SINGAPORE – Planning a family trip to Western Australia during the year-end school holidays? Or simply curious about what the state has to offer?

Download and print a free children’s travel scrapbook on Western Australia.

ST’s senior education correspondent Sandra Davie says the travel scrapbook is the first of the Let’s Go... series that ST Smart Parenting is producing to excite and educate children about the amazing world around them.

“Let’s Go To... Western Australia combines fun and surprising facts, quirky humour and eye-catching illustrations to spark children’s curiosity and encourage them to discover more about Perth and Western Australia,” she says.

Targeted at primary school children, the 13-page scrapbook is filled with activities that will help kids discover the beautiful places, history, cultures and people of Western Australia.

For example, children are encouraged to do a taste test and rate popular Australia food, such as the Tim Tam chocolate biscuit, lamington cake and Vegemite spread.

Another activity is to decode Australian slang terms such as chook, maccas and chockey. Parents can also ask their kids to think of the Singlish equivalents for Australian slang words.

Australia, including Western Australia, is known for wild animals, so there is a section that encourages kids to jot down interesting facts about the animals.

“I know many will just reach for their mobile phones to look up the information they need. But I hope parents will encourage their kids to talk to the people at the zoos and farms they visit, to find out more about the weird and wonderful wildlife of Australia,” says Ms Davie.

The scrapbook is best used by printing out the A4-size pages in colour. Parents can get their kids to complete the various activities while they are holidaying in Western Australia.

Ms Ava Ang, Tourism Western Australia country manager for Singapore and Malaysia, says: “Tourism Western Australia is excited to work with ST Smart Parenting to promote Western Australia as the perfect destination for Singaporean families. We know The Straits Times is the place that Singaporean parents go to for inspiration on the best things to do with their children.”

She adds that Western Australia is just a 4½-hour flight away from Singapore and in the same time zone.

From encounters with friendly animals, unique accommodation and world-class museums to endless parks and playgrounds, the state offers a vast range of attractions and activities for everyone in the family.

In fact, it is a hugely popular holiday destination for Singaporeans. Some 83,000 of them visited Western Australia from 2022 to date, making up the second-biggest tourism market behind travellers from the United Kingdom.

Win two return air tickets to Perth

Do encourage your child to also design a cover for Let’s Go To... Western Australia and submit it for a competition.

The winner of the best cover will be awarded two return air tickets to Perth.

Kids with the next five best entries will each receive a goodie bag worth more than $100, which includes exclusive plush toys and honey jars.

This contest is open to kids aged 12 and below. They should be Singaporeans or living in Singapore.

The artwork should be created by hand, not done digitally using drawing software.

Parents can help their child take a clear, close-up photograph of the artwork and upload it to www.gevme.com/st-smart-parenting-2023 by Dec 31.

Join the scrapbook cover design competition for kids and stand to win two air tickets to Perth

• Download and print the free Let’s Go To Western Australia travel scrapbook.
• Encourage your child to design a cover for the scrapbook. The template can be found on the first page.
• The artwork should be created by hand and not done digitally.
• Your child can submit as many entries as he or she likes, but will be able to win only once.
• Take a clear, close-up photograph of the page and upload it on the competition page by Dec 31, 11.59pm.
• The file name should follow this format: NameOfChild.jpg (example: JanelleLim.jpg or MohdAli.jpg).
• The maximum file upload size is 3MB. Only pdf, jpg and png file extension formats will be accepted.
• The organisers will not accept postal or hand-delivered submissions of original artwork.
• The winner will receive two return air tickets to Perth.
• Kids with the next five best entries will each receive a goodie bag worth more than $100.
• This competition is open to children aged 12 years old and below. They should be Singaporeans or living in Singapore.
• Winners will be notified via e-mail by Jan 31, 2024.
• Please make sure you retain the original artwork. If your child is a winner in this competition, we may ask you for a higher resolution scan of the artwork for publication.
• Employees of SPH Media and its related corporations, partners and/or sponsors for the competition (if applicable) and their immediate family members (including spouses, children, parents and siblings) are not eligible.
• The judges’ decision is final. No correspondence will be entertained.