"I have always loved and adored kids. I love to laugh with them - that keeps me young!" she says, on her reason for joining Kooky Art, a company that organises birthday parties and art classes for kids.

A Kooky Art party is usually about an hour or 90 minutes long. But for three- to seven-year-olds, this means an excruciating long period of time.

To keep them from breaking out into a chorus of, "So lame, so boring!", Ms Tan has to constantly keep them engaged.

"The kids need to feel 'engaged' every second. It's very intense because once you lose their interest, they're gone.

"That's why at the end of 60 minutes, I'll 'faint'," she says with a laugh.

Most of the child-chefs take to the novelty of cake making and Ms Tan's lively demeanour readily, but there will be a sullen few who refuse to be involved.

"We don't want to force them because it's supposed to be a fun thing," she explains.

These children will be left to themselves, but as they watch from the side, chances are, they get drawn in.

"Maybe because it's colourful, so they come nearer to the table. And also because it's food," she says. "It's non-threatening, and it's sweet. The minute they taste the ingredients, they go, 'Wah, so yummy'.

"Next thing you know, they'll be doing it."

A tasty goal
Working towards a common goal while doing something fun presents many opportunities to impart useful lessons.

The set-up is like a drawing lesson, with each child getting a square slice of unadorned cake as the canvas, icing sugar as paint and syringes as paintbrushes.

The children learn to mix their own paint - dissolving colour pellets in plain icing sugar to get primary colours.

From there, they learn how to mix these to get secondary colours - if they are willing to share.

Every child gets a few colours, so if they have a "No, it's mine" attitude, they cannot get more colours, says Ms Tan.

When the children are ready to start painting, she leaves them largely on their own so that they can express their creativity.

For example, she may draw a four-oval outline on a cake. In the hands of one child, this could blossom to become a flower. Given to another child, imagination might take flight and a butterfly would appear.

If anyone gets stuck, she helps by getting them to imagine, for example, being in the playground or the garden.

"I will help them to explore beautiful things that they use their eyes to observe and ears to listen...I encourage them to make use of their senses," she explains.

"Also, encouraging the kids and giving them affirmation help them to develop confidence and courage to continue in their little activities of drawing, colouring and decorating."

At the end of the session, the kids piece their efforts together to create one big cake for the birthday child. It is a process Ms Tan finds heartening.

"I love their simple and unassuming ways. I enjoy sessions where I can connect with them, and when I see them responding positively, it thrills my heart," she says.

"When they see their own wonderful creation fully completed, they will usually feel a sense of pride and achievement, as they know that they did it all by themselves.

"That sense of achievement and satisfaction will be shown on their smiling faces!"


To find out more about Kooky Art, visit www.kookyart.com.sg

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