Exclusive 17% Off Books from Armour Publishing for Little Day Out Readers

Posted on 4 April 201825 June 2018 by Wong Wai Ling

04 Apr

[This promotional has ended and the promo code is no longer valid]

Have a bookworm at home? Or trying to encourage the kids to read more? Here’s a piece of good news: Armour Publishing is extending an exclusive 17% off most of its book titles to Little Day Out readers! To enjoy this discount, all you need to do is to key in the promo code LDO17 during checkout! And if your order reaches $50, you’ll enjoy free shipping as well!

Armour Publishing has published many children’s books, including the popular Timmy & Tammy series, Ranger Anne series and Joy Cowley series on physical, emotional and social wellbeing. These books help grow children’s love for reading through stories that are not just compelling, but educational and promote good values as well.

timmytammy-planeride-600x600-01 — The Timmy & Tammy series, written by Ruth Wan-Lau and illustrated by Eliz Ong, has sold over 280,000 copies and was even presented to Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana to commemorate the royal birth in 2015!

LOCAL GEMS AND INTERNATIONAL FAVOURITES

Committed to promoting local writers, Armour Publishing has enabled Singaporean children to enjoy reads with a local flavour and perspective. Timmy and Tammy, from the eponymous series, visit attractions in Singapore such as the Botanic Gardens and Pulau Ubin. Stacey from the Stacey & the Museum series encounters dramatic experiences at Singapore’s iconic museums. The Ranger Anne series is inspired by its author Anita Sebastian’s time of working at the Night Safari.

ARM001-Stacey&MuseumsSeries-new — The museums come alive when Stacey visits in the Stacey & the Museum series, written by Lianne Ong and illustrated by James Tan.

You can also take advantage of the 17% off to purchase books from the Words of Wisdom series, written by teacher-turned-writer Rosalind Lim. This series teaches about common idioms and proverbs through interesting stories so children can fully understand and even use them in their writings!

wow-set1-600x600-01 — Read the fun stories, learn these words of wisdoms and put them into practice!

Another type of wisdom is in cultivating good values from young. Introduce your child to acclaimed Australian writer Ken Spillman’s Virtues Series, in which important virtues are identified and shared through relatable characters and engaging stories.

vs-set1-600x600 — Help your child learn about reliability, compassion, forgiveness and other virtues through interesting stories in the Virtues Series by Ken Spillman.

17% OFF APPLICABLE TO CHINESE AND MALAY BOOKS TOO

Want your child to be effectively bilingual? Get Armour Publishing’s Chinese or Malay children’s books too! Ten of the popular titles in the Timmy & Tammy series have been translated to Chinese, so kids can learn to love the language as they immerse themselves in the adventures of Timmy and Tammy.

timmytammy-botanicgardens-ch-600x600-01 — Now, children can read about Timmy and Tammy’s fun trips to various places in Singapore – in Chinese!

Joy Cowley’s well-being series is also available in Chinese and Malay. The best-selling series has sold more than 240,000 copies and is a good way to help children understand their emotions, learn how to be socially adept and take care of their physical health.

APPLY THE PROMO CODE

To make your purchase, simply click ‘Buy Product’ at the product listing on Little Day Out Shop, and you will be linked to the corresponding product at the Armour Publishing site. Add the product to cart and enter the promo code LDO17 as requested to enjoy 17% off the retail price. Remember to choose your delivery option.

The discount is applicable to all book titles at Armour Publishing, with the exception of Timmy & Tammy sets and e-books.

Start shopping here!

‘Little Day Outing to Castle Beach: Amazing Sandcastles Family Workshop’ is back!

Posted on 7 February 20188 February 2018 by Wong Wai Ling

07 Feb

After our sandcastle-building outings ended last year, we received many queries on whether there would be more coming up. We’re happy to announce that ‘Little Day Outing to Castle Beach: Amazing Sandcastles Family Workshop’ is back!

Two outings have been planned for the March holidays. So if you didn’t manage to get your tickets last year, book your place now!

