Review: Baking with Spurbox

Last Christmas we attended Spurbox’s workshop and learnt how to bake swissroll. 

I really loved how Big K and I were able to learn something new together. This Christmas we were back for some baking fun! 

Located in the heart of the city, just a stone’s throw away from City Hall Mrt station, Spurbox’s new location is a welcome. The facade is also nice and bright. I was half expecting the place to be a cramped office space as many years back, i worked in the same building. But the moment the doors of the lift opened, I was greeted by whitewashed walls and a big cake! The kids were immediately lured towards the pushcart that was festooned with Christmas decorations and the cart doubled up as an information counter. How creative!

The holiday workshops were catered for kids between 4 to 12yo. Nice! Because both kids can attend! Ideally i can just sit one corner and relax because they have great trainers helping the little ones. But it was probably a better idea for me to accompany Small K as he wasn’t as meticulous in the kitchen as his big sister. I was a tad concerned that Big sister might feel left out. She is, afterall, the emotional one. So i managed to shuttle between two classrooms which were adjacent to each other. 

Truthbetold, i was a little apprehensive about the baking bit. I mean 4year old baking a cake? Seriously? Well, the easy bit was that the batter was pre-prepared and whisked. It would be great if they could try their hands at it but the cakes would probably all turned out a flop, not to mention the mess these little ones would make! But the great bit was that the trainer did let everyone have a go at whisking his batter. It was really a great opportunity for Small K to handle the knife on his own and to decorate his own cake. The ocd side of me did try to hold back when I saw how untidy his dots were or how unsymmetrical his shapes were. But I knew better than to interfere. When I wasn't with him, he did ask the trainer for help. I was so proud of this boy!

Baking can give children an opportunity to develop several coordination skills. Besides making memories together with your child, one can also develop bilateral coordination through kneading or flattening the dough; eye-hand coordination through slicing up the fondant, hand strengthening through squeezing the dough into balls, spatial perception and math through measuring various ingredients. There really are many benefits and i would love to do it more often at home but i hate the mess! So it’s perfect that I can outsource.

Apart from baking, while the cakes are popped into the oven, the kids were ushered to another room for craft work. In line with the theme, Small K made a PJ mask pencil holder while Big K made her favourite unicorn hairband. This was the section when i stepped out completely and sat at the lounge area. The adults really didn’t need to be there. Nice.

Smelt so yummy I wanted to eat them there and then!

yeah taste your sweets as you bake! Why not? Yumz!

I was pleasantly pleased at how the final product turned out. In particular, how Big K managed to do 99% of the My Little Pony Popsicle cakes herself. Looks like my worries were unfounded. Her deft little fingers were able to work through those little ears and hair. I was impressed. 

Apart from the holiday workshops, Spurbox has several other ongoing workshops: 

Junior Gourmet: 

A 3-in-1 thematic programme that comprises of baking, storytime and crafting. Recommended for 2 - 10 years old

Junior Baker: 

A hands-on experience where each lesson is planned based on specific skill sets. Recommended for 5-12 years old

ArtMuse: 

For the budding artist to develop new skills and talents while designing unique creations.  

Recommended for 4 - 10 years old

Art Discovery: 

Focuses on many artisan crafts from clay sculpting to bag making. 

Recommended for 4-12 years old

More recently, they've also launched their party packages. They've got a party room for rent so you don't have to worry about venue. Packages starts from $588 and you can customise your party with 3 programs: 

1) Baking 

90 mins of themed baking, craft and story time

2) Art & Craft

90 mins of artisan work ranging from clay to canvas.

3) Fantasy

90 mins of dress up, face painting, puppet show and make believe!

Planning a party seems to be a piece of cake over at Spurbox! 

Judging by their smiles, I'm pretty sure we would be back for more!

DISCOUNT CODE

Quote Janice10 to get a 10% off everything on their web! Offer valid till 15 December so what are you waiting for!

You can connect with them over on 

http://spurbox.com/

or Facebook/ Instagram

 Disclaimer: All photos are property of www.themishmashmess.blogspot. Please seek permission before reposting and give due credit when doing so. We were invited to their workshop for the purpose of this review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own and written according to my experience in using the products/ services. 

Review: Tayo Station at Downtown East

Beep Beep! Tayo Station has opened!

Tayo Station is the sister spinoff of Pororo Park at Marina Square. So who or what is Tayo? If you don't know, you aren't alone! My kids and I had no clue either! Yes, they are that deprived of screen time. All I knew was Small K likes buses and cars, so this playground seemed to be a must-go for us! Tayo is actually a South Korean computer animated television series about the adventures of a little bus. You can check out some clips on You Tube. I checked it out and the series about Tayo promotes positive and respectful behaviour. Sounds good. Through the show, little ones can learn about road safety as Tayo and his bus friends practice road safety at all times. Lastly, Tayo emphasises kindness and friendship. Time for me to let them watch some Tayo! With such positivities, no wonder an indoor playground themed around it!

Tayo Station is nestled at E!hub at Downtown East, right next to the chalets. Boosting a space of 10000 sq ft, it is a place which integrates indoor playground attractions, edutainment area and sensory play space for young children from 1 to 12 years old.

