How to ditch your kids on Valentine's Day
Need some ideas on how to sneak away from your children so you and your partner can spend a romantic Valentine's Day together? We have some fun ideas that your kids will like and won't even realise they've been ditched by mum and dad!
How to ditch your kids on Valentine’s Day
As much as we all love our children and enjoy spending quality time together as a family, there comes a point where you may need just a few minutes (or hours) away from them so that you and your partner can have a much-needed date night to ensure that your marriage stays strong.
Don’t feel guilty for trying to ditch your little ones though, because we have put together a great list of ideas of fun activities your kids can do which will allow mum and dad to some quality together to emotionally connect… and perhaps work on that next addition to the family? *wink*
Småland
Småland is a lovely little indoor play area at IKEA where your kids can climb spider webs, hide inside giant clogs and just run around having fun while you and your partner dash off to the in-house restaurant to have some Swedish meatballs, salmon croissant, or delectable cakes together.
Amount of time for your hot date: 1 hour
Romance factor: 1 out of 5
Price: Free!
Suitable for ages: 3 years and up
Address: IKEA Tampines North Drive 2/ IKEA Alexandra 317 Alexandra Road.
Cookie & Monkey Kids Lounge
Drop off your kids at this nice air-conditioned playroom where they can be entertained by all the toys or for a small fee, you get the canvas art, sand art or window art for them to occupy themselves as you sneak off to watch a movie and snuggle up together in the cinema.
Amount of time for your hot date: 1 – 3 hours
Romance factor: 3 out of 5
Price: $15 for 1st hour and $12 for subsequent hour
Suitable for ages: 2 years and up
Address: #02-105 Vivocity, 1 Harbourfront Walk
Website: http://www.vivocity.com.sg/search
Resorts World Sentosa Kids Club
Book a room at the cool Hard Rock Hotel which has a gorgeous man-made sandy beach pool and have a wonderful family staycation over the weekend where you can check your kids in to the RWS Kids Club for them to be amused by the enriching programmes and exciting activities as you get some alone time up in the hotel room to do your own "adult activities" or whatever you want for the next hour or so!
Amount of time for your hot date: 1 – 3 hours
Romance factor: 5 out of 5
Price: $12 per hour for RWS Kids Club entrance for hotel guests only
Suitable for ages: 3 years and up
Address: Hard Rock Hotel, 8 Sentosa Gateway
Website: http://www.rwsentosa.com/language/en-US/Homepage/Attractions/KidsClub
(Image source: Facebook – Hard Rock Hotel Sentosa Resorts World)
Grandparents to the rescue
Let your children spend some quality bonding time with grandpa and grandma as you take the day off to get up to some romantic shenanigans, but don’t let the guilt get to you because if you order an exciting themed activity/ project box from LolliBox, your kids (and your own parents) will be entertained for hours!
Amount of time for your hot date: Pretty much the whole day or night!
Romance factor: 5 out of 5
Price: From $28.90 per activity box
Suitable for ages: 2 years and up
Website: http://lollibox.sg/
Fidgets Island
Let your kids try their hand at some fun-filled art and craft activities in a safe environment while you relive your dating days with your partner at one of the many swanky restaurants or cafés nearby and have a nice meal in peace.
Amount of time for your hot date: 30 minutes – 1 ½ hour
Romance factor: 4 out of 5
Price: JEM - $15 per 45 minutes session (Classic Craft) and $6 per subsequent block of 30 minutes (or part thereof).
Paragon - $15 for 30 minutes session (Express Craft), $25 for 1.5hrs session (Classic Craft) and $8 per subsequent block of 30 minutes (or part thereof).
Suitable for ages: 4 years and up
Address: #04-K03 JEM, 50 Jurong Gateway Road/ Level 5 Paragon Shopping Centre, 290 Orchard Road
Website: http://fidgets.com.sg/
Westgate Kids Club
Tucked away at the top of Westgate is an outdoor magical wonderland for your kids to explore and a well-equipped indoor play area too, giving you and your partner the chance to have a few drinks at Brotzeit German Bier Bar & Restaurant which also offers Bavarian cuisine, or even a relaxing full body massage at Refresh Bodyworks.
Amount of time for your hot date: 1 – 3 hours
Romance factor: 5 out of 5
Price: Spend a minimum of $60 at Westgate, Jcube and/ or IMM (or pay a deposit of $15 which will be refunded once you produce your shopping receipts)
Suitable for ages: Drop-off only for 7 years and up
Address: Level 5, Westgate, 3 Gateway Drive
Website: http://westgate.com.sg/en/tenants/lifestyle/sports-and-outdoors/westgate-kids-club
Fun N Laughter
Children who are fans of the loveable Pororo the penguin or Tayo the little bus will squeal with delight once they see all the cool toys and themed rides at this hidden indoor playground that they might not even notice mummy and daddy have gone off to share a decadent ice cream Couple Fondue at Andersen’s of Denmark, which includes 5 scoops of ice cream with an assortment of fruits and other sweet treats to dip into some premium liquid chocolate.
Amount of time for your hot date: 2 - 3 hours
Romance factor: 4 out of 5
Price: $23 for 2 hours of playtime and $5 for additional 30 minutes (or part thereof).
Suitable for ages: 2 years and up
Address: #B2-32 City Square Mall, 180 Kitchener Road
Website: http://funnlaughter.com.sg
(Image source: Facebook – Andersen’s of Denmark Ice-Cream Singapore)
Hire a nanny
For those who do not have the luxury of a domestic helper to keep an eye on the kids while you go off for your hot Valentine’s Day date, fret not because there are quite a number of different websites you can check out to hire a professional nanny who can come over to take care of the little ones in the safety and comfort of your own home.
Amount of time for your hot date: Pretty much the whole day or night!
Romance factor: 5 out of 5
Price: Various prices (please refer to website below for more details)
Suitable for ages: 0 years and up
Website: http://sg.theasianparent.com/find-a-babysitter-in-singapore/
The PlayClub at The Pantry
Enjoy a leisurely Saturday brunch at this gem of a café nestled amidst the luscious greenery and tuck into some scrumptious cakes, freshly baked scones, or delicious quiche and wash it all down with an aromatic cappuccino as your kids pop into the PlayClub for some enjoyable stories, art and other activities conducted by the teachers from White Lodge.
Amount of time for your hot date: 1 hour
Romance factor: 3 out of 5
Price: Spend $20 or more at The Pantry for access to the PlayClub
Suitable for ages: 2.5 – 6 years
Address: The Pantry, Loewen Gardens, 75 Loewen Road
Website: http://thepantrycookeryschool.com/
The Cool Zone @ Shangri-La Rasa Sentosa
Another fabulous family staycation idea so you don’t feel guilty for completely ditching your kids for the weekend – check into this luxurious hotel on Sentosa and take advantage of the child-friendly services there such as The Cool Zone where your little ones can be dropped off and taken care by the hotel’s experienced team to have their cute kiddy meals or play to their heart’s content at the three activity centres available (Toots Club, Craft Zone and Game Zone).
Amount of time for your hot date: 2 hours or more
Romance factor: 5 out of 5
Price: FREE for in-house hotel guests only
Suitable for ages: 5 – 12 years
Address: 101 Siloso Road, Sentosa
Website: http://www.shangri-la.com/singapore/rasasentosaresort/for-kids/
Do you think it's ok to sneak away from your kids on Valentine's Day? Or should you spend this special occasion with your whole family? Share your thoughts below!
Written by
Dew M. Chaiyanara
