Starchild: Things that bring joy to Malaysian children

Ong Keat Hsin, 8

Let's us talk about all the things that make us happy and joyful.

Joy is that fantastic feeling that makes our heart dance and face light up with a big, happy smile. Guess what? Everyone has their own unique things that bring them happiness. For some, it might be playing with colourful toys, dancing like nobody’s watching, or spending time with their pet pals.

When we do things that make us joyful, our brain releases a special chemical called endorphins. These little helpers make us feel even more cheerful and excited.

Researchers say that things that bring joy can help us feel calmer, less stressed and even strengthen our friendships. It’s like having a treasure chest full of happiness right inside us.

Being joyful is important and it doesn’t matter what brings us joy, whether it is drawing colourful pictures, reading adventure books, or riding a bike. Keep discovering and collecting these joyous treasures because they will make our heart shine bright like a dazzling star in the sky. Keep smiling and exploring, little joy experts!

Here are the letters from Starchild readers on the topic, Things That Bring Me Joy.

Asher Wang Qi Chuen, 5

“Playing computer games makes me happy and keeps me occupied. Washing cars with my dad and sharing things with family and friends make me happy too,” writes Asher Wang Qi Chuen, five.

Bethany Wang Qi Syuen, 8

Older sibling Bethany Wang Qi Syuen, eight, says swimming classes, watching cartoons, eating burgers with fries, and receiving gifts make her happy. “School holidays make me happy too because I get to do many things that I enjoy, like reading, drawing and playing with my brother at home.”

Wong Cheng Yang, 9

“Books bring me joy. I love to read stories about fantasy and magic. I love authors such as Enid Blyton and Tui. T. Sutherland. I have read about dragons, magic and enchantments in those storybooks. I sometimes doze off when I read till late at night. My mom usually comes into my room and helps me put my glasses and books on the table. Reading books always brings me joy and fills up my free time,” says nine-year-old Wong Cheng Yang.

Wong Jie Ern, 8

“Receiving presents brings me joy. I like the surprise presents given by my parents and grandparents. It includes toys, books, games, stickers, and food. I like to bring people joy too. I like to make handmade cards for people that I love,” says Wong Jie Ern, seven.

Roshiny Rajkumar, 11

Eight-year-old Ong Keat Hsin writes: “Last December, I went to Genting Highlands in Pahang with my family. Sitting in a cable car up to Genting Highlands made me happy. The cable car was fun and cold.”

“There are a lot of things that bring me joy. The biggest joy was when my father bought Robux, the virtual currency for an online gaming platform, for me last year. This was a present for getting good grades in school. Second, I am always happy during term holidays. This is a time when I can play with my handphone without any stress,” says Low Ying Xi, 11.

Low Ying Xi, 11

“Things that bring me joy are endless because they are the items that my parents would never buy as gifts for me. It includes driving a car, getting a pet dog or cat. The reason that I would like to have a pet is because it would accompany me whenever my parents are busy, even on weekends. Lastly, I’d like to have unlimited free time every day,” writes Chuah Seng Koon, seven.

Chuah Seng Koon, 7

Lim Sheng Hao, 10, says many things bring him joy. “Video games, music, sleep and money make me happy. I would be the happiest person alive if I could play video games until it is time to eat or sleep. To some people, eating infinitely and not getting fat is what would bring a lot of joy to my friends and me.”

Lim Sheng Hao, 10

“Video games, anime, dogs and colours bring me joy. I was so happy that my parents gifted me my favourite dog breed, Chow Chow, when I was nine. My dog Fluffy is a great joy to me. Talking and playing with Fluffy is so wonderful. Playing video games like Roblox is another joy that I have,” says Amberly Wong, 11.

Amberly Wong, 11

ITEM: Movies! Movies! Movies! What would life be without them? Some movies are based on true happenings while others are pure fantasy. There are action flicks and adventure thrills, science fiction themes and animation schemes. Given these choices, tell us what your favourite movie is.

It can be anything you see on television, at cinemas or on airplanes. It can be the first movie you saw when you were seven or the only movie you saw three times at the cinema! Tell us why you like the movie and what it is about the movie that inspires you most. What are the lessons you learnt from it or is it purely for thrills and excitement?

Mail your contributions to [e-mail] by Sept 1. Please put “STARCHILD: Movies” in the subject line of your email.

Scanned drawings should be in jpeg format, with a resolution of 200dpi. Your contributions must carry your full name, age (open to children aged 12 and below only), gender, phone contact and address.