Tayo's Road Circuit

(Suitable for 18 months & above)

This road circuit is the highlight of the playground.  The colourful background is similar to a scene off the animated series. To add a little local flavour, icons of Singapore were also painted onto the background.  Things can get a little crowded especially on weekends but fret not, the road marshals will do a bit of crowd control. There will be a maximum number of children inside at any one time and each session is limited to 20minutes. You may of course queue for a second round. 

Parents are able to enter and sit by the benches while their little ones drive around. Parents can also retire to the chill area adjacent to the circuit, which oversees the circuit. There are plans to have a little snack corner so parents can relax while their kids have fun. 

Prior to play time, the children are briefed on some rules. The children are also introduced to different road signs. A great way to sneak in a little road safety knowledge from the real world.

Kids are able to zoom around on the swing cars or Tayo buses. The older ones get to use the swing cars while the buses are generally for children 4yo and below. However, as you can see, my 7yo could not resist the adorable little Tayo bus! Thank goodness she is petite and fits nicely. I saw some adults swinging in the cars together with their little ones as well! These cars are pretty hardy and can withhold a load weight of approximately 140kg.

This street scene is complete with a Wash n’ Go. While there may not be real water, the rollers are made out of synthetic carpet grass material which offers sensory education. 

The little drivers are also able to head over to the Gas Pump Kiosk to pump some gas! The details on each pump looked so real, it wasn't hard to fall in love with them. 

To encourage pretend play and to stretch the child's imagination, a garage is also set up for little mechanic-wannabes to fix a loose screw or hammer a nail. Watching them zoom past in this colourful background really delighted me. Take note though, you may want to put on thicker socks as due to all the kicking and rolling, we heard feedbacks that some kids went back with holes in their socks!

The Rainbow Lounge

After all the action, the kids may want to take five at the rainbow lounge where the cartoon series, Tayo, is shown. Small K was immediately drawn to this chillax corner! This is perhaps also Daddy's favourite corner as he can just take a back seat.

Poco's Hinoki Play

(Parental supervision required for children 3 & below)

This corner is both a sensory and aromatic experience for the children. The smell emitted by these cubes are said to uplift the child's mood. Well, it's no wonder my children refused to leave that play area. Hinoki wood cubes were imported from South Korea. It is a clever way to mimic sand as we all know how messy sand can get. While the little ones had their digging fun and didn't mind those cubes, the adults found it somewhat like foot reflexology. The husband was hopping and wincing as he ploughed through the Hinoki cubes. I, on the other hand, loved the mini foot reflexology sensation.

It was pretty tough to pry my kids away from this area. They can dig all day!

Toddler Play

(Suitable for babies and toddlers up to 3 years old)

This is a perfect corner for children below the age of 4. It is specially designed to provide a safe and spacious area for toddlers and babies to crawl and tot around amidst the colourful and fun murals. With soft paddings all round, parents do not have to be worried that their child will be injured. 

Gani's Playground

There are many challenging stations at this three-storey playground. Another highlight. It is an obstacle course with several tunnels to crawl through. So if you intend to follow your little ones, please remember to put on a comfortable pair of jeans or shorts. It can be quite a workout. I thought we would be out of the place in an hour, but this multi-layered climbing structure was a game changer. We spent a total of 2.5hours at the playground! Unbelievable! 

The highlight of the Gani's playground is this steep slide. On first look, it doesn't seem intimidating. Afterall, it's all padded and it is a children's playground right? Well, wrong! It isn't for the faint hearted little ones. The ride down can be really fast for them. I had to coax Small K for a while before he decided to give it a try. He tried. Once. And that was it. Big K on the other hand, was more of a dare devil. She conquered the slide several times. Even the hubs gave it a try. A note of caution however, is not for you to crowd at the end of the slide. The person sliding down may bang into you. Generally a marshal will be stationed there to ensure that safety rules are abided by.

Cliff Ball Pool 

Right beside the playground, there is a stretch of balls. Which child can resist a ball pit? I know mine couldn't as they swam continuously in the sea of balls. I saw several children diving into the pit. Parents may want to caution their child that it isn't very deep, though the base is sufficiently padded. Along the wall of the ball pit stands a rock climbing feature. I think this is more of a feature wall as it wasn't that easy to get up. Not unless an adult helps you. Furthermore, there wasn't any ropes or safety equipment to facilitate the climb. 

Lani's & Rogi's Party Rooms

There are two party rooms located within the playground. I think these would be a big hit in time to come. They've got two packages -- Petite Package ($499) and Power Deal package ($899). The latter includes a dessert table set up provided by The Little House of Dreams! We love the cakes there! The Tayo mascot will also appear during cake cutting. The room is good for 10 kids and 20 adults and party add-ons like photography and adult buffets are also available. Hope over to their website here to check it out. You may also contact them directly by phone at +65 62837900 or by email at info@tayostation.com

Plan your next birthday party or go on an adventure with your friends at Tayo Station today!

Details:

E!Hub at Downtown East, Level 3, 1 Pasir Ris Close, Singapore 519599

Opening hours: 11am - 8pm (Mondays to Fridays)

10am - 9pm (weekends, PH and school holidays)

Admission charges: Click here

Disclosure: We were invited by TAYO Station to review their indoor playground. All opinions expressed are entirely my own and written according to my experience in using the products/ services.