Mama, Papa, Ah Kong, Ah Ma, Animals and I! NurtureStars Punggol's Pre Nursery 1s' Learning Journey to the Animal Resort to promote inter-generational family bonding and love for animals!

This year, NurtureStars Punggol made a consensus to respond to the nation’s call to promote inter-generational bonding to boost elderly’s well-being, based on an article published in The Straits Times on 2nd September 2017. Hence, we decided to integrate inter-generational bonding in our SSDB 2018 projects. We shortlisted our pre-nursery level students for this important task, as we couldn’t agree more with what Mr Don Tan, centre manager and senior social worker at Tsao Foundation’s Hua Mei Elder-centred Programme of Integrated Comprehensive Care, quoted in the article: “Elders are generally more happy when there are kids around - the latter’s spontaneity and energy is almost infectious!”

Children from the Pre Nursery level in NurtureStars Punggol embarked on an highly interactive, sensorial and exploratory journey to the ‘Animal Resort’ which was in line with their upcoming lesson theme, ‘Animals’.

Looking back at those days, where kids ran freely and domesticated animals were roaming around their home, it is indeed challenging to find a similar environment setting these days to re-live those moments and getting the kids to experience it firsthand.

Through this learning journey, each child and his/her family had an amazing opportunity to get up close, feed and interact with all the animals on the Animal resort, thus unfolding hands-on learning methods to care and nurture the animals around them.

Parents and grandparents felt nostalgic playing on old school swings and playground structures with their little champs! It was also a great way to introduce the kids to the good old kampong days and the animals that they normally do not have a chance to get close encounter with. It was great seeing children interact with both their and their classmates grandparents & parents! Our management was particularly touched to see the large number of sign-ups and even, wheelchair bound grandparents turning up to spent the day with their grandchild!

Sharing a meal with your family is integral and almost inseparable part of a family’s shared experience. It provides an opportunity for the family to bond and spend quality time together. Hence, we also leveraged on the ‘Eat with your family day’ which fell on the same month as our learning journey, in May. Families were treated to local delights for lunch in a kampong setting which gave them bonus bonding opportunities!

It was indeed a memorable day for all of us at NurtureStars Punggol! Despite being the youngest level of children in our centre, we were so enthralled to witness the positive impact of these little hearts, hands, minds and smiles! #SSDB2018