3 Best Reasons To Attend MOE Outdoor Adventure Learning Centre Open Houses!

The MOE Dairy Farm Outdoor Adventure Learning Centre (Dairy Farm OALC) often hosts open houses for students and families. The trip gives your little ones the chance to experience a different kind of adventure and play in Singapore.

As a mother, and living in a clean, green place like Singapore, I have always felt guilty about not taking my kids to explore the outdoors more often. Singapore is a “City in a Garden” but we tend to take all the fresh air and lush greenery around us for granted. In truth, weekends are usually spent doing chores or shopping inside air-conditioned malls.

Even the occasional trip to the park is hurried, and not mindfully spent. This is why I jumped at the chance to attend this year’s MOE Dairy Farm Outdoor Adventure Learning Centre open house with my kids.

Experiencing the MOE Dairy Farm Outdoor Adventure Learning Centre Open Houses

The Outdoor Adventure Learning Centres (OALCs) are where MOE schools take their Upper Primary or Lower Secondary students (P4 to S2) for school camps. 

High-quality and safe camp programmes are conducted at these OALCs by a team of passionate and competent full-time Outdoor Adventure Educators (OAEs). These trained OAEs design and facilitate outdoor adventure learning activities and also ensure the safety and well-being of the students during the camp.

Moreover, there are 4 MOE campsites that are alternatively called MOE-OALC sites. All of them host open houses for interested students and families. While we checked out the MOE Dairy Farm Outdoor Adventure Learning Centre (Dairy Farm OALC), you can see the rest below:

These Open Houses also offer an excellent opportunity for parents and kids to experience Singapore’s rich biodiversity, and try out exciting outdoor activities for FREE!

How Do You Get There?

Dairy Farm OALC is located at 30 Dairy Farm Road. It’s nestled within Bukit Timah Nature Reserve in Singapore. Parents and kids can reach this MOE campsite by getting off at the Hillview MRT Station.

While there, you can walk to the entrance after walking for 5-8 minutes from the MRT stations. You may take a cab from the station but it may take you longer because of possible traffic constraints.

3 Best Reasons To Attend MOE Outdoor Adventure Learning Centre Open Houses

Once you reach the MOE Dairy Farm Outdoor Adventure Learning Centre, you and your loved ones can experience various fun activities. The areas also offer a few educational lessons for young visitors and interested adults.

Dairy Farm Quarry Walk

Have you heard of the elephant ear plant? Or smelt a betel leaf? The one complaint you often hear about Singapore is that even the greenery seems too perfect and manicured to be true. This is precisely why we loved the raw natural world we found at the MOE Dairy Farm OALC.

We thoroughly enjoyed our journey to the Dairy Farm Quarry with our Outdoor Adventure Educator. He patiently introduced us to the rich flora of the region.

The kids also loved picking up saga seeds and using a flower as a water gun. However, they complained for a bit first but managed to walk on rough, bumpy terrain.

It was lovely to see them experience simple joys of nature like watching the leaves of a touch-me-not plant close when touched and feeling the icy cool water flowing over rocks and pebbles.

High Elements

For the thrill seekers, the MOE dairy farm open house also provided the chance to partner with your child and try out the rock wall and obstacle course. However. children had to be at least 10 years old to attempt this activity. Of course, safety was well ensured with helmets and harnesses, together with detailed instructions from the OAEs.

My older daughter opted for the high obstacle course and admitted that it gave her the creeps. Fortunately, she managed to complete it and loved experiencing the zipline in the end. Again, the learning here was keeping the focus on the task at hand and persevering in the face of difficulty.

Other Activities at the MOE Dairy Farm Outdoor Adventure Learning Centre

Longkang Fishing: The little ones will love trying to catch tiny fish from a stream into their paper cups or bottles. For this activity, we urge parents to watch out for their kids as they bend down in hopes of catching some fish. They might get a little too excited while trying to catch more fish with their cups or bottles.

Sensory Trail: This Sensory Trail to a herb garden culminated in the making of a lime-infused drink. The instructors also teach a few fast facts about the plants and herbs growing around the area.

Composting and Potting: Here, kids can learn more about how we can reduce food waste. The facilitators teach visitors about the best ways to use compost for the soil. They also show the simplest way kids can learn how to garden by themselves.

Outdoor Cooking: Learn how to cook some local delights with the help of the Outdoor Adventure Educators (OAEs). However, we want to warn you about smelling like barbecue if you stay too close to the grill. Fortunately, they teach kids how to safely cook their food over the fire.

Concrete Art: Learn how you can transform cement into beautiful and useful pieces of art. A guide demonstrates a step-by-step process to help participants with their creations or artworks.

Tips To Remember for Your Dairy Farm MOE Camp Visit

Here are some tips for parents who want to attend a MOE-OALC Open House:

• Get details on the MOE-OALCs and Open Houses from official channels from the Ministry of Education (MOE). Some touring websites also offer tours but the open houses are different from what they usually indicate online.
• MOE-OALC Open Houses are usually conducted in the last quarter of the year. However, for the last half of 2022, only Changi Coast OALC is left open for interested guests. 
• Open Houses usually start at 8: 30 am and end around 12:30 pm. The earlier you arrive, the more time you will have, to try out the various educational activities.
• You have to wear long pants (which cover the knees), a sleeved shirt and covered shoes if you want to attempt activities like the High Elements.
• Also, come prepared with mosquito repellant or patches.

Mums and dads, it is rare to get to experience activities of such scale, and with well-qualified instructors free of charge in Singapore. Parents should definitely utilise this great opportunity to know more about their child’s camping experience and use the sessions to educate and bond with the kids.

This article was updated by Kaira De la Rosa.