When parents and educators join forces, it creates a supportive environment for children to thrive, fostering their holistic development and setting the stage for lifelong success.
Joyful parent-educator interactions were on full display at Sentosa’s Siloso Beach on 11 May 2025, as more than 2,000 participants — including children, parents, educators and their families, as well as community partners — gathered for a fun-filled morning of giving back. The happy occasion: The first-ever ‘Start Small Dream Big’ (SSDB) Walkathon, organised by Preschool Market (PSM).
The event also saw PSM launch a new initiative, ‘Our Wonderful Parents’, to recognise parents who actively collaborate with preschool educators as valued partners in their children’s development. “We want to celebrate the love, kindness and unwavering support of parents who play an active role in shaping a nurturing environment for our children and the wider preschool community,” said Dr Cheong Su Fen, founder of PSM.
Check out these event highlights for the wonderful moments of our families and educators walking together, for good!
Guest-of-Honour Mr Ng How Yue (centre), Permanent Secretary (Development), Ministry of Social and Family Development, flagged off the walkathon. Joining him on stage was ECDA’s Chief Executive Officer, Ms Ku Geok Boon (right). “A collaborative partnership between parents and educators has to be built on mutual understanding and positive values such as trust, respect, empathy and altruism,” she said.
Parents, children and educators (many of whom are parents themselves) set off on the 1.5km walk together. Hand in hand, lifted on shoulders or strapped in a stroller — how they completed the family-friendly route was up to them!
Events like the SSDB Walkathon allow parents and educators to build rapport beyond the preschool environment. In turn, children learn values such as respect and empathy by observing positive interactions between their parents and educators.
Mr Justin Doray (left) enjoys volunteering at his daughter Islay’s preschool, My First Skool at Blk 153 Bishan. “I was co-emcee at a preschool event and was on stage with a mic. A few weeks later, a teacher showed me a video of Islay picking up a mic and talking in front of her class,” he said. “Mimicking me gives her confidence.” Centre Principal Ms Cheryl Lin (centre) added, “Justin’s enthusiasm strengthens our preschool’s Parents Support Group and reinforces our belief that educators are not alone in nurturing children.”
Ms Siti Nurhannah Binte Hashik (right), a nursery teacher at PCF Sparkletots @ Potong Pasir Blk 101, said, “A strong parent-educator partnership enables both parties to identify and address concerns relating to the child by aligning strategies at home and in preschool.” For example, she collaborated with four-year-old Leon’s parents to help him differentiate letters of the alphabet. Leon’s mother, Ms Joanne Chen (centre), noted, “When parents trust educators and are open to their insights, it motivates and encourages them to know we are on the same team.”
The walkathon titled ‘Walk for Good: Little Feet, Big Hearts’ marked the launch of SSDB 2025. Now in its 11th edition, the SSDB movement continues to grow, fostering a culture of service learning in young children. Through SSDB, participating preschools guide children in conducting community service projects to help them learn the importance of giving back to the community. Parent involvement in these projects makes the experience more meaningful for children and educators.
Roving mascots such as Bravo, the Red Cross Junior Ambassador, happily posed for pictures with children. Singapore Red Cross is one of 32 community partners supporting SSDB 2025. Themed ‘Together for Tomorrow, Empowering Young Hearts’, it emphasises the importance of service learning in developing children’s social and emotional skills through parent-preschool-community collaboration.
The walkathon aimed to raise funds for the underprivileged, with proceeds from booth sales going to beneficiaries of the President’s Challenge. Items on sale ranged from SSDB merchandise and stationery to children’s games and cookbooks. Some preschools also set up booths at the event, where parents could purchase crafts and artworks made by their little ones.
Singapore Kindness Movement (SKM) displayed boards showcasing ‘Bags of Kindness’ decorated by preschoolers. Ms Michelle Tay, Executive Director of SKM, underscored the role of kindness not just in imparting values like compassion and respect to children, but also in strengthening parent-educator relationships. “Kindness is the golden thread that weaves the fabric for strong partnerships,” she said.
Parents are children’s life teachers, and educators are parents’ valuable partners in this journey. Let’s walk hand in hand to give every child a good start!