MOTHERS may still be seen as the ones doing most of the nurturing in a parenting relationship but it seems that fathers are now stepping up to the task.

Holistic parenting, with a focus on fathers, was one of the features at this year's Kidz Academy, organised by Sphere Exhibits.

The National Library Board (NLB) was one of the exhibitors reaching out to fathers.

Their current project, 1,000 Fathers, aims to get - as its name suggests - 1,000 fathers to start reading to their children.

A NLB spokesman said: "We have had 300 fathers pledging to read to their kids in just one morning. These numbers are especially encouraging."

Technician Rodney Lee, 40, was one of the doting fathers who accompanied his children to the exhibition.

The father of two children, Varick, 4, and Clovis, 5, said: "It's a fine initiative and I fully support it.

"I read to my kids three to four times a week. They pick the books out themselves when I take them to the library on weekends.

"It's a valuable bonding experience."

The NLB booth also offered arts and crafts as a more hands-on approach to storytelling.

For example, children shade and colour different sort of masks, which are then used to portray characters in classic children's tales, such as Goldilocks and the Three Bears.

Grandfathers were not left out either.

Mr Leo Leo, 62, was chaperoning his three year-old grandson around the exhibit hall. Learning experience

"This is good for my grandson," Mr Leo said in Mandarin.

"The various booths that are advertising their different education systems will give him a good learning experience."

The exhibition had over 60 booths covering various aspects such as academic well-being, sporting abilities and artistic development.

Kids can get physical by taking part in trial classes for the Kangaroo Jump and Flybar - two new novelty sports that are safe, fun and easy to learn.

They can also sign up and skirmish in an enclosed laser tag arena, where they will be given laser weapons which they can use to combat each other.

Parents can join their kids in breaking the Guinness World Record for the most participants in a memory challenge at a single location.

Organised by Mind Edge and Stabilo, the memory challenge has participants first viewing a random string of four different colours repeated 88 times, then attempting to fill in the blank slots of their answer sheets in the same pattern.

Mr Desmond Lim, 42, an IT project manager, revealed how his son, Jovan, 11, prepared for this challenge.

"There were some training sessions for Jovan, where he was taught certain memory retention techniques. That also helps him in his exams, for instance, to recall science facts," Mr Lim said.

"It's a very interesting way to learn. Plus, he gets to enjoy himself."

This article was first published in The New Paper.