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[This promotional has ended and the promo code is no longer valid]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

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.

Design Your Own Soft Toy and Other Ideas for the September Holidays

Posted on 1 September 20161 September 2016 by Little Day Out

01 Sep

Going into September, it seems rather gloomy, with news of Zika, the haze, and circle line disruptions. Chin up! The holidays are here, and we’ve got some exciting recommendations for you. Let’s have some fun with the little ones!

TURN YOUR CHILD’S DRAWING INTO A SOFT TOY – A CONTEST

Have you always been amazed by your child’s imaginative drawings? Here’s your chance to transform them into soft toys – three-dimensional, huggable, one-of-a-kind art pieces representing the little one’s creative mind! This September, take part in the contest organised by Little Day Out in collaboration with Creyo, manufacturer of customised soft toys. Have your little artist make a drawing and submit it to Little Day Out by 2 October. Three winners will have their sketches transformed into plushies. Get the details here.

MAKE YOUR OWN LANTERN FOR THE MID AUTUMN FESTIVAL

How about a little craft time in preparation for Mid Autumn Festival celebrations? Contributor to Little Day Out Shop, Jacqueline Zhang, has come up with a bright idea to involve even the littler ones in the making of lanterns for the coming festival. And as she would say, “Enjoy!”

Click here for the instructions.

EXPLORE SINGAPORE

The September holidays may be too short for an overseas holiday for some. No problem! There are still corners of Singapore you may not have explored fully. Take Fort Canning, for instance. Have you been to the archaeological pit there? Or visited the Battle Box, a British command centre located 9 metres underground built in the 1930s? If you’re thinking of rediscovering Fort Canning with the little ones, get Little Day Out Shop’s Fort Canning Park activity pack. It contains 7 activity sheets to help children observe the surrounds and dive into the historic significance of the park.

Fort Canning Park Little Day Out Activity Pack is available at Little Day Out Shop for $3.99.

On those days you don’t feel like going far, take your child on an exploration trip around your neighbourhood. Using Jacqueline Zhang’s Exploring My Neighbourhood activity kit, the little one will have fun learning more about the key facilities and services in your community, and the people who work there.

Exploring My Neighbourhood is available at Little Day Out Shop for $2.50.

We hope these ideas will bring much fun and cheer to your September holidays. Enjoy the break!

Meet the Little Day Out Shop Author: Jacqueline Zhang

Posted on 27 July 20168 August 2016 by Little Day Out

27 Jul

Ever felt like you had a great idea to share with others?

One mom did, and acted on her ideas.

Mom-of-one, Jacqueline Zhang created activity sheets that she could do with her son and nieces. Taking it further, she submitted her ideas to us at Little Day Out. We loved them and they can now be found on our new Little Day Out Shop.

Jacqueline’s activity ideas cover everyday topics like food and the neighbourhoods we live in. They introduce kids to the world around them and are creative and fun to do.

We spoke with Jacqueline to find out more about where her fount of creativity bubbles up from and what led her to share her activity sheets on the Little Day Out Shop.

Little Day Out: You have developed a series of practical activity packs with hanyu pinyin guides. What inspired you to create these bilingual activity packs?

Jacqueline Zhang: My nieces, Renee (aged 6+) and Sophie (aged 4+), and my son, Reef (aged 2+), are my inspiration!

I play with them and teach them, and these interactions give me ideas on activities I can do with them. I added the bilingual element as I feel that children (including my son and nieces) need more exposure to the Chinese language.

Jacqueline's son Reef with his cousins Renee and Sophie. — Jacqueline’s son Reef with his cousins Renee and Sophie.

LDO: What do you hope to achieve through these activity packs? What is the main takeaway for the child?

JZ: I believe a lot of parents (including myself) would like to outsource the learning of Chinese to the experts because we are not too confident of the language. I hope that these simple activities will encourage parents to impart to their children some life skills in both languages, have fun with their child and teach values as well.

The child will definitely benefit from the time spent with the parent. More importantly, the child will learn that his/her parent is interested and personally involved in his/her learning, and is not afraid to learn and master the Chinese language together with the child.

Editor’s Note: Check out Jacqueline’s range of bilingual printables.

LDO: We’re sure you’ve experimented with using your activity packs with your son or with someone’s child. Tell us which is their favourite activity pack and why it was so?

I am using the exploring my neighbourhood activity pack with my son. He loves exploring and learning about the neighbourhood! I will be trying the Xiao Wan Mian (noodles) and Ji Fan (chicken rice) activity packs with my nieces soon. Those two activity packs are designed with preschoolers in mind.

Jacqueline's Exploring My Neighbourhood Activity Sheet encourages kids to learn about places around the neighbourhood and what they can do there. — Jacqueline’s Exploring My Neighbourhood Activity Sheet encourages kids to learn about places around the neighbourhood and what they can do there.

LDO: Do you have a personal favourite? Why?

