Make the most of summer holidays: combining happy learning with broadening horizons
14 July 2019
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The long summer holidays have just begun and many parents are racking their brains to find good activities for their children. For those who do not want their children to be kept at home during the sunny summer days, there are quite a lot of places full of fun and discovery for their children to learn new knowledge and broaden their horizons.
Visiting public museums run by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) is definitely the best choice. Among the museums, the Hong Kong Science Museum (Science Museum) and the Hong Kong Space Museum (Space Museum) have all along been very popular among Hong Kong citizens. Last year (2018), the two museums attracted a total of more than two million visitors.
The Government actively promotes education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) to equip students to cope with the rapid development of the economy as well as science and technology. By visiting the Science Museum and the Space Museum during the summer holidays, students will be able to learn and explore science through playing.
This summer, the Space Museum has launched a new thematic exhibition entitled “Winter Games”. Introducing unique snowfield activities such as skiing, bobsleighing and snowball fighting, the exhibition brings to Hong Kong exciting winter sports for citizens to share the fun.
Thanks to the collaboration of four science centres from Finland, Denmark, Norway and Sweden, interactive exhibits of winter sports are provided for visitors of the museum to experience the thrills and chills of Nordic winter sports. In the exhibition, you can imitate a figure skater, attempting some challenging rotations; sit on a bobsleigh and work with your teammates as you speed to the finish line; and learn different ice hockey shots to score in the most efficient way. Through these experiences you can learn the scientific knowledge related to the sports while having fun.
Meanwhile, a special exhibition “50th Anniversary of Moon Landing” is staged by the Space Museum in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the first manned moon landing mission. The exhibition looks at the rocket, spacecraft, spacesuit and flight path used in the landing mission that took place 50 years ago to remind us of the historic feat of lunar exploration.
I can still recall what happened on 20 July 1969, when many people watched in suspense before the television to witness the successful landing of NASA’s spacecraft Apollo 11. Atronaut Neil Armstrong became the first person ever to set foot on the lunar surface. His words on the moon which were broadcast to the Earth, i.e. “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind”, summarised the significant achievements of the space exploration mission. Today, 50 years on, the world has made tremendous progress in the development of innovation and technology, including China’s rapid advancements in aerospace science and technology.
The special exhibition “50th Anniversary of Moon Landing” showcases photographs and video footage of mankind’s first moon landing mission, a model of a spacesuit, lunar surface features made by 3D printing, a lunar meteorite, etc. During the exhibition period, the Space Museum will organise workshops, special lectures and astronomical observations to enhance people’s lunar knowledge and let them explore the fun of space science.
In addition, a major exhibition is being held at the Hong Kong Museum of History. Featuring more than 210 exhibits, including nine grade-one national treasures, the exhibition illustrates the modernisation of the People’s Republic of China in the 70 years since its founding. Showcasing artifacts including pictorials, newspapers, medals, certificates, artworks and models, along with multimedia programmes and videos, the exhibition focuses on the achievements of China’s modernisation in the areas of economy, education, technology, culture, sports and people’s livelihood.
There are altogether 14 museums under the management of the LCSD. By visiting museums, one can learn new knowledge in an entertaining way. In addition to museums, I also encourage parents and children to visit the Hong Kong Public Libraries to enjoy the fun of parent-child reading.
Organised by the LCSD, the reading-for-all campaign continues under the theme of “Discover and Share the Joy of Reading” this year. Both adults and children can experience a pleasant journey by indulging in the world of books. During the summer holidays this year, over 300 reading activities will be held at the Hong Kong Central Library and branch libraries in various districts. Such activities include the large-scale reading event “Summer Reading Fiesta”, cultural and arts performances with the theme of reading such as dramas, music activities and magic shows, and talks on parent-child reading.
Earlier on, the LCSD launched a pilot scheme to provide three self-service library stations, one each on Hong Kong Island, in Kowloon and in the New Territories. Situated at convenient locations with heavier pedestrian flow and far from existing libraries, these stations provide round-the-clock services including borrowing, return, payment and pickup of reserved library materials. The self-service library stations in the Eastern District and the Hong Kong Cultural Centre are now in use, while the one near Tai Wai MTR Station in Shatin in the New Territories is expected to commence operation in the third quarter of 2019 at the earliest, offering round-the-clock library services for the public outside traditional library premises.
The Education Bureau (EDB) also takes steps to actively complement the “Discover and Share the Joy of Reading” campaign and help students develop a love and a habit of reading. To promote parent-child reading for kindergarten students, EDB and LCSD jointly hold workshops on “How to Foster Parent-child Reading” for kindergarten teachers and parents in different libraries across the territory. Besides, EDB also launched the “Pilot Scheme on the Promotion of Reading Grant for Kindergartens” to encourage kindergartens to organise diversified parent-child reading activities.
Starting from the 2018/19 school year, EDB has provided a recurrent “Promotion of Reading Grant” of about $50 million for public primary and secondary schools to organise more diversified school-based reading activities, such as talks by writers and thematic reading activities, with a view to nurturing a good reading culture in schools.
Most awaited by booklovers, the annual Hong Kong Book Fair will open this Wednesday (17 July). Organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, the 30th Hong Kong Book Fair is expected to attract more than 680 exhibitors from 39 countries and regions, presenting outstanding books from around the world. Over 310 cultural events including exhibitions at the Art Gallery, talks by writers and new book parades will be conducted during the fair, catering to different interests and age groups.
