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Advance: The Preschool Learning Kit Your Kids Will Love

With Advance, your child can try a wide variety of activities, including gymnastics to discover their favourites. (Image from Karpenko Gymnastics Academy's Facebook page).
By Kimberly
December 20, 2019

What is Advance?

Children can explore a wide range of activities with Advance, a pre-schooler starter kit that includes martial arts trials.

Advance is Mummyfique’s latest initiative, envisioned as a preschooler starter pack for children aged 3 to 5 years old. At this age group, children are immensely curious about the world and are keen to explore a lot of different activities and things to discover what truly interests them. 

Usually, signing your kids up for the myriad classes and courses can really be quite cost-prohibitive, thus Advance offers children one card that contains free trials in established and reputable centres.Don’t worry, we’ve already curated the list, and it will keep growing to offer more to mothers, and so your child can continue learning varied skills. 

Lastly, mums can use Advance to organise playdates, where their children can come together to explore new activities, places and playgrounds 

Within the Kit

Inside the pre-schooler’s backpack are specially curated products, programmes and trial classes from established learning centres and brands. Examples of these are sports like gymnastics and swimming, brain training, and language learning – all to encourage your child’s holistic development in a fun and engaging way. Check out our vendors below.

Arts & Crafts

Artsy Bugsy Studio
Proudly showing off her masterpiece (Image courtesy of Artsy Buggy's Facebook page).

Baby Beetles, an art session for kids 3 to 4 years old from Artsy Bugsy Studio, introduces them to the basics of art, its mediums, tools and helps them express themselves through art. The lessons focus on developing the children’s imagination, emotional and intellect through storytelling and making crafts. 

For slightly older children between 5 and 6 years old, they can try the Mini Mantis art sessions that help their fine motor skills and coordination, while developing their creative thinking and imagination. The 90 minute trial classes are on every day except for Monday.

Trial Details for Baby Beetles & Mini Mantis:

Except for Monday, there are trial classes for Baby Beetles and Mini Mantis every day at 10am and 2pm. Similarly, on weekends, there’s a second class at 1pm for both age groups. The next timeslot is at 4pm, on selected weekdays, Wednesday and Friday for Baby Beetles and Tuesday for Mini Mantis. 

After this, the next time slot is at 4.30pm, which only happens on Thursday

Availability
Baby Beetles
Mini Mantis

10 am
1pm
2pm
4pm
4.30pm

Every day except Monday
Saturday & Sunday
Tuesday to Friday
Wednesday & Friday
Thursday

Every day except Monday
Saturday & Sunday
Tuesday to Friday
Tuesday
Wednesday to Friday

Book a class here. Slots are available on a first come first served basis.

BusyMat

Dining out with your energetic little ones? Keep them busy with these educational silicone activity mats from BusyMat, where they can simultaneously hone their fine motor skills and improve their handwriting. Made of food grade silicone, the mat is FDA-certified, BPA and latex free, perfectly safe for your children.

Better still, the mats are completely reusable, so you can just wipe them off and begin all over! Additionally, we love the wide range of themes, from sea creatures, unicorns to travel around the world. 

Enrichment & Learning

Da Vinci Education
Not only can pottery help your child develop her fine motor skills, it can also help them remember key concepts better. (Image from Da Vinci Group's Facebook page)

In order to help children remember the multiple concepts introduced in their programme, the Da Vinci Group has combined their curriculum with pottery. Hence, after children have created ceramic products with the NeuroCeramics®, seeing these items will trigger their memory of the concepts they’ve learned. 

Advance members can try out this 60 minute class on Wednesdays, from 4.30 to 5.30pm at Bricks 4 Kidz in The Grandstand. Book a class here; slots are available on a first come first served basis. 

De Kinder Club

For those between 3 to 6 years old, Advance offers trials for Kinder S.T.E.A.M.  (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics) classes at De Kinder Club. Children will learn key concepts of engineering science and coding with age appropriate and interactive activities, enabling them to think critically and problem solve. 

These trial classes will be available on the 2nd and 4th weekend of the month. Do email De Kinder Club or WhatsApp them at +65 8687 0905 to book a class.

Han Language Centre
Learn Chinese via fun activities like crafts at Han Language Centre. (Image from their Facebook page)

Make learning a second language – Mandarin – easy at Han Language Centre. In the Han Bao Bao Loves Chinese classes, they’ll begin by learning rhymes, stories and other activities until they can comfortably express themselves in Mandarin. Next, they’ll progress to talking about topics in their daily lives, and learn basic linguistics and the written strokes. 

Trial Class Details

3 Year Old

Child will receive a trial voucher to be redeemed when he/she turns four. Voucher valid till 30 June 2021.

4 Year Old

Trial classes held at the Queenstown branch on Wednesdays from 5 to 6pm

5 Year Old

Kovan and Teck Ghee Community Club: Saturday, 11.30am – 1pm
Seletar Mall: Saturday, 12.30-2pm, 3-4.30pm and 4.30 to 6pm
Queenstown and Khatib: Sunday, 9.30 – 11am

Book your trial class by calling 9661 8692 or emailing [email protected]. Slots are available on a first come first served basis.

Joy Waltz Academy
With the Rollup Piano at the Joy Waltz Academy, little ones can start learning how to play the piano.

Cultivate your child’s budding interest in the piano with the Little Pianist Prodigy course from Joy Waltz Academy. Children as young as 3.5 year old can begin learning with the flexible Rollup Piano. 

Aside from helping kids develop a love for music, they will also gain self-confidence, teamwork and improve their social skills. In order to heighten their interest, all the learning materials have loads of illustrations and songs. The 30-minute trial will be held both on weekdays (2-7pm) and weekends (10am-5pm). 

