Famous wit Oscar Wilde once said, “The things of nature do not really belong to us”, hence, “we should leave them to our children as we have received them.” In other words, we need to conserve the earth’s resources for our children’s future well-being. To that end, consider purchasing from brands that are socially and environmentally responsible. Meet such vendors at the Children’s Galleria by Motherswork – most of the businesses are locally-owned. Additionally, quite a number of them are also women-led. Held from 11 – 17 September at the Great World Atrium, the week-long event also includes fun activities for the whole family.
Essentials for Your Little Ones at Children's Galleria
Motherswork
Motherswork brings you the Children’s Galleria as part of our 25th anniversary celebrations. The leading premium retailer for mother, kids and baby products in China and Singapore, Motherswork aims to bring the best to our mums while also supporting local businesses. Partnering them on their journeys from pregnancy right up to sending them off to school, Motherswork also provides parents with vital information and resources to help them bring up their little ones.
Motherswork Gives Back
Mindful of parents who are less fortunate, our founder Sharon Wong began the Motherswork Gives Back programme in 2009. As part of this programme, the team organises in-store events to create awareness and fundraise for various charities. Some beneficiaries have included the Singapore Children’s Cancer Foundation and Singapore Children Society. Additionally, they have also supported new Singaporean baby businesses, hence parent-business owners have a platform to grow their businesses.
Children’s Galleria Specials:
- Motherswork x Skin Inc’s A Bundle of Joy up to 28 per cent off.
- Motherswork x Urban Li’l and Little Rei x Urban Li’l fabric decals up to 25 per cent off.
- Buy 3 or more food products for 10 per cent off.
- Motherswork x Bynd Artisan’s Love Mum (now $49, UP $68)
- Motherswork Nursery Mist and Motherswork Reed diffuser bundle (now $60, UP $78)
Bloom & Grow
Like many brands, Bloom & Grow was also born out of necessity. Determined to give her first daughter Petra the best, founder and CEO Alex Dickson Leach had to shop in the UK, then bring them back to Hong Kong. After realising that many friends faced similar challenges, she and her husband set up a small scale distribution business. It began with bringing Grobags from the UK to Asia. Now, the small venture has become a professional group in the Asia Pacific region. They carefully curate brands and products that they personally believe in.
Pigeon
Desiring our babies to grow up happily in a peaceful world is undoubtedly a wish that all parents – and Pigeon – share . The market leader in mother and baby care products, their product range includes bottle and breastfeeding products, and skincare essentials for delicate baby skin. In order to make breastfeeding easier for new parents, Pigeon has also stocked nursing rooms with their equipment. Some locations include Beauty Mums & Babies, Mount Alvernia Hospital and United Square Shopping Mall. Additionally, Pigeon has also collected and recycled more than 50,000 plastic bottles through its Recycling Nursing Bottles Campaign.
CORLISON
Starting your child’s oral health journey? Try the local oral care brand Pearlie White’s toothpastes for kids three months and up, with all natural ingredients, and low dentin abrasivity. Additionally, the oral care products do not contain ingredients of animal origin and the brand does not test on animals. Likewise, Babyganics products are also safe to use for babies, effective and sustainably packaged. They adhere to industry standards like NPA and EWG and only use ingredients they’d personally use around or on their babies. Other kid-friendly products that CORLISON exclusively distributes include Euky Bear, Method, eCover and Hoppi.
Beginning as a small family business, CORLISON is now one of the largest fully Singapore-owned distributors of personal, health care and home cleaning products. Its directors are fully involved with every brand from the first correspondence, and their team members have an average of more than 10 years’ experience in these fields.
Ban Choon Marketing
Have a perpetually hungry toddler or infant? Don’t forget these nutritious and tasty snacks from HiPP. For example, the HiPP Organic Apple Pear Banana fruit pouch features 100 per cent, organically produced fruit, with only the natural sweetness from the fruits. These are perfect as a sweet treat during snack time or while out and about.
Aside from HiPP baby food, Ban Choon Marketing also distributes organic groceries like Barney’s barn eggs, Lakewood Organic Juices and OptiBac probiotics. They have worked with exporters from all over the world through its 35 years of operations.
Hape
Hape has worked with design studios internationally and top child psychologists and educators. Through this, they’ve identified six key skills children need to flourish: creativity, confidence, strength, curiosity, kindness and integrity. Each toy is designed with at least one learning objective, such as fine motor skills, social skills, problem solving, language skills and emotional and physical development. Hape also contributes to the planet with their own bamboo forest and using planet-friendly plastics.
