Four fun summer classes for kids

History class in old Singapore

It’s the final few weeks of Children’s Season, an annual collaboration between the National Heritage Board and the Museum Roundtable, when sites all over Singapore host multisensory, kid-centred programmes. One example is Island Adventures at the National Museum, where award-winning local playwright Chong Tze Chien and local designers from Gosh Design have re-created a charming version of 19th- and 20th-century Singapore. Kids can experience being aboard Singapore-bound boats as European surveyors, Indian chettiars or Chinese merchants; explore the kampung island that then becomes a shipping centre; try their hands at being cobblers, street hawkers or letter writers; and even help design Singapore through the decades. On certain weekends, there’ll also be costumed period characters, storytellers and song-and-dance performances. National Museum of Singapore Concourse, 93 Stamford Rd (6332 3659, www.nationalmuseum.sg). Until 22 Jul; 10am-6pm (last admission at 5pm). $5. For all ages. Visit www.museums.com.sg for more Children’s Season events.

Science class at the Science Centre

Little scientists will be driven to challenge conventions and create new possibilities with colourful, interactive workshops and exhibits at the Science Centre’s Kids Science Fest! at the end of July. They can step into the inflatable planetarium to learn about the stars and get a closer view of planets in the solar system. Kids Science Fest! is part of the Singapore Science Festival 2012, which comprises fun and informative family-friendly events across the island, including the Doctor Kaboom! science shows at Marina Square. Science Centre Annexe Building, 15 Science Centre Rd (6425 2500, www.science.edu.sg). 30 Jul-5 Aug; 10am- 6pm. $5 for children under 16; $9 for adults, $6 for adults aged 55 and above (additional entry fee of $5 for the inflatable planetarium). Ages 6 and above. See www.sciencefest.sg for more information.

Chinese class at Little Mandarins

Are your kids struggling with Mandarin in school? Give them a fun prod at the Little Mandarins camps, each of which follows a kid-friendly theme such as animals, movies, or Chinese idioms and stories. Bilingual facilitators teach small classes, pulling out the stops to use storytelling, drama, music, arts and crafts and poetry to milk maximum fun from Mandarin, even for kids with zero Mandarin-speaking experience. It all takes place within a leafy colonial bungalow on Dempsey Road. Various 4- or 5-day camps, 2 Jul-10 Aug; 9.45am-2.15pm. Little Mandarins, Block 26A Dempsey Rd (6473 8377, www.little-mandarins.com). From $340. Ages 4-9.

Maths class at Math Monkey

The people at Math Monkey are taking a unique approach to making their subject fun. Using ancient logic-based Indian sutras, collectively known as Vedic Maths, this school aims to create a better understanding of maths that encourages innovation, and negates the need for finger-counting and rote learning. Instead, kids from ages three to 12 are separated into groups called Green Monkey, Gorilla, Lemur and other animals, where they have corresponding warm-ups and play games with toys such as figurines and paper cut-outs to learn mathematics concepts and solve problems. Math Monkey, 46 East Coast Rd, #05-03 Eastgate, or 1 Goldhill Plaza, Podium Block #02-05 (8338 8656, www.mathmonkey.com.sg). Various dates and times. Various prices. Trial classes free; course fees vary.