Singapore will be opening its first dedicated children’s museum in December 2022. Named the Children’s Museum Singapore, this museum will be occupying the building that used to be the Singapore Philatelic Museum.
Families with young children can look forward to a permanent space with interactive exhibits, anchored in rich storytelling and complemented by engaging programmes and initiatives. The Singapore Philatelic Museum’s collection will also be integrated into the Children’s Museum Singapore.
Children’s Museum Singapore’s Logo
The museum’s logo, shaped like a “Wonder mark”, is inspired by the act of doodling. It is meant to represent the endless possibilities for children, and it also acts as a metaphor for wonder, joy, adventure and growth. This falls in line with the museum’s tagline of ‘Start with Wonder’.
What to expect at the Children’s Museum Singapore
In preparation for the opening, the museum has been taking different approaches such as conducting engagements with different groups of stakeholders. They will also be drawing on the experiences and knowledge of leading children’s museums overseas, such as the Tropenmuseum Junior in the Netherlands, Frida & Fred in Austria, and Zoom Children’s Museum Vienna.
A survey was conducted in October 2020 via email and Facebook with 1,043 parents with children aged 12 years and below. The survey results showed that parents preferred an environment that provides exposure to new experiences. Parents also expressed their wishes for the museum to be educational, hands-on, affordable, experiential and creative.
Focus Group Discussions with educators and children for the Children’s Museum Singapore
The Children’s Museum Singapore has also been holding focus group discussions with various stakeholder groups, such as early childhood educators and children, since 2019.
Ongoing focus group discussions with educators seek to find out how the new museum can support learning in school, and potential areas of collaboration and partnerships. Educators wished for the new museum to complement the school curriculum as an enjoyable and memorable place for children to explore, engage, and learn
Focus group discussions were also conducted with children of different age groups to assess the suitability and relevance of the exhibition contents and approach.
These findings will shape the museum when it opens and support the vision of Children’s Museum Singapore being a child-centred, immersive and multi-sensory activity-based approach with themes that connect children to the community.
Children’s Museum Singapore is located at 23-B Coleman Street, Singapore 179807.
