Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre Launches First-Ever Children’s Festival with 16 Programmes This June Holidays

Families can look forward to an exciting cultural experience this June school holidays as the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre (SCCC) unveils Cultural Playground 2026, its first-ever Mandarin-led children’s festival.

Taking place from 19 to 21 June 2026, the inaugural festival is specially designed for children aged 12 and below, offering a fun and engaging way to explore local Chinese culture and language through storytelling, music, theatre, and interactive play.

Cultural Playground 2026 will feature a total of 16 programmes, giving young audiences and their families plenty of opportunities to learn while having fun.

Highlight: The Legend of Nezha by Paper Monkey Theatre

One of the festival’s key attractions is The Legend of Nezha, a spectacular puppetry performance by Paper Monkey Theatre.

The show will bring the iconic Chinese legend to life through beautifully handcrafted rod puppets, alongside:

• A lively dragon dance performance
• Dynamic live martial arts sequences
• Original music by The Flame of the Forest and local musician Govin Tan

Children can also take part in a complementary hands-on workshop to discover the traditional art of Chinese rod puppetry and learn how to animate handcrafted puppets.

New Edition of The Nursery Rhymes Project

Another major highlight is the debut of the fourth edition of The Nursery Rhymes Project by The Theatre Practice.

Titled Imagine Our Songs, the production reimagines beloved local Mandarin nursery rhymes such as Xiao Bai Chuan and Mothers Are Best through music and interactive theatrical storytelling. The programme aims to nurture children’s appreciation of the Chinese language from a young age.

Workshops for Babies, Toddlers and Families

The festival also includes specially designed multi-sensory music workshops for babies and toddlers aged 0 to 18 months.

Inspired by the well-known children’s song Xiao Bai Chuan and based on the evidence-led SonicPlay pedagogy, these sessions use sound and listening as tools for learning, connection, and cultural awareness.

Families can also enjoy a range of parent-child workshops, including:

• Storytelling with food-making workshops featuring stories of family traditions, memories, games, and hands-on food activities
• Picture book storytelling workshops introducing local Chinese culture through movement, play, and interactive storytelling

Free Workshops for Parents

Recognising the important role parents play in language learning, Cultural Playground 2026 will also offer two free workshops for parents.

Led by a curriculum specialist, these sessions will share practical tips on making Chinese language learning more fun and meaningful through everyday family experiences.

Free Storytelling and Fringe Activities

Visitors can also enjoy a series of free storytelling sessions presented in collaboration with the People’s Association, focusing on the history and traditions of Chingay.

Additional fringe activities include:

• Face-painting
• Interactive family fun activities