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.

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.