The Singapore Centre for Chinese Language successfully held the finals of the 2026 National Preschool Teaching Aids Competition — Picture Book × Board Game Edition on 28 March 2026.

        With the theme "Picture Book × Board Game", this year's competition encouraged participants to use picture books as a foundation to develop interactive board game teaching aids, further promoting innovation in preschool Chinese language education.

       From nearly 150 submissions, 14 outstanding entries were shortlisted for the finals. The entries were rigorously evaluated by a judging panel comprising leaders from preschool institutions, education experts and Chinese language specialists. The Most Outstanding Award, Outstanding Award, Excellence Award, and the Most Popular Teaching Aid Award were selected based on the criteria of originality, educational value and local contextualisation. The judges noted that this year's entries reflected teaching designs grounded in children's developmental principles, while demonstrating the professionalism and creativity of educators.

        The Most Outstanding Award was presented to Gao Yang and Ee Ah Chean from E-Bridge Pre-School @140 Corporation Drive for their board game entry, "Where's the Chimney?", inspired by the picture book of the same title. By transforming the story into an interactive gameplay experience, their work demonstrated a creative approach to integrating game-based learning into Chinese language education. The winners shared that children responded most enthusiastically to the "ball entering the house" segment of the game, and particularly enjoyed constructing HDB flats and pipeline systems, experiencing a strong sense of freedom and engagement throughout the process.

       The Outstanding Award was presented to Li Yuanyuan, Xu Li, Yang Hui, and Zhang Jingjing from PCF Sparkletots Preschool @ Punggol North Blk 447A (CC). Inspired by the picture book "The Princess Who Likes to Exercise", they created the board game "The Great Forest Sports Adventure". The team shared that children were highly engaged in the game's "get moving" concept, participating in physical activities across different levels. When drawing animal cards, children would naturally act out the corresponding movements, demonstrating a high level of enthusiasm and participation.

       The Excellence Award was presented to Huang Tzu-Yi and He Qing Jie from The Schoolhouse by Busy Bees @ Kovan. Based on the picture book "Ah-Choo!", they developed the board game "Saving Green Island". The winners noted that during the "clearing haze" segment, children worked collaboratively to collect cards and complete tasks together, gaining a strong sense of achievement through teamwork.

       The Most Popular Teaching Aid Award was presented to Zhai Qiutong, Tan Kit Ning Jaslyn, Chan Sook Leng, and Xu Ziling from NurtureStars @ SAFRA Toa Payoh for their board game entry, "Santa's Flip-Flops", inspired by the picture book of the same title. With its relatable theme and simple yet engaging card-based gameplay, the entry resonated strongly with the public and emerged as a crowd favourite.

       During the public interaction segment, many attendees noted that the board games demonstrated strong interactivity and hands-on engagement. Children were highly involved in the activities, and in the process, naturally developed their language expression and social skills. The entries reflected the creativity and thoughtful instructional design of educators, while also highlighting the professional practices and developmental potential of Chinese language teaching in Singapore's early childhood sector. The Most Outstanding Award winners shared that the competition provided them with valuable opportunities for practice, deepening their understanding of how to integrate game-based learning into Chinese language teaching.

       The event, which brought together literature, creativity, and game design, not only highlighted the professional expertise of early childhood educators in Singapore but also breathed new life into local Chinese language teaching.

  

Members of the public and children engaging in interactive gameplay with a lively atmosphere

 

Dr Cheng Wan-Ni, SCCL Dean of Early Childhood Care and Education, presenting the Most Outstanding Award to Gu Zong Xu (left) and Chung Jing Yi (right) from E-Bridge Pre-School @ 140 Corporation Drive, representing Gao Yang and Ee Ah Chean

 

Dr Cheng presenting the Outstanding Award to Xu Li (second from left), Zhang Jingjing (third from left), and Yang Hui (right) from PCF Sparkletots Preschool @ Punggol North Blk 447A (CC)

 

Dr Cheng presenting the Excellence Award to He Qing Je (centre) and Huang Tzu-Yi (right) from The Schoolhouse by Busy Bees @ Kovan

 

Dr Cheng presenting the Most Popular Teaching Aid Award to the team from NurtureStars @ SAFRA Toa Payoh: Zhai Qiutong (second from left), Tan Kit Ning Jaslyn (centre), Chan Sook Leng (second from right), and Xu Ziling (first from right)

 

Group photo of the finalist teams with Dr Cheng