A Class Apart: Kids’ Activities that Come to You

With colossal dreams for the futures of our tiny tots, we mamas often find ourselves braving adverse conditions to transport the little ones to activities conducted on various corners of the island. The ever-expanding list of classes that are enriching, fun and setting our little ones up for a life of success can make the already hectic schedule of go-getting mums practically unmanageable!

Well mamas, your prayers for an easier existence just may have been answered. I’ve tracked down and interrogated some very enterprising people who bring brilliant activities for kids right to our residences. Now you can take a break from disgruntled taxi uncles or that miracle ERP gantry that seems to relocate itself to exactly where your car is headed!

Getting your little pumpkin to class can be as simple as stepping down to your playground/function room or popping over to a neighbour’s house. All you need to do is call in the mum-brigade and round up a pack of tiny firefighters for group activities at your doorstep!

Here’s the lowdown on five fab activities we’ve come across:

The Amazing ToyBox 
Mark De Silva and Reuben Tupaz, former preschool educators, got together and formed The Amazing ToyBox in 2005 when they realized their common passion for music (in particular for composing children’s music).

The Amazing ToyBox run their popular ‘Boogie Bug Music’ classes all over the island. The classes are best suited for children between the ages of 1- 3 years and are accompanied, home-based programmes conducted in the living room of a host mummy.

As home-based programmes, the atmosphere is relaxed and friendly. Music, rhymes, fine and gross motor movement, puppets and simple instruments are all part of the sessions to encourage each child to be independent and to interact with the environment as well as with the other children and mummies.

Cost: $30 per child, per session. Classes are held once a week and are typically part of a package of 10 sessions.

The Amazing Toybox, (+65) 9070 8104, www.facebook.com/TheAmazingToyBox

Sport4kids
Sport4kids began in Hong Kong in 2010 and was subsequently set up in Singapore. Will Murray, who heads up the Singapore branch, has a degree in sports science and runs multi sports (basketball, mini soccer, mini rugby etc.) classes all over the island.

There are classes for kids as young as 18 months right up to 12 years. Will and his team bring all the props and sporting equipment too so all the little ones have to do is show up!

Cost: $30 per session for a package of 10 sessions; $35 per session for ad hoc sessions. Sport4kids offers a free trial too!

Sport4Kids, (+65) 9355 0376, [email protected], www.sport4kids.sg

Swimmer’s Swim School
Aussies Sam Jackson and Lauren Ashton are the team behind Swimmer’s Swim School.  Together, they run classes at several locations across the island. Sam and Lauren are Australian qualified coaches and they aim to instill confidence in the little ones and encourage fun whilst developing swimming skills and emphasising correct strokes. I’ve seen them in action and the little ones seem quite at home in their company!

Key tip: Lauren advises all new mums to introduce their babies to the water as early as 6 months, even if it’s just a bit of splashing time in the bathtub. The earlier they learn to love the water, the better!

Cost: Private/individual lessons: $60 per half hour, 2 children:  $40 per child, per half hour, 3 of more children: $30 per child per half hour

Swimmer’s Swim School, (+65) 9661 2143 (Sam), (+65) 8431 2817 (Lauren), [email protected], www.facebook.com/pages/Swimmers-Swim-School

Tweety Tots
Tweety Tots is all about dramatisation and storytelling. This hour long class run by Diane Marie Gomes is geared toward two different age groups: 18 months to 3 years, and 3 to 5 years. Diane’s mission is to make characters come alive through her storytelling and thereby create a fun and interesting atmosphere for children whilst they learn to love books and develop a passion for reading.

Having worked at a childcare centre for over ten years, Diane is passionate about working with children and hopes to reach out to little ones across the island through fairy tales, cultural and other books.

Cost: $18 per hour for the first 10 sessions; subsequent sessions will be at $22 per hour. (Free Trial Session).

Tweety Tots, (+65) 9273 1312 (Diane), www.facebook.com/TweetyTots

Zumba Kids
Certified Zumba instructor Natalie Toh started her Zumba classes a year ago and hasn’t looked back. Natalie is passionate about dance and fitness and her classes are all about having fun and letting loose. She sees the importance of children being exposed to physical activities at an early age and her classes help cultivate fitness as a natural part of children’s lives.

Classes incorporate key childhood development elements like leadership, respect, teamwork, confidence, self-esteem, memory, creativity, coordination, cultural awareness and spatial awareness.

Zumba Kids is suitable for kids aged 7 to 11 years and features kid friendly routines based on Zumba choreography. Zumba Kids Junior, on the other hand, is perfect for children aged 4 to 6 years and allows them to socialize with friends and jam to cool music. Games and activities are all part and parcel of the class structure.

Natalie encourages parents to join in and dance together with their children whenever they like as this helps in parent-child bonding. Separately, she does run classes for adults as well. Sign up for a new fitness regimen for yourselves and your little ones today before her rates are revised in April 2015, mama!

Cost: First time trial: $20, Subsequent walk-in rates: $18, Package of 10 sessions: $160 (to be used within a period of 4 months)

Zumba Kids, (+65) 9070 1979, www.facebook.com/zumbawNatT

So Mamas, identify your kids’ interests and get started on activities that are not only fun and educational, but also available at your doorstep!