Last year, our participants had fun learning how to build “real” sandcastles – with brick walled towers, intricate battlements, and connecting stairways! – at East Coast Park’s Castle Beach. Families and friends bonded over the fun challenge of designing their own castles, producing good-looking blocks of sand (there is an art to it), and working together to achieve their creative visions.

Happy and accomplished participants at our August outing last year

“Awesome experience”, “kids loved it”, “I think it is a great family activity and kids can build creativity”. These are some of the comments that we received in our feedback forms.

The ‘Amazing Sandcastles Family Workshop’ is conducted by Singapore’s sandcastle-building pioneer, Alvin Lee, with the assistance of his team of instructors. These instructors aren’t just enthusiastic about their craft, they’re passionate about sharing their know-how as well.

20170603-Little-Day-Outing-to-Castle-Beach-42 — The kids went “Wah!” when Alvin showed them how to create a curved flight of steps.

And it’s never just about learning the skills to build a sandcastle. The workshop “taught the kids what teamwork was all about, encouraged creativity and instilled the belief that you can achieve anything you dream of by not giving up”, participant Sophia Wong wrote in her review.

There’s no need to bring your own sand tools to the workshop. We’ll be using those invented by Alvin and his son and niece, which won the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio award at the New York Toy Fair, the Oscar of the toy industry.

If you’re worried about the occurrence of rain (although we think March would be a rather dry month), there are shelters that Alvin and his team will put up when that happens. Ponchos are also available upon request.

We encountered rain once in our August outing, but it didn’t dampen our spirits. Desmond our instructor simply had the shelters put up and switched some parts of the programme around. And we continued to have fun!

Plus, as Alvin always says, rain doesn’t last long at that part of the beach. Because of the sea breeze, rain clouds get blown away rather quickly.

So come join us at our March Little Day Outing to Castle Beach! It’ll be tonnes of fun!

LITTLE DAY OUTING TO CASTLE BEACH: AMAZING SANDCASTLES FAMILY WORKSHOP
Dates: 11 March 2018, Sunday; 17 March 2018, Saturday
Time: 4 – 6pm
Venue: Castle Beach, East Coast Park
Price: $21 for a child-adult ticket; $15 for an additional adult or child ticket
For ages 4 and above
Click here to purchase your tickets.

Chinese New Year Spring Cleaning Idea: Turn Your Child’s Old Onesie into a Dinosaur Plushie

Posted on 1 February 20181 February 2018 by Wong Wai Ling

01 Feb

It’s time for the annual spring cleaning again. Can’t bear to give away the cute onesies and t-shirts that your little one has outgrown? Why not turn one of them into a one-of-a-kind dinosaur plushie for your child?

onesieanddino — Once a onesie, now a plushie.

Memory Dinosaur is the brainchild of Joo Dee, who turned her hobby of crafting into a business named Crafts For The Masses more than two years ago. She cleverly uses socks and fabric from the onesie or t-shirt provided by a customer to create the adorable soft toy. Every Memory Dinosaur is unique, made specifically with its owner in mind.

The first Memory Dinosaur that Joo Dee made was for her son. To her, it was about “retaining a part of my son’s childhood” by converting his old t-shirt into a dinosaur plushie. Needless to say, her son fell in love with the super huggable toy.

huggingdino-nowords — Joo Dee’s son with his customised dinosaur plushie

As orders came in, Joo Dee found more purpose and joy in making the cute dinosaurs.

“It’s so satisfying to be able to help his mommy keep a part of the memory…. It makes it extra meaningful!” Joo Dee said of her handcrafted dinosaur plushie for a little boy called Caden.

Every Memory Dinosaur is made with love and attention to detail. As it is fully handcrafted, it takes about six weeks to complete. It is well worth the wait though, when you see the excitement on your little one’s face!

The familiarity of an old favourite t-shirt, coupled with the appeal of a cute dinosaur figure. Your child will be hugging his or her Memory Dinosaur for years to come! What fun it is to grow up with a dino best friend!

Click here to order a Memory Dinosaur for the little one.

