Singapore Design Week (SDW), one of Asia’s premier design festivals organised by DesignSingapore Council is into its 6th edition this year. Visitors can look forward to a collection of local and international design activities from 4 to 17 March 2019 held at National Design Centre.
Thinking of where to bring your kids, there are kid-friendly events that are taking place during Singapore Design Week as follows:
1. Take a step back into the future at Street of Clans at Bukit Pasoh
- Clan associations are a distinct part of Singapore’s heritage and past. In the days of rickshaws and coolies, clans were established to help fellow immigrants in need. Whether to provide warm meals, help with accommodation or linking each other up with work and training for a better future – they were, and still are, the home away from home.
- This year, Street of Clans will be taking place at Bukit Pasoh Road to celebrate the age-old clan values of kinship and unity. Bukit Pasoh Road may be known to many for its eclectic mix of old and new tenants, but the street remains steeped in tradition with long-standing clan associations.
- For one weekend only, bring the family down to Bukit Pasoh Road and explore clan houses like Chin Kang Huay Kuan and Koh Clan – a rare opportunity, not to be missed!
- Each clan house also worked with handpicked local artists and designers to set up interactive design installations that tell old stories in new ways.
- Kids can participate in a lantern-making activity, as well as visit workshops at the Grassroots Book Room. There will also be a masterclass by Chef Malcolm Lee at Straits Clan and cocktail-making by the good folks at Casa Poncho for mum and dad!
- From artist takeovers and intimate conversations with local designers to fashion showcases, interactive installations and music by Zouk, there is something for everyone in the family.
Date: 8 to 10 March 2019 (Friday-Sunday)
Time: 5pm – 10pm
Venue: Bukit Pasoh Road
Admission Fees: Free (no registration required)
2. Let your kid’s (and your) imagination run wild at HASSELL Junior
- HASSELL Studio is a leading international design practice that focuses on designing buildings and places that are not just aesthetically pleasing, but offer patrons a sensory experience, creating a sense of meaning, connection and belonging.
- If your child has always wanted to reimagine their world or build a whole new cityscape, look no further and bring him or her along to the HASSELL Junior workshops taking place as part of Singapore Design Week 2019.
- HASSELL are opening their studio doors to kids young and old(er) to join their team of HASSELL architects, interior designers and urban specialists to dream up an amazing future together.
- Here, kids can indulge their imagination as they work with HASSELL’s best designers to create a whole new world – according to them! What better way to inspire creativity in the young and reinvigorate a child-like wonder in adults? Using building blocks, draw tools, craft models and their own sense of experimentation, children will be engaged in fun and safe activities alongside these veteran, professional designers.
- Small design tokens and goodie bags will be provided for special young designers.
Date: 16 March 2019 (Saturday)
Time: 10am – 1pm
Venue: HASSELL, 33 Tras Street, #02-01, Singapore 078973
Admission Fees: Free (no registration required)
3. Gather the family – it’s Prototyping Day at OneMaker Group’s “Open Unstructured Play”
- As advocates and supporters of the nascent Maker movement in Singapore, OneMaker Group operates with a belief that Making holds equal significance to Thinking.
- As parents, we always tell our kids to think – it’s time we shake things up and let our kids Make!
- Bring the family out to Makerspace@NDC for their Open Unstructured Play programme where parents and children get to discover new technologies and enjoy creative and educational play with rapid prototyping tools, such as the 3D Gello Pen and Polymorph.
o The 3D Gello Pen is a kid-friendly, low-temperature 3D printing pen that is perfect for aspiring young makers to hone their building skills and unleash their creativity as they put pen to paper and watch it come to form! Rally excitement with this video on how to use the 3D Gello Pen.
o Kids can also work magic with their hands – inspire their young minds to create the prototype of their dreams with Polymorph, a non-toxic, biodegradable polyester that melts in hot water and hardens as it cools. - For something more educational, adults and children can learn the basics of programming on Glicode™, a fun and educational mobile app, or discover the basic elements of a robotic system with Strawbotics. Walk away triumphant with a better understanding of robot locomotion.
Date: 4 to 16 March 2019 (Monday-Saturday)
Time: 10am – 5pm
Venue: Makerspace@NDC, National Design Centre (Level 1)
Admission Fees: $20 for 1 hour. (Walk-in registration)
4. Learn the traditional Indian art form of Rangoli at “Open House at India House”
- Singapore is known for our beautiful mix of culture and traditions. While everyone takes part in the festive celebrations of each culture and race, we rarely understand and appreciate the culture quite as deeply as we should.
- Rangoli is a traditional Indian art form of creating colourful design motifs dating back thousands of years. The main purpose of Rangoli is for decoration but it is also thought to bring good luck.
- Conducted by Singapore-based artists Stroke Arts Studio, kids and adults alike will learn new skills in craft and design, as well as take home a piece of Rangoli work and an expanded knowledge and appreciation of the Indian culture.
- There will also be an evening programme during the open house that features fresh flower chandeliers, lanterns and ornaments for all to admire and appreciate. From 7-8pm, Chan Wai Lim of Trigger Design Studio will speak about the ‘Magic of Collaborations’ based on the studio’s work with the Indian product design company Arttdinox.
Date: 8 March 2019 (Friday)
Time: 4.30pm – 6pm (Rangoli Workshop)
Venue: India House, 2 Pierce Road, Singapore 248554
Admission Fees: Free but registration is required. First come first served basis. Please RSVP to [email protected].
5. Get inspired by the young inventors of IDE Academy at the National Invention Convention & Entrepreneurship Expo (NICEE)
- The inaugural National Invention Convention & Entrepreneurship Expo (NICEE) – Singapore is a celebration of young inventors (from kindergarten to post-secondary levels) who have honed their critical-thinking and entrepreneurial skills through a comprehensive invention process.
- Kids from ages 5 to 20 years old employ an interactive and interdisciplinary invention process called STEMIE to create and pitch an original product at nationwide and global conventions. This aims to build a generation of problem-solvers, inventors and entrepreneurs of all ages, backgrounds and disciplines.
- This event is a showcase of exhibits and prototypes created by the young inventors of IDE Academy, offering a chance to speak to young inventors in person – and a great opportunity for the little ones to be inspired.
Date: 15 March 2019 (Friday)
Time: 10am – 4pm
Venue: National Design Centre, Training rooms 1-3 (Level 2)
Admission Fees: Free (no registration required)
6. Learn about design innovation at a mini Nature Design Museum
- Moving away from man-made objects, this workshop will explore how the basic concept of “form follows function” is reflected in the design of the countless different patterns of leaves, flowers and seeds found in nature.
- A full experiential event, adults and children will be able to experience a mini Nature Design Museum where stories will be shared about design innovation found in nature.
- There will also be a hands-on clay tile making workshop where attendees will get to choose their favourite specimen from the museum collection and record its special features in clay as a take-home inspiration.
- “Why Clay?” you may ask. Clay is a tool that is ‘slow’ and enhances greater attention, observation and care. Especially in today’s digital world, Nature Design Museum hopes that through this ‘slow’ approach, they can impart a true appreciation and love for the environment and its inspirations in design amongst young kids.
Date: 9 March 2019 (Saturday)
Time: 11am – 1pm & 3pm – 5pm
Venue: Padme & Hum Studio, 1090 Lower Delta Road, Singapore 169201
Admission Fees: $25 per pax and can be purchased here.
For more information and activities at Singapore Design Week, please visit https://www.designsingapore.org/sdw/events/2019