My personal favourite is still in the making. It will be called Conversations with Grandma. (You can use it with Grandpa too.) I like it because I enjoyed talking to my grandmother. I really miss those days because my grandmother has dementia now and is very old. I hope that with that activity pack, many children can create beautiful memories of conversations with their grandparents and learn from them.

LDO: What other new Singapore-inspired digital product can we expect to see from you?

We (Jacqueline and her collaborator, Angeline) just launched an activity pack called “Knowing Singapore” as a build up towards National Day. It will be designed for toddlers.

We also intend to launch a learning package called “How much is it”, to teach children about understanding the cost of items in English and Chinese and paying money when buying something. It will be suitable for both preschoolers and toddlers.

LDO: Why did you decide to publish with Little Day Out Shop? Did you consider other avenues?

I have been following your weekly eNewsletter for more than a year now. When you launched the Little Day Out Shop and invited readers to submit ideas, I decided to give it a try as I really love coming out with ideas. It was all rather spontaneous, and I never thought of coming up with children products until the invitation came. I was pleasantly surprised and very excited that you were willing to publish my first idea, Xiao Wan Mian.

LDO: Tell us more about yourself. Are you a stay-at-home mum now?

I started off as a secondary school teacher. After that, I did curriculum work with MOE, and went on to work with the youths in my church. Teaching and working with youths has always been my passion. However, the nature of such work requires a lot of time and dedication. I decided to switch to part time admin work to spend more time with my son since he was born. Now I work for 2.5 days, and I look after my son on the other days of the week.

LDO: How do you usually get new ideas?

I like to think about ideas when I am on the bus or MRT train. Sometimes, the ideas come suddenly in the middle of the day as well! Sometimes, the ideas are a bit raw, and I will write them down and think about them once a while to refine the ideas until I am happy with them. I also enjoy talking to friends about my new ideas, and sometimes they give me good pointers to think about.

LDO: What’s a typical weekend like for you and your family?

On Saturdays, my family likes to head out to explore a new place or try a new activity in the morning. On Sundays, we spend the morning and afternoon in church and with church friends. In the evenings (Saturdays and Sundays), we spend time with my in-laws and my nieces.

LDO: Name three of your favourite spots in Singapore and three activities you enjoy as a family.

My family loves the Bird Park, the Keppel Centre for Art Education at the National Gallery and Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum. We also love going to all the different playgrounds in our neighbourhood, cycling at the East Coast Park and spending time with family and friends.

Jacqueline on a day out with her family.

Jacqueline’s Activity Packs

Jacqueline has developed the following activity packs:

Knowing Singapore:Teach your child how to recognise the Singapore Flag, know where ether stay and learn a simple greeting in different languages. Available for $1.50 on the Little Day Out Shop.

Exploring My Neighbourhood:Acquaint your child with your neighbourhood. Help him or her learn what key facilities and services in the community are called. Your child can also learn what they can do there and how to get there. Available for $2.50 on the Little Day Out Shop.

Ji Fan (Chicken Rice):Teaches your child how to order food through play. Play-pretend as chef and customer to build up their confidence interacting in Mandarin. Available for $2.50 on the Little Day Out Shop.

Xiao Wan Mian (Noodles): Help your child gain confidence to order his or her own meal in Mandarin through play. The game also promotes parent-child bonding, hones listening and oral skills. Available for $2.50 on the Little Day Out Shop.

Be Inspired!

Pop by littledayoutshop.com and check out Jacqueline’s printables now! Join Jacqueline as a Little Day Out Shop contributor too. We look forward to receiving your contributions!

Little Day Out Shop Opens

Posted on 26 May 201628 July 2016 by Little Day Out

26 May

Little Day Out has ventured everywhere in search of the best experiences for kids and families. Today marks the start of our biggest adventure yet – the opening of our very own online shop.

Little Day Out Shop (littledayoutshop.com) is not just a store that sells kids’ stuff online.

It is a marketplace for original ideas that inspire bonding, engage the little ones, and help create lasting memories with them.

Everyone is invited to publish their ideas with Little Day Out Shop and these can be anything ranging from activity sheets to party printables, guides, craft templates, and even games – to earn considerable royalty rates of up to 70% of the net profit.

The idea for the shop came about as the Little Day Out Team was coming up with its own activity sheets for places of interest in Singapore.

By creating a marketplace, where creative members of the community can publish their original ideas, everyone can benefit from shared resources.

So, whether you have creative ideas to share with other families or are looking for inspiration to keep the little ones happily occupied this June holiday and beyond, visit littledayoutshop.com.

Besides outing guides, activity sheets, party printables, there is the ever-popular Little Day Out June Holiday Guide, which can be downloaded for free.

To mark the launch of Little Day Out Shop, we are having an exclusive Little Day Out at Playeum, Children’s Centre for Creativity. Get these tickets at 20% off the usual rates and enjoy the day with fellow Little Day Outers on 20 June!

Through the setting up of Little Day Out Shop, we hope to provide another avenue for families to draw closer together. Pop by littledayoutshop.com anytime and we would love to receive your contributions soon!