a case of monkey see, monkey do. Like it or not, our kids learn from us. There had been countless times that I heard my own commonly used phrases used by my kids when playing or interacting with others!

Then again, at Soup Spoon, we had the unfortunate "luck" to experience yet again this way of "queuing". This was a job that allows 10 pax per session. Seeing that the queue was only 3 in front, my kids were overjoyed as it was something that they had wanted to try. While waiting, a group of 5 kids suddenly appeared and join in to the 3 kids in front. It turned out they were from the same group. It was pure luck that my kids could still join in as it was just at 10 pax!  

Nearing the end of the day, there wasn't much time left as most jobs started on their last session for the day. One of the wanted job by my kids were to be a driver. However, there were many steps to it as they will need to first get an eye-check, attend driving school before they can "drive" a car! Seeing that most last sessions had commenced, I decided to let them go be an optician and also to get their eyes checked at the same time. Being an optician was interesting as they get to use an actual eye-checking machine and they could see what an optician see! At the end of the session they receive a card certifying that their eyes were checked. This eye-check will be valid for one year :)

One will see that most "upmarket" jobs like pilots, surgeons etc are extremely popular. A mom commented, while our kids queued outside the 7-11 store, that such jobs are popular as these are jobs parents want their kids to aspire to be. No one wants their kids to be store assistant at 7-11 or be a petrol kiosk assistant hence the much shorter queue. While I have to agree that this view is probably not incorrect, I have to defer on my personal stand.

At the start of the day, I told my kids that they should try out for jobs that were interesting and jobs that they do not get to experience easily. These are jobs like being credit officers where they distribute "cash" to other establishments by walking around pushing a vault. Another job which I wanted them to try was the one as a petrol kiosk attendant. They had always seen them hard at work when Daddy stops to top up gas. I wanted them to know that its not as easy to be one and to be aware of how each and every job contribute to society as a whole, no matter how "upmarket" or how "common" society views them. Just like the garbage collectors. If we do not have them, can you imagine how smelly and dirty our living areas will be?

All in all, Kidszania was an interesting experience. It was rather amusing to see how kids react when they get "paid", how important the "economy" of each job is when they realised they may have to part with their "hard earned" money! It is completely exhausting as well, practically walking around the whole day with little opportunity to sit and rest. There were seats around but with just as many , if not more parents, grandparents or helpers who will sit on that seat throughout the day, helping to take care of belongings while the kids run around, I spent 90% of my day on my feet! So the next time u need a workout, Kidszania can be a good choice as long as you walk around with your kids and not put up your legs at the Parents Lounge on Level 2 :)

Surviving Kidszania - The Essentials (a 2 part series)

My No.1 and No.2 were excited beyond words when we got tickets to Kidszania. Yes, it is exam period now for No.1 but we decided to let her have a breather during the recent 1 week school holidays before she faces the MAJOR exam. Kidszania being the newest attraction in town was definitely on their list of MUST-GO!

I was advised by a friend to get my adult tickets online as one could get a discount when I use MayBank credit card to pay. Alas! I realised when trying to do so that ALL adult tickets MUST be accompanied by at least one child ticket! As we already have the tickets for the kiddos, I was rather disappointed that I could not get the discounted rate. To me, having to pay $35 to go in seemed quite a rip-off as we adults definitely are NOT going to do any role play :(

Anyways, no worries on that as I discovered that I still get a 10% when I buy a ticket at the counter using a MayBank credit card. The tickets were designed to look like air tickets, a refreshing change. Best of all, you get to keep it as a memory keepsake. All the better for my scrapbooking!

Now, let's talk about the QUEUE before we actually step into Kidszania. It opens at 10am. We ignorantly thought that we could buy me a ticket and breeze in. What greeted us when we arrived were SNAKES of people in QUEUE just to get in! And we were early, at 9.50am! Moral of the story? Arrive at least 30mins before the stated opening hours to join in the snaking queue especially if you are going during the school holidays or weekends! We spent at least 30mins in the queue to be tagged, buy (my) ticket and finally to step into Kidszania.

Before we reach the counter, we were "tagged". All of us are given a watch-like tag to be worn at the wrist. It can be quite tight so do ask for adjustment if needed. This tag will be with you the entire duration of your Kidszania journey! At the counter, besides your tickets, you will be given the city map and a leaflet asking you to be a citizen of Kidszania. Be forewarned though, they only give you ONE map. Yes, one SINGLE map. Need more? Download and print them from here before you go. 

Note -  there are TWO pages of the city map, one for each level.

Some other general information:
1) Kidszania is a "city" with no re-entry. Unlike most theme parks like Universal Studios etc, you could get a hand stamp at exit to re-enter without charge on the same day. Not so for Kidszania. Its a one time enter and exit. If you want to re-enter again on the same day, it means the cost of another ticket!

2) 3G is available in Kidszania though the connection can be wonky at times. Still it was good enough for me to keep hubby updated on the kids "progress" :)

3) All activities have an "economy". The " - " in an economy means that your child will need to pay to do this activity while a " + " means that your child will earn kidZos$ after doing this activity. All amount mentioned in an activity will be kidZos$ and not actual money. Apart from buying food and making the paZZport, you will not be using any real money in this "city" :)

4) All activities have a maximum number of participants per session. Most children in queues will get a colored band to wear when they are in queue. For instance, if this activity only allow 6 children per session, 6 bands of the same color will be given to the first 6 kids in the queue. The next 6 kids will get a different colored band. This is to prevent queuing for others and parents are NOT allowed to queue for their kids. All kids need to be present in the queue. After receiving the colored band, the child must inform the assistant if he wants to leave the queue. and return the band unless going to the toilet.

