The Children’s Season festival took place from May 30 to June 28 across 21 museums and institutions in Singapore, featuring a range of free and ticketed sustainability-themed activities for children during the June school holidays [1, 2, 3].
Organised by HeritageSG, a branch of the National Heritage Board, the festival aims to inspire children to understand their role in protecting the environment. Ms Asmah Alias, CEO of HeritageSG, said, "By encouraging children to learn about sustainability in fun and engaging ways, we hope to spark a sense of curiosity in them to discover their crucial role in saving planet Earth. In sowing the seeds of care today, we believe that our children will emerge as resourceful guardians of our future" [1].
A new book titled Quiz Champs: Tackling Climate Change With Biogirl MJ by Kong Man Jing, a science teacher and content creator, was released alongside the festival for the school holidays. Kong stressed the importance of framing climate change positively for children, saying, "Children are inheriting the future of our planet, so climate change will directly shape the world they grow up in – from food security and public health to biodiversity and extreme weather events. But rather than approaching the topic through fear, I believe it is important to help children understand that they can also be part of the solution. They also develop empathy, problem-solving skills and a stronger sense of responsibility towards their communities and the natural world" [1].
One of the highlighted programmes was the Water Trekkers holiday camp, which teaches children about water conservation and the importance of keeping Singapore's waterways clean and sustainable [1, 2, 3]. Despite Singapore’s reputation for clean water, it remains one of the world’s most water-stressed nations [1, 2, 3].
The festival brought together 21 venues across the city, offering hands-on experiences meant to educate young Singaporeans on sustainability in an engaging, age-appropriate way [1, 2, 3]. The Children’s Season wrapped up on June 28, closing a month of environmental learning opportunities for families.
