Latest news with #ZooSchool
CNA
16-05-2025
- General
- CNA
New ZooSchool at Mandai Wildlife Reserve to offer children immersive learning programmes
Children aged three to 12 can now look forward to immersive learning programmes at the Mandai Wildlife Reserve. The new ZooSchool is borne from a partnership between Mandai Wildlife Group and educational services provider NTUC First Campus. Programmes range from 45 minutes to three-day camps. The target is to welcome 50,000 children annually by 2030. Rachel Teng reports.
Sassy Mama
16-05-2025
- General
- Sassy Mama
Guide To Mandai ZooSchool: Animal Interactions, Facilities, Holiday Programmes, Course Fees & More
Singapore's first wildlife adventure school for kids launches on 2 June 2025. From programme highlights to prices and more, here's all you need to know about this unique experience for kids. Set to open its doors on 2 June 2025, Mandai ZooSchool is Singapore's first wildlife adventure school for kids aged 3 to 12. Combining the expertise of NTUC First Campus's early childhood education and Mandai Wildlife Reserve's wealth of knowledge about wildlife, conservation and sustainability, ZooSchool invites young explorers to go behind the scenes with zookeepers, enjoy up-close animal encounters and discover their role in caring for wildlife and our environment. When ZooSchool released slots for their first intake in June, seats were booked out within a day! Promising unforgettable animal experiences and lessons on practical life skills like first aid and navigation, ZooSchool is a highly sought-after, interactive experience for young learners. Jump to: – What is ZooSchool? – Facilities of ZooSchool – Public Programmes of ZooSchool – Where is ZooSchool? – How much is ZooSchool? – How to register for ZooSchool? What is ZooSchool? ZooSchool transforms nature into a dynamic classroom, where kids can engage in interactive hands-on activities to foster curiosity, resilience, teamwork and a deep appreciation for wildlife and conservation. For now, you can choose from a two-hour lesson or a full-day, eight-hour programme that will take place in a 1,520-square-metre facility with enriching indoor and outdoor play spaces for kids. Read more: Top Tuition Centres In Singapore Facilities of ZooSchool Outdoor Playground: Wooden treehouse for kids To nurture a love of nature and the great outdoors, ZooSchool has a fun, wooden treehouse playground for the little ones! Here, they will get plenty of vitamin D and practice gross motor skills as they run, climb and jump at this outdoor playground. Animal-themed classrooms: Versatile spaces for learning Their bright and spacious classrooms are thoughtfully designed to facilitate learning and offer a versatile space for teachers and students to engage in hands-on learning. Whether learning how to put on a splint for a stuffed orangutan or building a shelter for an otter using recycled materials, the possibilities for learning at ZooSchool are endless. Read more: Guide To River Wonders In Singapore Public Programmes of ZooSchool Wild Wonders @ Singapore Zoo: Exciting card game challenge Designed for kids aged 5 to 12 years old, ZooSchool's Wild Wonders @ Singapore Zoo invites children to a thrilling, educational card game called the Trump Challenge. The students at ZooSchool will be divided into teams and work together to learn about the animal kingdom. Through this fun, fast-paced card game, children will learn about animal traits and exercise strategic decision-making and problem-solving skills to win the mission. Duration: 2 hours Where: ZooSchool, 80 Mandai Lake Road, Singapore 729826 How much: From $62. Click here to register. Read more: Awesome Outdoor Play & Forest School Programmes In Singapore WILD Rescue Rangers: Wildlife interactions & first aid skills For kids who want to take their wildlife education one step further, ZooSchool's WILD Rescue Rangers is a full-day, eight-hour programme for kids aged 7 to 12. With a blend of indoor and outdoor activities, kids will learn essential first aid skills to handle minor injuries, learn to care for wildlife and practice problem-solving to tackle real-world challenges. From feeding elephants at the Singapore Zoo to embarking on a rescue mission at ZooSchool, plenty of educational fun awaits! Plus, kids will enjoy a buffet lunch at various restaurants on-site. Duration: 8 hours per day for three days Where: ZooSchool, 80 Mandai Lake Road, Singapore 729826 How much: $520. Click here to register. Read more: Guide To Singapore Zoo: KidzWorld, Playground & More Parent-Tots Programme: Nature-play sessions for bonding (coming soon!) To facilitate quality time with the kids, ZooSchool will soon launch a Parent-Tots Programme, where