by Homeschool Singapore Youth Interns Reporting Team
From left to right: Ong Yu Xuan Janessa (photographer), Ilka Aedorra Puteri Masuri and Dian Elly Qistina (writers)
Welcome to the Children’s Craft Fair, a unique event where young entrepreneurs showcase their creativity and business acumen by selling handmade goods. It is organised entirely by LittleU and proudly sponsored by the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA). The event pledged 100% of its proceeds to the Cerebral Palsy Alliance Singapore (CPAS), making this a celebration of youthful talent and a meaningful contribution to our community. Lastly, let’s not forget our meaningful message:
We value them for who they are, and we believe in their ability to do great things in small ways.”
Meet the Organisers
The 2024 Children’s Craft Fair organisers were Ong Wan Ying and Felicia Lie. They worked alongside their team members, Ding Zhen Xin, who managed logistics, and Dawn Fung and Elaine Eo, who were in charge of marketing. They are mums who homeschool their children and volunteered to be behind this year’s CCF. Even though the event was only two hours, extensive planning and problem-solving occurred behind the scenes to make the event smooth sailing and ensure its success. We interviewed Ms Wan Ying and Ms Felicia about their motivations and experiences.
Team: The people who planned and organised this event purely volunteered their time and skills. Can you share what motivated you to do the event?
Ms. Wan Ying: My elder child benefited from past CCFs when she was younger. It’s a privilege to be part of the team bringing back this event to the younger homeschoolers. Also, I knew that I will be part of a team that works together and supports each other.
Ms. Felicia: I love crafts and would like to encourage my own children to do the same. Having attended previous craft fairs, I feel that this is a very good learning opportunity for the kids, and it’s for a good cause!
Team: One would expect much work to happen behind the scenes to produce and launch this event successfully. We wanted to know if it was all smooth sailing or if there were any challenges and how you resolved them.
Ms. Wan Ying: Communication was challenging. We set up a Facebook events page as we thought it would allow us to organise our updates and discussions better. However, because only some people are active on Facebook, the page was not an effective tool. So, the team switched to WhatsApp to communicate with the participants.
Ms. Felicia: I’m pretty new to organising events in the homeschool community, so I faced many organisational challenges. Thankfully, I have good mentors on the team. They helped me navigate the issues that I encountered.
Team: As this was the fair’s sixth edition, we wondered if there had been changes since the first one. If so, what were they, and how did they improve the event?
Ms. Wan Ying: This year’s most significant change was opening the event beyond the homeschooling community. We were unsure of the reception, so we were pleased that this increased the fair’s participation rate!
Ms. Felicia: I participated in the first fair only as a participant and now as part of the team, so I only have a little to compare. Oh! We opened it to non-homeschoolers this year.
Team: Was the event’s turnout and outcome what you expected?
Ms. Wan Ying: The fair was oversubscribed, and the turnout on the day was superb. This, in turn, helped to raise more funds for our beneficiaries!
Ms. Felicia: Spots filled up pretty fast – too fast! I had no expectations, but it was still surprising. We had to turn down quite a few.
Team: What were some lessons you learned during the preparation of this event?
Ms. Wan Ying: We can plan for a more efficient mode of communication with the participating members. Publicity for any event is significant. Thanks to the publicity, we had a good turnout for the event.
Ms. Felicia: The team’s dedication was great. All of them did this as volunteers, yet they put so much effort into it. It was amazing to witness. These are the committed people in this community who make homeschooling so good.
Hear from the Parents
The parents we met at the fair sang praises for the event. Not only was it enjoyable, but it also benefited the children in many ways. For those whose children participated as vendors, the parents marvelled at how little they had to be involved in helping their children. Most parents were only engaged in buying materials, while the crafters worked independently on their products for sale. Parents also appreciated the children’s opportunity to help people in need, as proceeds from the event would be donated to charity.
Seeing as so many parents supported their children in this event and observing how some parents actively helped their children set up. In contrast, others sat back and let them figure it out independently. We wondered about the impetus for their children’s participation and how they could fully empower them to work independently towards their goals. Check out more of their reflections below:
What parents wanted children to gain from the event…
“Make friends, enjoy the making & selling experience. Also to realise that they are doing a cause for charity.” – Wenxin
“Patience in doing his arts, creativity,responsibility in completing the number of arts.” – Mary Tagle
“How to independently plan & also run projects for social purposes” – Felixia Loe
“Learn to source for the materials and price their products” – Sabrina
How parents limited their involvement to empower their children…
“Provided transport and money” – Wenxin
“Showed him videos & pictures that he can do. Also bought art materials for him.” – Mary Tagle
“Encouraged them to keep them on track.” – Felixia Loe
“Helped only for sourcing and pricing” – Sabrina
Why parents think the CCF gives a platform for children to express their creative and entrepreneurial ideas….
