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Over 5,000 pre-schoolers work on SG60 mural made of reused plastic toys

Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox SINGAPORE - Over 147kg of old plastic toys have been assembled on a giant mural at Promenade MRT station depicting iconic figures in Singapore's 60-year journey, including its founder Sir Stamford Raffles, samsui women, and the once-ubiquitous kacang puteh man. Modern icons like the Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay and Marina Bay Sands, as well as beloved zoo animals Inuka the polar bear and Ah Meng the orang utan, are also featured. The SG60 art project, titled Building Our Nation Over Generations, was unveiled on July 2. Measuring 13.5m wide and 2.1m high, it is said to be the largest mural in Singapore made from reused plastics, created in support of Go Green SG. Ms Goh Han Yan, Senior Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment, placed the final piece on the mural at its unveiling ceremony. Over 10,000 participants were involved in the making of the mural, including more than 5,000 pre-schoolers from Kinderland International Education and their educators and family members. The pre-school group also partnered with SMRT Trains, YTL PowerSeraya and Lions Befrienders for the project. Ms Fadhlin A.G., 35, who designed the artwork, said Kinderland approached her to create the mural to share the message of sustainability. Ms Fadhlin A.G. (in black top), head of art at Crestar Learning Centre, and pre-schoolers looking at Singapore's largest mural made from recycled plastic toys on July 2. ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO 'I feel very happy and very proud of the kids,' said Ms Fadhlin, head of art at Crestar Learning Centre. She added that the kids 'did most of the work', dismantling the toys to glue them onto the mural board. Ms Doris Tey, 53, centre leader of Kinderland, facilitated the project across the group 's 51 centres in Singapore. She said that after the centres received toy donations, the plastic ones were identified, weighed and sorted by size. If a toy was too big, it would be dismantled. The task of dismantling toys was handled by adult volunteers from YTL Power Seraya and educators from the centres. Seniors from Lions Befrienders helped with painting and sorting the toys. Reagan Wong, one of the 5,000 pre-schoolers who worked on the mural, said choosing the toys was his favourite part of the project. 'I have fun making this picture with my friends,' said the six-year-old boy. (From left) President of SMRT Trains Lam Sheau Kai; General Manager of Kinderland Seet Lee Kiang; Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Sustainability & the Environment Goh Han Yan; CEO of YTL PowerSeraya John Ng; and Executive Director of Lions Befrienders Service Association Singapore Karen Wee in front of Singapore's largest mural made from recycled plastic toy waste. ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO Ayesha Adawiyah Md Fadli, six, said it was good to use old toys for the mural. Recycling 'helps the earth and the earth will be clean', she said. Ms Tey said the mural is a meaningful 'inter-generational effort to celebrate Singapore's 60th anniversary and promote sustainability'. SMRT, which provided the platform for the artwork, said: 'The mural stands as a powerful symbol of how even the youngest among us can contribute to a greener future.' Mr Seet Lee Kiang, general manager and director of Kinderland Singapore, said: 'This SG60 mural is more than an artwork. It is a symbol of hope, collaboration and a greener future.'