mums and dads can sign up for a nature play session with their tots. Take a break from screens, get your body moving and watch your little one explore the outdoors in awe and wonder as they discover the world around them. Read more: Guide To Baby Classes & Playgroups In Singapore Where is ZooSchool? ZooSchool is located within Mandai Wildlife Reserve on the eastern cluster of the Mandai Wildlife Park. Here, you can look out for new experiences like Culogo Camp and upcoming attractions like Curiosity Cove and Dining Alley. Read more: Rainforest Wild Asia Ticket Promos & Adventure Experiences How much is ZooSchool? The two-hour Wild Wonders @ Singapore Zoo programme is $62, while the full-day WILD Rescue Rangers programme is $520 for three days. How to register for ZooSchool Though the June holiday camps sold out within one day, you can visit their website to sign your child up for their upcoming 2-hour programmes during June and July or full-day programmes in August and September. What are you waiting for? Let your child's learning adventure begin! ZooSchool, 80 Mandai Lake Road, Singapore 729826, Read more:
AsiaOne
16-05-2025
- General
- AsiaOne
Adventure camps, wildlife interactions: A first look at Mandai's ZooSchool, opening in June, Lifestyle News
Mandai has been going through a transformation of late, with the opening of Mandai Rainforest Resort and Rainforest Wild Asia in the first quarter of 2025. Come June, it will welcome yet another addition: ZooSchool—a new initiative developed in partnership with NTUC First Campus that aims to bring nature into the hearts of children's learning. ZooSchool offers programmes — taking place across the wildlife parks at Mandai Wildlife Reserve — for children from preschool to 12 years of age. Its curriculum, comprising a variety of programmes that vary in length, taps into children's curiosity and sense of adventure through experiential learning and outdoor play. They will be able to learn about animal behaviours and conservation through wildlife encounters, behind-the-scenes experiences and interactions with veterinarians and animal care experts. For example, from July to September, ZooSchool will run its Wild Rescue Rangers Holiday Camps, a three-day camp comprising survival skill lessons, animal interactions and conservation activities. During the media preview on Friday (May 16), ZooSchool welcomed its first group of participants, 32 students aged between five and six. Straight into action The students kicked off their ZooSchool experience by exploring a new purpose-built facility spanning 1,300sq m at the Mandai Wildlife Reserve. Designed with indoor environments and classrooms inspired by nature, the space is built for its young participant to find out about what's coming up for the day and to share what they experienced after their adventures. There is also a multi-level playground located outdoors. A big part of the ZooSchool programme's focus was on experiential learning, according to the school's centre manager Natalie Teng. On this day, the preschoolers' first mission was a first-aid simulation featuring an "injured" orangutan animal model. The activity wasn't simply a one-way lesson on how one can treat an injured animal but more an "infusion of animal knowledge, conservation and life skills", Natalie said. For example, kids began the activity with a treasure hunt, where they scrambled for materials like bandages and twigs. As they gathered the items, facilitators would then spark conversations, prompting the children to think critically about which items were appropriate for helping the injured animal. While there wasn't an expectation for the kids to master first-aid skills, the goal was to help them understand what they can do when faced with a real-life situation. With the CARE framework—Care, Adventure, Respect and Empathy—woven into the experience, the children were guided on the appropriate actions, such as seeking adult supervision or contacting organisations like NParks and Acres. Meanwhile, at the other end of the classroom, creativity took centre stage as students designed and built "homes" for otter plushies. Working in groups of three to four, each team was assigned a table and guided by facilitators as they constructed cosy habitats for their furry friends. Natalie told AsiaOne that ZooSchool's outdoor curriculum offers preschoolers an immersive learning experience where they can naturally pick up important life skills. She said: "At ZooSchool, children are out in a natural environment. So there's a lot more real-life connection compared to learning from textbooks or watching a YouTube video." The idea, she added, is to give children these meaningful outdoor experiences that