Call 8778 4576 or 8778 9187 to make a booking at the Midtown and Junction 9 branches respectively. All slots are subject to availability.

Read in a Week
With phonics lessons at Read in a Week, children can greatly improve their reading comprehension. (Image from Read in a Week's Facebook page)

Help your children to improve their reading ability with Read in a Week. The programme focuses on using phonics to first help children recognise individual words, which equates to about 80 per cent of their reading comprehension. 

Once they’ve got the hang of it, they’ll learn to quickly recognise words and in turn become avid readers. Even children with dyslexia can benefit from this programme as one parent attests in her testimonial on their site!

Get Active

Karpenko Gymnastics Academy

Aside from developing cognitive skills, the Advance kit also helps in a child’s health, by encouraging them to try different sporting activities. First, let your child try rhythmic gymnastics at Karpenko Gymnastics, which improves their fitness and overall health, their balance, posture and flexibility.

Each 60-90 minute class begins with a gymnastic warm up, followed by stretching, strength training, acrobatic and dance elements, cardio and endurance training to help children achieve toned bodies. Other benefits include socialising with other aspiring gymnasts their age. Trial classes are available every day, so email Liam or call 8336 0036 to make a booking. As usual, slots are available on a first come first served basis.

ProActiv Sports

At ProActiv Sports, children can choose from a wide variety of options that include soccer, tennis, and multi-sports. In multi-sports, children can explore a variety of sports like cricket, basketball, rugby, and baseball. Three year olds can start developing their coordination, gross motor skills and learn the basics of multi-sports and tennis. 

As children get older, they can learn more advanced skills such as basic dribbling, passing or tennis skills. The free trial is applicable for tennis, and multi-sports lessons for three years old, while soccer is for children four and up.

SwimJourney
Swim confidently underwater like this student from SwimJourney.

Let your child discover the joy of being in the water with SwimJourney, which has two different trial lessons. According to their age, they can either try the Ready Toddlers Swimming Program (for 2-4 years old) or the Proficient Children Swimming Course (Age 4 and up). 

After the coaches have assessed the child’s competency, they may learn simple techniques like controlling their breathing, or revise various strokes. From this trial, the coaches can also recommend a potential lesson plan, which may include water safety and survival skills, improving their stamina and learning the four strokes. Meanwhile, parents can gauge the coach’s effectiveness and how well the child responds to the instructions.

Book your trial lesson here. If you have any enquiries, email them or message the head coach Jing at 9171 7537. Be sure to inform them you’re enquiring about your “trial lesson for Mummyfique”. It will range from 30 to 45 minutes, depending on your child’s age. 

Trifecta Martial Arts
Children can build their coordination, strength and flexibility with Taekwondo or Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at Trifecta Martial Arts.

Rounding up the fitness category is Trifecta Martial Arts, where kids three and above can try Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu or Taekwondo in a safe and non-competitive environment. While mastering the physical aspect of the martial arts that improves their strength and coordination, they will also learn humility, dedication and be more flexible. 

Trial classes are available every day except Monday, and the timing depends on your child’s age and their preferred martial art. WhatsApp or call 8111 7019 or email them to make a booking. 

Mummyfique's Curated Products

Babymel Zip and Zoe Mini Backpack & Safety Harness
Inside these Babymel backpacks are the Advance kits for your pre-schoolers.

Great for little ones aged one to four, this super-cool mini backpack has a zipped main compartment, as well as a separate zipped front pocket – plenty of space for toys and snacks. Additionally, the padded back straps makes carrying the bag around a breeze. 

Keep your child safe – especially in crowded places or when crossing the street – with the detachable safety harness at the backpack’s base. Other features include an internal elasticated loop so bottles or sippy cups stay put, as well as a write on name tag. Finally, the bag is machine washable and is available from Motherswork

Lilo Ikan Bilis Powder

Busy mums, create tasty dishes for your children at home without using preservatives, MSG or added salt. The secret to this is  Lilo‘s Ikan Bilis powder, made of premium ikan bilis without the entrails, and slow baked and then ground up. Aside from adding loads of flavour, the ikan bilis is packed with nutrients and vitamins. 

 This powder, along with other flavours like scallop, mushroom and white bait, are made in a Singapore Food Agency licensed factory. 

Pearlie White

Local brand Pearlie White®‘s toothpastes are all free of nasties like SLS, parabens, triclosan and titanium dioxide among other things. Clean your kids’ teeth with the extra gentle and 99.78 per cent natural Enamel Safe Kids’ Toothpaste – the other 0.22 per cent comprises the dentist’s recommended dosage of fluoride. 

Additionally, the paste will not harm your child’s enamel and gums as it has a relative dentin abrasivity of 30, much lower than the adult toothpaste’s value, usually 100 and above. Best of all, Pearlie White does not do any form of animal testing. 

Mummyfique Readers: Get a 25 per cent off discount using the code “MUM25” when you shop at Pearlie White

Zoo-Vite
The all-natural gummies and jellies from Zoo-Vite are a great way to get your child to take their vitamins.

Last but not least, keep your children in peak health with HST Medical’s Zoo-Vite supplements like Zoo-Vite Immune, Germ Buster and Flu Resist, which help boost your child’s immunity, wards off germs and resists upper respiratory infections. 

We also love that the vitamins are all in jelly form, so it’s much easier to get kids to take them daily, as opposed to chewing or swallowing them in tablet form. 

Ready to try out the Advance kit? Redeem yours by filling out a quick form.

Not sure what the activities look like? At the Advance launch, kids got to try some of these activities.