Enriching Junior

As the ancient saying goes: “It takes a village to raise a child”. We may not have a village to count on now, but we certainly do not lack any resources to help us enrich our children’s lives. From services to aid them physically to those that can build them up intellectually, CapitaMalls have plenty of places parents can turn to to make sure Junior has what he needs to succeed in life.

Rest and Relax – Baby Spas

If mom and dad can go for spa treatments to ease out the stresses in life, why not baby? BabySPA by Hwa Xia International is designed precisely to provide that experience.

The swimming programme is designed for babies aged from birth to 24 months old. Because babies tend to lose a lot of body heat in water, the warm water-based method is used at BabySPA to help strengthen and stimulate babies to improve their physical growth and mental development.

An inflatable float is specially-designed to wrap around baby’s neck to ensure that his head is above the water. The baby will also be taken care of by experienced and trained personnel.

Value for Baby:

At this spa, babies can re-experience the comforting water environment of the womb through neo-natal swimming sessions. Babies spend a most of their time on their backs and have limited motor movements. Being in the water can give them a mobility and body awareness that they would otherwise not have the chance to experience. The added stimulus can also encourage brain development. Furthermore, the sensation of being in water is soothing and can help baby to sleep better.

And if you wondering how many times should baby enjoy the spa experience? Well, it is recommended that baby should get into the pool once a week and there is really no time limit to how long baby should stay in water each time. As a guide, it takes around 20 minutes for the first time and as baby gets used to the therapy, he can stay in longer for subsequent sessions.

Stay Calm - Baby Massages and Foot Reflexology

Baby massages are available at BabySPA as well. A baby massage is gentle, rhythmic stroking of your baby's body with your hands. As part of the massage routine, you can also gently manipulate baby's ankles, wrists and fingers.

Value for Baby:

Baby massages can help calm a fretful child and induce sleep by reducing anxiety and promoting relaxation. It is also believed to relieve wind and colic as well as improve the appetite and immune system.

At Wan Yang Health Product and Foot Reflexology, children under 12 can get their feet massaged. There is no minimum age; as long as the child can sit for an extended period of time, he or she can go for a reflexology session. But for children, the sessions are limited to half an hour per session (S$34.25).

Foot reflexology is an alternative form of therapy that employs pressure on different parts of the feet based on an understanding that different zones of the feet reflect different parts of the body. It is believed to improve circulation, cleanse the body of toxins and impurities, energise the body and restore the body’s balance of energy.

A note of caution, though, some find reflexology painful. So, all these benefit are great, if you can convince your child to sit through a session.

Value for Children:

The goodness of reflexology on children are similar as it is on adults but it has been claimed that reflexology also helps to calm children who tend to be hyperactive or experience stress.

Learn and Enrich – Music and Art

For parents looking to equip their children beyond what formal education has to offer, enrichment opportunities abound. Yamaha offers the Apple Course to get two-year-olds to enjoy music through fun activities like singing, body movement and playing with rhythm. The year-long programme costs between S$256.80 and S$304.95 for three months depending on where and when the lessons take place.

For three-year-olds, the Music Wonderland Course capitalises on children’s fondness of fantasy and their imagination to develop sensitivity, creativity and expression through music. Through singing, listening to music, activities with keyboard participation and music appreciation, children will discover the world of music. The programme costs between S$272.85 and S$321 (for every three months) for the six-month course; and S$304.95 and S$337.05 (for every three months) for the year-long course.

There are also guitar, electone (a unique instrument with a wide array of instrumentation), piano, and drum classes available for children under 12.

For those interested in the violin, Cristofori offers lessons for those aged five and above. The programme caters to either individuals (half-hour-long) or groups (60-minute sessions) at S$321 and S$224.70 respectively for 11 lessons. If you are not sure if you want to commit to buying a violin, the school loans violins as well.

Value for Children:

The value of learning music for children is well documented and there are many benefits. For instance, music stimulates parts of the brain that are related to reading, math, and emotional development. More and more studies are showing a correlation between higher academic achievement with children who are exposed to music. Besides academics, music can also promote the learning of an important life skill: patience. If you play in a band or orchestra, you have to be willing to wait your turn to play otherwise the sound is a mess!

Children with an artistic bent will enjoy Global Art’s creative art enrichment programmes. Their Visual Arts Programme, which goes from Foundation through to Advanced levels, lets children learn how to draw and paint through fun activities. Classes start from S$260 for eight Foundation lessons to S$340 for eight Advanced lessons.

A Handicraft programme is just right for children to improve their hand-eye-brain co-ordination, and enhance their creativity. They get to work with different mediums including clay, paper, wood, strings, and cardboard. Eight lessons cost S$240.

“Since having lessons with Global Art, my son has developed skills in both drawing and colouring with oil pastel. In 2011, Ian took part in the Singapore Global Art competition and emerged 1 ^st runner-up in his category. This experience was very valuable as it has enhanced Ian’s self-esteem and confidence, at the same time, exposing him to ‘proper time management’ and ‘good sportsmanship’,” said Michelle Tan whose six-year-old son, Ian, has been taking lessons from Global Art since he was four.

At Genius R Us, children get to uncover their innate talents through baking and craft lessons. The workshops range between 6 and 20 sessions (S$248 - S$683) and allows you to mix and match baking and craft lessons. There are also parent and child packages of between 6 and 10 sessions ($418 - S$688) so parents can bond with their children through play.

“It’s a great way for children to learn through play. They learn math concepts and measurement in a fun way,” said Sheila Tan who enrolled her child in Genius R Us’s programme.

Value for Children:

As with music, allowing kids to learn through art has tremendous impact on the development of children. Among other things, art promotes imagination and critical thinking, refines cognitive and creative skills, strengthens problem-solving skills, and develops in them a sense of craftsmanship.

It is never too early or too much to find ways to help your kids develop so that their fullest potential can be realised. Besides, having a spa, massage, foot reflexology or unleashing their creativity through art and music are such fun ways to stimulate juniors that we doubt you will ever hear any complaint coming from them!

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