they can reflect on and bring back into the classroom, complementing their overall learning journey. "It's education at its best, combining immersive real-life encounters with wildlife and hands-on learning," said Belina Lee, deputy CEO of Mandai Wildlife Group. Who's brave enough? The adventure continued outdoors at the Animal Behaviour and Enrichment Centre, where the children met some new animal friends, Fennec foxes. It was snack time for the foxes, and the preschoolers took part in a special enrichment activity designed to mimic the foxes' natural foraging behaviours. The facilitators provided a box of eggshells for the preschoolers and each of them were encouraged to pick up a mealworm and place it inside an eggshell. Next, they tore up strips of newspaper to fill the boxes, creating a setting where the foxes would have to search for their food, helping to maintain their natural hunting instinct. The June holiday camps are fully booked, though registration is now open to the public for Wild Wonders in June and holiday camps in July, August and September at Additional programmes will be introduced in the coming months. [[nid:714735]] amierul@
Straits Times
16-05-2025
- General
- Straits Times
Animal interactions and outdoor adventure camps: New ZooSchool for children opens in June
ZooSchool features indoor spaces modelled after rainforest, freshwater, and savannah habitats as well as a multi-level outdoor playground. ST PHOTO: TARYN NG Animal interactions and outdoor adventure camps: New ZooSchool for children opens in June SINGAPORE – Starting in June, children aged 3 to 12 will meet animals up close and develop life skills through a new programme at Mandai Wildlife Reserve aimed at fostering a deeper appreciation for nature. Set up by Mandai Wildlife Reserve together with pre-school operator NTUC First Campus, ZooSchool's 1,300 sq m campus features indoor spaces modelled after rainforest, freshwater, and savannah habitats as well as a multi-level outdoor playground. Children will pick up life skills such as knot-tying, map reading, and first-aid skills aimed to build resilience, critical thinking and fine motor skills. To complement their classroom learning, children will venture on-site at Mandai's five wildlife parks, which serve as open-air classrooms. Guided by veterinarians and animal care experts, they will have close-up animal encounters and go behind the scenes to learn about wildlife conservation and animal behaviours. 'The world is running out of time,' said Ms Belina Lee, deputy chief executive (transformation and growth) at Mandai Wildlife Group, at the launch of ZooSchool on May 16. 'We need our next generation to grow up, not just thinking of the traditional sense of success, but that success also means being responsible to the environment.' ZooSchool is set up by Mandai Wildlife Reserve together with pre-school operator NTUC First Campus. ST PHOTO: TARYN NG ZooSchool is a new addition to Mandai Wildlife Group's ongoing efforts to create wildlife learning programmes for children. The group hopes to scale up ZooSchool's reach to engage 50,000 children annually by 2030. More initiatives are in the pipeline, including an overnight camp and a Parent-Tots Programme, which will offer nature play sessions for parents and their toddlers. The latter is set to start in 2026. At the launch, The Straits Times had a glimpse of one of ZooSchool's key offerings, WILD Rescue Rangers - a three-day camp featuring survival skills, animal interactions and conservation activities. After learning how the zoo cares for animals, children learnt about animal habitats and tried their hand at building an otter exhibit inside the school campus. Children bandaging an orangutan stuffed toy at ZooSchool during its on May 16. ST PHOTO: TARYN NG They later visited the Fennec Fox exhibit at Singapore Zoo , where they filled eggshells with mealworms and tore strips of newspaper to bury the food - part of an enrichment activity designed to mimic how foxes dig for food in the wild. Five-year-old Lawrence Lin, from Little Skool-House (Alexandra Hospital Branch), rated the day a five out of five. 