As we celebrate Singapore’s 58th National Day on 9 August 2023, seeing the red-and-white flags all over our country always evokes a sense of pride and joy in all its residents! Discover Singapore with this National Day Craft, which will help to build map reading and visual-spatial skills, as well as create a lasting connection with this little island that we call home.
There are two parts to this fun project. The first involves collecting maps of Singapore and working with your child to identify landmarks and places of interests to them. The second is a collage craft where you will help them to build cardboard figurines of these places, to form a unique Singapore map that is personalised to their experiences.
Part 1: Map Collection
Materials
Tourist Maps – you can find these in hotels, the airport, Singapore Tourism Board or places of interest for tourists
Here are some free, online resources that you can zoom in on:
To begin, sit down together with your child and your collection of maps. As you point out the places of interest around Singapore, try to have your child recall some of the familiar places that they have been to before. Share and recollect events and activities in each place. Some suggested talking points: Who was with there with them? What did they do? What did they like about the place? Would they like to go back?
As you identify more landmarks, guide your child to find your home. You could ask, how far away is this place? How can we get there from home? Look where our home is in relation to this place! This will help your child to gain a sense of relevance and perspective about where home is and distance to other places that they could go to.
Part 2: Map of Singapore Collage Craft
Materials Required
· Large Cardboard
· Pencil to draw a map outline of Singapore with
· Crayons for your child to colour in different parts of Singapore in different colours
· Scrap material (e.g. cardboard, single use cartons, bottles, newspapers, containers, etc.)
· Glue and scissors
Step 1
Draw an outline of the map of Singapore on the cardboard. Divide it into the different parts of Singapore: North, South / Central, West, North-East, East.
Highlight the area where the family home is. For example, H in the photo lives in the East.
Let’s make a list! Discuss and identify with your child the places of interest in Singapore that they remember. Pinpoint where these places are using the maps we read earlier. Now, if you haven’t already, collect lots of different scrap materials to create the different places your child wants to recreate.
Step 2: Process
For H, these were his ‘special’ places:
East Singapore – Home, Changi Airport, The Jewel
North-East Singapore – Punggol. H specifically wanted to make representations of the HDB blocks where his relatives live.
North Singapore – the Zoo of course!
Central Singapore – the Merlion and the Flyer
Here’s an online resource from Mini Wings to make the Singapore Flyer
West Singapore – the Chinese and Lakeside Gardens
Step 3 : Assembling
Once you have created your landmarks, allow your child to assemble them on the map of Singapore. This will help create a visual representation of the places they identify with.
Step 4: Making the Backdrop
Make a backdrop by painting the flag of Singapore. Have your child cut out the crescent moon and five stars. Perhaps you can talk about the significance of each element as they are working on this. The crescent moon represents a young nation on the ascendant, and the five stars depict Singapore’s ideals of democracy, peace, progress, justice and equality.
Step 5: Label the Landmarks
It is good writing practice for your child to write out the names of each landmark and label them, if they are able to write already.
Ta-da! Admire your handiwork together.
(Optional) Extension of the Craft
Here are some other Singapore-themed craft activities to do with your child.
Creating a Diorama with the Elements of Singapore
Imagine what Singapore will be like in 2065
This project is not just limited to Singapore. You can extend this exercise by discovering other places together. Perhaps you can work on a place that you’re travelling to on holiday, your own home countries, or create maps of individual places such as the Zoo or the park. You might even want to create a map of your journey to school every day!
Finally, we would like to take the opportunity to wish Singapore a very Happy 58th Birthday!
