24.3.12 - Nemo and friends Edu-Craft session

Several weeks earlier, I had signed up the boys for a "Nemo and friends Edu-Craft session" at Popular book fair in IPC. I had no idea that it was based on the movie "Finding Nemo". The organisers (Viola Sdn Bhd) took a long time to start and kept announcing about the craft session, but very few people were interested. Many who registered didn't turn up and we were the first there. Furthermore, the tiny stage there couldn't accommodate many children and it was rather cramped. Before they started, they also screened an informative video clip about not eating shark fin soup and it kept repeating and repeating that I thought it would never start and the kids who were waiting were getting restless. E decided that he didn't want to take part as he found it too noisy. The huge speaker was right at the stage. Finally, they started with an ice-breaking game.

Playing an ice-breaking game at the start

At the beginning, the facilitator kept asking the children questions related to the the movie "Finding Nemo" and most of the children could answer correctly. Those who answered correctly were given a small notebook gift. My children had never seen "Finding Nemo" before, thus S could not understand what the lady was saying or asking. He tried his best and even put his hand up to answer a question related to the movie, but his answer was incorrect, obviously. I felt a little pity for him seeing his disappointment and him looking at all the children receiving their tokens (some children had 2 or 3) as they could answer the questions and wondered if I had done the right thing by enrolling him for the session. Fortunately, during the craft session, the facilitator sought out the few children (there were 3) who could not answer correctly, and gave them a small notebook too.

There was a puppet show to impart the message of not eating shark fin soup. 

Listening to instructions on how to make the pencil holder craft

The completed craft

17.12.11 - Christmas craft workshop with Magic Nuudles

The boys attended another Christmas workshop in 1Utama - this one was conducted using Magic Nuudles. It is a type of biodegradable building blocks that looks like junk food and can stick together with just a little bit of water. It is said to be safe even if it is consumed. S called it "magic mee", thinking of "noodles". The kids were divided into 2 age groups, age 4 - 6 years old and 7 - 12 years old. My boys joined the younger group.

Ms. Penny conducted the session. 

Colourful. It can be cut into smaller pieces with a knife or scissors. Many passers-by kept stopping at our table, picked up a piece and pressed it to see what it was. 

The younger group were given a piece of paper to colour and to stick the magic nuudles onto the paper. The best decorated work would be awarded a prize. 

E chose a duck and coloured and decorated the picture the best he could.  

A group of older children made a turtle. 

E was called on stage to receive his prize for the most creative piece of work

This is his prize - a box of 100 pcs Magic Nuudles. Top and bottom right: The front and back of the box.  

10.12.11 - Fancy Hat workshop

The boys attended another Christmas workshop at the Curve. They were taught to make a fancy hat. The facilitators helped the children with their craft. Although it looked simple, the session took 1 hour.

Wearing the fancy hat

7.12.11 - Christmas craft workshop - Undersea theme park

We went for a Christmas craft workshop for 1 Utama. Attendance for this event had to be preregistered a few weeks earlier, and we were fortunate to be able to register for the workshop this year. They accepted 50 participants. The workshop was conducted by lecturers from Art and Design faculty, KBU.

Each participant were given a box with a hinge and its doors can open and close. and a bag with pre-printed cardboard pieces, UHU glue and glittering stuff inside for decoration. A lecturer told me that the  lecturers bought the wood and made these boxes and decorated it themselves. The children were taught to do an undersea theme park in the box.

Fortunately they allowed parents to come in and help. There was a lot of cutting and gluing for the whole 2 hours. Most of us couldn't complete the box after 2 hours.

Participants were taught to do an undersea theme park. 

The above 2 boxes were decorated by the KBU lecturers

Gluing

As we didn't complete the box, we brought it back and to be continued. Here's what S did with his box. He turned the box into space, with glow in the dark planets, moons, and comets! His imagination knows no bounds. 

