Confucius once said, “It’s better to play than to do nothing”. As we grapple with time, play is possibly the last thing on our mind. However, the focus here is not on us but on our little one. Does he have time to play? Are parents to be accused of skimping Junior’s playtime in the name of enrichment lessons?
When kids turn 18 months, parents are hit with the looming questions. Which childcare centre offers the best curriculum? Which childcare centre has a higher rate of boosting children’s development? Besides the norm of Mathematics and English, are other subjects taught? What about social skills? Amongst these questions, the director of childcare centres will hardly be questioned regarding their ‘play’ curriculum or even if such a thing as a ‘play’ curriculum exists.
We have seen childcare centres practically shoving pamphlets under our nose, boasting of the fine developmental skills that they can nurture and grow in your child. However, tossing all these aside, TheAsianParent wanted to know if Singapore has any centre that concentrates on play as much as its ordinary curriculum. The team explored the island and found one childcare centre that has dedicated its campus to an ultimate play based centre – Smartz Playhouse.
Smartz Playhouse
Run by Mrs. Koh Siew Eng, Smartz Playhouse, located at 60 Lucky Heights, opens its doors to kids from 18 months to K2 for its childcare services. The centre and its flamboyant play equipment is home to around 60 children during the day. With gardens front and back, Smartz Playhouse has ample space that allows the children to run freely. Colours are thrown around via the equipment, which the children find immensely eye-catching and interesting, hence creating a fun environment.
20 years in childcare has made Mrs Koh realise that she does not like kids to be confined within a fixed area, which explains the many sections the centre is separated into many sections – a vegetable-growing area, a music room that doubles up as a gym and an indoor cycling area that drives the children wild. “Having a happy childhood is important. Children have to know when to learn but also when to have fun”, smiles Mrs Koh. TheAsianParent nods in agreement to that.
