A Raft of Otters in Tanglin Mall has plenty for mums, but you’ll also find a variety of goodies and presents for kids. Have a look at these original ideas, including children’s books, activity boxes, puzzles, games, art and cool clothes!
Children’s Picture Book
The Adventures of Mittens & Midnight is a new children’s book from first-time author John Hogger. Having lived in Singapore for close to 30 years and now with a family of his own, John wanted to create a book that would be fun and engaging for young children while capturing the tropical imagery, culture and local architecture of the country.
The story is centred around two cats, Mittens and Midnight, and their adventures in the neighbourhood. Along the way, they encounter people and places that are distinctly familiar to those who know and love Singapore.
Kids’ Games & Activity Boxes
GummyBox delights young children with playful, creative, screen-free toys and games. The brand specialises in activity boxes, with each box designed to entertain and educate kids aged two to eight years. There are 40 products in all, including a wide selection of craft kits, games, STEM activities and activity books.
The GummyBox mission is simple: to design quality toys that invigorate the spirit of exploration and creative expression. The boxes provide hours of fun, keeping kids entertained on rainy days and holidays, and keeping them learning at the same time!
The team carefully develops projects that target important skills like problem-solving and motor skills. All the toys are designed to be simple and open-ended enough so that kids can engage at their own level.
GummyBox is also a way for you to spend quality time with your little ones. It encourages parents to join in the fun of the activity boxes and bond over the process of creating and discovering … and without gadgets! It’s also convenient – not every parent has time to think of activities at home, let alone gather the materials to do them; these boxes include everything you need to complete the included project. It’s also good to know that tremendous care is taken in every design and illustration, and that every crayon, sticker and last bit of material is curated with the highest concern for safety.
Kids’ Clothes
After nearly 15 years working in the fashion and luxury industry, Cookie&Bert’s founder Poppy Skinner found herself looking for but failing to find kids’ wear that was not only unique and guaranteed not to be on every child in playgroup, but that was made from quality materials that wouldn’t wear and tear over time and countless washes and was essentially kiddie-proof.
Each piece is designed by Poppy, with help from her kids (Cookie and Bert!) and a pattern team in Korea who then make each piece with certified organic cotton. Using child-safe colour methods and made in limited batches from smaller manufacturers, it ensures less waste and emissions from production.
Put simply, with a combination of excellent quality and quirky design, Cookie&Bert’s aim is to create clothes that parents want to dress their kids in, and that kids love to wear.
Colouring Mats
DrawnBy: aims to bring back some beloved traditional methods of entertainment that allow kids’ creativity and imagination to shine through. Grown locally by a mum of two, the brand is all about colours, fun and play in an educational and sustainable way.
Made from food-grade silicone, the DrawnBy: range of reusable colouring mats feature cute, detailed and thematic doodles drawn by founder Jessica. With all the technology available to them today, kids can lose touch with reality; these kinds of craft projects do an excellent job of keeping them engaged and away from screens while training their motor skills and encouraging creativity. The mats are soft and thin and easy to fold, which makes them an appealing toy to take on the go – and easy to clean so you can use them again and again. If you’re travelling, or just heading out for a meal with the family, they’ll have those little hands busy when there’s some waiting to be done.
The mats are durable and washable, and double up as actual dining table placemats. They also have a high temperature tolerance so you can put almost any food directly on them during meal times. Tested locally, the products, including the wide range of colourful markers, guarantee safety from harmful chemicals. Plus, the designs are so appealing that even adults will love them!
A Raft of Otters is at #03-102 Tanglin Mall, 163 Tanglin Road.
araftofotters.com
This article first appeared in the October 2022 edition of Expat Living. You can purchase the latest issue or subscribe, so you never miss a copy!
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