The Family Learning Carnival at Cheng San was organised by Cornerstone Community Services (CCS) and the Residents’ Network of Cheng San to bring families together for a time of fun and learning. The team had initially envisioned an onsite carnival with various fringe activities for families to participate in together, but amidst uncertainties in the COVID-19 situation and gathering restrictions, the decision was made to hold the Family Learning Carnival over Zoom instead so that participation would not be impeded by any restrictions.

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As volunteers with CCS, my fiancée Valerie and I were a part of a team that got to kick off the online Family Learning Carnival bright and early on Saturday 4th September 2021 by leading all the participating families in a K-pop Zumba class. Our team of six volunteers who worked on this family fitness activity even included two certified physical trainers! As someone with barely any experience in dance, planning this activity was not only tough in terms of learning to dance, but having to do so in front of a camera brought this personal challenge to a whole new level for me. Yet, seeing the smiles on the faces of the families as they danced along to the songs together made all the preparation (and embarrassment) worth it.

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The Family Learning Carnival also featured other family bonding activities such as a fun family portrait, a tallest spaghetti and marshmallow tower competition, a slime making activity, and a short talk on family bonding tips. Even though I was a volunteer with my fiancée at this event, watching these families have fun and bond over these activities also reminded us of our own future family goals and how it is important to spend intentional time with our children. We are so thankful to have the opportunity to be a part of this event with CCS to bring families at Cheng San closer together.