3.12.11 - Christmas Card workshop @ IPC

After the workshop at The Curve, we walked over to Ikano Power Centre. From 2 pm - 3 pm, the boys attended a Christmas Card workshop. The boys took very long to colour the card, as it was quite detailed. S actually sat there for 1 hour colouring the card meticulously. After the end of 1 hour, the card still wasn't completely coloured. S wanted to stay on, but we had to leave.

E with his card

The inside of the pop-up card

3.12.11 - Workshop - Making Christmas Angel at The Curve

The boys attended a free Christmas workshop at The Curve. They were taught to make a Christmas Angel. Fortunately, they allowed parents to help the younger kids. It was quite challenging as the glue they provided did not stick well. So we kept pressing the parts together and it kept falling or opening up. It took an hour to make this angel. There were some more decorative parts, such as the ribbon for the angel's dress but the facilitator skipped it as there wasn't enough time. Thanks to The Curve for organising this workshop.

Cutting the "face"

The completed angel

12.5.11: Puppet show workshop

We attended the puppet show workshop by Jeff Achtem @ Mr Bunk from Canada. It was open only for people who had bought tickets for the Sticks, Stones and Broken Bones puppet show. It is a workshop to teach children how to create shadow faces. The workshop was held in PJLA theatre in Jaya One, the same venue as the puppet show.

S and E didn't really like the dim environment of the PJLA theatre. They also wanted to make their own puppet cars instead of following Mr Bunk's instruction. They said that they didn't like the "monster faced" puppets that the children were taught to make. I guess they're a little young to appreciate the artistic nature of these puppets shadow play.

Jeff Actem showing his puppet during the workshop

Shadow car 

23.12.10: Glass painting and keychain-making workshop at Pusat Sains Negara

It was a rainy day and we were on our way to Pusat Sains Negara again for another workshop. Along the way, I heard that there was an accident at the Hartamas Ramp leading to Pusat Sains Negara. Thus, to avoid being caught in a traffic jam. I took another road and it was jam free. However, at a certain point, I mistakenly took a wrong turning. Good thing I had my GPS with me. I quickly turned on my GPS and it led me to the back entrance of Pusat Sains Negara which I never knew existed. Luckily the back entrance was open and I drove right through.

The facilitators poured special paints onto tiny containers. The children selected their own glasses which were pre-drawn with dinosaurs. They they started painting using the brush and paint provided. There was also a tiny sponge on a stick to paint or dab onto the background.

E was adamant to hold the glass and paint on his own. 

All done!

Showing off their handiwork.

The glass painting event ended quite quickly and the participants were left waiting for quite some time before the next event began. It was to make a keychain using a special plastic which would be put into the oven to be shrunk. 

First, the children traced a drawing of a dinosaur with a marker pen. E was fiercely independent and wanted to do it all by himself. They they coloured the picture with colour pencils. 

Colouring their dinosaurs

After that, the facilitators punched a hole in the plastic and the kids lined up to get it shrunk in the oven. It was amazing to see the drawing, the size of a palm shrink to a much smaller size. 

Queing up and putting into the oven

They received a certificate at the end of the workshop

16.12.10: Eco 3D puzzle craft workshop

I signed the boys up for 3 school holiday workshops organised by Pusat Sains Negara, KL in the month of December.

The first workshop we attended was an Eco 3D puzzle craft workshop by Ms Saki Sasamori, from Japan. She has been living in Malaysia for the past 10 years and is fluent in Bahasa Malaysia. She has written several crafts book in Bahasa Malaysia which is sold at bookstores in Malaysia.

Participants were taught to make a 3D puzzle from old juice cartons. The cartons have to be washed and cleaned first before being used.

First, fold the carton flat and cut out the top section, together with the bottle cover.

Divide the carton equally into 3 sections and cut it. 

Tear out the part that adjoins the carton and open it up

Fold it the other way round. Then stick the ends together.

Open

Closed 

Draw circles on the 6 sides

To play the puzzle, open up the box into the 3 sections below, and close back the box, ensuring that all the sides of the box have the circles. If it doesn't have all the circles, then the puzzle is done incorrectly. This is a fun game made from simple recyclable materials. Very ingenious!

Receiving their certificates of attendance

Group photo