Stress-free Shopping for Unique Christmas Gifts

Posted on 15 November 201715 November 2017 by Wong Wai Ling

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15 Nov

The lights at Orchard Road are up and blinking. Christmas season is here!

And so is the Christmas shopping!

To help you avoid last-minute shopping stress, we’ve picked out some unique Christmas gifts for you, easily available with just a few swipes and clicks:

Memory Dinosaur

Turn your child’s onesie or t-shirt into a one-of-a-kind dinosaur plushie for him or her! Handcrafted by Crafts for the Masses’ Joo Dee, Memory Dinosaur is a meaningful way to remember your child’s earlier years. This super huggable cutie takes six weeks to complete, so be sure to make your purchase early. Or rather, now!

Memory Dinosaur, $68, from Crafts for the Masses. More info here.

The Ollie Comics

This gem of a read is by Eisner-nominated author Andrew Tan, better known as Drewscape. Through comics that depict often funny real-life scenarios in Andrew’s first two years of fatherhood, this book brings back fond memories for parents who have been there, done that; provides tips for new parents; and engages kids in a different way from their usual books. Read the review here.

The Ollie Comics: Diary of a first-time dad, $24 (free shipping), from Drewscape. Make your purchase here.

3-in-1 Xmas Starry Pack

A bright and cheery Nativity wreath, stuffed Christmas tree ornament, and cute Gingerbread Man stackable crayons. That’s three gifts in one cool busy bag! Little ones will have so much fun sticking, stuffing, and sewing to create their own Christmas decorations!

3-in-1 Xmas Starry Pack, $14.90, from TicTacTote. Get it here.

Singapore Traditional Old School Games Set

Introduce the gadget-hungry children of today to the games you played as a kid. Marbles, chaptehs, pick-up sticks, five stones, country erasers, and playing cards! It’s fun the old-school way, and it’s going to be a very refreshing change for the young ones!

Singapore Traditional Old School Games Set, $16, from Little Day Out. Buy your set here.

Guide to Primary One – Book and Activity Sheets Bundle

Someone going to Primary One next year? This is the perfect gift to get the little one excited about going to Primary One while offering lessons and tips – pitched at a kid’s level – for transiting well to primary school.

Guide to Primary One – Book and Activity Sheets Bundle, $13.32, from Little Day Out Shop. Purchase it here.

Little Day Outing to the Reel World: Create a Family Movie

Posted on 26 October 201727 October 2017 by Wong Wai Ling

26 Oct

It’s going to be “lights, camera, action, and family bonding!” at our newest Little Day Outing this December.

Little Day Outing to the Reel World: Create a Family Movie is a fun-filled workshop where the whole family can come together to make a unique family video at the lovely HortPark.

Doesn’t this themed corner at HortPark, inspired by the bird-watching culture in Singapore, make a poetic backdrop for a family movie?

TEAMWORK AT PLAY

Conceptualised by multi award-winning producer, Tracy Wong, in collaboration with Little Day Out, this outing will see every member of the family pitching in to produce a video from scratch.

And it’ll be great fun!

Dad could be the Director, Mum the Scriptwriter, the little one the Lead Actor…. Or the younger ones could direct, Mum gets to be Camerawoman, while Dad dances? There are a million ways to assign the roles. And most likely, everyone will have to multi-task. But that just makes it even more fun!

Tracy with one of her most admired directors, J.J. Abrams

A BEAUTIFUL LOCATION

Inspiring the creative process is the lush compounds of HortPark. Besides housing many varieties of flora and fauna, it also features interesting themed areas.

A mystery drama at the void deck of Block 50 sounds exciting.

As does a news report on sightings of a dragon in the park.

Music video could be another genre worth exploring. Imagine the whole family lip-synching at the park’s open lawn. Now that would make a hilarious Christmas greeting video!

SKILLS THAT ARE APPLICABLE FOR FUTURE PROJECTS

No prior experience is required for participation in the workshop. It’s about learning and getting creative together as a family.

Not only is the workshop a very good way to bond, it also allows participants to learn nifty skills such as framing and setting, and pick up editing tips – all of which can be applied to future videos.

