Slow down and enter your children’s world with a free play date

The free event at Fernvale Community Club on Oct 10 and 11 encourages families with pre-schoolers to bond through play.

Published Sep 27, 2026, 11:10 AM

Updated Sep 27, 2026, 11:10 AM

Free community play date Born To Play offers families with young children a chance to bond through creative, unstructured play and shared moments.

The event features open-ended activities, such as DIY cardboard building and nature art.

Organisers hope to inspire more neighbourhood play dates to foster community support and strengthen parent-child bonds.

SINGAPORE – Bonding with a young child does not require expensive toys, elaborate weekend plans or a packed schedule. Real connection begins with attention, trust and a willingness to share the moment.

Free community event Born To Play: A Family Playdate hopes to prove just that. Taking place on Oct 10 and 11 at Fernvale Community Club, this initiative invites parents and caregivers to step out of the daily rush and follow their children’s lead.

“As parents, we spend so much time thinking about what we need to do for our children,” says co-organiser Yu Jiarong. “Yet, sometimes, what they want is simply for us to sit with them and be interested in their world.”

The 43-year-old founder of a parenting platform is partnering non-profit Playeum to run the event in his personal capacity. He has two children aged 10 and 13.

Across four sessions, children aged six and under – alongside their parents and caregivers – can explore a space filled with open-ended materials and creative possibilities. Older siblings up to eight years old are also welcome to join in the fun.

The play experiences are designed to let children’s curiosity lead the way, with no set rules or expectations of a perfect outcome. In the DIY Cardboard Playground, children and parents can work side by side building imaginative structures out of recycled boxes.

Families can transform leaves, twigs and bark into portraits at Nature Play or experiment with paint and everyday items to make textured patterns at Karang Guni Prints.

Should the surroundings feel a little overwhelming, The Whispering Tent provides a calm sanctuary to pause and reset.

Simple, open-ended materials give kids joyful moments of discovery, creativity and connection. PHOTO: PLAYEUM

Simple, open-ended materials give kids joyful moments of discovery, creativity and connection.

Playeum executive director Charlotte Goh points out that play remains one of the most natural ways for young ones to learn, communicate and discover their strengths. Even before they have the words to explain how they feel, play gives adults a clear window into their inner lives.

“Play gives children the freedom to express themselves and discover what they are capable of,” she says. “When adults step back, listen and respond with curiosity, we create space for children’s voices, confidence and sense of agency to grow. These simple moments can also bring families closer together.”

Yu echoes this sentiment, adding: “When children ask us to watch, listen or play, they are inviting us to get to know them. Every time we make space to say yes, we are building trust, connection and memories that can stay with our families as our children grow.”

A child explores colour, texture and nature at her own pace through sensory play. PHOTO: PLAYEUM

A child explores colour, texture and nature at her own pace through sensory play.

Looking ahead, Yu hopes this gathering will spark more accessible, neighbourhood-led play dates across Singapore to help families support one another.

“A community play date cannot replace professional support, but it can offer a warm invitation to step outside, meet another parent and realise that you are not alone,” he says. “There is no pressure to be the perfect parent. Come as you are, meet another family and enjoy the moment together.”

The event invites parents to step into their child’s world and play together with open-ended materials. PHOTO: PLAYEUM

The event invites parents to step into their child’s world and play together with open-ended materials.

Born To Play: A Family Playdate

Where: Level 4 Multi-Purpose Hall, Fernvale Community Club, 21 Sengkang West Avenue When: Oct 10, 1.30pm to 3pm or 3.30pm to 5pm; Oct 11, 10am to noon or 1.30pm to 3.30pm Admission: Free. Register in advance at borntoplay.eventbrite.sg , as walk-in entry is subject to availability. All initial 600 tickets have been fully claimed. To accommodate more families, 80 more tickets will be released on Sept 28 at 5pm

Elisa Chia is a correspondent at The Straits Times, writing parenting and lifestyle features.

