| and play, the perfect destination for families during this December holidays. |
Looking for family-friendly holiday activities? The Keppel Centre for Art Education (Centre), one of National Gallery Singapore’s (Gallery) most popular spaces for children and families, is reopening today, 16 December 2023. The entirely revamped Centre features new child-centric learning zones and activities that revolves around the theme of Art & Wonder: Nurturing Wonder through Play and Creativity.
The reopened Centre features an immersive learning space comprising 7 zones, with stimulating and interactive experiences suitable for children aged 4 – 12. There are also activities specially developed for infants and toddlers so the whole family can enjoy a day at the Centre together.
Each zone offers a welcoming and nurturing environment, providing a gateway through which your child can fully immerse in the wonderment of the world of art through play and creativity. With the revamped Centre’s series of drop-in activities and facilitated workshops, children will develop imagination, critical thinking and visual literacy skills as they are exposed to the seven core elements of art: space, form, colour, texture, line, shape and value. The Centre also continues to cater to the different physical and learning needs of visitors, with wheelchair-friendly furniture and learning stations of various heights.
At National Gallery Singapore, programmes for young learners are built upon the principles found in educational pedagogies that kickstart the physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development of children through active engagement with the arts. For example, play is adopted as a pedagogical approach encouraging children to explore, discover and make personal connections while learning about subject matters of interest. Young learners are encouraged to express themselves in imaginative ways, be it through the play of materials to create unique 3D sculptures, role-playing or interacting with an immersive multimedia space. By embedding inquiry-based learning within art, children have the opportunity to develop an understanding and appreciation of visual language through play.
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| into an immersive re-imagining of the painting’s tropical environment. |
Stimulating and interactive experiences across seven new zones
From digital artworks, sensorial play, 3D works and drop-in activities, parents and children can look forward to a myriad of family-oriented programmes centred around sparking inspiration for learning and developing confidence in expressing children’s thoughts and feelings through art. The first zone, themed Expansion, brings Raden Saleh’s iconic artwork Boschbrand (Forest Fire) to life in an activity named A Brush with Forest Fire.
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| Children are invited to mix primary colours together at a digital colour well as part of the Expansion zone. |
A Brush with Forest Fire re-imagines Saleh’s artwork to present an interactive tropical forest. Children will be exposed to the basic elements of art while learning about environmental issues and different animals in Southeast Asia. Using a special paintbrush as a tool, children can learn about colour theory as they are invited to mix primary colours together and create secondary colours at a digital colour well. Children are also invited to learn about composing an artwork by playing with the scale and sizes of the animals.
Children apply the ideas explored where they can put their own spin and create artwork on a digital canvas as part of the Expansion zone.
This zone empowers children to change the artwork’s narrative by inviting them to take part in an interactive augmented reality game where they can draw lines to help put out the virtual forest fire raging on the screen before them. For children who have enjoyed the classic game of shadow play, this activity offers a delightful opportunity to play this childhood favourite while internalising the interrelationship between shape and scale. Having been treated to these stimulating learning activities, children will be able to consolidate the ideas explored with a digital canvas for children to put their own spin upon the artworks.
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| shape is projected upon a screen in the Illuminate! zone. |
Next, children will be encouraged to draw out their artistic curiosity with the theme of Exploration in the next zone, Illuminate! Drawing inspiration from the Gallery’s artworks, Illuminate! invites visitors to explore abstract art and experiment with the interplay of colours, shapes, light and shadow. Through the engaging visual presentation of these works, children will develop an understanding of how symbols, colours and shapes come together to create an artwork.
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| At the Makers Studio, children are encouraged to use 3D doodling pens to create their own unique 3D sculptures. |
Children and youths are then invited to explore various topics and subjects with art at the Makers Studio. Revolving around the theme of Experimentation, children will be invited to use 3D doodling pens and wooden shapes to create their own unique 3D sculptures inspired by artworks from the Gallery’s collection. Through hands-on use of materials and textures, the Makers Studio aims to spark multi-disciplinary learning of art with other subjects such as science and technology. Through developing children’s understanding of the wide range of materials used in crafting an artwork, they will be able to learn how physical materials can be used to craft narratives about themselves and the world they live in.
collages. |
Building upon the free-ranging creativity established in the Maker’s Studio, the Workshop Studio offers daily drop-in activities and facilitated workshops, building upon the theme of Expression and inviting families to explore, create, imagine and play. Whether it be picking up a paintbrush, moulding clay, or gathering materials to build a collage, anything is possible at the Centre.
At the Portrait Gallery, children and families are invited to create their own portraits using magnetic props
representing a person’s facial features.
The Portrait Gallery provides opportunities for children and families to engage in role-playing activities and create stories and memories together. For an Instagram-worthy experience, mirrors and props are available for parents and kids to dress up and strike poses together. Visitors are also invited to create their own portraits using magnetic props representing various facial features. In viewing the wide range of unique individuals presented with differing personal quirks and styles, children are encouraged to embrace and celebrate the vast range of distinctive personality traits exhibited by the people around them.
The Book Nook offers a selection of books appropriate for all ages, providing the perfect space for parents and
children to wind down together.
The centre also features the Book Nook, stocked with a selection of books appropriate for all ages. The selection of books available offers further learning opportunities centred around art, such as Awesome Art Singapore: 10 Works from the Lion City Everyone Should Know, which encourages children to appreciate art by making art concepts and ideas easy to enjoy and understand, and Low Lai Chow’s Eat with Your Eyes, which offers a visual treat by spotlighting 14 modern Southeast Asian artworks in the Gallery’s collection.
The Calm Pod offers a dedicated space for visitors to regulate their feelings and rest if they are feeling
over-stimulated.
The Centre also offers the Calm Pod, where visitors can rest if they feel over-stimulated or overwhelmed by their environment. In this soothing and safe space, visitors can take the time to calm down, regulate their feelings and renew their focus.
Interactive programmes for families to enjoy during the December holidays
The Centre is free for all, with select ticketed facilitator-led programmes that offer guided learning experiences. Be sure to drop by the Centre this weekend for special opening weekend programmes, including a DIY Hat-Making craft activity session where parents and children can make precious memories together as they apply their hands-on skills to craft a personalised hat.
To ensure that families and children have an enjoyable experience in the revamped Keppel Centre for Art Education and manage visitor flow, especially during the school holiday period, visitors are encouraged to pre-book a 1 hour 15 min time slot here. Timing as shown above.
For visitors who did not register online, they may also register on-site as walk-ins are welcome, subject to availability. The Centre will be cleaned and sanitised after every session for the benefit of all visitors. More information as well as the programme lineup at the Keppel Centre for Art Education can be found here. Have a fun time creating art with your kids, I'm looking forward to seeing your fun times on social media!
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