Around the world, people are stepping up to fight climate change. Be it through small team building activities or individual workshops, Singapore is actively playing a part too. In the Singapore Green Plan 2030 released in 2021, the country sets targets for sustainability by cutting down on landfills, reducing net carbon emissions, and encouraging the use of electric vehicles.
Among Singaporeans, there seems to be an increased awareness about eco-friendliness and conscious consumption. This sparked a greater interest and participation in green workshops and leading an eco-friendly lifestyle in recent years.
These initiatives incorporated sustainability messages or environmentally related lessons, in addition to driving colleagues or loved ones to spend more quality time together. Acting as workshops suitable for individuals of all ages, and even as the perfect team building or family activity to partake in, they equip participants with the right know-how and mindset that green habits can be cultivated. It does not take much to adopt a more climate-conscious lifestyle. Here are six green workshops in Singapore we believe everyone should get their hands on — or perhaps, your green thumbs.
1. The Green Capsule: Terrarium Making Workshops
The Green Capsule was founded by two nature lovers — landscape architect Ricky Lim and his horticulturist wife in 2014. It is one of the first one-stop shops for terrariums in Singapore.
For the uninitiated, a terrarium is likened to a miniature greenhouse, a fantasy garden of sorts. Soil, plants, and other ornaments like coloured stones and figurines are kept within a semi or fully enclosed glass jar, jug or bottle. Many terrariums are self-sustainable, as the heat that enters the glass panel creates a small water cycle to upkeep the ecosystem living within. Others come with a lid that can be opened for maintenance.
Having indoor plants like terrariums is not only a source of pleasure, but it also reduces stress and has a positive impact on one’s well-being. That is why it has become a go-to gifting option or a popular workshop choice in recent years.
The Green Capsule offers a range of customisable terrariums, DIY kits, fantasy garden workshops, and other related services, support and tools for creating and caring for terrariums.
It also conducts regular terrarium workshops, such as the ornamental terrarium workshop, couple closed terrarium workshop, fantasy garden and airplant terrarium workshop, for interested individuals to make house plants that they can call their own. The terrarium workshop conducted by The Green Capsule, often a one-hour one-to-one session, will allow participants to learn more about the science behind the mini enclosures. You will be provided with all the materials needed to build a terrarium and guided step-by-step by an instructor. At the end of the session, you will not only get to bring home your DIY terrarium, but also receive tips on maintaining the house plants. More importantly, you’ll cultivate a deeper appreciation of how to instil a tinge of green in one’s busy lifestyle.
On top of individual workshops, The Green Capsule also offers terrarium building workshops for couples, families, children, and corporations for bonding and educational purposes. Ditch the typical birthday parties or team bonding workshops and try a more intimate activity!
The price for a basic hour-long terrarium workshop ranges from S$40 per person, to S$80 per couple, and S$99 for a family of four. There are also kids workshops suitable for ages four and above, at the cost of S$35 and other themed (i.e., Chinese New Year, Christmas, Valentine’s Day) terrarium building workshops at S$45.
Address:
#04-11 Funan Mall, 107 North Bridge Road, Singapore 179105
#02-143 Great World City, 1 Kim Seng Promenade, Singapore 237994
Opening Hour (Funan Mall): Daily—11:00am to 8:00pm
Opening Hour (Great World City): Daily—11:00am to 9:00pm
2. The Plant Story: Miniature Gardens Building workshops
If delving into the art of terrarium making does not tame your inner green finger, The Plant Story has a range of fun activities, including miniature garden building workshops. They are perfect for urban dwellers who are hungry for the beauty of nature but are concerned by the lack of sufficient space.
Over here, individuals are given the option to build their own miniature desert, rainforest, air, and water gardens, housed in glass containers of various shapes and sizes.
The Plant Story trainers will advise according to the participants’ needs and planting experiences, and how each of the miniature gardens works before they decide on what is the best for them. Individuals who are attending the workshops in pairs or larger groups may also opt to build larger indoor gardens.
The Plant Story was founded by Cath, who candidly called herself a “serial plant killer”. Although she has a love for nature and is all for leading an eco-friendly lifestyle, she found herself lacking the skills and knowledge to care for plants. So, she decided to leave her advertising job of 16 years to become a landscape designer and a horticulturist.
