Fun with learning at Kidz Academy 2012

Over three days, the Suntec exhibition halls filled up with about 90, 000 parents and children who scoured through the 90 exhibitor stalls to enjoy amazing promotions and exhilarating activities for the entire family.

Visitors were treated to a mélange of booths ranging from sports and music schools, enrichment and learning centres, nutrition specialists, financial advisors and of course, game booths for children to let loose and have fun! The first 100 parents who entered the exhibition daily with children under the age of 12 were also rewarded with a coveted Limited Edition Gold-Plated ‘Year of the Dragon’ Medallion worth $55.

Encouraging bright minds

The theme for this year’s exhibition was “Academic Success”, so there was no shortage of in-depth talks, workshops and free trial classes to help parents make well-informed decisions about their children’s education. Several booths, like Daekyo Enopi Singapore’s booth, even held onsite diagnostic tests to establish a child’s strengths in subjects like English and Mathematics. Talks were delivered by notable figures in the local education industry like Mr Tee Wee Ang, education success coach from MindChamps, and Ms Esther Lim, the CEO and Founder of Leap SchoolHouse.

Kids from various enrichment centres and schools also had the chance to battle it out on a mental war ground with challenging competitions like the qualifying round of the LRD Memory Competition and the Preliminary Round of the Piaget IQ Math™ Competition.

Arts, sports and a whole lot of fun

Besides the plethora of learning opportunities for both parents and children, Kidz Academy 2012 was filled with booths for children to explore their creative side, like the Art Speaks Studio Pte Ltd booth where kids could take a break from the bustle of the exhibition to create their own little masterpieces. Thanks to a partnership with the Singapore Sports Council, there were also many opportunities for kids to pick up healthy hobbies like basketball, darts, mini golf, Wushu, soccer and Taekwondo.

Throughout the day, snaking lines of eager children could be seen waiting to try their hand at the games under the careful supervision of the skilled instructors present at each booth. One of the more popular booths was the Milo booth, where children had to dribble a ball past obstacles like tires to score a goal and win Nestle products. These game stations also gave parents a chance to explore nearby booths without having to worry about their children’s whereabouts.

Exciting live performances

The Hankuk Taekwondo team, comprising of adults and children as young as 8 years old, also performed a thrilling live demonstration filled with kicks and punches leaving the audience thoroughly impressed. Another unique performance was that of self-proclaimed “Singing Chef” Irene Jansen, from Culinary Adventures, who taught the crowd simple recipes like Fresh Mushroom Soup and Hot Chocolate while belting out catchy tunes.

“I started Culinary Adventures to encourage more women to go back to the kitchen to cook and bond with their children and The Kids Academy is a great place for me to spread my message,” she said.

Dancers from the Crestar School of Dance also graced the stage to perform various genres of dance from classical ballet to more contemporary styles of dance like cheerleading.

Looking forward

Needless to say, Kidz Academy 2012 was a brilliant success and a great chance for parents and children to bond over new learning experiences. This year’s theme of “Academic Success” was juxtaposed perfectly with a focus on sports and art to encourage well-rounded learning for children of all ages.

Mother of two, Ng Sok Cheing said she found out about Kidz Academy 2012 through its website and was intrigued to take a trip down. “We had a blast here and I’m really glad I brought my kids down. We will definitely return again next year,” she said.

Mother was one, Elizabeth Raju was also impressed by the sheer variety that this year’s exhibition had to offer. She said, “We came with the intention to check out the booths of the enrichment centres but we were pleasantly surprised by the live performances and demonstrations as well. It was well worth the trip.”

Muhammad Iskandar, a father of two, said he was happy to see that there were free trial classes offered by many of the enrichment centres. “We signed up for some trial classes so that we can figure out what works best for our children. This saves us from committing to a learning style that my child is not comfortable with,” he said.

With fresh and exciting activities being added each year, we’re sure that Kidz Academy will return with a bang in 2013. We’re excited already!

The Kidz Academy in previous years…

2011

2010