Stacey Goes to the Indian Heritage Centre & Peranakan Museum 莎莎参观印族文化馆 + 土生文化馆 (Set of 2)

How can we raise kids that are not racist but respectful of people who are different from us?

I believe parents have a really important part to play in peace education, by
teaching kids about diversity and inclusion from a young age,
fostering cultural curiosity,
having open conversations about stereotypes and prejudice,
and leading by example!

Singapore is a melting pot of cultures and ethnicities, 
and racial harmony is a really important part of our society,
to help us all live peaceably with each other.

I've recently been bringing my kids to explore local museums featuring various ethnicities in Singapore, in an effort to help them have a greater understanding of others around us, and engage them in ongoing conversations about race, religion and cultural beliefs.

Am so excited to stock the Stacey series on My Story Treasury,
so that many more families can explore our local culture together!

Titles included:

• Stacey Goes to the Indian Heritage Centre 莎莎参观印族文化馆
  
  Everyone loves school outings and Stacey is definitely excited to visit the Indian Heritage Centre with her friends from school. Stacey doesn't know it yet, but she's about to make some new friends.
  大家都喜欢参加学习之旅。莎莎知道要和同学们一起参观印族文化馆，又兴奋又期待！可是莎莎并不知道，自己很快也会结交到新朋友。
  
  
• Stacey Goes to the Peranakan Museum 莎莎参观土生文化馆
  
  When Stacey accompanies her aunt to the Peranakan Museum, she does not realise what an adventure it’ll become. Boy, is she in for a wonderful surprise！
  一天，莎莎陪阿姨去土生文化馆。那时，她怎么也没想到自己会在这里经历一场梦幻般的奇遇！
  
  

Why we recommend this series:

• Adorable illustrations 
• Helps kids have a deeper cultural understanding of various ethnic groups in Singapore by learning about different languages, stories of the past, their way of life, customs and festivals etc
• Nurtures empathy and respect - when exposed to diverse cultures, we can see that we have a lot in common apart from our differences, and we can learn to accept and celebrate people of different backgrounds!
• Perfect to discuss about Singapore's multiracial and multi-religious society near festivals like
  • International Friendship Day - celebrated in schools on the third Friday of Term Two
  • Racial Harmony Day - 21 July
  • National Day - 9 August
• Features real-life museums that we can visit as a family

Recommended for Ages: 4-12
No. of Books: 2
Pages: 30 per book
Format: Softcover
Language: Simplified Chinese
Author: Lianne Ong 王慧玲
Illustrator: James Tan 陈俊强
Translated by: 李嫥
Translated from: English

MST Tips and Things we can learn from these museums:

• Indian Heritage Centre
  • • My 4 year old enjoyed the informative video screening on the 4th level, and we had lots of conversations about Indian ethnic clothing and some common occupations
    • Check out some notable historical figures on Level 3 of Indian Heritage center, then fill up some word puzzles here!
    • On our previous field trip with friends, apart from visiting the museum, we also had lunch at an Indian restaurant Komala Vilas nearby, passed by an Indian temple and went window shopping too! Some of our kids got henna tattoos and we bought some snacks to bring back too!
    • If you need details on which landmarks to check out, there are Little India Heritage Trail Booklets with maps by National Heritage Board that we discovered via Roots.gov!
      
      • Kid-friendly guide
      • Self-guided tour for (English / Chinese) - more for adults, trails have a focus - religion / shopping / Serangoon
        
    • IHC has Deepavali and Pongal Open House celebrations, check them out near the festive periods if you're willing to brave crowds!
    • Little Day Out write-up on Indian Heritage Centre for more information!
    • Further reading:  《大家来过节 3》新加坡印度族传统节日与习俗 Let's Celebrate! Singaporean Indian Festivals and Customs. Highly recommended for simple yet beautiful illustrations, well-researched writeups and interactive activities by local educator Frank Fu.
      
      
  • Peranakan Museum
    • My 4 year old really enjoyed looking at the intricate golden pieces and wedding headdress at the Jewellery Gallery, and checking out the pretty beaded slippers in the Fashion Gallery, both on Level 3.
    • My 9 year old spent a long time working on the needlework activity cards, learning how to thread a needle, tie knots and sew! We hope to check out the weaving stations next time we visit
    • Tip: Get the physical Anak Anak Activity Trail booklet from Level 1 - it highlights some interesting exhibits for kids to explore and comes with a map of the museum.
      
    • Pro-tip: Download the Anak Anak Trail booklet online beforehand to familiarise with some exhibits and start some conversations. This will help kids relate better when they see the exhibits in person!
    • Further reading: Another book featuring Peranakan culture is 《妈姐的金鱼灯笼 The Story of Majie》from 狮城往事绘本系列 Singapore Heritage Series - showcasing a Peranakan family, furniture, tiles, clothing etc. Learnt some 好词好句 with my 11 year old from this book!
    • Learn more about the local Peranakan community via National Library Board Infopedia
    • Suggested Extension Activity: Try some Peranakan food!