I HAD to become a parent before I fully appreciated Singapore museums.

Earlier this month, while trying to entertain my three-year-old son, Julian, during his school holidays, I revisited both the National Museum of Singapore and the Singapore Art Museum (SAM).

In my past life as an arts reporter, I had often covered events and exhibitions at both museums. But exploring those spaces of education, research and national record with a kid in tow proved to be a totally different experience.

At the National Museum, Julian and I soaked up the fun atmosphere of its recently-concluded Children’s Season with glee.

He ran around in an activity area with surreal, red-and-white blobby shapes made out of fabric, and tore felt flowers from the wall and refastened them with velcro at an interactive installation.

Visiting the ongoing Verner Panton exhibition, a travelling show devoted to the works of the Danish designer and architect, Julian and I swopped our shoes for plastic foot-coverings – mini ones are provided for children – and stepped into a rainbow-hued space made out of soft, organic forms.

It was a sensory treat for my fascinated son.

Best of all, those activities are free for kids. Admission for the Panton exhibition is $6 for adults, but there is no charge for children six years and under.

One recent Sunday, the Supportive Spouse and I also took Julian in search of Chinese painter Wu Guanzhong’s adorable panda painting at SAM’s exhibition,
where some 114 works donated by the artist are being shown.

There, Julian counted the pandas in the picture loudly and exclaimed joyfully that
Wu’s painting of fishes was beautiful.

And, when we chanced upon a pile of pleather building blocks that looked like miniature bean bags in a corner of the museum, Julian went wild.

We spent half an hour building huge forts, and then knocking them down (a la Godzilla in Tokyo).

Near the museum’s exit, there was a $1 instant-photo booth and a table full of art materials, where visitors were encouraged to decorate their instant snaps and stick them on a VIP wall.

It was tough trying to prise our son away.

It struck me later how shopping malls here are packed to the gills with frenzied families with screaming kids in tow during the school vacation.

Yet, one  could wander the spacious, quiet, air-conditioned halls of these museums with oodles of space to spare.

It’s really a pity. After all, our major cultural institutions have really made the effort to be family-friendly through their facilities and exhibitions.

And isn’t an afternoon spent learning to appreciate art, and even learning how to make it, more worthwhile than one spent dragging bored kids around a mall?

But I shudder to think what might happen if those parents who currently treat Ikea’s showrooms like dumping grounds for their unruly tykes decide to move their brood to museums.

Museums still need to retain a sense of decorum, and museum-goers must learn to respect these institutions.

Then again, it takes time to instil museum etiquette in newbies, and I know that getting them to visit at all is the first step.

Exposing our children to museums and encouraging them to explore is the best way to ensure they respect and understand those centres of learning.

In the meantime, you can find me and my child seeking refuge in our museums whenever boredom or a heat wave strikes.

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