10 Things Every Singaporean Experienced During Their P5 NDP Preview

Primary 5 NDP preview memories

Primary 5’s a special year for most Singapore students with adventure camps, overseas field trips and best of all, guaranteed seats at NDP rehearsals. With the parade coming up next week, it seems like the perfect time to take a nostalgic trip down memory lane.

Below are relatable P5 NDP experiences all of us had back in the day, from swapping funpacks with classmates to doing the Kallang Wave.

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Primary 5 NDP preview memories

When are the Primary 5 NDP shows in 2024?

The 2024 NDP preview shows for students isn’t just exclusive to Primary 5 kids. Secondary 3 students who missed out on the National Education (NE) Shows in 2020 and 2021 because of Covid-19 will be invited to watch the shows in 2024 and 2025.

This year’s NE shows are being held on:

6th July 2024
13th July 2024
20th July 2024

1. Practicing NDP songs before the event

We all know the lyrics to NDP classics like Home, Reach Out For The Skies, and Where I Belong by heart. And it’s likely because in Primary 5, your school gathered every class to rehearse the lyrics together in preparation for the show.

ndp songs
Image credit: Remember Singapore

This practice session usually took place in a computer lab, dance room, or school hall. You may also remember getting a sheet of paper with all the lyrics squeezed into one page like an exam cheat sheet.

2. Trading NDP funpacks with classmates

The freebies were one of the most exciting parts of attending the NDP preview. Funpacks were introduced in 1991 and every year’s parade had a different design, each with some variation in colour or print.

collage of ndp funpacks
2007’s NDP funpack.
Image adapted from: fabeth

The bags never failed to surprise: In 2007, my batch went absolutely crazy over that year’s colourful zip bags which could be taken apart and zipped back together. Another iconic design was 2009’s which resembled the then-popular Crumpler sling bags.

ndp 2009 funpack
2009’s funpack with 8 different colours.
Image credit: NDPeeps

With the variety of different designs released each year, there’d always be that one kid who’d go around asking to swap bags until they got their desired colour.

3. Passing that one classmate’s portable fan around

Image credits: @aayden0810 via Instagram

There’s no denying Singapore’s heat. Now, cram a few thousand students under the hot sun and the already high temperatures are sure to rise. Thank heavens for that one classmate who’s smart enough to bring a portable fan.

And it wasn’t one of those makeshift paper ones either. Theirs were the battery-powered ones with multiple speeds so you’d really feel a breeze. No question about it, these guys became the most popular kids on the block that day.

4. Enjoying Pizza Hut & KFC without your parents saying “no”

ndp pizza

If fast food was a rare treat you had as a child, then there was something else you probably looked forward to at the P5 NDP preview: the box of Pizza Hut or KFC given out before the parade.

You’d get a small pizza or fried chicken and sides all to yourself and you didn’t have to share any of that with your siblings. It’s a small treat only students got at the preview but we wish the actual parade included this in the funpacks.

5. Sunshine, Milo, Khong Guan, Old Chang Kee & Yeo’s

ndp funpack goodies
Image credit: Working With Grace

It’s not a funpack if it’s not chock full of snacks and drinks from sponsors. No matter if you attended the NDP in 2000 or 2010, everyone had some combination of Sunshine bread, Milo drinks, Khong Guan biscuits, Old Chang Kee snacks, and Yeo’s drinks in their NDP pack.

funpack newater Image credit: National Heritage Board via Facebook

Of course, NEWater has also made an appearance every year, accompanied with a mass yam seng during the parade.

6. NDP tattoos on face, arms & EVERYWHERE

ndp tattoos
Image credit: @maymaysummer via Carousell

Temporary tattoos were the coolest thing imaginable in Primary 5. You’d grab a friend to help you apply the NDP tattoos onto your arms and face, oftentimes pressing the slip on your skin much longer than necessary to make sure it stayed on.

ndp kid with tattoo
The cool kids put it on their cheeks.
Image credit: Josiah Neo

7. Pretending the light stick in the NDP pack was a lightsaber

light stick
Image credit: Chewy Jas

It didn’t matter if we had never heard of Star Wars or Darth Vader. The NDP light sticks were the perfect tools for some spontaneous sparring while waiting for the parade to begin. If not for a quick fencing match, we would use these light sticks to playfully bop a friend several seats away before looking away innocently.

8. Flipping through the voucher booklet & picking out food discounts

flipping through voucher booklet

Among the food, NEWater and “lightsabers”, you’d find the most precious thing in the funpack: the voucher booklet. These days we have NDP e-vouchers, but if you’re old enough to remember the physical ones, you’d remember digging out discount coupons for KFC, Mr Bean, and Swensens.

At 11 years old, we’d have no idea what to do with the spa and beauty treatment vouchers, so we’d set those aside in favour of the F&B ones.

9. Doing the Kallang Wave, even if it’s not at the National Stadium

Other than watching the fireworks and Red Lions leaping out into the skies, participating in the Kallang Wave was an NDP staple you couldn’t miss.

It didn’t matter if you were at the Padang or Marina Bay Floating Platform – the boisterous human wave was always called the Kallang Wave. Best part is, the crowd always took it seriously, so the wave would go on for a few rounds before everyone got tired.

10. Spotting your friends on the audience cam

There were always a gazillion cameras at every National Day Parade preview and as one glided over where we were seated, many of us would scrutinise the giant screen, hoping to spot ourselves or a friend. Occasionally, there’d also be that one cheeky kid who would pull a daring stunt on screen – just like 2017’s infamous “middle finger kid”. Iykyk.

Bonus: Taking a specially chartered MRT with your entire school

This wasn’t a thing back when I was in Primary 5, but there are schools near MRT stations that work with MOE and NDP to charter MRT trains to bring students to and from and parade venue easily. The trains may even be shared with other primary schools going in the same direction, but otherwise, they’re closed off to the public.

ndp p5 memories - mrt trains Image credit: SG Trains

It takes a lot of coordination to ensure regular train services aren’t affected. In fact, military personnel deployed for security purposes are also involved to guide students to the Padang.

Watching the National Day Parade previews in Primary 5

No one really knows why Primary 5 students are the ones who get to go to the National Day Parade rehearsals. Why not Primary 4? Or secondary school kids?

Our bets are on the fact that P5 is when you’re finally old enough to know what’s going on but not too busy mugging for PSLE. Even if we never find out the official reason, we’ve got no complaints – getting to watch the parade rehearsals with our classmates is certainly an experience to remember!