An Afternoon at Planetarium: My Thoughts and What to Expect!

I live in Manila and I'm ashamed to admit that for the 33 years (age revelation! haha!) of my life, I haven't stepped foot at the National Museum or the Planetarium until last March 31. BOS and I have been planning to take the kids to the National Museum but we still haven't done it, must plan it this summer! When I found about the launch of Planetarium's launch of their new full dome projector on Facebook, it fastly became the topic on one of my mommy group chats and one thing lead to another, Michelle and I agreed to go one day. I have been passing Planetarium since I was a kid, I have always been curious but I never got to go so I was excited to take Y with me!

Before I share my thoughts and expectations with you, let me share the history of the Planetarium first!

From the National Museum website:

The idea of putting up a modern Planetarium in Manila was conceived in 1970’s by the former National Museum Director Godofredo Alcasid Sr. with the assistance of Mr. Maximo P. Sacro, Jr. of the Philippine Weather bureau (now PAGASA) and one of the founders of the Philippine Astronomical Society (PAS). The Planetarium is located between the Japanese Garden and the Chinese Garden at the Luneta Park. The project was presented to the former First Lady Mrs. Imelda R. Marcos, then the Chairman of the National Parks and Development Committee (NPDC). As one of her priority projects, Mrs. Marcos requested the Department of Public Works and Highways to prepare the Planetarium in one month’s time and allocate the funds for the construction. Construction of the building began in 1974 and took nine months to complete. It was formally inaugurated on October 8, 1975. The Presidential Decree No. 804-A, issued on September 30, 1975, affirmed the Planetarium’s status. Its primary function is to disseminate astronomical information through planetarium shows, lectures, demonstrations, exhibits and actual celestial observations. The unique feature of the Planetarium is the true-to-life projection of astronomical bodies that captures the interest and tickles the imagination of viewers. The GM-15 Goto Planetarium Projector was acquired through the Japanese Reparation Program in the Philippines. Through the years, improvements have been made in the Planetarium building through the efforts of its former Directors. In May 2010, Director Jeremy Barns approved the funds for the major repair of the Planetarium Projector which is considered to be the heart and soul of the Planetarium. Efforts to continually develop its facilities are ongoing and the public could expect improvements in 2013.

This was my quick review I made and posted through Instagram but edited for this blog post. :)

Went to National Museum Planetarium with Y and  Michelle (My Mom-Friday) and her kids last March 31. Admission is free until April 30. It's currently running 5 shows on Tuesday-Saturday and 2 shows on Sunday.

They're currently running three shows: Hayabusa Back to the Earth, Journey to a Billion Suns and A Planet for Goldilocks.

Tuesday-Saturday: Planetarium Program: 

1st show: 9:00 am - A Planet for Goldilocks

2nd show: 10:30 am - Hayabusa Back to the Earth

3rd show: 1:00 pm - A Planet for Goldilocks

4th show: 2:30 pm - Journey to a Billion Suns

5th show: 4:00 pm - Hayabusa Back to the Earth

Sunday:

1st show: 10:00 am - Journey to a Billion Suns

2nd show: 2:00 pm - Hayabusa Back to the Earth

What to expect:

1. The theater can accommodate 200 pax only per show. If they reached 200, they won't let you in anymore and you have to wait until the next show which is 1.5 hours apart.

2. Expect long lines and a waiting time of at least 1 hour. It's hot so bring your paypay/portable fans! They only give out tickets after the previous show is done. Kids 4 and below are strictly not allowed.

This was what greeted me upon entering the gate. There's 1 guard who regulates the line.

 If you are lining up and there's this many people, always remember who's in your front and back because may mga sumisingit!

Ayan busy sila. Kanya kanyang phone!

3. Bags are not allowed inside. Cellphones are also prohibited inside the theater. Only your wallet and other important belongings are allowed. They also have a baggage counter where you can leave your things. You can get your cellphones after the show and take photos around the exhibits.

When the line started moving, there's a table near the entrance. They asked us to write our names, what age and grade are the kids in and gave us this ticket.

Then fall in line again going in the theater and for leaving your bags at the baggage counter.

4. The theater is new. Amoy bago! Lol

Since phones aren't allowed inside, I grabbed this photo from the Planetarium's Facebook Page. This photo speaks for itself.

5. Each show is 30 minutes long. We watched Journey to a Billion Suns. The show is nice and Y enjoyed it, she learned something new! It's a full dome show meaning the show is projected to the dome, hence you have it watch it in an inclined position. Nakaaliw pero medyo nahilo ako (aging? Haha!).

6. If you want to watch the next shows, you have to fall in line again. Come early in the morning and catch the early shows, baka less people and not as hot.

7. I hope they'll have a better ticketing system that they'll give out or let people buy tickets in advance (after April 30) for the next shows parang sa movies so there's no need to line up in the heat!  People can go around Luneta while waiting for the next shows.

