Be at one with nature — and your family!
Have you ever wondered why children really love going to parks? For some, the idea of being outdoors and feeling the wind and the sun on their skin is a dreamy encounter each and every time. Or, maybe it’s because they get to play freely in a large, open space? No matter what their reasons may be, children feel like they are in heaven whenever they pay a visit to the park.
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Take advantage of this love for the outdoors and let them have endless park fun whenever you can accompany them. As they run around and play, treat yourself to a relaxing evening out. Kick your legs back and catch up on your reading, browse your phone and reply emails, or get creative with handicraft while you keep your eye on them. Better yet, join them in their activities to double the fun. This way, you’ll be able to bond with them through play.
Shape or colour scavenger hunt
Scavenger hunts often require children to look for certain items but for this type of hunt, they would need to look for particular shapes or colours. For a shape hunt, you can tell them to look for a circle. They could point to a manhole cover, a Frisbee and just about anything that’s circular and round. As for the colour, let them search for things that are orange in colour. It could be a flower, a shirt or a kid’s bike parked in the corner. In this realm, the sky is the limit as far as fun and imagination go. Such an activity is sure to keep them occupied for hours.
Find the treasure
During those days that you have the park’s sandbox all to yourself, let your children go on a treasure hunt. Hide a few items (ensure they are not valuable!) under the sand and let them race to see who gets to find the most number of treasures. It will drive them wild, plus, it will fun to watch.
Paint that tree
Are your children artistically-inclined? Give them the appropriate tools and let them paint any part of the park that they want. They could draw trees, plants or the playground. Bring a lot of extra paper and colouring materials in case they want to draw different scenes or objects.
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Move it
Cardiovascular exercises are always good for your children’s health so teach them a few exercise moves while at the park. Try simple yoga, stretching, martial arts or tai chi movements. Not only will these improve their balance but it will also help keep them fit.
Ride on
If the park that you’re visiting has a designated bike lane, let your children ride their bikes or use their roller skates. This is another way to tour the park and enjoy the scenery at their own pace.
Hula hey!
Using the jumping rope and hula hoop is always a lot of fun. And it’s good for the body too. Don’t forget to play with your children if they are one man short for double dutch!
Squirt!
Bring huge water guns and encourage your children to squirt each other with water. This activity will surely elicit a lot of laughs from them. Don’t forget to bring extra clothing and to tell them not to point their water gum at other people or animals.
Magnify it
Show your child how to use a magnifying glass and let him use it to search for small insects, rocks, plants and other items. Don’t teach him how to reflect the sun on dry objects just yet or he might attempt to start a fire.
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What do they see?
If the weather is nice and cloudy, lie down on a blanket and go cloud-watching. You and your children can take turns finding shapes, faces and animals on the clouds.
Scrap it
If your park allows you to pick a few flowers or leaves, teach your children how to make their own nature scrapbook. Once they have learned how to flatten and dry the leaves and flowers on their own, they can continue their scrapbook themselves.
We hope these suggestions on having fun at Singapore parks will enrich your kids’ weekend and strengthen their bond with you and yours with them.