Infantino
Infantino’s team believes that they can make incredible products and moments for you and your little ones. All their products use harm-free materials, putting safety, the health and happiness of their little customers above all. Knowing that children will put their products into their mouths, they ensure all Infantino’s products meet or exceed the stringent safety standards. Their range of products, including baby gyms, baby carriers, high chairs and toys are free of BPA, lead and phthalates. Additionally, the paint on their toys do not contain any toxic elements or heavy metals.
Asian Kidswear Brands
Maison Q
Ever wished that your children could get more use out of the clothes that they wear? At Maison Q, most clothes – dresses, shirts and onesies – are reversible, to get twice the mileage with twice the fun prints. Founded by husband and wife-team Fadhil and Suhana Abdat, the brand employs highly-trained artisans from villages around Tasikmalaya, Indonesia to produce these collections at their family-owned atelier. Hence, the designs are also unique and cannot be found anywhere else. Additionally, the fabrics come from OEKO-TEX certified factories, free from harmful substances and safe for little ones.
The Elly Store
Perfect for children 0 to 14 years old, The Elly Store is best known for its Chinese New Year collections of mandarin-collared shirts for boys, and cheongsams for girls. Frustrated with the lack of classic and comfortable options for Carol’s daughter to play, her sister Audrey Ng stepped in. She bought fabrics from London to make clothes for her niece, and soon the offers to buy the clothes came pouring in.
Hence, Audrey moved back to Singapore a year later to launch Elly. A signature feature of the brand’s clothes is that it features beloved Disney characters like Mickey Mouse, Classic Pooh, 101 Dalmatians and Dumbo. Since 2019, Elly has collaborated with The Walt Disney Company Southeast Asia for its Disney x Elly collections. Aside from their own collections, you’ll also find a wide range of baby gifts, toys, and international brands of shoes, Marcus and Marcus tableware and Miniware, perfect for gifting.
Le Petit Society
Based on the principle that great style should be for everyone, including precious newborns, Singaporean couple Robyn Liang and Dylan Ong developed an Asia-made line with top quality and design. The parents of two girls and one boy have created clothing ranges for the whole family, using fabrics that children will want to wear daily and that can last generations. Hence, the whole family can wear matching outfits even after Chinese New Year. All of Le Petit Society’s organic products are Global Organic Textile Standard-certified. This means that at least 95 per cent of the fibres in a textile product must be certified organic, without the use of synthetic pesticides, harmful chemicals and genetically modified organisms. While the remaining 5 per cent may include non-organic fibres, they still have to meet certain social and ecological criteria.
M. Latin
Trekking long distances to school, children in Xuyong County, Sichuan Province, were often inadequately dressed for the winter climate. Even worse, they were often unaccompanied by their parents as the latter had to travel to work. Thus, M.Latin’s team of designers got to work in 2020 to create warm school uniforms for them. In order to do this, they thoroughly researched the mountain climate, and recorded the children’s sizes.
After the designs were perfected, the designers personally visited the recipient schools to observe how the children wore these uniforms. Not only did they want the children to stay warm during the winter, but they also hoped the uniforms could be like their parents giving them a hug. M.Latin, established in 2004, focuses on the design and retail operations of children’s clothing, integrating design, development, production and sales.
Sustainable, Luxuriously Soft Fabrics for Little Ones
Little Rei
Tough, biodegradable and a natural and renewable resource, the sustainable material bamboo is capable of rapid growth, without chemicals, fertilisers or pesticides. In addition, bamboo also releases 35 per cent more oxygen and uses more carbon dioxide compared to hardwood trees, helping reduce the effects of climate change. Yet, when it’s made into textiles, the resulting fabrics are softer and 40 per cent more absorbent than cotton. Furthermore, the fabric helps regulate your baby’s body temperatures, helping them sleep better. Little Rei’s collections feature blankets, towels and hoods for bathing, swaddles and even pillowcases made out of this super soft fabric, with cute designs like trains, carousel horses and elephants.
Baa Baa Sheepz® Sleepwear
Keep babies cool in hot weather and warmer in cold weather with Baa Baa Sheepz sleepwear. Made of eco-friendly, luxuriously soft bamboo fibres, the thermoregulating material stays 2 – 3 deg colder in hot weather and warmer in cold weather. Comprising 95 per cent bamboo and 5 per cent spandex, the sleepwear is breathable and keeps bad smells away. Other benefits of bamboo are that it dries quickly, and doesn’t need to be ironed, and it is 100 per cent biodegradable. Options include rompers, sleeveless options for babies who run hot, and even sweatshirts for colder climates.
