It was a weekend of good old- fashioned Singapore-style family fun at the SAFRA Family Day Out SG Bicentennial Showcase, which drew over 3,000 participants to The Foothills of Fort Canning Park on 15 Jun.
Families turned out in full force at 10am for the Families for Life 365 Talk “Breakfast with Dad”. This session was fully booked, with 25 father-and-child teams preparing breakfast and bonding in a workshop that utilised experiential learning methods to coach fathers on how to better relate to their kids.
For many participants who turned up that day, the SG Bicentennial Showcase was the mainstay of the event. Many families took a stroll down memory lane at “Time Traveller”, a guided, one-hour immersive audio-visual experience at Fort Canning Centre. Younger participants for the experiential educational experience learnt of the various iconic moments in Singapore’s 700-year history at five unique galleries.
Another notable aspect of the SG Bicentennial Showcase was the Pathfinder feature – a 45-minute free-and-easy interactive experience of our nation’s history through space at Fort Gate. “My children were the ones who wanted to come for the SG Bicentennial Showcase. They read about the SG Bicentennial at school and reminded me to take them here for this special educational experience,” Raymond Than said with a chuckle. “We also try to attend the SAFRA events regularly because we get to spend quality family time together.”
Indeed, the event was an exemplary showcase of family bonding. Children accompanied by parents and grandparents participated in the plethora of healthy activities and soaked up the summery carnival atmosphere. Those who wished to satisfy their thirst for history lessons took to the NParks Nature Trail, while others stayed at The Foothills to have fun at game booths such as Coconut Bowling, Cowboy Salon and Five Stones.
There were also the family zumba and yoga workouts, acoustic music acts, a special piano showcase by local talents, as well as movie screenings to pick from. Even the adults were seen having fun at the carnival booths, where they tried their hand at old-school games. In the midst of all the hearty activity, attendees were also given complimentary snacks and beverages.
Long-time SAFRA member Lim Kee Beng, who came straight from SAFRA Mount Faber where his son had swimming lessons in the morning, said: “We really enjoyed the photo-taking game at the booth.” However, he added that nothing beats the goodie bag gifts. “The organisers curated a great list of items inside – especially the fan!” he quipped, referencing how to cool off in the hot weather.