'I love to prepare the food for the fox because I get to put the worms in the eggs,' he said. Ms Natalie Teng, 47, centre manager for ZooSchool, said: 'We build on the children's creativity, asking them questions about how and why these things happen.' Children will pick up life skills such as knot-tying, map reading, and first-aid skills aimed to build resilience, critical thinking and fine motor skills. ST PHOTO: TARYN NG WILD Rescue Rangers is priced at S$520 from July onwards. The fee includes all meals and guided wildlife interactions. While June sessions are fully booked, camps for July to September are available for signups via the Mandai Wildlife Reserve website. Other programmes include Wild Wonders, two-hour add-on adventures at either the Singapore Zoo or Bird Paradise. Participants will uncover animal 'superpowers' and conservation mysteries during the experience. The activity runs from June to July 2025 and costs S$70. Programmes for pre-schoolers will begin in July 2025. These include 45- minute guided tours of the Singapore Zoo, Bird Paradise or River Wonders, which cost S$25 per child. For a deeper dive, a 3.5-hour wildlife exploration programme will take children through Rainforest Wild Asia or the Singapore Zoo, where children will learn survival skills. This is priced at S$70. Friends of Mandai and NTUC Union Members can enjoy further discounts. For more information, visit Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
CNA
08-05-2025
- CNA
Mandai Wildlife Reserve to add overnight camping experience and a ZooSchool for kids in coming months
Mandai Wildlife Reserve is getting yet another upgrade with new experiences set to open in its eastern cluster in the second half of 2025. These include the Colugo Camp, an overnight stay experience; more dining options in the Dining Alley; Green Canvas, a new venue for meetings and exhibitions; two nature-themed indoor attractions, Exploria and Curiosity Cove; and a ZooSchool for children. The latter is a partnership between Mandai Wildlife Group and preschool NTUC First Campus. It will offer an immersive nature-inspired wildlife education programme across the wildlife parks for children from preschool to 12 years old. Set to open in June, the programmes are designed to tap into children's sense of adventure and motivation for outdoor play and physical exploration, where they will acquire essential survival skills such as basic first aid, knot tying and navigation – all while having fun and discovering the wonders of nature. ZooSchool will launch with three-day holiday programmes, in time for the June holidays, allowing young explorers to enjoy curated outings at the Singapore Zoo and Bird Paradise. Bookings can be made for ZooSchool at Additional programmes, including those tailored for preschools, will be introduced in the coming months. Meanwhile, the new Colugo Camp will open in the third quarter of the year. Available for year-round bookings, the permanent site features 20 safari tents with views, supported by communal dining and shower facilities. Each tent accommodates up to four people for an all-inclusive camping experience, which will include meals and guided tours within the wildlife parks. The Colugo Camp will continue to be complemented by seasonal glamping favourites Glamping in the Wild at the Singapore Zoo and Glamping with the Penguins at Bird Paradise. All camping experiences will also include programmes to ensure that every stay will be both fun and educational. Interested individuals can register their interest and receive updates at For those seeking a unique venue for corporate gatherings, Green Canvas, adjacent to the newly opened Mandai Rainforest Resort by Banyan Tree, is a versatile forest-themed event space spanning 2,800sqm. Its Exhibition Hall can accommodate more than 500 people, which makes it ideal for various events such as trade shows and product launches. The venue also features a 187-seater auditorium and flexible meeting rooms for smaller discussions and presentations, perfect for hosting multi-day conferences in a distinctive wildlife and nature destination. Interested parties can visit Mandai Wildlife East will also soon host a cluster of new restaurants operated by known brands at the Dining Alley. Opening progressively from May 2025, these will include New York's iconic wood-fired pizza Roberta's Pizza, Japan's Sushiro with its first Digiro concept (a virtual conveyor belt) in Singapore and Watami Group's unique dining and bar concept. Joining them are Song Fa Bak Kut Teh, Xiang Xiang Hunan Cuisine and a few more. In addition, a new restaurant, The Courtyard, will open in the evenings from Thursday (May 8) and offer Asian and Indian buffets. It will also progressively offer all-day dining, with its a la carte menu in the coming months. 'We kicked off the year with the opening of the Mandai Boardwalk, which has attracted over 200,000 visitors in just four months,' said Mike Barclay, group chief executive officer of Mandai Wildlife Group, in a press release. 'We now look forward to adding more exciting features to the Mandai Wildlife Reserve in the months ahead, including a dedicated education facility for children, dedicated campsite with immersive tours, engaging event spaces and vibrant new dining options.'
