Zech @ 'Titans of the Past'

'I'm scared Mummy', Zech repeated this umpteen times as we walked through the 'Titans of the Past' exhibition at the Science Centre.

Gigantic creatures in the dark with eerie sounds in the background were rather intimidating for a 3 year old. There are replicas such as these.

Zech, standing some distance away from the T-Rex, didn't want to go near it at all but looked at it in awe coupled with fascination from a distance. 

Then there are the real stuff.

The skull of the T-Rex, which Zech could not appreciate.

However, his mummy and papa were so interested in the skulls of the dinosaurs that they took time to examine it and read the information on the panels. There are also guides stationed near some of the popular exhibits like the T-Rex which is the highlight of the exhibition. The guide was quite informative and this is really what I like about 'Titans of the Past', a tremendous improvement as compared to the previous exhibits on  'Megabugs'.  Tried to get Zech's attention by pointing out the names of familiar dinosaurs and feeding him with bits of info but he was too frightened to even look at the skull. 

 

The good thing about this exhibition is it's quite child-centered. Feel there is something for both young and old. There are interactive exhibits like this below.

 

Climbing onto Triceratops.

 

Zech enjoyed pressing the button to listen to the sound of the baby dinosaur. He did not dare to press the button of the adult dinosaur so we pressed it for him. He had a fun time listening to the sounds.

 

 

 

The last hall was a big open space with a big screen showing a documentary on dinosaurs.

 

 

 

There were also replicas, more interactive exhibits, craft booths and a big sand pit for kids to pretend to be paleontologists. That was the most enjoyable for Zech. See the kids using a brush to look for dinosaur bones and fossils? 

 

 

 

The craft booths look interesting too. Making clay dinosaurs, coloring styrofoam dinosaurs, 3D dinosaurs etc. Just before the exit, we walked through an aisle showcasing ice age mammals. Like the mammoth most.

 

 

Zech also saw his favorite animal, a small horse. Seems that my boy enjoyed himself so much we had difficulty getting him to go home. He was in tears and sat on the steps, refusing to leave. Too bad all good things must come to an end.

My rating for 'Titans of the Past' : 4/5

Not as big as the museums in the States but good enough to learn more about dinosaurs and their behaviour. And some of the exhibits are genuine pieces. Find the exhibits good exposure for young kids like Zech who will like it due to the interactive exhibits and animated dinosaurs.







A brand new start 2014

Blessed New Year!  Has been some time since I've updated  here. Been busy the entire month of Dec which went past in a flash. A very exciting month for our family, we celebrated Jesus' birth, Zech's 3rd birthday and attended the annual church camp. Was glad to complete 'Truth in the tinsel' with Zech who has grown more mature and is able to do and understand more from the series of lessons.

Most of Zech's craft from 'Truth in the tinsel'.

Beginning from 2014, we have decided (took a lot of courage too) to carry out our plan to homeschool Zech. Initially, I've planned to start formal schooling with Zech at home using 'My Father's World' curriculum. However, based on observation, I feel Zech is not ready for it yet so I'm going to wait for another 5 months. Very brave of Mummy right? When most kids at Zech's age have memorized their alphabets and numbers, here I am taking things slow and easy. If Zech knows his alphabets, phonics or numbers, it's purely incidental learning. I'm still focusing a lot on learning through whole language approach. Reading, comprehending the text and honing fine motor skills stand priority over all else. Though I've not started formal schooling with Zech, this year marks the beginning of more sit down lessons and seat work. It's amazing how a 3 year old has made progress in his understanding and attention span.

A new year spells new beginnings. To start the year right, it's really essential to go back to the Bible. And so, I created mini lessons for Zech to learn The Lord's Prayer. Zech's very first goal for the new year is to memorize The Lord's Prayer. Was very surprised that he has memorized a big chunk of the prayer. Pasted stickers on top of the words he has memorised. His papa sometimes read it to him before bedtime and I suppose that helps.

 

This month, we are also going to watch 'The Gruffalo' (part of Kidsfest). Prior to the show, I've prepared pre-activities for Zech to enjoy after reading the book each time. He likes the story so much we are reading it almost every day.

Another major step I've taken is in teaching Chinese. Wanted to sign him up for enrichment classes but have shelved this for the time being due to transport problem. Can't find suitable programmes around our area as well. So I have to teach Zech myself. We are using Basic Chinese 500 beginning level. It has selected 500 Chinese words most frequently used in books and daily life.

At first, I found it boring but the advantage of one to one learning means I can link the new word to Zech's life. He was immediately very keen to learn. Not sure how this will all progress. However, a positive beginning  motivates us to move on with new hopes. Daunting it may be to teach a child Chinese when I've never done it before, I'm glad we have taken a major step ahead.

Now some updates on our youngest in the family. He loves his solids very much.

He's been crawling since he turned 7 months and now trying to stand up on his own. He likes joining Zech in his lessons. He simply enjoys playing with his brother's toys, not his own toys. Here's Nathanael with his personal set of flashcards and books. He loves them to bits.

Sometimes, his brother reads to him before bed. He's a big brother now!

In this new year, we pray for God's leading and ask for more patience (bringing up 2 boys is a challenge for me!) as we venture forth on our homeschooling journey.