From then on, Cath was determined to help other urbanists like her. She believes in playing an active role in reconnecting harmoniously with nature. But to do that, we need to be equipped with the right knowledge and skills. This led to the birth of The Plant Story in 2009, offering urban farming, miniature gardening (a terrarium workshop), nature immersion and art therapy workshops.
For those who wish to take their nature experiences a step further, they may also choose to enrol into the home apothecary workshops to learn more about the herbs easily accessible in Singapore. The workshop will teach participants the origins and uses of common herbs. They will also be able to concoct and bring home their own remedies, from insect repellent to body scrubs.
Cath believes in treating each and every of her workshop participants like VIPs and providing them with an unforgettable experience. Each workshop lasts about 2.5h, and participants will be served homemade cakes and complimentary drinks. The price of a one-to-one individual workshop costs S$195 for a singular booking. A two-person workshop, like the Celebrate Relationships workshop for the ultimate bonding experience, costs S$298. Team bonding workshops that cater to larger class sizes with three to nine participants cost S$125 per person.
Address: The Oval at Seletar Aerospace Park and Ang Mo Kio Industrial Estate
Opening Hour: Daily—9:00am to 8:00pm
3. Studio An: Art Materials Recycling Workshop
Unlike other sustainable initiatives, Studio An was born out of its founder — Gloricia Shen, an art enthusiast who has a fond love for art and craft, rather than nature.
In 2021, Gloricia left her corporate job to start a small studio that now offers tufting, acrylic painting, and other craft workshops for a riveting bonding experience. She also rents out her studio space, equipment, and art materials for others to experiment and work on their art projects. Gradually, Gloricia noticed the studio had accumulated a substantial amount of waste — mainly canvas, yarn, and cardboard. That was what prompted her to start recycling some of these materials into the making of papers. She wishes to give the creative wastes a new life and at the same time, play a part in making the art industry more sustainable.
In the 2h-long guided paper-making workshop at Studio An, participants will be taught how to break down used materials and waste cardboards, and integrate them into the making of recycled papers. They will also learn the types of creative wastes commonly found in arts and crafts studios and what can be done to minimise usage or recycle them meaningfully.
Participants are encouraged to bring along their own natural, compostable materials like leaves and flowers to spice up their recycled papers. As most of the creative wastes are unique, participants will bring back recycled papers that come with one-of-its-kind colours and patterns. A single paper-making session costs S$35, with all materials provided. Do note that there are limited time slots and spots, so be sure to keep on your toes and book in advance!
Prefer other creative workshops? If you are all for an art jamming workshop, Studio An also offers a 3h-long free and easy Art Buffet and sewing workshops with a twist in the form of tufting. While the latter might flip the usual experience of using a sewing machine on its head, it'll make for an epic workshop either way.
Address: #02-19 Entrepreneur Business Centre, 18 Kaki Bukit Road 3, Singapore 415978
Opening Hour: Wednesday to Sunday—10:30am to 11:00pm
4. WahSoSimple: Food Packaging Upcycling Workshops
All along, avid crafter Koh Lee Sin has been on a mission to convince the public that being an art enthusiast and having a love for crafting is not an expensive hobby. So far, she’s done so through her plethora of artwork, made from leftover materials, common household items, and even trash.
Lee Sin came up with the “Less is More” upcycling workshop series in 2015, when she learnt that Singaporeans discard more than 700 million kilograms of plastic every year, with up to 90 per cent of them not recycled. She hopes the hands-on sessions, team building events and community events will help to spread the message of reducing plastic consumption and waste. Ultimately, turning art and craft into an instrumental force for environmental care and awareness. She even holds a wide selection of online workshops revolving around the theme of sustainability and mental wellness, as well as craft workshops where you'll be able to bring home your own clay craft products like clay dishes. Your kids will even be able to join the latter with their School Holidays Student Workshop, or you can choose to have lots of fun via their team-building workshops and corporate workshops.
In the plastic upcycling workshop, which is typically 2h-long, participants will get to learn how to turn plastic food packaging into a unique and practical zipper pouch. In this fun class, you can also learn how to make face mask holders or triangular headphone pouches from old plastic folders and even unused banners.
On top of plastic, Lee Sin also offers upcycling workshops with a wide selection of used materials, such as pre-loved clothes, fabric scraps, and unwanted papers or cardboards. Participants can choose to turn the waste materials into reusable shopping bags, cup coasters, food wrap, and notebooks, among others.
