Toys for your kids

My childhood is not just about magic. I am just like any other kid in my days. I love toys. In fact, I still do. Once in a while, I love to attend the big toy fairs in Hong Kong to see the latest toys available in the international market. (A lot of toys don't get their appearance here because of Singapore's small market!)

The toys nowadays are so creative! One of the most fun shops that I love to go to is the one at Science Centre. It stocks a lot of toys that can't be found in departmental stores. I recently met up with the bosses of 75 Volts, which distributes a lot of the toys at Science Centre shop. Great creative stuff!

Recently, I saw some toys in the market, which have been magic items for years already! It just takes some innovative guy to re-package and make it kid friendly for the mass market!

In my days, the one of the most incredible toys I remember was a Mask toy that will break off by itself. (By some remote or infra-red, probably.)

When I was a child, my favourite was this Lego set that my aunt from Canada bought for me. It was this huge set of Lego that was so cool.

When Mask came out with its cool machines, and I couldn't persuade my parents to buy me that, I made a copy using my Lego set. I remembered making lots of different things using Lego like a space station, with a lift in it. I still have the lego set; waiting for my kid to grow up before I hand it down.

When I read about PCF signing a deal with Lego to use Lego as a teaching tool, I thought this is exciting! In fact, I think the rest of the kindergartens should follow suit!

I am not saying other toys are not good! I think when you select a toy, choose one that gives them a lot of space for imagination and creativity. I think it will Lego is my top choice.

Can't wait for the nearby Legoland to be opened.

My First Magic 6: My Magic Books

Other than the books I copied from the library, I wrote down magic books on my own. I also created and adapted magic of my own. Some of them, looking back, was quite nonsensical and some, interestingly, works, including those which I put some thinking into the choreography and blocking of the magician!

I also recorded the secrets of the magic tricks that I have guessed on television, concerts and shows. In other words I had a lot of "Nothing" books! (My mother was a kindergarten teacher until I was about 5 years old so she had a lot of empty books for me to write and paste things on.)

Mad Book of Magic!

An elaborate magic trick on stage with just a coin!

My own script about Flying: 'Name me a thing that flies. Yes, birds aeroplane. Who build the first aeroplane. Wright. (Ok, ok, I didn't have that pun then.) Name me a thing that floats in the air. Yes, a hotair balloon. There's one more thing that float: it's this stick. Now don't blink your eyes, you are about to.... erm, I see two boys did as I told them. They did not blink their eyes, they close them! Now really look closely.'

I experimented and made a stick float in the air when I was twelve years old. (That was some time before David Copperfield floated!)

This entry is after watching Princess Tenko perform on TV or live probably! (Oh, I love magic so much, that I bought a ticket to watch her and gatecrash a 2nd time to watch her again! Tickets are expensive even though she came in my secondary school days!)

The secret of how David Copperfield made the Statue of Liberty disappear. On the bottom of the page, I made a cheesy joke of why the statue is that of the lady, not man, or else there would be a smell from the armpit that's carrying the torch.

Learning should be fun!

I always think learning should be fun, no matter what topic it is! Making learning enjoyable will have a positive reinforcement on the child and hence encourage them to discover more on their own!

Here's 10 ways (for parents or educators) to make learning fun:

http://www.articlesbase.com/education-articles/10-ways-to-make-learning-more-fun-for-children-242096.html

Conflicts and Challenges: Increasing Children's Capacity to Learn and Experience Life, 22 June 2009

Here something useful for parents:

We are very pleased to invite you to join us for the upcoming NUS Lunchtime Forum – Conflicts and Challenges: Increasing Children's Capacity to Learn and Experience Life featuring Ms Susan Kaiser Greenland, J.D and Dr Lynette Tay Su-Mien. The forum will focus on ways to optimize children’s experiences in life.

Ms Susan Kaiser Greenland, J.D is Co-Founder and Executive Director of InnerKids, USA. She develops mindful awareness curriculum for and teaches programs to children as well as educators and parents. She was named a "Champion of Children" by First 5 LA and has played an important role in bringing secular mindfulness practice to children and teens in the West, and is committed to exploring the role, and beneficial secular applications, of mindful awareness in the real-lives of children and their families.

Dr Lynette Tay Su-Mien is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at NUS specializing in child and pediatric psychology. Her research and clinical interests lay in the translation of the available research knowledge in the area of child psychology regarding the interface between psychological and cognitive functioning and physical health into applicable skills for helping children and their parents when faced with childhood illness.

Event Details:
Date: Monday, 22 June 2009
Time: 12.30 pm – 1.30 pm
Venue: Auditorium Level 2, Lee Kong Chian Wing, NUS University Hall, Lee Kong Chian Wing, 21 Lower Kent Ridge Road Singapore 119077

Enclosed is e-flyer with the full event details. To facilitate the planning of this event, we would greatly appreciate if you could respond by sending your RSVP to stewardship@nus.edu.sg by 18 June 2009. You are most welcome to bring guests along. We look forward to seeing you at this event.