The best child-friendly destinations in Singapore

Here are five best child friendly places in Singapore that your kids will enjoy:

Singapore Science Centre
This is one of my kids’ favourite places in Singapore. It’s great for a rainy day, but there is also a water play area so bring along their swim suits for a fun splash about. Singapore Science Centre has many interactive activities for the kids which teach them science concepts and ideas. Themes such as climate change, the human body, the solar system and smart technology are explored in a creative way. There is usually a special exhibition which is always engaging and just as much fun for the parents to wander around.

You can choose from four different films at the Omni Theatre, which are all wonderful. Grab a combined ticket, or if you are staying in Singapore, buy a family membership, as the kids will want to return again and again.

The only downside is the food and beverage; McDonald’s is the only choice (actually there is a cafe inside but it is pretty basic). If you don’t mind giving them this as a treat, then fine, otherwise pack a lunch as there is nothing nearby.

Singapore Zoological Gardens
The Singapore Zoo is a special place for the whole family. Get there early in the morning (it opens at 8.30 am) to catch the monkeys at their liveliest, and organize your day around the different shows. The elephant show is not to be missed and we loved the polar bears too.

Bring the kids’ swimming gear as the new Rainforest Kidzworld has a water play area, themed like a wet animal wonderland. There are challenging activities like a flying fox or the kids can tug their way across a “stream” using a water ferry.

Plan for most of the day at the Zoo, and if you have the energy, or are pushed for time, you can stick around for the Night Safari which is right next door.

Go-Go Bambini
If it’s raining or just too hot and sticky to contemplate a day outside, head to Go-Go Bambini. This spot is a kids’ heaven, and it is enjoyable for the parents as well, thanks to the great cafe. For the parents, there are computers, international newspapers and magazines and really good coffee (hard to find in Singapore). The food is excellent and there are plenty of items on the menu for the kids.

The play area is a multi-storied climbing gym with safe areas for toddlers and lots of fun nooks for the older kids. It is located at Dempsey Hill which has become very fashionable with lots of great restaurants, bistros, furniture and antique shops and is a very pleasant spot for recreation.

Filmgarde Leisure Park Kallang
Kallang Leisure Park is a new complex, or rather an old one, renovated and extended to include shopping mall with retail and eating outlets. It is home to some great leisure activities, including a cinema (FilmGarde), ice skating (Kallang Ice World), ten-pin bowling (Kallang Bowl) as well as karaoke and an amusement arcade.

So if you want everything under one roof, this is the place to go. We sometimes go ice-skating, then stop for some lunch at the food court (or excellent Japanese on the ground floor), then go bowling. The cinema is right there as well, so it is possible to really make a day of it and catch a film too. There are also excellent doughnuts at “Doughnut and Doughnuts” which is our big unhealthy treat.

MacRitchie Reservoir
This is a great place for a gentle walk with children. There are a couple of different routes to take; one goes through the rainforest, the second takes you on a boardwalk at the edge of the reservoir.

The rainforest walk is fun if you are new to Singapore as there are many macaque monkeys living here and they tend to hang out on the path grooming each other. You can watch the juveniles playing amongst the trees and the babies climbing to their mothers. Do NOT feed the monkeys however, and don’t carry any food with you as I have witnessed a monkey snatching an apple out of a man’s hand.

You may spot large monitor lizards by the water and other wildlife. There are over 12 hectares of primary forest surrounding the reservoir, and to walk right around the 11 km periphery  would take up to 4 hours.

The HSBC Tree-Top walk along the Pierce Trail is quite interesting, although some distance from the carpark, so it not to be done with small children.

With children, be sure to start at the main entrance to the reservoir and you can always walk a short distance through the forest and turn back if they are too small to walk distances. It is a great escape from the city. Which other city has virgin rainforest so close to the skyscrapers and office blocks?