ELFA Preschool @ Jurong East were awash in brilliant shades of blue on 13 October 2025. The centre proudly hosted a hands-on cultural exchange inspired by Chengdu’s celebration of traditional Chinese tie-dye (扎染) – The Indigo workshop. The workshop was attended by centre leaders and educators under the Crestar Education Group (CEG) early childhood network.

A vibrant showcase of cultural exchange — where Chengdu’s indigo tradition inspires creativity and collaboration in Singapore. Indigo comes to life as curious hands create beautiful works of art, transforming simple blue ink into meaningful expressions of appreciation

Known in ancient China as Za Xie (扎缬)), tie-dye is more than just a craft. It is a living art form that embodies patience, creativity, and cultural pride. Originating from Dali, Yunnan, among the Bai ethnic group, this technique dates to the Qin and Han dynasty. It uses Dyer’s Woad, a natural indigo plant prized both as a dye and a medicinal herb. The deep blue it yields symbolises harmony and calm — values that beautifully align with ELFA’s holistic approach to early education.

Our centre leader explored the beautiful process of traditional tie-dye, guided by Principal Zhang (in the middle) from Chengdu ELFA Preschool

In Chengdu, preschools have long embraced Indigo through tie-dye, clay art, and Chinese ink painting. These activities encourage children to express their creativity while practising sustainability by reusing everyday materials. Inspired by this, the ELFA China team brought the Indigo experience to Singapore, giving our local centre leaders from Kinderland, ELFA, The Grange Institute a chance to explore six fundamental tie-dye techniques. With fabrics soaked, twisted, and bound, each participant created their own one-of-a-kind masterpiece — no two patterns alike.  This Singapore edition of Indigo will culminate in a special showcase at the ELFA Graduation Concert.

Working in pairs, our centre leaders tied patterns onto white cloth before dipping it into a fermented indigo dye bath

The participants learned proper tie-dye techniques to create unique designs on their T-shirts. Every knot and fold result in a one-of-a-kind pattern

Beautiful tie-dye T-shirts in shades of blue, ready to be sold for charitable cause

Through Indigo, our educators bring a timeless tradition to life in ways that spark curiosity, broaden perspectives, and nurture in children a meaningful connection to cultural heritage.