8. Worth it? Besides the wait and init, yes. Make a Manila tour, visit na din National Museum and Intramuros! Will be come back? Yes, we'll come back for the other shows pero baka pag hindi na ganon ka-init!
9. If you are driving, parking can be a challenge. They have limited parking area, I think maybe only 6-8 cars can fit. You can park by T. Kalaw (challenge din) or the parking lot near Nayong Pilipino but medyo mahaba ang lalakarin niyo.

10. You can enter via Rizal Park at the Japanese or Chinese Garden, forgot which one.

Almost one month later after our visit, I really hope the lines aren't as long and their ticketing system has since improved (even just a little). Y wants to go back and watch the other shows. If you've gone recently, kindly share your experience!

For more information, visit National Museum Planetarium Facebook Page or http://www.nationalmuseum.gov.ph/!

Brain Fitness with BrainFit Studio Philippines

What is brain fitness? Is there such a thing? Just like physical fitness, it has five pillars that determine how fit a person is: strength, flexibility, endurance, speed and coordination. Brain fitness also has five pillars: sensory-motor, attention, visual, auditory and social emotional. Our physical fitness influences our performance in sports while brain fitness influences our learning and achievement in school, work, and daily life. Today, there's a center that provides the most modern neuro-scientific-based brain fitness training programs in Asia and that is BrainFit Studio.
Two years ago, Y's school had a talk about EQ and grit by BrainFit Studio. The talk was very informative and an eye-opener for me. There are enrichment program centers on Math, Reading, Filipino and Chinese and I've thought of enrolling Y and R but up until now I haven't really decided on it mainly because of the mixed feedbacks from different parents. It is said that if you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day; teach him to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime. BrainFit focuses on the foundational skill needed to further the learning process be it in the academic aspect or learning a skill.

 BrainFit's training uses the SMART protocol based on neuro-scientific training: S is for setting appropriate and achievable goals, M is for measurement, A is for adaptation, R is for rewiring through focused practice, and T is for transformation of the brain and the individual.

Last May, we were given the opportunity to try one of the BrainFit programs, we went to their San Juan branch (Y was also having art class in My Little Art Place, that's why we chose this branch). Y had to take the CogMap (Cognitive Map) assessment which is an essential tool to measure and analyze the brain fitness level or cognitive skill of a student. It's a 2-hour long, one-on-one assessment using standardized tests which profile the student's brain in the five key areas of visual, auditory, sensory-motor, attention and memory and social-emotional.

BrainFit offers five kinds of programs based on the five key areas mentioned above, your child can take one program or a combination of the programs.

SMART Moves involves improving sensory-motor coordination.

  Exercises for this fitness program includes enhancing fine motor strength with the help of special putty, using a vibrating “Wiggle Pen” to improve control (and handwriting), and other activities that help your child achieve better balance, endurance, and so forth.

SMART Vision is all about visual and spatial processing. Some exercises may challenge the child to process shapes, colors, and directions they read while performing physical activities like jumping on a trampoline as well as a series of hand-eye coordination exercises, drawing exercises, tangrams, and even specially designed computer programs and apps to develop this area of the brain. In a Singaporean study of the exam results of boys who took six months of SMART Vision training in 2001, schools reported a 25% increase in overall marks, a 35% improvement in English, 50% in mathematics, and 12% increase in foreign language skills.

SMART Listening helps develop auditory and language processing skills. BrainFit Studio uses a scientifically proven program designed to improve attention, comprehension, and auditory memory. These use cute and colorful animations to make the experience more fun for the child.

SMART Focus uses neuro-feedback technology also used by NASA and the US Air Force to monitor kids’ brains while they perform exercises to improve attention and memory. Don’t worry that your child will be hooked up to wires like something out of a sci-fi movie, though! This equipment looks more like a biker’s helmet, and it tracks the active parts of your child’s brain while he engages in specially designed programs that train his brain to focus better.

Following SMART Focus training, a test group of kids showed an average improvement of 12% in attention and 14% in impulse control.

SMART Emotions is all about EQ; it teaches social-emotional self-regulation to help kids handle their moods, learn to relax, and deal with various social situations. These are achieved through a workshop course designed with sessions for just the kids as well as ones with the kids and their parents. Through guided role-playing and other activities, children learn how to express and handle their emotions in efficient ways and deal with social situations that may not always be comfortable.

While waiting for Y during her assessment, I was also given a form to answer which I think was matched to Y's CogMap. It was a very detailed form with questions about your child and how well you know them. We got the results for the CogMap the next day and was asked to come again so the results can be explained to me as well as choose which of the recommended programs Y will take. The CogMap result was explained to me by Teacher Apple. I was really surprised on how detailed and accurate the result was. The CogMap was able to identify Y's strength and areas that needed improvement. Ang galing lang! The CogMap recommended 3 programs for Y which were SMART Moves, SMART Vision and SMART Listening. I chose Smart Vision based on the results and because it had one of the lowest scores.

Each program requires 8 1-hour session. Each class has a 1:4 teacher-student ratio. Most of the time, Y didn't have a classmate so it was a one-on-one session with her teacher. They were given a My BrainFit Progress Book and each session the teacher tracks their progress and writes a feedback/comment for the parents (see photos below). They're also given points every session depending on their progress and by the end of the program, you can exchange your points for a prize, parang Time Zone! Y was motivated by because of the prize! Heehee!