AND THE BEST PICTURE AWARD GOES TO…

The experience doesn’t end on the day of the workshop. Every family will go home with the footage that they have filmed to complete their editing at home. The final masterpieces are to be submitted for judging by Tracy, and the family with the best entry from each workshop session will win a Rainbow Yule Log from Bakerzin worth $60!

Bakerzin’s Rainbow Yule Log Photo credit: Bakerzin

More than a prize, we hope families will be rewarded with time well spent learning, exploring, and bonding together.

LITTLE DAY OUTING TO THE REEL WORLD: CREATE A FAMILY MOVIE
Dates: 9 December 2017, Saturday, 9 – 11.30am; 17 December 2017, Sunday, 2 – 4.30pm
Venue: HortPark, 33 Hyderabad Road
For ages 4 and above

Click here to purchase your tickets.

A sneak peek at Little Day Outing to Castle Beach: Amazing Sandcastles Family Workshop

Posted on 13 May 201722 May 2017 by Little Day Out

13 May

It was a laidback Tuesday afternoon at East Coast Park’s Castle Beach. The weather was nice, and a soothing breeze from the sea added to the charm of the place.

We were here to meet Alvin Lee, who will be conducting the Amazing Sandcastles Family Workshop at Little Day Out’s Castle Beach outing in June.

We asked Alvin if he could show us how to make a sandcastle and he obliged, even though he wasn’t dressed for it.

It took him all of 20 minutes to get an amazing sandcastle done! A whole complex with brick-walled towers of varied sizes, intricate battlements, connecting stairways, turrets, a gatehouse, and not forgetting Alvin’s favourite cone-shaped trees!

“I’ve done this for twenty years,” the sandcastle building pioneer explained, noticing that our jaws had dropped all the way to the floor.

It was fascinating watching Alvin at work. His concentration, passion for the craft, and the kick he gets from successfully pulling off a difficult move makes it all look so exciting!

At one point, he asked me to hold a sand mould in place for him. “You can’t build a sandcastle on your own,” he said, a comment that resonated with our vision to encourage family bonding through this workshop.

Building a sandcastle isn’t only about the skill, but also how united the family is as every member works together to complete the majestic structure.

It also encourages creativity.

Alvin said that he has never repeated a castle design in the twenty years he has used his sand tools, which he invented together with his son and niece. Branded BeachWorks, these tools won the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio award at the New York Toy Fair, the Oscar of the toy industry, in 1998.

With the techniques that Alvin and two other experienced instructors will be imparting, you’ll be able to build your dream sandcastle exactly the way you’ve imagined. Talk about BTO!

While Alvin was building, people from all walks of life came to take a look, attracted by the beauty of the sand structure. There were curious kids marvelling at how the sandcastle was constructed, parents eager to capture a shot of their kids with the masterpiece, an elderly auntie and her companions who made a detour from their usual walking route…. Even the cleaner uncle, with broom in hand, came to take a shot.

And that’s the magic of sandcastle building. It’s fun. It’s beautiful. It draws people together.

We hope it draws your family closer together.

To sign up for Little Day Outing to Castle Beach: Amazing Sandcastles Family Workshop, click here. You can also read more about Alvin and our vision for the workshop here.

Little Day Outing to Castle Beach: Amazing Sandcastles Family Workshop
Dates: Saturday, 3 June 2017 and Saturday 24 June, 2017
Time: 4 – 6pm
Venue: Castle Beach, East Coast Park
Price: $16 for a child-adult ticket; $12 for an additional adult or child ticket
For ages 4 and above
Click here to purchase your tickets.

*LATEST UPDATE: A new session on 25 June 2017 has been added to the Amazing Sandcastles Family Workshop. Sign up here.

Popular Bilingual Activity Packs Now in a Printed Compilation

Posted on 16 February 201716 February 2017 by Little Day Out

16 Feb

Little Day Out Shop contributor, Jacqueline Zhang, has launched a printed compilation of four of her bilingual activity packs. Titled My Bilingual Preschool Activity Packs, it includes the popular Ji Fan, Exploring My Neighbourhood, How Much Is It?, and Jacqueline’s latest product Where Is It?

