K2 Field Trip to the Chinese Garden on 28 and 29 April 2014
Our field trip to the Chinese Garden was planned to increase the children’s awareness of China. The children were amazed to see the following:
- Terracotta warriors standing guard outside Chinese styled houses
- Sculptures of two stone lions
- Pagodas
- Garden of Abundance
- Statues of the eight heroes such as Hua Mulan, Qu Yuan and Admiral Cheng Ho
- Different kinds of bamboo plants
- The carps in the pond
- Rainbow Bridge
- Stoneboat
- Pavilion
The weather was cool and breezy during the field trip. As we walked up the entrance towards the Rainbow Bridge, we overheard some children commenting, “This looks like China”. The children visited different areas of the Chinese Garden. The most anticipated highlight of the outing was to climb up the 7-storey pagoda. The children were still full of zeal and enthusiasm even though they were tired from the walkabout. Once they reached the top they were greeted by the scenic view of the Garden. They felt a sense of accomplishment.
In the Garden of Abundance, most of the children shared that they were born in the year of the Rat. A few mentioned that they were born in the year of the Pig. They were very eager to take photos with their friends born in the same year.
The children have heard stories about Hua Mulan and Qu Yuan. They saw statues of these two and other heroes. They were curious to hear about their heroic acts.
After a long walk around the Garden, the children were famished. Each class went to their preferred location to enjoy their picnic lunch. These were: the stoneboat, pavilion and the courtyard.
After lunch, the children enjoyed games organized by the teachers. They played games such as Duck Duck Goose, Blow Wind Blow and Ring-a-Ring-a-Roses. Another activity was observational drawing done by the children. Some drew the pagodas, bamboo plants, the Rainbow Bridge, the turtles in the pond and also themselves with their friends.
The children had a fun-filled time at the Chinese Garden. They enjoyed the company of their friends and teachers. They have had an enriching experience during this outing.