10 月 10 日和 11 日在 Fernvale 社区俱乐部举行的免费活动鼓励有学龄前儿童的家庭通过游戏增进亲子关系。

发布于 2026 年 9 月 27 日上午 11:10

更新于2026年9月27日上午11:10

免费社区游戏日“天生玩乐”为有幼儿的家庭提供了一个通过创造性的、非结构化的游戏和共同时光来增进感情的机会。

本次活动包含多种开放式活动，例如DIY纸板建筑和自然艺术。

组织者希望鼓励更多邻里间的玩耍聚会，以促进社区支持并加强亲子关系。

新加坡——与幼儿建立亲密关系并不需要昂贵的玩具、精心策划的周末活动或满满的日程安排。真正的联结始于关注、信任和分享当下时光的意愿。

免费社区活动“天生爱玩：家庭亲子游戏日”旨在证明这一点。该活动将于10月10日和11日在芬维尔社区俱乐部举行，邀请家长和监护人暂时放下日常的忙碌，跟随孩子们的脚步，尽情玩耍。

“作为父母，我们花了太多时间思考应该为孩子做些什么，”联合组织者余嘉荣说。“然而，有时候，他们需要的仅仅是我们坐在他们身边，对他们的世界感兴趣。”

这位43岁的育儿平台创始人将与非营利组织Playeum合作，以个人身份举办此次活动。他有两个孩子，分别10岁和13岁。

在四节课中，六岁及以下儿童可以在父母或监护人的陪伴下，探索一个充满开放式材料和无限创意空间。八岁以下的哥哥姐姐们也欢迎加入，一起享受乐趣。

这些游戏体验旨在激发孩子的好奇心，不设任何规则，也不要求达到完美的结果。在DIY纸板游乐场，孩子们和家长可以并肩合作，用回收的纸箱搭建充满想象力的建筑。

在 Nature Play，一家人可以将树叶、树枝和树皮变成肖像画；或者在 Karang Guni Prints，一家人可以用颜料和日常用品制作纹理图案。

如果周围的环境让你感到有些不知所措，“低语帐篷”提供了一个平静的避难所，让你停下来重新调整状态。

简单、开放式的材料能让孩子们在探索、创造和交流中获得快乐。图片：PLAYEUM

简单、开放式的材料能给孩子们带来快乐的发现、创造和交流时刻。

Playeum 执行董事 Charlotte Goh 指出，游戏仍然是孩子们学习、交流和发现自身优势最自然的方式之一。甚至在他们能够用语言表达自己的感受之前，游戏就为成年人提供了一个清晰了解他们内心世界的窗口。

“玩耍让孩子们自由地表达自我，发现自己的潜能，”她说。“当成年人退后一步，倾听并以好奇心回应时，我们就为孩子们的表达能力、自信心和自主意识的成长创造了空间。这些简单的时刻也能拉近家庭成员之间的距离。”

余女士也表达了类似的观点，并补充道：“当孩子们邀请我们观看、聆听或一起玩耍时，他们是在邀请我们去了解他们。每一次我们欣然答应，都是在建立信任、增进感情，并创造美好的回忆，这些回忆将伴随孩子们成长，永远留在我们家庭中。”

孩子通过感官游戏，按照自己的节奏探索色彩、质地和自然。图片：PLAYEUM

孩子通过感官游戏，按照自己的节奏探索色彩、质地和自然。

展望未来，余先生希望这次聚会能够激发新加坡各地更多由邻里主导的、方便参与的玩耍聚会，帮助家庭互相支持。

“社区亲子游戏日虽然不能取代专业人士的帮助，但它能提供一个温馨的契机，让家长们走出家门，结识其他家长，并意识到自己并不孤单，”他说道。“不必非得成为完美的父母。做你自己就好，来认识其他家庭，一起享受这段时光吧。”

本次活动邀请家长走进孩子的世界，与孩子一起玩耍，体验开放式的游戏材料。图片：PLAYEUM

本次活动邀请家长走进孩子的世界，与孩子一起玩耍，使用各种开放式的材料。

天生爱玩：家庭游戏日

地点：盛港西大道21号芬维尔民众俱乐部4楼多功能厅 时间：10月10日，下午1:30至3:00或下午3:30至5:00；10月11日，上午10:00至中午12:00或下午1:30至3:30 入场：免费。请提前在borntoplay.eventbrite.sg网站注册，现场入场视情况而定。首批600张门票已全部发放完毕。为方便更多家庭参与，将于9月28日下午5:00加放80张门票。

Elisa Chia是《海峡时报》的记者，撰写育儿和生活方式方面的文章。