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LIFE&FAMILY
140
November14
We hit the Singapore Science Centre to check out the latest new exhibits that see children
engrossed in science-based learning – and they’re fun, too.
1. KidsStop
What is it?
A purpose-designed, multi-
million-dollar attraction where
children can dream, discover, experience and imagine.
It’s spread across 17 zones that are designed to spark
children’s interest in science through interactive play.
Learning opportunities?
Hands-onactivities suchas role-play inspire creative thinking,
encourage problem-solving and hone communication skills.
Kids can explore the
Music Zone
by banging drums and
playing PVC-pipe organs, or get cooking in the
Kitchen
Lab
. Adventurous ones can explore the nine-metre
Big
Dream Climber
, while the
Supermarket and Café
is the
place for junior shoppers to experiment with buying food
and learn about good nutrition.
Got courage?
The seven-metre
Giant J
slide allows kids to safely
experience the adrenalin rush of a free-fall and became
better acquainted with gravity.
Workshops?
•
Squishy Circuits
touches on art, science and
engineering, with hands-on dough play and electrical
circuits to explain how electricity works. Weekends,
11.30am to 12 noon, ages 6 to 8, $3.
•
Puppet Performance
, daily from 2.30pm, and 1.30pm
on weekends.
• Interact with awesome animals at the
Cool Critters
workshop, held daily at 4.45pm.
Tips?
Set aside an entire
morning or afternoon for
KidsStop – it will keep
kids entertained for hours.
Nursing mothers can visit
with confidence, as there
is a nursing alcove in
the
Small World
zone, a
special place designed
for very small children.
KidsStop is housed in the
Omni Theatre Building and
has its own entrance next to
the Science Centre.
kidsstop.edu.sg
2. Human Body
Experience
What is it?
A large-than-life journey
through organs, muscles and
body systems to discover what
the inside of the body looks,
sounds and feels like. Climb
in through a six-metre mouth
to enter, then slide down the
throat, crawl through the veins
and arteries, and squelch as
you bounce inside the stomach.
Learning opportunities?
A multitude of special effects including optical illusions,
3D video, holograms, audio and strobe lighting combine to
simulate the workings of the human body. A sudden spray
of mist hits in a simulation of gastric juices, the floor starts to
wobble to recreate the effect of a churning stomach, and a
maze of veins contains eerie fluorescent lighting representing
blood circulation.
Challenge?
Feel what it’s like to be swallowed as you squeeze through
the throat.
Tips?
While the Human Body Experience is primarily
designed for children aged 10 to 12, it’s suitable for those
as young as five, and for adults with good physical mobility.
Be aware that the enclosed spaces, strobe lighting and
special effects might be uncomfortable for some. Closed 17
November and 15 December.
3. Now Showing
We’re big fans of the five-storey dome screen at
Omni Theatre
at the Science Centre, known to
keep even the noisiest kids quiet. Screening now is
Animalopolis,
a light-hearted and imaginative look
at the animal kingdom. There are cheetahs that race
like Ferraris, bears that run their own fishing school,
an operatic lion, scary crabs and many more. The
30-minute show is screened at 12pm and 3pm daily,
until 31 December. animalopolisfilm.com
15 Science Centre Road
6425 2500 | science.edu.sg
Sc ence for Life