SINGAPORE – Make family time all the more special with these ideas and activities.

National Junior College’s charity funfair

Challenge your children to inflatable obstacle courses, hit the go-kart track and enjoy carnival games such as the rodeo bull and dunk tank.

These are among the highlights at National Junior College’s (NJC) charity funfair Funtasia on May 11 from 10am to 3pm.

Open to the public, the event at its campus in Bukit Timah will raise money for Eden Centre for Adults. The day activity centre, with branches in Hougang and Clementi, serves individuals aged 18 and above with autism.

The funfair, last held in 2018, also celebrates NJC’s 55th anniversary.

Some carnival stalls will be co-hosted by students from Eden School and NJC. Look forward to booths offering a variety of food and drinks as well.

Tickets can be purchased in advance at go.gov.sg/njcfuntasia

You are also welcome to donate the tickets to NJC’s list of beneficiaries, so they can enjoy the carnival activities.

Find out more at str.sg/8bd3

Free entry to ActiveSG pools and gyms

Enjoy complimentary access to all ActiveSG pools and gyms on May 10. It marks the first in a series of dates – the 10th of every month until December – when everyone can use these facilities for free.

This is in celebration of the 10th anniversary for ActiveSG, Sport Singapore’s mass participation arm.

Many of the swimming complexes feature fun pools with slides for children, including the newest in Bukit Canberra.

The usual rates to the pools are between 50 cents and $2.60. Entry to the gyms usually costs between $1.50 and $3.30. Children must be at least 12 years old to enter the gyms, while kids of all ages are welcome at the pools.

Little Hero story book for intermediate readers

Read a tale of growing up in post-war 1940s Singapore through the eyes of a boy named Ying Xiong, who comes to discover what it means to be a hero, the meaning of his name in Chinese.

Local author Emily Lim-Leh’s first story book for intermediate readers, Little Hero, is a work of fiction inspired by real-life events from her father’s childhood. It also marks her 50th title for children – the others have been picture books.

This is a book she did not set out to write. During the pandemic, when they were cooped up at home, she interviewed her father on his life stories. These were put into a family keepsake and gift for her father’s birthday in 2021. He is now 80.

After the legacy project was completed, many of the family’s past exploits stuck with her.

For example, his memories of living in Silat Road, a notorious gangster-infested neighbourhood at the time.

She hopes the historical fiction book opens conversations between young readers and their grandparents on their growing-up years.

Buy it for $10.90 at retail stores, such as Books Kinokuniya, and online stores, including Amazon SG (str.sg/qmpU).

Readers can meet the author at her book launch at the Asian Festival of Children’s Content (afcc.com.sg) on May 25 at 11.30am. The event at National Library in Victoria Street is free.