On 18 March 2015, we held our very first Holiday Workshop in the brand new Learning Lab of the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum! During this Under the Sea! workshop, participants learnt about the marine animals that are found in Singapore’s waters, including those that are featured in some of their favourite television shows.
“That’s what a marine sponge looks like? Whooooaaaa…”. Photo by Tammy Lim.
The reaction of participants after learning about the marine animal that inspired the legend of mermaids. Photo by Tammy Lim.
At the end of the hands-on session with over 20 specimens, participants had a chance to try out the Gyotaku method, traditionally used by Japanese fisherfolk to keep records of their catches while fishing. Using this technique, our participants made prints of a variety of animals including a scallop, seahorse, halfbeak and grouper!
Participants learning about the techniques involved in capturing details of the animals on paper. Photo by Marcus Chua.
Taking turns to carefully paint the specimens to capture as much of the details as possible. Photo by Marcus Chua.
The happy campers with their masterpieces! None were koi about having their photos taken. Photo by Marcus Chua.
All too soon, it was time to go, as the family members of the participants came by to pick them up. Some of our participants took this opportunity to share with their families the information that they had learnt during the workshop.
Adults getting schooled! Photo by Marcus Chua.
We are shore these participants had a whale of a time! Even as we prepare for the museum’s opening, our programmes are still ongoing. Do keep a lookout for public programmes on the museum blog, website and Facebook page! To find out more about our programmes, please contact us at nhmlearning@nus.edu.sg
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