Saturday, July 31, 2010
My First Question and Answer Book
Some children's reference or general knowledge books tend to be too wordy, over-intense in terms of the content, and crowded with small print with boring pictures and layout.
When I found this book two years ago for my then five-year-old daughter, I was quite surprised and pleased as it is very colorful with lots of white space, yet containing attractive and descriptive pictures. Most of all, it is easy to read with simple yet adequate facts for pre-school or elementary school kids to understand.
Although it's quite thick (512 pages), the book is properly organised with 18 categories. Each category has its own table of contents, with an additional general index at the back. Every question is answered in two pages with short paragraphs, and sidebar facts and trivia.
It also contains activity boxes that encourage the child to think and probe further.
Subjects covered in this book: space, planet Earth, oceans, weather, science, inventions, your body, dinosaurs, bugs, reptiles and amphibians, birds, mammals, ancient Egypt, ancient Rome, Vikings, knights and castles, pirates and finally explorers.
This book is published by Miles Kelly Publishing (ISBN 978-1-84236-914-2).
StoryPlace
If your child is interested in online activities, check out this site called StoryPlace. They call themselves "The Children's Digital Library" and have two main sections, pre-school and elementary.
This site is very colourful and easy to navigate. It contains many short stories that the child can read online on his own (read: minimal help from mom!) as they are very simple with short sentences, colorful graphics and arrow prompts for the child to click on to go to the next page.
Besides stories, it also has online activities and print-outs, plus a reading list of recommended books and activities for parents to have with their kids. There are lots of themes for the child to choose from to read or play, such as animals, music, shapes, colors, bath time, etc.
So if you wish to keep your child quiet yet doing something productive, this kid-safe and kid-friendly website could be the solution.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Fun with Dr Seuss
My daughter was first introduced to Dr Seuss and his infamous Cat in the Hat when she was three years old. She was enthralled with the sound of his words and his illustrations. Thereafter, we got more of his books and PC games for her. One of her favourite stories then was Horton Hatches The Egg and later on, Horton Hears A Who!
Do you know that Theodor Seuss Geisel was once a political cartoonist? He was chief editorial cartoonist for a New York newspaper before World War II. You can read more about it and view a catalog of his political cartoons here.
Besides books and educational games in CD-ROMs, your child can also learn and have fun in this website, Dr Seuss's Seussville . It's definitely a good place to go to when your child cannot go outdoors to play (it's the rainy season here in Malaysia and Singapore now).
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Not so tyke-friendly train system
Monday, July 26, 2010
Home away from home
You could get a family suite which will solve the space issue but you'd still be left wondering if you need to pack ten days' worth of clothes for a five-day trip, and wash baby's bottles in the bathroom sink, among other considerations.
Serviced apartments, in my opinion, are a great alternative. They offer comfort, space and all the amenities of home. They are good value for money for the cost-conscious. While some cater for long-term stays only, there are others that accommodate short-stay visitors.
During my last trip to Singapore, I stayed at the Somerset Compass serviced apartment for four nights. The three-bedroom apartment was very spacious with a well-equipped kitchen.
You can either call or get online to make your reservation. Customer service was satisfactory and we had no problems during check-in. The apartment is cleaned everyday except Sundays. Breakfast is provided at a small resident's lounge. While the spread cannot be compared to the extensive ones offered by hotels, it was functional. When I was there, they served pastries, bread/toast, eggs, sausages, milk, coffee, tea, juice, cereal and fresh fruits.
They also have a children's wading pool, adult pool and playground.
What I like about the place:
- Location: Walking distance to shoppers' paradise on Orchard Road, and transportation such as bus, taxi and MRT. You can even catch a shuttle service from a nearby bus stop to go to the Night Safari at the Singapore Zoo.
- Ample space for children to rest, or rather be active, indoors. The living room is equipped with a television with cable TV, and a DVD player (so you can bring along Junior's favourite DVD without having to pack a player!)
- Comfort: king-sized bed in the master bedroom with ensuite bath, proper living and dining area with good furniture.
- Kitchen: clean and spacious with enough crockery, pots and pans, toaster, large fridge, coffee maker and microwave to cook up a feast. Dishwashing liquid is provided.
