Elysa Chen Shiyun, MP for Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC, has launched a community play space for young children in Bishan East-Sin Ming to encourage parents and children to bond through free play.
Ms Chen told Petir that a stay-home mother proposed the idea during a house visit last year. The mother, who has a young child, shared her experiences visiting indoor parent-child centres in Taiwan, where children can play freely and safely.
“The mother pointed out a gap in our facilities. We have playgrounds for older children but lack spaces for younger ones. She requested a space where she can bring her child to play and connect with other families,” Ms Chen said.
“I remember dealing with a newborn. It was overwhelming, and you’re stuck at home all the time. We don’t have many common spaces for infants and toddlers. Existing playgrounds are too advanced for infants who are still building their core strength.”
Ms Chen, a mother of a three-year-old, then ran a social media poll to gauge interest in a similar setup in Bishan and received a favourable response from residents.
“I posted the poll on Facebook and Instagram, and the response was encouraging. People commented that Taiwan’s parent-child centres were the highlight of their trips and shared such fond memories of the centres. This made me realise there’s probably a real demand for something similar,” she said.
Her grassroots team partnered with Playeum, a non-profit group that advocates more play for children, to pilot a family play space programme called Play Date at Bishan Community Club.
The sky lounge at level 4 of the building was transformed into an indoor space featuring loose parts free play. From sensory play zones to motor skill activities, every corner is thoughtfully designed to spark curiosity and imagination. There is also a separate corner for babies to crawl and do tummy time.
Families with children aged 12 and under can sign up for free weekly Saturday play sessions lasting one and a half hours each. The programme launched on 3 November last year.
“The intention is for parents and children to bond and spend time together in a screen-free environment. They can build positive memories of interacting with their children and make friends,” Ms Chen said.
“Parents must be here at all times with the children. It’s not a drop-off. It would not be fair to expect the volunteers to take care of the babies and toddlers.”
Her team frequently sees grandparents bringing their grandchildren to Play Date, which she noted helps strengthen intergenerational bonding given the high percentage of seniors in Bishan East-Sin Ming.
Ms Chen has three Build-to-Order housing projects in her constituency: one completed last year, another finishing this year, and a third due in 2028. She expects demand for community play space to grow as more young parents move to Bishan.
The programme has received positive feedback, with parents requesting longer sessions and children wanting more drawing spaces. Her team will evaluate this feedback after the pilot run to improve the programme.
The team also plans to expand the programme to serve children with special needs.
“Including children with special needs will benefit everyone. It will give our neurotypical children and families opportunities to practise kindness.”
“As our next generation experiences kindness and acceptance, we can build the Singapore we want to see. Often, the best people to show us the way forward are children.”
Elysa Chen wants to encourage entrepreneurship among the young
Besides encouraging free play for younger children, Ms Chen wants to empower children in Bishan East-Sin Ming as budding young entrepreneurs.
Her grassroots volunteers organised a Junior Enterprise Expo & Family Carnival on 22 November last year.
The event came about after a mother wrote to ask if they could organise a fair for her children to sell items they had made. Ms Chen said she was “pleasantly surprised” by residents’ responses as the stalls were over-subscribed.
Over 100 young entrepreneurs set up 24 booths, showcasing their products and services. Ms Chen recounted how enterprising the children were. One decorated oyster shells while another sold custom-made bags with iron-on patches. One child even borrowed his father’s golf clubs to let customers play golf at very low cost.
“They were confident and joyful. You can see their energy. They were learning so many things like problem solving skills, negotiation skills, marketing skills, teamwork, and even practised their Math. I feel this is so much more precious than a tuition class.”
Ms Chen said they will organise a similar carnival this year during Children’s Day, complemented with talks on topics that concern parents, such as screen-free time for children or mental health.
