On the day of the project’s grand launch, the teacher introduced the children to ‘Start Small Dream Big,’ an inspiring platform designed to encourage young minds to innovate, solve problems, and use their talents to help others. This year, the focus is on showing love and care for the elderly — “I love Grandpa! I love Grandma!”
To help the children appreciate the contributions of their elders, the teacher shared heartwarming photos of three generations living together, featuring everyday moments with grandparents. These included nostalgic snapshots of grandparents in their youth, showcasing their roles in various professions, highlighting their invaluable contributions to the family and society.
The excitement in the room was palpable as the children learned about the series of meaningful activities planned for the project. Using colorful drawings, symbols, and slides with simple captions, the teachers shared the upcoming events — from heartwarming visits to the grandparents at All Saints’ Home to writing thank you cards to express gratitude.
Brimming with enthusiasm, the children sang and recited nursery rhymes and songs about grandparents in English, Chinese, Malay, and Tamil, creating a lively and joyful atmosphere to kick off this heartfelt project!
During Hari Raya, the Kindergarten 2 children, along with their teachers and prepared craft materials, paid a heartwarming visit to the elderly at All Saints’ Home in Jurong East. The children delighted the seniors with lively performances of singing, dancing, and rhythmic exercises, filling the room with joy and energy. Together, they also crafted traditional Malay ketupat, creating special moments of connection.
The person in charge for the Home shared that the elderly need meaningful conversation and hands-on activities the most, as these can help delay brain aging and prevent language decline. To foster deeper engagement, they thoughtfully arranged for the elderly and children who share the same native language to converse, enriching the experience for both generations.
In Term 3, we made arrangement for to visit All Saints’ Home once again but with our Kindergarten 1 children instead. Taking the previous feedback into account, the teacher worked with the children to make a series of games using recycled materials that is designed to help exercise finger dexterity. Activities included pulling ropes to stack cups, tossing beanbags, rolling marbles, and simple yet fun finger exercises. The elderly and children bonded over these games, and a joyful time was had by all!
In celebration of World Book Day, we organized a special reading initiative, hosting one hour of storytime every Friday in April, both before and after school. Children, parents, and teachers gathered to read storybooks about grandparents, fostering a shared love of reading. We also created slides from world classics and excellent local mother-tongue storybooks from Singapore to share with parents via the Qoqolo platform, inviting them to read to the children in kindergarten. Through these stories, children developed a deeper appreciation for their grandparents and reflected on ways to show care and love for them.
The learning of the elderly led to a heartwarming discussion, the teachers and students decided to express their love and respect for grandparents by sharing food with them. To bring this thoughtful idea to life, the teachers guided the children in reaching out to relevant community organisations, and a letter was sent to parents informing them of the children’s initiative.
Parents were encouraged to purchase dry foods with healthy and halal certification with their children. These items are then assembled into care packages, which the children would then distribute to the elderly living in rental flats in Boon Lay. This meaningful act not only fosters compassion but also strengthens the bond between generations.
To make the care packages even more meaningful, the teachers prepared canvas bags for packing and encouraged the children to personalize them. Using their creative skills, the children wrote heartfelt messages and drew pictures of gratitude on the bags, such as “Thank you,” “I love you,” heart shapes, and the letters “SSDB.”
These personalised creations transformed the plain canvas bags into unique shopping bags that not only carry dry foods for the elderly but also serve as a contribution to environmental protection. Through this activity, the children not only showed love and appreciation but also learned the importance of reusing and caring for the environment.
In another activity, the Chinese class teacher engaged the children in a reflective activity by showing them photos of grandparents and asking about the special things their grandparents do for the family. Responses varied, with some children mentioning, “They cook meals for the family,” others saying, “They take me to school,” and a few noting, “They sing to help me sleep.”
Inspired by their answers, the teacher created a nursery rhyme titled “Grandpa and Grandma, You Are So Wonderful!” for the children to recite to their grandparents. Additionally, recycled star-shaped cards were provided, allowing the children to decorate them into thank-you cards and write heartfelt messages to express their gratitude.
To prepare for the coming SSDB finale, the children began their preparation. They painted the theme background decorations for the party and sorted and packaged the dry food. We collaborated with senior citizens organization to have their senior citizens over the age of 70 from rental flats to be the stars of our finale party. Our Principal approached a group of senior interest group that does Zumba regularly outside our school to dance with our children. We also had a senior choir group from Thye Hua Kwan to perform for the event.
On August 23, our Intergenerational SSDB finale party came to life. It was a great effort for everyone to come together. The day began with the children singing nursery rhymes and songs celebrating their grandparents. The Thye Hua Kwan choir then took the stage, performing songs from their era in English and three other of our mother languages. The fitness dance interest group led a lively dance and clapping exercise, bringing energy and joy to the event.
The highlight of the event was when the young and old came together to play games, including passing a hula hoop and marbles. To conclude the celebration, the children served water to the seniors in a ceremonial fashion as a mark of respect and presented them with the gift packages. Both generations left the event with hearts full of love and happiness!
For a glimpse of the memorable moments, visit our SSDB album
