The latest Family Day Out, a regular family bonding event organised throughout the year by SAFRA, at various locations all over Singapore, took place both in the day and at night. Over the weekend of 3 and 4 Nov, SAFRA members and their family members were enthusiastic participants of two back-to-back events: the SAFRA Family Day Out Sports Carnival and Night Camp. Organised in conjunction with the Singapore River Festival for the first time, the events featured a whole host of entertaining carnival games and challenges, plenty of snacks and refreshments, plus giveaways and prizes galore up for grabs.
Starting from 3pm on 3 Nov, the Sports Carnival included a myriad of sports-themed carnival games, including an inflatable lifesized billiards table, table football, mini basketball games and a number of toy shooting galleries. Other fun activities could be found at handicraft stations, as children made badges, and created all kinds of crafts and souvenirs with their parents and extended family members. One of the many highlights was the Families for Life Obstacle Challenge, where 50 families attempted to race through an inflatable obstacle course in the fastest possible time.
Dinner and supper were provided for the Night Camp portion of festivities, which started around 5pm. There was a campfire held, a singand-cheer-along, a build-a-tent competition and a Family Night Trail Challenge, which brought participating families across the Singapore River precinct.
At the Singapore River Festival was a night bazaar, an augmented reality zone, a live game show, an outdoor movie screening and street performances. After a good night’s sleep, participants woke up for a zumba workout at 7am before having breakfast and proceeding to break camp.
Families For Life
In our fast-paced society, with myriad distractions, it is increasingly difficult for parents to relate and speak to their children. Here are tips to prevent rifts and to help you raise caring and empathetic individuals:
1. Teach emotional literacy
Children must learn to understand nonverbal cues – facial expressions, gestures and voice tones – before they can empathise. Do your part to teach about emotions and feelings.
2. Moral identity and courage
Identify core family values and shape your children’s value system from an early age. Discuss “What kind of family do we want to be? What feelings do we want in our home? How do we want to be seen?” Remember that your child models your behaviour. Your parenting style also influences how your child responds to calls for help. Teach your child when to offer a helping hand and speak up for others.
3. Recognise kindness
Acknowledge your children’s kind deeds or words, and highlight how they benefit others. The more kids do kind deeds, the more likely they become a habit.
For more parenting tips, please visit www.familiesforlife.sg.
