Smories: Stories for kids read by kids

A writer friend of mine and mum of two forwarded on this link with a note: 'why didn't I think of that?!'.

Smories are a website that you could use to keep kids entertained in the back of your car, as the press release says. In fact it was something dreamed up by a couple with kids on a long ride through the Kalahari desert. Simply, they've filmed children reading stories for kids and it's conveniently sorted by age-appropriateness. What I found more interesting is that they accept new stories from writers the world over and you can have them read - ergo, free publicity for budding writers who still get to keep rights.

Kids do make really good readers, putting in a lot of emotion into their reading. I know my daughter will drop what she's doing to see what another child is doing, especially if it is something interesting.

It's only been about two weeks since the launch and the press release says 35,000 videos have been watched. Maybe some of that demographic are mums - even I watched transfixed some of the readings on the site.

Roald Dahl on television

Apologies for the long silence but work called...many times. Led the LO to say,  Another meeting! Mama's running away from us again.

Anyway for starters, here's a poem by Roald Dahl on television that dropped into my inbox recently, which library-goers will especially enjoy. Chew on it while I get up to speed on Mamasez.

Feeding at the Zoo

Just wanted to let folks know that the food court at the zoo is undergoing renovations for a few months so the only option for food apart from bringing your own - and the odd snack stands inside - are the outlets right upfront near the ticketing area or worn ole KFC inside near the children's playground.

The sound of the pressurehammers at the renovation site can't be great for the animals either. For the first time in over a year of zoo-going, I heard an aggressive exchange - and by that I mean loud screaming - between two orangutans near the entrance.

Update on Sunday, July 20, 2008 at 05:08PM by MamaSez

I have to say though that we passed the Children's World that's coming up at the zoo and caught sight of a gorgeous carousel that was in the process of being unpacked. Very exciting.

Children are missing out on theatre

There's a report yesterday in The Independent, UK, about how children are not being exposed to theatre. To quote:

"An engagement with theatre sparks children's creativity and imagination; it improves their social skills, sense of teamwork and confidence – all necessary for whatever career they may want to pursue, yet skills that are not gained by sitting exams."

I feel somewhat vindicated though I know lots of mums out there feel the same way. It's the rest of them focusing only on classes, either academic or 'enrichment,' that probably need to know this, but they probably don't read The Independent or this blog. Ah well.

Holiday Fun guide

If you missed the ST story on holiday activities last week, here it is. Lots of stuff happening in the community clubs...

Free rides for kids on Singapore Flyer - Apr 15

If you're lucky and get there before half of Singapore on official opening day, free rides and other activities await your kids.The fine print says that the offer is only valid for 2 kids (3 - 12 yrs old) for every two paying adults. At nearly 30 bucks a pop for the adult tix, it's still expensive family entertainment. But better than paying $100 for the privilege I suppose.

The reason I blog

About the reason for this blog: in the space of about a month, LO ended up going to the theatre four times. As to what effect that had on her, I’ll explain in the next entry.

Let me first list out the shows: Tick, Tack, Tock part of the Esplanade’s new Playtime series, then Guess How Much I Love You/My Little Storybook in the Prudential Children’s Festival, The Little Red Hen by I-Theatre and SRT The Little Company's The Emperor’s New Clothes.

It was a mixed bag. Some she loved, some she hated. Looking at all the emails in my inbox this last month, I've realised that there is a surfeit of children’s theatre coming up and there’s rarely reviews - or for that matter, previews - of these shows. They run on word of mouth, mostly. And the odd Sistic Buzz newsletter. Hence this blog. Hopefully some of what I write is useful to parents out there who have to part with hard-earned cash to buy tix. Even if the money is small change to you, it's still yours and your kids time and you could make a decision on whether that time could perhaps be spent better on the playground or in the library.