The Singapore Excursion group for Grade 7 and Grade 8 explored the idea of “How do recreational activities help people find a balance between work and leisure in Singapore?”

To answer this question we decided to explore various activities that Singapore offers and reflect on them. We developed a concept where the elements of challenge, empathy, curiosity, creativity and reflection were examined.

CHALLENGE: Mega Adventure (an adrenalin pumping adventure experience in Sentosa that includes rope climbing and obstacle courses suspended metres off the ground) was the place we experienced mixed emotions. Challenged was the feeling when people were walking along the ropes and trying to grab the next swinging part at level one, or two or – gulp – at level three. It was the feeling when looking down at the ground from high up in preparation for the parachute jump. By the time we arrived at the Zip Line ride, the feeling of challenge was also a combination of exhilaration and a sense of achievement. The process of moving from one’s level of comfort to a level of discomfort, with the security of good safety standards, is an opportunity for personal growth and discovery. What a challenging day it has been!

EMPATHY: The Willing Hearts kitchen serves five thousand meals a day to disadvantaged people around Singapore including the elderly, the disabled, low income families, children from single parent families (or otherwise poverty stricken families), and migrant workers in Singapore. It is a well-organised service supported by an army of volunteers across the island. We were part of this group for a morning! Vegetable chopping, pouring milk from cartons into containers, putting sugar into bags for distribution to people and moving fifty kilogram bags of rice for the next day’s cooking were our tasks. It was an enlightening experience to see such a huge kitchen providing and distributing food to so many people.

We also had an opportunity observe a protected workshop, where some of Singapore’s intellectually disabled work. Students learnt a bit about the workshops, and how they enable these individuals to work and function as productive members of the community, and lead a purposeful life. This was not something students get to observe in everyday life and it was a good feeling to volunteer, understand what others go through, and to understand that what we were doing was useful.

CURIOSITY: For people who have lived in Singapore for some time it might be easy to say “Oh not Little India again! And Chinatown - no way, been there, done that?” when the idea of a bus tour is suggested. What a surprise it was to have a knowledgeable guide, and how useful it was to realise that “curiosity skills the cat!” It was a surprise to discover that familiar sights when explained and understood can provide new perspectives, different stories and new layers of knowledge.

CREATIVITY: The Art/Science Museum Future World at Marina Bay (where the worlds of art, science, magic and metaphor combine through a collection of cutting-edge digital installations) was the place to be for creativity. As soon as we walked in, we saw a wall of waves and then birds swirling around a room. Hmm, interesting. Then it really became eye-openingly involving. Coloured cubes to build, an interactive town to develop and a playground slide that generated fruit and exploding flowers, fruit and sunlight as you slid down.

There was more. Interactive walls where your drawings of vehicles or houses or sea creatures appeared amongst all other drawings. And a field of bouncing balls that lit up. But there was even more. A room of vertically hung LED lights that appeared to be a maze. There was a control console and the effects that were generated were amazing.

REFLECTIONS: Once we visited all the elements, we gathered our reflections in a presentation. Did we learn how to develop a balance between work and leisure? Well, maybe not exactly, but the variety of our experiences provided a repertoire – or a stimulus - for future activities or areas of involvement. And that, especially for our younger secondary students, seemed to be a worthwhile aspiration.