This is where classes for SMART Vision was held.

She was given this My BrainFit Progress Book to track her (as the book's name) progress.

I love the feedback section. Even if I don't see what she does in her sessions, I knew she was improving.

I was able to join Y on her last class and see what she does during class. I was surprised, amazed and impressed all at the same time. Y is a great student, she listens to her teacher, follows instructions well but I think she got a bit distracted because I was in room. **They normally don't allow parents inside the classroom.

She did a series of activities including reading shapes, directions while jumping on a trampoline, walking to and from a line, and more!

After the physical activities, Y also did table activities such as hand-eye coordination exercises, drawing exercises and tangrams.

They were given homeworks too but they're very easy. Most of the time they already did the same activity during their session and they just do another sheet at home. One of their worksheets was a word search activity, I bought a word search book for her after that. When I was in high school I loved doing word searches, I'd ask my mom to buy me word search books at the bookstore and I would spend hours finishing a page after another. Then I became addicted to Sudoku, I guess that's how my exercised my brain!

One of the few homeworks she did.

At the end of our 8th session, she happily picked her prize! Parang Time Zone lang. Heehee!

BrainFit Studio also caters to individuals diagnosed with learning difficulties such as attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADD or ADHD), auditory processing disorder (APD), dyslexia, language delays, sensory-modulation disorder, dyspraxia and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). They also have a programs for young kids aged 3-6 years old called BrainFit Junior, which helps kids develop their fine motor coordination and core stability but also their ability to listen and follow instructions, take turns and recognize feelings.

Brainfit Studio will also be launching a BrainFit Baby program in the second half of 2016, which will target babies from nine months to three years old and require more hands-on participation from the parents.

Y enjoyed her SMART Vision classes. After the 8 sessions she attended, I noticed there are improvements in her Chinese subjects. We usually argue a lot when I tutor her at home, this first quarter, we are doing really good, we're not as stressed as before, we argue less and she seems to be doing well in her class. She remembers what the teachers taught for the day. I'm really happy with how our school year is going so far! She'll continue her SMART Vision next month at the BrainFit near us! Yay! I think BrainFit is something you should consider for your child, I know a lot of moms would prefer programs for specific subjects but I think it's also essential that they can be trained on how to do well also on other subjects. Call or visit the nearest BrainFit Studio to inquire and schedule of CogMap test today!

BrainFit Studio Philippines will also be having a couple of workshops for parents this September that is really worth attending.

Click on the image to enlarge.

For more information, please visit www.brainfitstudio.com

Facebook Page: BrainFit Studio Philippines

BrainFit Branches:

Greenhills

3F 224 Ortigas Avenue, Greenhills, San Juan

Tel: 725-8500; 668-2719; 0917-5991992

Manila

Unit 7, 140 Mayhalique St. corner Masangkay Street, Broadview Towers, Santa Cruz

Tel: 554-0381; 0917-7761689

Quezon City

412 NS Amoranto Street corner Speaker Perez, Barangay Maharlika, Quezon City

Tel: 216-4130; 0927-5593574; 0917-5732107

BGC

9th Avenue Preschool, M Level, ACTIVE FUN Building, 9th Avenue corner 28th Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig

Tel: 0906-4504416

Davao

Unit 3B Bajada Plaza, J.P. Laurel Avenue, Davao City 

Get Ready for the Best Summer Ever with Expo Kid 2016: Summer Activity Fair

Edit: Added the program schedule for this weekend!

School has been over for two weeks now, I'm so happy I don't have to wake up early everyday! Y has been going to art class and she's loving it! I might enroll her for Module 2 at her current school but I also wanted her to try other things this summer. I haven't enrolled R into anything and we're going to Expo Kid this weekend to check out if there's anything R would like to try!

Mommy Mundo together with Caltrate, has organized EXPO KID! EXPO KID is an assembly of the metro’s newest and most exciting activity providers. Catch them on April 2 and 3, 2016 at the High Street Activity Center (between Krispy Kreme and Nike), from 11am to 9pm! Take a look at the variety of activities available this summer and at the end, pick the ones you like most and plan your summer ahead of time.

Whether it's something educational, musical, or physical, visit Expo Kid to know more about the different activities and get a peek on how fun and interesting your kids' summer can be!

Expo Kid exhibitors like Bert Lozada Swim School, Brainfit, Brainrix Learning Plus, Inc., CMA Mental Arithmetic, Enderun, Kidzania Manila, Kindermusik, Learning Litz, Inc., Make My Day, Mind Museum, Smudges, The Learning Library, and Urban Ashram will be providing interactive activities for added fun.

There will be demos on bento making and informative talks on both days! Check out their onstage schedule:

There will also be a mini Mommy Mundo Market for some cool summer finds!

And here's something to make you look forward for this weekend's event, the first 100 moms to come to the event will receive a giveaway from Mommy Mundo! See you there!

Mommy Mundo

Facebook: Mommy Mundo

Instagram: @mommymundo

Twitter: @mommymundo

#expokid2016 #mommymundo #bestsummerever