Class acts

XIE HUIQUN and her 18-month-old daughter check out three parent-accompanied programmes that nurture your baby’s body, mind and spirit.

Portrait of Tammy Strobel

XIE HUIQUN and her 18-month-old daughter check out three parent-accompanied programmes that nurture your baby’s body, mind and spirit.

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ENGAGE YOUR SENSES

THE SCHOOL Josiah Montessori introduced Baby Sensory to its Suntec City branch in August 2015. This UK-based programme (pictured) is available in more than 13 countries with over 800 classes, and promotes learning through sensorial experience and physical play. It’s open to babies up to the age of 13 months – even newborns, although the youngest participant so far was four weeks old – while Toddler Sense targets kids aged 14 months to 3½ years.

THE CLASS Both programmes have more than 120 thematic lessons, so each is a new adventure. Standard activities, which take up about 10 minutes, include a “Say Hello” song and cleaning up. Unstructured activities, which last about 25 minutes, allow the little ones to explore and challenge themselves in a safe environment. The session Young Parents joined was conducted in a bright, spacious classroom in Suntec City that had been transformed into a play gym with padded logs, soft jumbo blocks, hula hoops, ball pit, and a bouncy castle. The seven children there were ecstatic – they climbed, slid, jumped and bounced along to the upbeat music. It took some time for the energetic class leader, Sandra, to settle everyone down and have them – parents, too – move the equipment aside. Next came structured activities, which are usually based on a theme. This could range from hunting for animals during Safari Week to jumping on a pirate ship during Pirate Week. Since it was Train Week, the children had to paste pre-cut shapes onto preprinted “boarding passes”. With these “passes” and the laminated “coins”, the youngsters could “buy” tickets to board the train.

YP LIKES the planning that went into each session. All the props – from the train conductor’s hat to the pre-cut shapes – took tremendous effort, and we loved that the instructors took role play so seriously. The unstructured play was an awesome bonding experience for parent and child. It allowed little ones to test their limits in a safe setting, as well. How high could they climb? Could they balance on a beam? It was truly an engaging sensory exploration.

HOW MUCH A single class costs $80. Packages of three, five and 10 classes are also available at $180, $275, and $500, respectively. Sign up for 10 classes to get two free. Classes are held only on weekends and taster sessions are available.

FIND OUT MORE www.josiah.com.sg

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BUILDING WATER CONFIDENCE

THE SCHOOL Elena, a swimming instructor who has worked with kids for over a decade, set up Little Splashes Swim School last November. Among its offerings: an Infants & Toddlers Programme tailored for children between six and 36 months old (pictured). The school employs five coaches, all of whom have 100 or more hours of training.

THE CLASS A session of the Infants & Toddlers Programme typically lasts 30 minutes, with six to eight segments lasting two to five minutes each. The programme aims to boost your little one’s confidence in water and improve his motor skills while you bond. At 12m in length and 1.2m in depth, the pool can seem overwhelming for youngsters, but Coco, our coach for the day, was firm and precise with her instructions. The class YP joined included three other children at various stages of training. She gave us a few minutes to settle down, then had parents do a simple warm-up by tipping cupfuls of water over their child’s head on the count of three. This was followed by a variety of activities. During action songs like Wheels on the Bus, parents moved backwards in a circular fashion, holding the child in front and facing them. As the children became more comfortable in the water, some even kicked their legs. Parents of the more confident kids could even lift them up and gently dunk them in the water, before handing them over to Coco. While the more adventurous ones giggled when they emerged from the water, my 18-month-old daughter clung to me for dear life and refused to let go. She calmed down only when Coco gave her a brightly coloured cup and was soon splashing around in the pool again. Before we knew it, the session had ended. I asked Elena how long it would take for a toddler to start swimming. It depends, she replied – one six-month-old could swim to her mum after just a term (11 to 12 classes), while another took a year to do the same.

YP LIKES the indoor mineral water heated swimming pool. The number of children with eczema or skin allergies has increased in recent years, and these conditions can worsen in chlorinated water, Elena says. So, she uses a chlorine-free purification system. The pool temperature is maintained at a warm 32 to 34 deg C. While the sessions may seem short, I was surprised by the impact on my toddler – she still remembers the waterpouring exercise and has tried to mimic the movements with her stack and nest cups while splashing in her bathtub.

HOW MUCH Trial classes start from $40 per session on weekdays. Standard classes cost $35 per session on weekdays. Every child must be accompanied by a parent. Note that kids below the age of three must have two layers of diapers on – a disposable swim diaper and a reusable swim diaper on the outside. Classes are kept small with one coach to five children.

FIND OUT MORE www.littlesplashes.com.sg

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FUN IN FRENCH

THE SCHOOL Alliance Francaise de Singapour has been offering French classes for over 60 years with about 4,000 students who share a passion for French language and culture. Classes are taught by trained, native-speaking teachers. Toddler classes were developed in recent years and have become very popular.

THE CLASS For children to pick up a language, it is best to expose them to it as early as possible. As such, the Pre-Zouzous class caters to tots aged 12 to 24 months. (Zouzous is an affectionate French term for “young child”.) The language is introduced through song, dance, stories, games and more, with different themes every week (pictured). Classes are conducted only in French and focus on cultivating interest in the language, culture, way of life and joie de vivre (an enjoyment of life). YP sat in a Friday morning class conducted by the affable Alice in a classroom that’s furnished to resemble a playroom at home. To get the kids warmed up, she got them to play with an assortment of toys like building blocks and colourful shakers. A welcome song followed, with the children sitting in a semi-circle and facing Alice. They continued to sing more French children’s tunes. One was about ducks jumping into the water, so Alice started pouring some water into a transparent container and dropping a yellow toy duck into it. The children were clearly amused; some giggled, while others started clapping. After introductory greetings from puppets and fuzzy plush mice, the children gathered around the table and started painting a picture of a duck with rollers and yellow paint (I realised by now that the theme was “duck”). Then it was time for a snack – the kids had been asked to bring their own – and everyone was told to sit down and enjoy it. For many, this was their first attempt at socialising with friends and having “conversations” at the dining table. They also learned to share their goodies, thanks to a stuffed duck that appeared to “ask” for food. After eating and cleaning up, the children were put through a mini obstacle course of soft blocks and play tunnels. The class ended with more singing and a goodbye song.

YP LIKES the immersive approach where the teacher guided and encouraged the tots to express in French. They could pick up the language bit by bit through play and gathering information through their senses. Alliance Francaise has an extensive library of French music and audio books, which parents can borrow for home use.

HOW MUCH Each term of eight weeks cost $250. Classes are conducted weekly for 45 minutes each. They’re capped at six students (each child to be accompanied by an adult) to one teacher.

FIND OUT MORE www.alliancefrancaise.org.sg