The compilation is available in black-and-white print, full-colour print, and full-colour print with lamination of activity pages at the launch prices of $10, $20, and $30 respectively.

“I know how busy parents can be, and I wanted to make it as convenient as possible for parents to use the activity packs with their children,” said Jacqueline.

To save parents precious time, she decided to offer printed versions of her activity packs through this compilation.

Her greatest wish is for “children to enjoy learning from their parents” and “parents to spend quality time with their children too, as they work through the activity packs”.

Order chicken rice the way you like it using the cut-outs of ingredients and an order form in Ji Fan.

Spin the wheel, tell the cost in English or Mandarin, and pay the correct amount in How Much Is It?

Learn the value of money using actual coins in How Much Is It?

MORE ABOUT MY BILINGUAL PRESCHOOL ACTIVITY PACKS

Ji Fan teaches children how to order their own meals in both Mandarin and English through a role-playing game complete with cut-outs of ingredients for chicken rice and order sheets.

Exploring My Neighbourhood aims to acquaint children with their neighbourhoods, helping them learn the terms for key facilities and services in the community in both English and Mandarin, and initiating little adventures in the vicinity.

How Much Is It? helps children understand and articulate the cost of items in English and Mandarin in three systematic levels of learning, through fun activities and practical applications.

Where Is It? teaches children how to describe where things and places are found in both English and Mandarin, through games and simple visual guides.

Click here for more information on this product.

MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jacqueline has contributed 12 products to Little Day Out Shop since its launch in June last year. She is no stranger to curriculum creation, having worked as a secondary school teacher and with the Ministry of Education before the birth of her son, Reef. Her ideas are brought to life through the artwork of her good friend, Angeline.

Jacqueline’s products are inspired by her interactions with her son and nieces.

“If I notice life skills that they need to learn or improve in, I want to find ways to help them acquire these skills,” said Jacqueline.

With this mindset, she comes up with unique activity ideas that cover everyday topics like food and the neighbourhoods we live in, introducing kids to the world around them in fun and creative ways. She adds the bilingual element into her activity packs to give children more exposure to the Chinese language.

Jacqueline has this to say about her products: “I hope you will find the products useful, create wonderful memories with your children as you use them, and celebrate with your children as they acquire the skills. Enjoy!”

Activities for Chinese New Year

Posted on 12 January 201712 January 2017 by Little Day Out

12 Jan

Chinese New Year is just around the corner. To get the festivities going, Little Day Out has collaborated with Creyo on a second drawing contest. Take part by sending us your child’s drawing! If it’s one of the three winning entries, Creyo will transform it into a one-of-a-kind plush toy for you! As a thank-you gesture, every participant will also receive 20% off Creyo’s rooster plush toy series. Send in your entries soon before the contest ends on 25 January 2017!

Rooster plush toy series at $23.90 each (before discount for participants)

It’s going to be a busy time of meeting with family and friends over the Chinese New Year – many of whom you see only once a year. Engage the kids with a rooster maze, a special Chinese New Year game, a fun fan-making session, and other activities with the Year of the Rooster Activity Pack from Wong Wai Ling!

Kids and adults alike can have fun and learn Chinese New Year greetings at the same time through a game of Snap!

Hopefully, kids get inspired to spring-clean their rooms after spotting the differences in the before and after!

Sometimes, children just want to have some quiet time on their own. Let them read The Magic Paintbrush, a good story in which a modern-day boy is transported to ancient China and learns important lessons about friendship, the dangers of abusing powers, and the value of creativity.

Kids can also follow Timmy and Tammy on their pineapple tart-making adventure! And make some of their own if you’re up to it!

Here’s wishing you a happy Chinese New Year filled with abundant blessings!

Free Christmas Gift Labels With Any Purchase

Posted on 1 December 20161 December 2016 by Little Day Out

01 Dec

This season of giving, we’ve designed a set of six original Christmas gift labels specially for Little Day Out Shoppers. Just make any purchase from the Little Day Out Shop (excluding free items), to get these printable gift labels – free.

