The tour was conducted by Mr Jeremy Choo, our intern from Temasek Polytechnic. The audience was listening engrossly to the life cycle of a butterfly.
Up close with the caterpillars. Indeed this activity has brought the relationship between father and daughter, mother and son ,,, closer.
"Let me take a nice photo of you...."
" Hi caterpillar, meet the handsome in zebra disguised...."
The ultimate interactions ..... the young were busy with caterpillars and their parents were busy with the cameras....
"Pass me the caterpillar..."
"Butterfly on my Belly..."
"Wow, I could make this butterfly rest on my index finger .."
"This one was on my middle finger..."
"Butterfly on my uh... It sure knows where to land..."
"Butterfly on my hip...Watch where you touch, kids..."
Butterfly on my hat... what a feeling!
The photographer was being photographed with a butterfly perching on his hat.
Father and daughter sharing a private moment....
"Quick! Take a photo of me and the butterfly..."
"Found the caterpillars, boys and girls..."
"Son, look at the proboscis of the butterfly..."
Prized find of the day...
"Follow me.... lets chase after that butterfly..."
Mother and son.... capturing the right moment...
Young children express their emotions and intimacy with parents very spontaneously and naturally. The visit provided both parents and children a golden opportunity for the appreciation and learning of butterflies, photographing and handling of insects together which would enhance the bonding between the parents and the children - important for the growth and upbringing of a child.
Next, they were introduced to soil cultivation.
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Use your hand campaign. With the tools provided, the students got to mix the soil in the correct proportion.
"After mixing the soil, fill the pot with the soil..."
"Next, we have to prepare the cuttings for planting..."
"Children, handle the plants with tender, loving care..."
For plants to grow well, you will need to water the plants... 
"After watering, leave the pot plant on the floor. 
Finally, break time...
Yummy, yum, yum....
Though a few of the children were afraid to stay in close proximity with the butterflies, on the whole most of the children that went through the program, thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Hopefully, this visit would inspire some of them to be our future 
Our experienced guide, Tony was sharing the medicinal values of some of the herbs in the garden.
Cat's Whiskers or Java Tea (Orthosiphon aristatus), a pretty perennial herb grows to around 1 m tall with beautiful flowers that attract bees and butterflies. In traditional medicine, the leaves are infused as tea especially for kidney complaints. It has diuretic properties. 
Behind the students are some sunflowers, blooming to its fullest. Sunflower seeds are an excellent source of nutrients like Vitamin E, and a good source of vitamins B1, B5, B6, and minerals including magnesium, folate, copper, tryptophan, and selenium. They are also a good source of protein. 
Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana), is about 250 times sweeter than sugar, has garnered attention with the rise in demand for low-carbohydrate, low-sugar food alternatives. Medical research has also shown possible benefits of stevia in treating obesity and high blood pressure. 
Our Herb & Spice garden consists of Culinary Herbs, local Chinese Herbs and some common spices. In this sensory tour, the students get to taste some of the culinary herbs, touch and feel the different texture of leaves, smell the different scent of the plants and also listen to the rhythm you can create with the seed pods. Not forgetting, lots of photos to bring back.
Strolling the garden at your own pace, own timing....
Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is used as an aromatic culinary herb that adds distinctive flavor to chicken, breads, and many other foods. This plant is also an herbal remedy for a variety of ailments, such as improving memory, relieving muscle pain, and stimulating the circulatory and nervous systems. Rosemary is also reputed to increase hair growth by stimulating the oily secretions of the hair follicles.
Tarragon or dragon's-wort (Artemisia dracunculus) helps the digestive process in our body. The herb is also believed to possess a gentle tranquilizing effect and helps in alleviating insomnia. The herb has been traditionally used to cure toothaches.
At the end of the tour, the students were led to the Visitor Learning Area where the guide shared on some uses of essential oil at home. One of the spice oil, clove was introduced as a cockroach repellent. Drip a few drops of the clove oil onto a cotton ball and then put it inside the kitchen cabinets. Clove oil is a food oil, it does not kill. All it does is to chase all the cockroaches to your neighbours' house.
Through this tour, the Farm hopes that more people will appreciate the herbs and plants around us. Whether it is just a spice which is used for enhancing the flavour of food, a herb for its medicinal values or even just a weed that looks so insignificant, these plants have contributed in a positive way to our living environment.