JUST FOR FUN...before the school hols end

With two more weeks left before school reopens, make the most of the holidays and create precious memories with your children at these places

- Elisa Chia

FOR ALTERNATIVE FESTIVE PHOTO SPOTS When it comes to festive photo spots, a medical institution may be the last place that comes to mind, but Woodlands Health Campus will make you think twice.

It has teamed up with Woodlands resident and carpenter Tan Koon Tat to spread cheer to its patients and the community. The 64-year-old has been putting up festive decorations for his neighbourhood for close to 20 years.

The team at Woodlands Health Campus, which officially opened in July, reached out to him to collaborate.

At the healthcare facility's main drop-off point is a 6m-long wooden train with three carriages, which Mr Tan built from scratch before painting it together with Woodlands Health staff.

The Christmas train will be lit up from 5 to 9pm daily until Dec 31.

Mr Tan has also put together a display of 10 reindeer, which he moulded from fibreglass, at the greenery around the amphitheatre.

"It is not about drawing crowds, but brightening the days of those who find themselves here," he tells The Straits Times.

The train has a symbolic meaning to him. "Just as it runs smoothly along its track, it represents the seamless care patients receive at healthcare institutions today," he says.

Ms Carrie Chan, deputy director of Woodlands Health's Campus Planning and Development and Sustainability Office, says: "Mr Tan's pure motivation of bringing joy to the community is admirable. We are also happy to offer another lease of life to the reindeer, telephone booth and mailbox that Mr Tan had previously created for his heartland decorations."

The collaborative effort ties in with Woodlands Health's theme of a sustainable Christmas.

Explore the grounds and you will also find upcycled decorations, such as Christmas trees made of toilet paper rolls by the residents of Ren Ci @ Woodlands nursing home, located at the healthcare facility.