Reviews

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July 1, 2012

Monopoly Singapore: Then and Now – A Review

Dominique Parenting and Kids, Reviews Monopoly

Monopoly Singapore

I’ve always love playing monopoly when I was a child. I remember back then it was one of the family games which I enjoyed playing with my cousins when we meet up during festivals. I also played this game with my family during the holidays.

The people at Hasbro kindly sent a set of the latest Monopoly version – a two sided one for us to review. The boys couldn’t wait to try out the game when it arrived by courier but I made them wait till their dad was back before letting them opening out the box.

I was really interested to know what are the two different ways we could play Monopoly and was intrigued by the double sided Monopoly board. One side listed the places of Singapore back then while the other side showed the current (now) landmarks of Singapore.

inside the box

Inside the box after opening it up.

the counters

There were two stacks of cards. One with the listing of places for old Singapore while the other is for Singapore now. There was also the staples – counters, houses/hotels and dice. We had the option of using cash if we were playing the old Singapore board or using credit cards and the handheld electronic banking unit.

The boys wanted to use the electronic device and the credit cards inside so we had a round with the “NOW” board.

Another reason was that the boys wanted to be free of having to do calculations while playing the game and dealing with actual cash.

the then board. The THEN board which we played on.

the kids

The kids couldn’t wait to start the game. They were busy taking out all the components and setting up the game board so that we could get started as soon as possible. Monkey boy felt that it was fitting to play the game on a square table instead of at our dining table so he took out the mahjong table and we played on it instead.

the tokens

I love how solid the metal counters were and how they were representative elements of Singapore’s modes of transportation and history. Any guesses on which kid took which token to play with?

close up

A close up view of the tokens in play. before we started off the game.

It was a fun game for the boys and even Doggie boy who is 5 enjoyed playing it although it is recommended for ages 8 and above. We didn’t get to complete the game that night as it was nearly bedtime after having played for almost an hour. We had to do up the tally there and then and Doggie boy was announced the winner as he has the most amount of cash left for the night. Since then the boys have been asking to play monopoly nightly after they have completed all their homework.

You can get Monopoly Singapore: Then & Now for S$79.90 at Toys ‘R’ Us and all major departmental stores.

It certainly makes a great family game and I’m sure you would enjoy bonding with your kids through playing it as much as I had.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of Monopoly Singapore: Then & Now for review purposes. All opinions are 100% my own.

June 29, 2012

Keeping Germs at Bay with Hand Washing

Dominique Parenting and Kids, Reviews handwashing, lifebouy

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Toddler Handwashing

Tiger girl rinsing her hands after washing it with soap

“Wash your hands. ” is a sentence you hear very often in my household. Before the kids settle down for dinner or after they have come back from playing in the park I make it a point to get them to wash their hands thoroughly to keep them clean.

Hand washing is an important affair in our household. The kids are constantly reminded to get their hands washed before meals, when their hands are dirty, after using the bathroom and after play outdoors. With the rise in the cases of HMFD I’m more vigilant in making sure that they develop good hygiene practices. Washing their hands is the best way to prevent germs from spreading and to catch any infections which could turn deadly.

handwashing

Washing hands with water will not remove the traces of germs and dirt which maybe on it. A good and effective soap coupled with the proper washing hands routine would give one the maximum protection against germs. One not only needs to wash the palm of the hand but also the backs, between the fingers, the thumbs, the wrists and under the fingernails. Lots of rubbing will make the liquid Lifebuoy soap that we use lather well.

washing hands Monkey boy showing his siblings the correct way to wash their hands

Doggie boy and Tiger girl are still learning how to wash their hands properly while Monkey boy has already mastered the correct technique. It only takes about 10 seconds using lifebuoy soap to ensure that 99.9% of the germs are killed in the process.

Do you focus on hand washing with your kids too?

Disclaimer: I’m participating in a campaign by Lifebouy. All opinions are 100% my own. Results obtained from the usage of the product may vary from person to person. Please do your own research when purchasing products, as your opinions may differ from mine. This post has a Compensation Level of 13. Please visit Dominique’s Disclosure page for more information.