Museums often face the challenge of making history feel relevant and engaging for younger audiences. Rather than asking children to memorise names, dates and events, the Indian Heritage Centre wanted to create a Children's Corner that encouraged learning through curiosity and play. Inspired by artefacts from the museum's permanent collection, the experience introduces the stories of early Indian settlers in Singapore in a way that children can actively participate in.
- Intro wall
- Activity booklet
- Snake charmer close-up
- Goldsmith close-up
- Spice Grinder’s “Create your own spice mix”
- Parrot Astrologer’s “Fortune Wheel”
- Inside The Little Town of Trades
- Peek into the Chef’s Indian fusion cuisine
(image credits to TMMW and IHC)
Rather than recreating history as a passive exhibition, we saw an opportunity to let children step into it. Working closely with the curatorial team, we identified artefacts that reflected the everyday trades and livelihoods of early Indian settlers, using them as the foundation for role-playing experiences. By viewing these stories through a child's perspective, history became something to explore and imagine rather than simply observe.
Developed in close collaboration with the spatial designers and production specialists, Little Town of Trades transformed these historical narratives into an immersive miniature town. Through interactive role-play, children could experience everyday occupations from 20th-century Singapore, discover the contributions of early Indian immigrants, and build a more personal connection with the community's heritage via colourful illustration of scenes and tactile content panels where the natural curiosity of children were rewarded with fun interactions.