An interactive playscape for Children's Season 2026, themed around environmental stewardship, that also reflected the stories and mission of the Indian Heritage Centre. The challenge was how do we weave together sustainability, heritage and play into a single experience that felt cohesive rather than forced?
- Social media key visual
- Zones 1 & 2
- Zone 6
- Zones 2, 3 & 4
- Zone 2’s “fix a boat” light up interaction
- Overview of the space
- Zone 5
- Photo-op frame at lobby
(image credits to TMMW and IHC)
The Singapore River became the natural intersection between these themes. Historically, it was central to the lives and livelihoods of Singapore's early Indian community, while also serving as a powerful lens to explore environmental topics such as water conservation, pollution, biodiversity and our shared responsibility in protecting natural resources.
To make these narratives accessible to young audiences, the playscape adopted the imaginative world of The Little Town of Trades and featured the familiar mascots Arul, Meera and Patti as guides. This transformed the exhibition into an interactive adventure where historical storytelling and environmental learning unfolded side by side through play. The narrative copy was streamlined as comic speech bubbles to keep it fun for the children.
The playscape was also made more fun with with fun interactions like ridable foam cattle, paddle boats and a claymaking station.