Well, that’s what all parents were doing on Saturday, 23^rd May 2009, at the Healthy Ice Cream Making @ Health Zone. After reading about the workshop on yesterday.sg, I took the opportunity and went down on Saturday afternoon to take a look. As I observed the huge crowd that has turned up for the workshop, I chatted with the one organizer, who informed me that this workshop was so popular with parents and children that an additional 2-3 classes were opened instead of the originally intended one class. Wow! But I’m not surprised. The word ‘ice-cream’ appeals to children, and even some adults, in a way that nothing else can.

The instructor, Grace, first told her volunteer helpers to give out the necessary ingredients for the ice-cream. Now, for those who would like to try it out on your own at home, listen up. I didn’t pay attention to the quantity, so that’s up to you to play trial and error. But the ingredients are as follows: low fat cream, sugar, and milk (chocolate, vanilla or strawberry – just for your information, the class used HL-low fat milk).

First, empty a packet of ice into a bucket.

Next, pour half a packet of salt into the ice to slow down the melting process.

Place the ingredients in a metal mixing bowl and put the bowl in the middle of the bucket of ice.

Then, whisk the ingredients in the metal mixing bowl and spin the metal mixing bowl in the bucket of ice.

Just keep whisking and spinning until the mixture freezes.

And ta-da! You get ice-cream! Healthy and hand-made Japanese style!

Of course, the whisking process is a tad tedious, and long. So Grace suggested an easy way out – to use an electric whisk, if you would prefer not to burn calories. And when the mixture looks to be on the verge of freezing, place the mixture in the freezer for about 15 minutes. But how can the easy way out be anything compared to the sense of achievement you get when you whip up your own ice-cream with your child helping you? Or even, with your child doing it all by himself?

Check out how much fun the children – of all ages and genders since there were girls and boys, younger children and older children – are enjoying while helping their moms. Look at how moms are whisking and children are helping to spin the metal mixing bowl.

For some, the child is even doing the whisking while the mom helps or looks on. Look at this independent child who doesn’t need his mom’s help to make the ice-cream! I’d just bet he wants to serve his mom the ice-cream he made all by himself!

Oh wait, not all parents mixing the ice-cream are moms! Look at this dad who’s doing his part to whisk the mixture!

And after some hard work, ta-da! The first bowl of ice-cream completed and dished out in the entire class!

Yum-yum! I just bet the handmade ice-cream tastes great! Especially with raisin topping!

An expat family that has been in Singapore for 2 years also very kindly offered me a bowl of the ice-cream they have made. It tasted great! The soft chocolate ice-cream was not too sweet, and it was soft and cold, just like yogurt ice-cream!

And after enjoying all the fruits of their hard work, parents and children made their way down to the exhibition at the Health Zone, where there are fun exhibits and interactive games meant for children. There are even equipment meant for healthy play and exercise for children to have fun with!

I had so much fun! Not only did I get to enjoy some ice-cream, I saw the interaction between parents and children, and I played my way through the exhibition which I’d initially thought would be boring but boy, was I wrong!

This event is part of the International Museum Day 2009 (IMD’09) which happens from 23 to 31 May 2009. For more information and updates on IMD’09, please visit www.museums.com.sg/imd09 or call 6346 6438. (Daily: 9am – 7pm)