SINGAPORE – During family holidays to Australia and London, eight-year-old Lee Rui Qi was captivated by 3D animal miniatures but found their $20 to $40 price tag too expensive.
That hurdle sparked an entrepreneurial idea. “I want to make toys for kids with low budgets,” explained the Primary 3 pupil from Yio Chu Kang Primary School.
Determined to make them affordable, Rui Qi launched a venture using a 3D printer his father gave him to print his own collection of articulated, wiggly animal toys – including self-designed axolotls, whale sharks and snakes – priced at a modest $2 to $15.
He took those creations to HarbourFront Centre over the July 11 and 12 weekend, joining 60 other resourceful children and teenagers showcasing their micro-businesses.
A selection of Rui Qi’s 3D-printed figurines at his booth.
ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG
The event marked the second run of Singapore Kidpreneurs, a platform where young entrepreneurs aged five to 14 manage their own booths to sell items they have personally made or curated.
Other products on sale included Pop Mart figurines, DIY crafts, bracelets, embroidered badges, board games and even a jello-making kit.
Beyond managing their booths, the young participants also faced a panel of experienced entrepreneurs to pitch their business ideas on stage. This hands-on exposure is what Singapore Kidpreneurs founder Jolene Ang envisioned when she started the programme to build confidence and soft skills outside the classroom.
“By pricing products, speaking to customers and experiencing the realities of selling, children begin to understand the value of money and the effort behind earning it,” said Ang, 46.
She added that the experience also instils crucial life skills like communication, adaptability and resilience.
To prepare for the sales weekend, the participants attended free workshops covering financial literacy and basic business skills during the June school holidays.
Those sessions paid off for Rui Qi – they inspired him to film creative, one-minute video trailers to market his new business, aptly named “Weggilees”.
These 3D-printed wiggly snakes, which have glow-in-the-dark eyes, are among several figurines made by Rui Qi.
ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG
Rui Qi was not the only one relying on his imagination to fuel his business. For brothers Malcolm Ng, 11, and Magnus Ng, seven, the event was a chance to bring their childhood fantasy worlds to life.
Having grown up inventing elaborate pretend-play stories together, the duo channelled their creativity a few years ago into designing a 10-minute board game centred on restoring peace to five mythical realms.
Brothers Malcolm Ng (left), 11, and Magnus Ng, seven, created a board game called Element Rush.
ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG
For three years, Element Rush existed entirely on paper and pencil, played only by the brothers. That changed in April, when their mother spotted a social media post about Singapore Kidpreneurs, giving them the opportunity to bring their creation to life.
To prepare for the market, the family sourced game pieces online and designed a professional-looking board using glossy cardstock. Today, a basic game pack sells for $8.
“Our parents always work till 8pm, so we don’t really have time to play with them. This game is only 10 minutes; it can be played any time. Selling this to my customers made me feel very happy knowing that they won’t feel lonely,” said Malcolm, who attends Teck Whye Primary School with his brother.
A close-up of the Element Rush board game.
ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG
The July 12 market marked a return to Kidpreneurs for 10-year-old Jadynn Lim.
In 2025, the CHIJ Our Lady of Good Counsel Primary 4 pupil and her cousin dressed up as a bee and a beekeeper, entertaining customers with bee-themed jokes injected with fun facts about honey harvesting and hive dynamics.
They offered the experience for $8, and also sold some honey products on the side.
This time, Jadynn and another cousin Kimberlyn Chia, 11, teamed up to tackle a project close to her heart. After noticing some of her schoolmates struggling with emotional outbursts and difficult days, Jadynn wanted to build a business dedicated to improving children’s mental well-being.
Tapping the blind box trend, they curated “blind bags”, containing items that can motivate and soothe children.
A common blind bag costs $10, while the ones labelled “rare” and “legendary” cost $15 and $20 respectively. The bags will be on sale on July 12.
A standard bag includes at least two items – ranging from stress-relieving sensory toys to drawing tools to motivational notes – while the higher-priced bags contain a larger selection.
Cousins Kimberlyn Chia (left) and Jadynn Lim with their “blind bags”.
PHOTO: GERMAINE TAN
Preparations started in April. The cousins sourced for the items online.
“We thought of what would make us calm, and we also researched online. If the item didn’t help us, we didn’t put it in,” said Jadynn, who added that learning to price the bags to make a small profit was challenging.
To create a more interactive experience, their booth featured an emotional check-in chart, and every customer walked away with a free motivational sticker.
“We will ask customers how they are feeling and teach them some simple tips if they are feeling down or angry,” she said.
On July 12, the Kidpreneurs bazaar will run from 12pm to 7pm at the atrium of HarbourFront Centre.