Gallery Children’s Biennale returns with inclusive spaces and new baby-friendly artworks

National Gallery Singapore’s Gallery Children’s Biennale will be returning from May 31, 2025 to Mar 29, 2026 with eight interactive and larger-than-life artworks by artists from Singapore and Asia, aimed at championing accessibility and inclusivity for all audiences. 

For the first time, all artworks at the Biennale will include baby-friendly experiences to stimulate their auditory and visual senses in a safe environment, according to a press release by National Gallery Singapore. 

The Biennale will also feature thoughtfully designed spaces for persons with disabilities to enjoy and participate in art activities.

Themed ‘Tomorrow We’ll Be…’, the exhibition's fifth edition aims to inspire young minds to dream big and embrace the boundless possibilities of their future through art and play. 

Guided by four core values of Joy, Kindness, Dream, and Love, spaces throughout the Gallery will be transformed into vibrant sites for play, learning and imagination.

Some of the artworks include Colourful Play by Singapore artist Fern Wong which features a large interactive wall at the Gallery’s Coleman Entrance and Spine Hall that invites children to have their hand in completing the artist’s intricate papercut design using magnetic papercut shapes. 

Babies and toddlers can engage with a wall of maze, rotating sound makers, textural panels and reflective elements – likened to a sensorial busy board. 

The Biennale will also feature Fantasy, an installation made of 130kg of upcycled children’s clothing and close to 400 donated toys by Malaysia-based art collective Co2_karbondioksida.

At the heart of the dreamy space is a striking, large-scale mobile made from repurposed toys, encouraging children to lie back, look up and dream. 

Families can also visit the Gallery’s Anteroom, which will transform into a cosy theatre space with a screening of a stop-motion film by Laotian artist, Souliya Phoumivong.

Titled Lessons In Being Kind, the film follows colourful round blob characters on their journey of self-discovery, touching on topics such as identity, self-acceptance and the importance of kindness towards others and oneself. 

The space also displays the adorable clay figures featured in the film (made by young Singaporean participants), an activity area where families can create their own stop-motion video and a fun balancing chair that engages children to work together to keep it level.

To enhance their experience, visitors may also pick up the Gallery Children’s Biennale 2025 Art Pack for S$8 – an art activity kit filled with vibrant art supplies, step-by-step instructions and creative explorations inspired by the eight artworks. 

The Art Packs will be available in two age-banded versions – one for children aged six and below and another for children aged seven and above.

“Going into our fifth edition, the Gallery Children’s Biennale has ignited the imaginations and creativity of numerous young museum-goers over the years,” said Ong Zhen Min, executive director of Gallery Children’s Biennale. 

“Featuring diverse arts talents from our region, we have cultivated a love for art in children from a young age, through fun and accessible artworks and experiences. As we approach the milestone of the Gallery’s 10th anniversary, we seek to continue creating accessible touchpoints and a welcoming space for visitors of all backgrounds to enjoy the arts.”

Admission and participation in Gallery Children’s Biennale 2025 are free for all visitors.

With a donation of S$2 to the Gallery, visitors may also pick up a My Biennale Buddy activity booklet onsite, which features extended artist and artwork write-ups, programme information and a stamping activity where families may redeem a small gift upon visiting all the artworks and collecting the stamps. 

Visit childrensbiennale.com for more information.