- Laundry: a washer-dryer is at your disposal with detergent provided as well. Just pop your clothes in before you go out to the Zoo, Bird Park, Sentosa Island, Orchard Road etc, and voila!, you don't have to contend with a mountain of dirty laundry after your holiday.
- Internet connection is available with no extra charge, but you need to bring your own laptop.
The Somerset Serviced Residence has properties all around the world. Find them here.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Music for all in the family
Regardless of the benefits listening to certain kinds of music, my husband and I both decided before our son was born that we want to expose him to a diverse genres of music – especially the ones that we love which covers a pretty broad range between husband and me. After all, who would inherit all our CD collection if not him, our singleton? But playing a White Stripe CD to a 2-month old baby would seem rather inappropriate. Besides we would not want to deprive him of the silliness of three escaping blind mice or Old MacDonald and his farm. But we want to heed the warning that one day demands will be made for a same song to be played over and over again. So, is there a way to compromise between a toddler’s wants and his parents’ tolerance for the same song the 100th time?
Then, we found a series of jazz CD's which claims to have songs for kids which won't drive parents crazy when they are played for the 20 millionth time - Jazz for Kids. What it is is jazzy renditions of fun and silly kiddie songs. We ordered one from the series, Jazz for Kids: Sing, Clap, Wiggle and Shake, and WE loved it! Our son first heard it when he was 3-month old and he still loves it today after a year. His all-time favorites from the album are Old McDonald (Ella Fitzgerald) and Ain't nobody here but us chickens (Louis Jordan). I personally love it, too, being a diehard jazz lover. We subsequently got a few other similar ones including Nicky’s Jazz for Kids and Miss Ella’s Playhouse.
If jazz if not your cup of tea - never mind - they also have Motown for Kids and Johnny Cash for Kids (if you’re into Country music). The next one on our list to purchase is Barenaked Ladies’ Snacktime.
For a sample of how some of these albums sound, go to Amazon.com, search for the album by name and listen to the one minute clip of all songs on the album. Good fun – for the kids and you. Enjoy!
Friday, July 16, 2010
Kuala Gandah Elephant Sanctuary
This elephant conservation park had been set up in 1989 by Perhilitan (Malaysian Department of Wildlife and National Parks) to protect these beautiful creatures.
The location is a distance away from towns or cities so prepare for the trip with enough snacks and drinks in the car. While there's a small canteen and convenience store, I would suggest you pack a proper picnic lunch. The garden area of the place has picnic benches and wooden pavilions for you to rest and have your lunch there if you wish.
They have a small museum providing information about elephants, a video room where you can watch a short documentary of how elephant rescue and conservation efforts are conducted, and take part in activities such as feeding, riding and bathing with the elephants in the nearby river.
If you have extra time, there is also a privately-run place called Deerland nearby which charges an entrance fee for you to visit their collection of wild animals.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Cozy dining at Bayu Timor
Vanilla ice cream with nuts
The skinny?
Good, quiet, cozy family dining venue. We were there before the usual 1.00pm crowd on a Saturday so the place was about 50% full. Food served quickly enough, satisfying in taste, portion and menu range. Pricing is reasonable considering the menu and ambience. Suitable for families with young school-going children as they have a children's menu.
The cafe section could be more suitable for families with babies/toddlers. although the floor area is not as large as the restaurant, it has more free space to accommodate fold-up strollers and active toddlers, and devoid of heavy furniture and fragile displays. The air-conditioning there is cooler compared to the restaurant section which covers a larger area and has a back door that's left open constantly to let light in I believe (because they are sliding metal shutters).
Their wait staff are foreign workers. While we didn't have any major problems with them, I feel that they could be trained a bit more to have an added finesse in going about their duties. You need to tell them clearly your needs/orders. They may not have the presence of mind to ask if you're done with the empty plates and remove them. One waiter came to our table with a slightly wet empty tray and decided to shake off the water right in front of us onto the floor before clearing our table.
Their food is also for take-away with nyonya kuih and cakes available in a glass covered case for your selection in the cafe section. They also sell their cakes whole and you can pre-order whole turkeys or roast leg of lamb.
They have branches in Sungai Wang Plaza (Kuala Lumpur) and Alamanda (Putrajaya).
Address: 13, Jalan SS24/8, Taman Megah, 47301 Petaling Jaya.
Tel: +603 7804 6436