My son has earned good academic results, but I want to broaden his horizons and encourage him to develop interests outside the classroom. What's a good way to achieve this?
An unfortunate side effect of our exam-focused world is that children spend most of their time studying and not enough opening their eyes to the world around them. Through exposure to art, music and drama, we develop a deeper appreciation of our surroundings, which also add depth to academic work.
One of the benefits of a cultural education is that it requires minimal investment. The Hong Kong Museum of Art offers an annual family pass for just HK$200, which gives four family members access to this and a host of other local museums for a year. The trick with developing an interest in museums is not to try to do everything at once and not to make the excursion into an overtly educational event. One way of navigating the art museum is to use the 'weekly highlight' section of the museum's website which shines the spotlight on a different piece of the museum's collection.
Print out information before a visit or use the site to gauge your child's reaction before venturing forth. Together, you can choose your path around the museum and decide which areas you want to focus on. Sharing control is a way parents can give children ownership of their own development and make it likelier that they'll be interested in participating. Incorporating a cultural activity into a day out can make it more special for a child and helps avoid the perception that culture is boring. We are fortunate in Hong Kong to have a stream of visiting exhibitions. Those hoping to catch the last day of the Picasso exhibition today are out of luck; it's sold out. However, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department website (lcsd.gov.hk ) gives notice of cultural events, and anyone with an iPad or iPhone can download a free app called 'What's On in Hong Kong', which updates daily and incorporates esoteric events such as the decorated art benches in Quarry Bay Park. Why not turn it into a picnic?
In the beginning, it may be easier to use one of your child's interests as a link to his cultural development. International museums have been quick to pick up on current trends in children's literature.
The Metropolitan Museum (metmuseum.org) has a series of excellent podcasts for children, including an outstanding interview between best-selling children's author Rick Riordan and the deputy curator of the department of Greek and Roman art. Thanks to modern technology, you can then jump to the British Museum (britishmuseum.org) to explore their Greek and Roman collections.