Stick them onto your beautifully wrapped presents. Or use them as tags (punch a hole near the top right-hand corner and loop a piece of ribbon or twine through it). Whichever way you prefer to give with these tags, you’ll be making Christmas merrier and brighter for your loved ones.

If you’re looking for gifts to go with these gift labels, check out the customisable Christmas tree and star plush toys by Creyo. Embroider a name or a short message on the toy of your choice, to make it extra special for the recipient.

Don’t miss out on the busy bags from TicTacTote either. From dinosaur- to food-themed packs, there are countless creative play ideas to keep little hands and minds busy. Something else that feeds the mind: books. We’ve got books from local authors, about animals, excursions in Singapore, kindness, and more.

For something unique, how about the gift of rhythm? Book a dance class, or for the more adventurous, a parkour lesson! That would be a gift to remember!

Parkour Family for Kids and Parents, available from Little Day Out Shop from $35.

And if your child can’t wait for Christmas to come, help him or her countdown to the 25th in a meaningful way with the advent calendar from Jacqueline Zhang. It directs the whole family to share the love of the season and exercise the spirit of giving.

My Advent Calendar, available from Little Day Out Shop for $2.

Here’s wishing you a really merry Christmas, and a joyful new year!

Unique Ideas for Grandparents’ Day Celebration

Posted on 24 November 201624 November 2016 by Little Day Out

24 Nov

Did you know that it’s Grandparents’ Day on Sunday, 27 November? Though this occasion isn’t as widely celebrated as Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, it has been officially recognised in Singapore since 1979, one year after the US started. In Singapore, Grandparents’ Day is celebrated on the fourth Sunday of November.

While we need not be sucked into the commercialisation of the occasion, it would be nice to help the little ones show their appreciation of, and love for, their grandparents. On top of hand-drawn cards, big hugs, and a nice treat, here are some ways you can make the occasion even more special:

ORGANISE A PHOTO SESSION FOR THE GRANDPARENTS AND GRANDKIDS

Photo credit: Wong Wei Lun

It doesn’t need to be an elaborate studio shoot. You can get the grandparents and grandkids together doing something that they all enjoy, and capture their moments of interaction on your camera. Have the photos framed up, or for a special touch, have them printed on canvas and hung on the wall at the grandparents’ home.

Tip: Use a telephoto lens so your subjects won’t feel that the camera is in their face. You’ll probably be able to get more genuine candid shots this way.

PLAN A SLEEPOVER FOR THE GRANDKIDS AT THEIR GRANDPARENTS’

Grandparents love to spoil the grandkids. Give them the opportunity to do so (without being under your watchful eye) by sending the kids over for the day and letting them stay overnight. Let the old folks plan their own programmes with the little ones. You get some kid-free time; they get their kid-filled day (and night). Everyone’s happy!

ENABLE THE KIDS TO COMMUNICATE WITH THEIR GRANDPARENTS
Sometimes, children may find it a little hard to communicate with their grandparents. After all, they are many years apart. And for many busy families, the kids do not get to spend much time with their grandparents.

You can help to bring them closer by giving them conversation topics. Using the Conversations with Grandma journal from Little Day Out Shop, children can have meaningful interactions with their grandparents by following the conversation cues found in the book. They can then record what they have learnt about their grandparents on the beautifully designed pages of the journal.

Conversations with Grandma, available from Little Day Out Shop for $2.90.

Getting to know the grandparents better – check. Improving conversational and written skills – check. Collecting precious memories – check.

Kids can also take a leaf out of Timmy and Tammy’s book – literally. In the book “Talking to Grandpa about the War“, Timmy and Tammy learn about the war that Grandpa lived through, and find themselves empathising with him.

Timmy and Tammy Talking to Grandpa about the War, available from Little Day Out Shop in a set together with three other books for $33.81.

A better understanding of grandparents is the start of a good relationship. When children show their love and concern for their grandparents, every day is Grandparents’ Day.