I used to feel anxious about my children's’ school holidays. As they would loom nearer I would feel my concerns arise at the thought of thousands of hours of entertainment needed, the hundreds of spills to clean up, the tens of fights to referee.
I love hanging out with my children - I love reading to them, spending time at the pool and exploring our beautiful city. And while I dreamt of the holidays as a time to connect with each other and expose my kids to new adventures, they often turned into days of cranky mothering.
This past summer I decided to find a new way. With loads of free and paid children’s places to visit, with ‘always pool weather’ and friends in the condo I knew I could do better. With my new plan in place, my summer was amazing. We bonded, I spent individual and group time with my kids and we all enjoyed ourselves so much I’m now looking forward to each long holiday break.
Creating a "template" schedule
Here’s what I did: I made a really clear and specific daily ‘template’ schedule and on Sunday I would fill in the time-slot.
To be sure not to break the bank, we limited the pricier kid activities and had more than enough free or low-cost activities. I also learned some really important lessons along the way such as: kids are really excited about quality mum time, a picnic snack (even healthy ones!) can make any excursion more fun and providing some individual attention every couple days can go a long way to build your relationships.
For my kids, I try to plan activities that take about two to three hours each and often included add-ons such as a trip on the MRT to get there or a stop for ice cream at our destination. You can add those specialties as time allows and in a way that is right for your children’s needs and ages. I also found my children did better on trips than at home, and although that required more energy, happy harmonious children made it worth it.
In addition, I found that nap time for the little ones gave me time to do something special with the older ones and we implemented a rest and recharge time for everyone - especially tired mummy! This often meant quiet play time, books, or even a pile of crayons and paper for meditative coloring. This also gave me time to cook dinner, answer a quick email and even enjoy a few pages in a magazine.
Check out the six daily schedule templates that you can just fill in with kids activities on the next page.
Below are six daily schedule templates filled in: Good luck and I hope you find as much joy in kid time as I have!
Day one
9:30-11:30 - National Library (my kids love the children’s section!)
11:30-12:30 - Make your own personal pizza (I prepare lots of toppings and it’s great fun!)
12:30-2:00 - Kids nap/ rest and recharge- coloring
2:30-5:00 - Find an indoor play gym and bring snacks, paid or free.
5:30 - Dinner
6:00-7:30 - Kids play at home, daddy time!
Day two
9:30-11:30 - Pool time (Bring snacks and toys and they’ll never want to leave)
11:30-12:30 - Lunch
12:30-2:00 - Rest and recharge - lego building/magnet tiles/reading
2:30-5:00 - River taxi to Promenade. 7/11 ice cream treats on Promenade
5:30 - Dinner
6:00-7:30 - Kids play at home, daddy time!
Day three
9:30-11:30 - Haw Par Villa (Kids love running around this exciting venue)
11:30-12:30 - Lunch
12:30-2:00 - Nap/ rest and recharge, book time.
2:30-5:00 - Gardens by the Bay kids water play (Sometimes we bring along dinner and let them play as long as they want to…)
5:30 - Dinner
6:00-7:30 - Kids play at home, daddy time!
Day four
9:30-11:30 - AMPED trampoline park (While I don’t often pay for kid gyms, a massive room of trampolines is certainly worth the $15. Just be sure to book ahead, online, during school holidays.)
11:30-12:30 - Lunch/bake fresh cookies (Something simple like chocolate chip cookies are always a crowd pleaser.)
12:30-2:00 - Nap/rest and recharge, playdough and books
2:30-5:00 - Pool time or perhaps a playdate pool day. Mummies, bring something special for yourselves and gossip away while the kids race, jump and swim all afternoon. And of course, bring those cookies to share!
5:30 - Dinner
6:00-7:30 - Kids play at home, daddy time!
Day five
9:30-4:00 - A trip to Pualu Ubin. One of our favorite nearby islands, it takes up much of your day and the kids love the boat ride, butterfly hill, fresh growing fruits and spices and of course, a picnic lunch on the waterfront under the shady trees.
5:30 - Dinner
6:00-7:30 - Kids play at home, daddy time!
Day six
9:30-11:30 - National Museum-PLAY (A fun place for kids to play. Be sure to check out any kid-friendly exhibits!)
11:30-12:30 - Lunch outing; treat yourself and the kids to lunch at a nearby cafe
12:30-2:00 - Nap/rest and recharge, reading time
2:30-5:00 - Craft time! (I go somewhere inexpensive like Daiso, stock up on a bunch of craft supplies, and put it all out. When I’m involved the kids are thrilled and we always find a few fun ideas on pinterest to copy.)
5:30 - Dinner
6:00-7:30 - Kids play at home, daddy time!
There are a lot more places to visit for kids activities in Singapore. Check the list on the next page!
Places to visit
With so much to do on our little red dot, here are a list of some other places we love to visit with the kids. (Yes, we’re not fans of ‘paying for play’ and love our kids to enjoy the great outdoors.)
- Sentosa - A tram around the island, a free bird show and splashing at Palawan beach is always an exciting adventure.
- Botanical Gardens/Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden - I like to use the Children’s Garden as an incentive to get my children to walk through the gardens with me, and don’t worry, they love it. The fish in the lake, the waterfall gave and the various ‘secret paths’ keep them enthralled throughout the long walk.
- Ikea - What is better than a free place to let the kids play while mummy shops about planning her dream home?
- Labrador Park - With beautiful shady hikes and a large playground on the beach, this park is a great getaway where the children can play and adults can relax.
- East Coast Park - Rent some bikes, bring along scooters and lunch, meet friends-however you experience it it’ll be a great outing.
- Local events - There are TONS of seasonal/special exhibits all around the city. While many can be noted in the newspaper or on flyers be sure to check places like Esplanade’s website and kidlander.com for a list of events.