“It’s a great venue to showcase what my son loves to do, which is art. He’s kinda shy so this is a great way to encourage him to express himself more” – Mary Tagle
“They were given an opportunity to independently plan, create and execute their ideas. Finally seeing their items displayed for sale gave them a sense of achievement. The background that the funds raised will help CPAS also gave them added meaning and purpose to the project” – Felixia Loe
“This fair is definitely a low barrier entry chance for really young children to craft for a meaningful cause. While keeping to the “no adult intervention” rule, my child was able to choose from the table of materials and create by herself, without having me interject when the aesthetics isn’t vibing with me. She could also value the product and give a name to it.” – Tay Zoey
Other comments…
“This is a good opportunity & hope to have more events like these again for the public” – Anusha Raj, Parent of CCF Crafter
“Praying for more events like this which not only shows how creative the kids can be but also helps the kids in need.” – Mary Tagle, Parent of CCF Crafter
READ ON to watch the Children’s Craft Fair 2024 Official Video
The Crafters Represent!
The crafters created and sold a variety of products. Their tables were filled with colourful creations, ranging from jewellery, decoratives, toys, etc. As we walked around the stalls, we felt their enthusiasm as they sold their wares. We interacted with many crafters as they were enjoying themselves in the thick of the action. While most of them expressed that they did not face much problem making the products, they saw their main challenge in selling them so that their funds could be donated to charity to help children in need. Despite being focused on their goal, many indulged us with answers to our questions. Their responses were short and quick, but we were glad to be able to capture their thoughts and sentiments.
What motivated our crafters….
“I wanted to learn how to sew” – Evelyn Chua
“I like making crafts & want to help raise funds for the cerebral palsy charity.” – Keziah Koo
“I want to help the sick children” – Gabi
“I like making them” – Yee Xi
What challenges did our crafters face in selling their products….
“(I felt) shy to introduce (my product)” – Jayden Tanjunie
“Hard to get attention due to the other crafts” – Keziah Koo
“The person beside me has a really creative product” – Shiyeon Kim
What were their goals….
“I want to make enough money to donate” – Shiyeon Kim
“I want to sell my things because the funds will go to charity” – Jayden Tanjunie
“Help to fund for charity” – Nikash Aman Vijayan
“Help charity” – Saanvi
Feedback from Visitors
As this was the first time the Children’s Craft Fair was open to the public, we wanted to know their overall thoughts on the event and what convinced them to go to NAFA to check out it. Even during the chaos and hecticness of customers going in and out, we talked to some to give their feedback. We kept our questions as short as possible to avoid taking too much of their time. We only asked a few questions, and their responses are below:
What or who attracted them…
“Did homeschooling for my child and wants his/her to participate in the future” – Sarah Tang
“My nieces are selling their creations.” – Florencia Lie
“Friends” – Lethu Ncube, Tricia, Wonji Kim, Deborah
Reasons for coming…
“(It’s a) great initiative” – Lucila
“I think it’s important to encourage the kids’ creativity.” – Florencia Lie
“Yes, this encourages the kids to be responsible and creative. It also prepares them for real life when they are in the working force” – Shaheeraa
“Yes, there is a wide variety of items” – Tricia
Favourite parts of the event
“Seeing the kids’ creativity and entrepreneurship on display.” – Lethu Ncube
“Kids being little entrepreneurs” – Joy Tan
“To see a variety of crafts, very impressive” – Wonji Kim
“Children and their liveliness” – Tricia
“Seeing the kids’ faces light up when they introduce their creations.” – Florencia Lie
“Seeing the creativity in the kids and their confidence” – Shaheeraa
Other comments…
“A bigger venue is needed to manage foot traffic” – Lethu Ncube
“More of these events” – Sarah Tang
Conclusion
The 6th edition of the Children’s Craft Fair was an absolute success! This was the first time the event was open to the public, and the numbers did not disappoint. The children made an impressive showcase of their crafts, and through their sales, they collected a total of $4551.65 – the highest amount collected in the history of the Children’s Craft Fair. The event was an excellent experience for the children, allowing them to display their entrepreneurship and creativity while doing their part to help other children in need.