On Monday, 25 May 2026, in the last week of Semester 1, our M2 students headed out for their Mid-Year Enrichment Programme (PM session) outing to Kidz Amaze @ SAFRA Toa Payoh, an indoor playground with tunnels, bridges, towers and slides. Students travelled together by coach with their teachers and accompanying caregivers, giving them a chance to practise a full community outing from start to finish in getting ready, the bus ride, the visit itself, and the journey back to school.
Why an Indoor Playground?
Kidz Amaze is bright, busy and full of new sounds, textures and heights, exactly the kind of stimulating environment our students don’t always get to practise navigating. Outings like this give our M2 students a safe, supervised setting to build tolerance for sensory input, try new physical challenges, and practise social skills like waiting and sharing space with others, all outside the more predictable environment of the classroom.
As expected with any new environment, students responded in different ways. Some students ran straight in, eager to explore every tunnel and slide. Others paused at the entrance, watching quietly before deciding it was safe to join in. For the students who needed more time, teachers used gentle, individualised pacing: standing close by, offering a first small step (a hand on the mat, a look inside a tunnel), and giving genuine praise for each attempt, not just the result. This gradual, supported approach is a deliberate strategy we use to help students build confidence in new sensory environments, rather than pushing them past their comfort in one go. By the end of the session, several students who had started cautiously were asking to go again, a meaningful sign of growing self-regulation and confidence.
Independence at Recess
One of the day’s quieter but most important wins happened at recess. Students were expected to independently unzip their own bags, retrieve their water bottle and snack box, eat, and then pack their belongings away afterwards. This is a genuine self-help and organisational skill we work on consistently, the ability to shift from high-energy play into a calm, focused routine, and to take ownership of personal belongings without reminders. Many students managed this well, even shortly after an exciting burst of physical play.
Practising Social Skills Together
Throughout the outing, students practised waiting for their turn on equipment, using appropriate voice volume in a shared public space, and following group instructions to stay together and move as a class. These are the same social-communication goals we target in class each week. The outing simply gave students a real-world setting, with real distractions, to apply them in.
Our students are also observed to embody our STARR values during the activities:
- Service – independently packing and caring for their own belongings at recess without being asked.
- Teamwork – moving through the playground as a group and staying with their assigned peers and teachers.
- Achieve their Potential – each student progressing at their own pace, whether that meant trying a big slide for the first time or simply staying calm and engaged in a new environment.
- Respect – listening to instructions from teachers and being considerate of other children sharing the play equipment.
- Resilience – trying again after an initial hesitant response to a loud or unfamiliar obstacle, with support.
Looking Ahead
The students returned to school tired but happy, having wrapped up Semester 1 with a fun, meaningful outing before the June school holidays. We thank all the caregivers who accompanied us and supported their child throughout the day. We hope your child had a wonderful time, and we look forward to building on these same skills, trying new things, taking care of their belongings, and working well with others, when school resumes.
Mid-Year Enrichment Programme Committee for PM Session