Celebrating the Year of the Monkey at the Singapore Philatelic Museum

Visit the Singapore Philatelic Museum over Chinese New Year to take in their super kid-friendly “More than Monkeys” exhibition!

Looking for fun ways to spend time with the kiddos over the long holiday weekend, mama? Check out the “More than Monkeys” exhibition at the Singapore Philatelic Museum. This small room is exhibiting over 300 stamps from all over the world dating from 1947, all featuring monkeys and apes. How fitting for The Year of the Monkey! This is more than just cute, colourful pictures, too; there’s information on deforestation, poaching and conservation, plus facts about primates and their habitats.

What’s-So-Good-About-It:

SPM is a charming museum on Coleman Street dedicated to stamps. But it is also so much more. SPM tells Singapore’s cultural and political history through the story of stamps. There is a room dedicated to the postal service, an exhibit for SG50, and a heritage room (our favourite display) that unveils the traditions and customs of Singaporeans. My kids (ages 1 and 4) loved opening and closing the information doors revealing titbits of interesting cultural pictures and information, handling the wooden clogs, and scanning the different spices to unveil their description and associated stamps.  This was probably the most interactive room, especially for younger kids.

For kids: a small floor puzzle, wooden colourful monkeys to hang on the low vines, information and images at eye-level for young ones, a button to press to hear the howler monkeys, binoculars to search out creepy crawlies, information panels to uncover, a Chinese zodiac calendar to swing, and a monkey word search to figure out.

Look out for: CNY crafts and activities for kids on 9th February

Last word: If you have recently visited SPM this Monkey exhibition may not hold enough to keep your families’ attention for too long, but if you haven’t explored this quaint museum, then this exhibit plus the other rooms make for a fab, inexpensive and quick cultural trip.

Make a day of it: Visit the Fire Station nearby (open days on Saturdays) and have a picnic at Fort Canning Park up the road.  

Practicalities: Due to multiple stairs, strollers are not allowed so bring your baby carriers. There are baby changing facilities.

What: “More Than Monkeys” Exhibition

Where: Singapore Philatelic Museum (SPM); Parking at Fort Canning Park, Funan Digitalife Mall or near the Peranakan Museum; Closest MRT stations are City Hall, Clarke Quay and Bras Basah

When: The exhibition runs from 29 January to 25 September 2016

Wallet: Free for Singaporeans and PRs or $6 for adults and $4 for kids (3-12 yrs). The Museum is FREE to the public on Chinese New Year!

Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday, 10am to 7pm (last admission at 6:30pm)

Singapore Philatelic Museum, 23-B Coleman Street, Singapore 179807, Singapore, Tel: (+65) 6337 3888, www.spm.org.sg