Founder of Baa Baa Sheepz, Abby Lye, aimed to manufacture quality home wear that is soft and comfortable, with fun, innovative designs. Originally beginning with designs for little ones, Baa Baa Sheepz’s product range now includes sleepwear, blankets for adults and even mattress sheets for single beds. All these are intended to provide daytime comfort and a relaxing night’s sleep for the whole family.
Beauty Accessories
SOVA
Sleep better with SOVA’s sleep accessories, like their eye mask to shield your eyes from any light. It also helps you achieve more time in REM sleep. Made with the highest grade, premium 6A mulberry silk, the luxuriously soft material won’t tug at the delicate parts of your face. Other benefits of the material are that it is naturally hypoallergenic, anti-aging, and helps reduce hair breakage.
Additionally, SOVA, Singapore’s most well-known sleep accessories label, works with partners who farm sustainably and ethically. Furthermore, SOVA also prioritises reducing manufacturing waste. For example, they redesigned their product packaging to use the minimum amount of materials.
Nodspark
Known for their fuss-free, quick way to get glam even at home, Singapore brand Nodspark’s bestsellers are their nail wraps and lashes. The leading designer of nail wraps, Nodspark’s beautiful designs have a professional finish, with no drying time and are scent-free. They can be put on in just 10 minutes and will stay on from 10 to 14 days. Even better, the box containing your nail wraps can be transformed into a box for you to stay organised. As for their lashes, choose between Lashes on Demand – their magnetic lashes – or their My Lashes but Better. For the latter, you’ll need to use the Lash Adhesive Pen and perhaps the Beauty Tweezer to apply the lashes.
Lifestyle Brands at Children’s Galleria
Levoit
Keep the haze, airborne contaminants and more out of the house, and refresh your indoor air with the Levoit air purifiers. With 3-stage filtration, it captures at least 99.97 per cent of airborne particles 0.3 microns in size, 99.99 per cent of mould and bacteria and viruses. Next, the high-efficiency activated carbon filter also quickly filters household odours, smoke and any VOCs. Additionally, the VortexAir™ technology also changes the air in rooms 635 sq ft five times per hour. All this is done as quietly as possible, so your little one’s sleep will remain undisturbed. Other products from Levoit include tower fans, vacuums, humidifiers and thermostats.
The Arcade People
Turn your next event into a full-fledged arcade by renting an arcade from The Arcade People. Included in their lineup are classic arcade cabinets to sports games such as pinball, Daytona, Mario Kart and many more. Even better, they can do customisation and branding on selected arcade machines. Of course, there are kid friendly options as well, such as Baby Basketball. Some of these arcade rental options are perfect for retro-themed parties, with classics like Dance, Dance Revolution, Crazy Taxi, and Guitar Hero.
ISE International Pte Ltd
Proven to be effective against most common germs, Purell and Milton are designed to protect your family from germs. To keep your newborns safe and healthy, Milton’s range of baby-safe products include sterilisers, sterilising tablets and baby bottle cleansers. Meanwhile, parents can use Purell hand sanitisers to keep their hands clean and germ-free before touching their babies, or use the surface disinfectants to ward off germs and viruses. Both brands are exclusively distributed by ISE International in Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. At the Children’s Galleria, parents can also check out the other brands that ISE International distributes, including ING Organic and Ministry of Mama.
Children Galleria Activities for the Family
In addition, families can also enjoy various activities at the booths. For instance, parents and children can have a quick manicure at Nodspark’s nail bar. Other fun activities include the bouncy castle, and playing arcade games, as well as writing on cards to spread happiness.
Meanwhile, mums can start planning their family’s Chinese New Year’s outfits. One way is to make a bespoke outfit for their children at Maison Q’s Reversible Bar. Start by mixing and matching fabrics from their CNY 2024 collection, complementing these with cute details. Next, choose your preferred silhouette for the kiddos and let the Maison Q team make this a reality. Alternatively, choose from their Ready-to-Wear collection, or stock up on gorgeous designs from The Elly Store. At the Children’s Galleria, each booth will also have exciting promotions, with discounts up to 60 per cent.
This article was originally written for Motherswork.
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