5) Most activities take at least 20mins or 30mins to complete. A good time to rest your feet IF you can find a seat. Otherwise be prepared to stand, stand, and stand! To make good use of those 20mins? I source out next possible activity (reads - least number of people in queue!). I actually managed to get quite a workout by walking and standing most of the 10 hours that we were there! Yes, you read that correctly - TEN HOURS!

First Stop - Maybank (level one).

The kids will each receive a ATM Card ($30 kidZos in it) and $20 kidZos in cash. You need to activate the ATM Card before you can use it. Do this before you start any activity as you definitely do not want to spend 60mins in queue only to have your child be booted out as the ATM Card is not activated (= not useable). Once activated, you can also choose to "bank in" the given $20 kidZos cash into the ATM Card for ease of carrying. I asked my kids to do so in other to avoid missing cash. With $0, the given $50 is rather precious! 

Note - Your child will need to do this himself and parents are NOT allowed into the bank. There are Kidszania assistants on hand to help them.

Second Stop - PaZZport Office (level two)

This is to register your child as a citizen of Kidszania. This is completely optional. It will make you $18 (real money) poorer and your child will get a PaZZport and a pull-string bag. This PaZZport allows your child to save or earn $2 kidZos in all activities. Depending on the "economy" of each activity, your child will either earn kidZos$ or pay kidZos$. For example, if the "economy" of an activity states "- $10 kidZos" it means that the child needs to pay that amount. With a paZZport, the child then only pay $8 kidZos instead of $10 kidZos. Conversely, if the "economy" for an activity states "+$10 kidZos" then with this paZZport, your child will learn $12 kidZos instead.

Third Stop - University (level one)

While waiting for them to activate their ATM cards, I wandered around and chanced upon this "University". There are 3 "degrees" offered in this "University" namely "Business & Finance", "Mass Communications" and "Biochemistry & Engineering". Each degree has its stipulated timeslots for "lessons". After attending the said session, your child will receive a card corresponding to the "degree" that he had attended. This card allows your child to receive additional $2 kidZos over and above the extra earned with a paZZport. Which mean - a +$10 kidZos is now +$14 kidZos ($2 from paZZport and $2 from the "degree"). Then again, each degree has specific activities that earn the extra $2 kidZos. It will be printed on the card itself for easy reference. As my kiddos were keen on Biochemistry & Engineering, that was the one they attended first and foremost, earning them the card you see below.

Overall, the kiddos could only start on the activities proper after 60mins or so of queuing (to get in), activating the ATM Card and making the paZZport. I used these times to comb through the map and to check the activities that are a must-do. However, do prepare your kiddos that they may not be able to do all of what they want, especially the popular ones. You may be taken aback at how long the queue is and the antics parents get up to, so as to let their kids do the activities! More on this in my next post.

Some activities may have a double queue. This means that you queue once to get the queue card and then back a second time at 15mins prior to your allocated slot for the activity itself. These includes the Candy Shop, Pilot and Cabin Crew. Other popular ones like Firefighter, Paramedic, Surgeon, Radiologist, Police, CSI, Driver means queues as long as 120mins!

Always always check the information available at the start of the queue. It will tell you things like the "economy", the maximum number of participants per session, duration of the session etc. It will also tell you if any additional cards can be used like the University card etc. Also, best to do some activity to "earn" some kidZos$ first as $50 can only last you that long. Most paying activity costs $10 kidZos! Be forewarned though, not all queues start at the door. Some may be at the back of the building, some at the side. I generally take a pre-look while my kids queue at another activity.

Some other must-haves...
1) Water. Going from activity to activity can be tiring but the kids will be so high that they forget to drink. I always make sure that they take a mouthful of water while waiting in line.

2) Small Snacks. Most kids will be so excited to complete activities that they may not want to take time out to have some food. I brought along small snacks like cereal bars, M&M, individually packed biscuits etc. They devour these while queuing up. Best not to have anything oily or messy though. If you choose to get food inside, the prices can be scary. A slice of pizza cost $5 and above and the choices aren't a lot. A more wallet friendly place will be Soup Spoon whereby the prices are same as actual retail prices. That was where I settled my lunch as well :)

3) Small pouch or wallet. After the kids go through some activities, you may start to accumulate cards and kidZos$ cash. You will at least get the ATM card, the paZZport (if you register) and other cards such as the one from the University etc. Having a small pouch/wallet for each child makes holding all these easier than fumbling for them when needed.

4) At the end of the day, you can choose to keep the kidZos cash or bank into the ATM card. If you plan to bring your kids to other overseas Kidszaniz outlets, then you will need to cash out all the money in your account. KidZos$ are useable in all Kidszania outlets internationally but only in cash form. ATM is unique only to the Singapore outlet. I have asked my kids to bank in the cash to avoid it being lost.

5) Exit. The exit is through the "immigration" but you will probably be routed to pass through the Kidszania store before going to the exit. Items at the Kidszania store are bought using real actual money. We did not browse through the store as the kids were already exhausted and hungry! At the exit, you will be de-tagged before exiting.

My next post will focus on our experience going through the activities, the fun and of course the not-so-fun of our Kidszania experience! Stay tuned!