SP renews support with S$1.1 million for new learning resources and KidSTART’s first-ever toy exchange

SINGAPORE, 13 JUNE 2026 – KidSTART Singapore, in partnership with SP Group (SP), launched the Play It Forward Festival 2026 today in conjunction with the International Day of Play 2026. This initiative brings together the important concepts of sustainability and meaningful play to support the development of children from families with less resources through KidSTART’s first-ever toy exchange.

SP Group also reaffirmed its support for KidSTART families with a S$1.1 million donation, made through Community Chest. The donation provides a refreshed version of the PlayFULL Pack filled with age-appropriate learning resources for 2,700 families, play workshops for 150 families, bookshelves and books to support early childhood literacy, essential child related items for newly onboarded families, and targeted assistance relating to child caring and developmental needs. This brings SP Group’s total contribution to KidSTART to S$5.4 million since 2021.

The festival highlighted how meaningful play can be accessible, engaging, and environmentally conscious. Through hands-on activities and practical parenting resources, families explored simple, creative and sustainable ways for effective play which shapes learning, builds confidence and overall well-being.

Officiated by Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim, Minister of State, Ministry of Social and Family Development, at the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre, more than 200 KidSTART families were in attendance.

As a pioneer Growing Together with KidSTART partner, this renewed commitment builds on the PowerUP Playtime initiative launched in 2025, and continues to strengthen efforts that encourage play-based learning and parent-child interaction. Feedback from KidSTART families has been encouraging, citing that the PlayFULL pack items are useful in helping their children spark curiosity, creativity and problem‑solving.

A festival highlight was KidSTART’s first-ever donation of pre-loved toys – The Toy Exchange. KidSTART families were encouraged to bring gently used toys to exchange, alongside contributions from KidSTART and SP Group staff, ensuring a wide variety of options for children. Toys were carefully screened and cleaned by SP’s staff volunteers known as SP Heart Workers, based on criteria set by KidSTART early childhood consultants. This also aims to inculcate the value of giving amongst the children and for families to adopt sustainable habits. At the event, close to 500 children participated in the toy exchange. Beyond giving toys a second life, the initiative encouraged children to engage with one another through play, fostering positive peer interactions, sharing and social connection, while helping families adopt more sustainable consumption habits.

Mr Stanley Huang, Group CEO of SP Group, said, “This year, our focus is to create enjoyable, safe and sustainable ways for children to learn. Play is one of the most important factors in laying a strong foundation for a child’s healthy development. It does not have to be complex nor costly. Working closely with KidSTART over the years, we have seen how everyday interactions can nurture curiosity, confidence and a lifelong interest in learning. Through Play It Forward, we are also helping children adopt environmentally responsible habits and cultivate the spirit of sharing. Our staff have actively participated by donating toys and bringing the PlayFULL Packs to the homes of the KidSTART families.”

Findings from the inaugural Preschool Experience Survey[1] by the Early Childhood Development Agency highlight that there is room to improve parents’ understanding about socio-emotional growth through play. Such approaches help to develop emotional intelligence, laying key foundations for future academic success.

Mr Joel Tan, CEO of KidSTART, said, “Play is fundamental to how children learn, grow and connect with the world around them. Through the Play It Forward Festival and the refreshed PlayFULL Packs, we hope to support families in creating meaningful, everyday moments of play that strengthen parent-child relationships and support children’s development. We are encouraged that many families have shared that they are playing more with their children and feel more confident and motivated to do so. In fact, the vast majority of families who previously had limited understanding of the importance of play have since developed more positive attitudes, with many now looking forward to these moments together. We are grateful for the continued support of SP Group, whose partnership enables us to empower more families and give every child a good start in life.”

With SP Group’s support in launching the first edition of PlayFULL Pack last year, KidSTART unveiled a refreshed pack, made possible by SP Group’s donation this year. Each pack is a learning resource kit for children aged 0 to 6. Developed in consultation with KidSTART early childhood consultant and informed by feedback from KidSTART families, the enhanced packs have a stronger sustainability theme, age-segmentation, and an expanded range of materials to encourage purposeful and engaging parent-child interactions. There are three age-specific sets, a guide on sustainable play, and a simple one-page infographic with practical everyday play ideas using recycled materials. The activities are designed to support key areas of development, from sensory exploration, hand-eye coordination and motor skills for younger children, to imaginative play, language development, problem-solving, cooperation and early numeracy concepts for older children. All KidSTART families are eligible to receive the pack.

Ms Azimah Azhar, KidSTART practitioner, shared, “I've found the PlayFULL Pack to be really helpful for families, especially when they were unsure of what to do during sessions. I remembered one parent who chose to do an ‘unboxing’ of the PlayFULL Pack with her children on the day they received it. That simple activity really captured the kind of positive parent‑child interaction we hope to see in families’ daily routines. I have also witnessed a mother engaging her three boys using the animal figurines in a guessing game based on animal sounds. The children were very excited and even took turns to guess. This experience showed me how simple toys can strengthen children’s confidence and vocabulary, while promoting meaningful parent‑child bonding. I personally like how the wooden block set is able to sustain children’s focus while supporting holistic development, particularly in areas such as problem-solving and fine motor skills.”

The festival also featured interactive playscapes and hands-on craft activities designed to encourage exploration, creativity and sustainable play. These included immersive cardboard play environments and collaborative installations using recycled materials, alongside short, parent accompanied workshops that introduced simple, eco-friendly activities such as printmaking and crafting with upcycled materials, offering families practical ideas to support meaningful play at home.

[1] www.msf.gov.sg/media-room/article/nine-in-ten-parents-satisfied-with-preschool-safety-and-education-quality