WahSoSimple’s upcycling workshops are on-demand, creative, and simple. If you're looking for epic workshops suitable for kids, you'll be glad to know there is no age or experience limit to any of her fun classes. Lee Sin draws inspiration from everyday life, and believes that anyone can make simple adjustments in their lifestyle to become a more environmentally conscious individual that cares for future communities.
All upcycling workshops at WahSoSimple are tailored, and it does not have a physical studio space at the moment. For more information on the price, dates, and content, please enquire directly on its official website.
5. Gardens with Purpose: Urban Farming Workshops
In recent years, there is a growing interest in urban farming in Singapore. From the rooftop of multi-storey car parks, to schools and HDB flats, it is not hard to spot fresh produce being planted in vertical shelves.
With the right knowledge, training, and tools, it is not impossible to grow your own food, especially organic vegetables, herbs, and fruits at home. This is what Gardens with Purpose has set out to do.
Gardens with Purpose is an urban farming school founded by Joanne Ng, who teaches the fundamentals of growing and maintaining an edible garden. Her one-day long, hands-on workshop on growing organic vegetables using soil or soilless methods, gives participants a step-by-step guide into the kinds of equipment and know-how needed to start their gardening journey.
At the same time, Joanne also addresses some of the common planting mistakes in her fun classes. She will provide tips on choosing the right kind of vegetables to grow in the tropical climate and natural solutions to combat plant diseases. Additionally, she will share the differences between soil and soilless planting so participants can have an insight into the types of vegetables and planting methods most suitable for their homes or offices.
For the more experienced gardeners, there is the one-day advanced workshop which allows participants to learn more about the various propagation techniques – how to manage pests and fungal diseases, along with generating fertilisers from food waste. On top of growing vegetables and fruits, there are also other one-day workshops on growing herbs and spices.
Joanne hopes that gardening will not only be a trend that comes and dies as time goes on. She wishes to equip interested participants with new skills, one that can open new career opportunities to those in need and even transform the local farming scene.
A workshop on growing organic vegetables using soil or soilless methods, some of which are SkillsFuture Credit eligible courses, costs S$230 per person and lasts from 9:30am to 5:00pm. Gardens with Purpose also hosts corporate events to enrich the quality of life of office workers.
Address: 479 Sims Avenue, Singapore 387551
6. Green Nudge
Green Nudge is a green social enterprise founded in 2018, with the belief that mass events should be more environmentally driven and made sustainable. It aims to “nudge” rather than “instruct” individuals to go green by giving them opportunities to learn through fun activities and reflect on problems that are affecting our environment.
Green Nudge offers different kinds of outreach programmes, such as trails to the e-waste factories, workshops on understanding marine biodiversity and beach cleanups. It also organises one to 3h-long workshops on various plastic, food, and fabric waste themes.
In the newPlastics workshop, participants will learn more about the situation of single use plastic and disposable in Singapore, and the challenges to recycle them. They will then be taught how to combine these plastic waste and turn them into practical items like carabiner hooks or pins.
In its composting workshop, participants will learn how to decompose food and organic waste into useful fertiliser for gardening. The hands-on session gives participants an insight into what goes into our landfills and how they can be minimised.
Workshops offered by Green Nudge are customisable. For more information on the price, dates, and content, please enquire directly on its official website.
Address: #01-01, 21 Bedok North Street 1, Singapore 469659
Opening Hour: -
If you're looking for an engaging and fun experience that can also contribute to making a positive impact on the world, attending one of the green and sustainable workshops in Singapore may be just the thing for you. Nothing beats the fun of learning to do something new and playing a small part in changing the world.
Whether you're interested in creative workshops, corporate workshops, team building events, or simply looking for things to do in Singapore this weekend, there is something for everyone. These workshops, be it a terrarium workshop or miniature clay art workshop, will provide you with an opportunity to learn new skills, meet new people, and have lots of fun while doing so.
In fact, attending one of these epic workshops is not just a mere fun thing to do but can also be a great way to bond with colleagues or friends and even make a positive contribution to the environment at the same time. So, what are you waiting for? Be a part of the eco-friendly lifestyle and join one of these green and sustainable workshops for the ultimate bonding experience.
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