As the typhoon season approaches, it's important to find indoor activities for energetic toddlers. SPRING seeks to provide stimulating activities for youngsters and provide caregivers with the necessary know-how to help their development.
Their ideas must appeal to parents as the space is teeming when we arrive. I sign my two-year-old son and one-year-old daughter up for the KindyROO classes, which focus on neurophysiological development. The classes involve a series of activities that combine music and movement. The Kangaroos class (for two to three-year-olds) has songs where the parents are asked to stretch out their child's limbs, where everyone moves around in a circle and one that includes the use of maracas. A favourite activity involves a coloured parachute.
Many of these exercises are common to other classes we've attended, but here the teacher explains the developmental significance of each exercise.
One activity I haven't encountered before involves touching the right and left side of the child's body in different ways, a tactile mode of reinforcing direction.
The Turtles class (8 to 14 months) has similar activities tailored for children in the pre-walking stage. The teacher demonstrates a simple baby massage and another exercise geared towards developing strength. My 14-month-old, a confident walker, is a tad advanced for this so I suggest parents discuss their child's development when enrolling.
Part of the session involves playtime featuring apparatus for climbing, jumping and sliding. The teachers are at hand to explain each apparatus and encourage the kids to use them as intended.