Traveling with Kids: Free Things To Do in Singapore

One of the factors that I considered when I made our itinerary was that we were travelling with a preschooler. There are a number of activities to do in Singapore and not all of these would be enjoyed by a young child. And activities there are pricey. So to save money, time, energy, and a bunch of tantrums, we limited our itinerary.

I'd like to share with you some free things to do in Singapore when you're travelling with your kids. I am pretty sure there are more to this list. Let me know in the comment box, would love to hear from you. :)
Singapore Merlion
Merlion



1. Gardens by the Bay

Gardens by the Bay has a diverse range of plants from all over the world. They have several key attractions like the Supertrees, Flower Dome, Cloud Forests, and more. Access to the outdoor gardens and children's garden is free while fees will apply for the conservatories and OCBC Skyway.

Outdoor Gardens

There are several gardens to be found here with their own themes - Indian Garden, Chinese Garden, Supertree Grove, etc. A big space for the kids to run around. The outdoor garden is open daily from 5:00AM - 2:00AM.

Gardens by the Bay
Gardens by the Bay


Super Tree Grove
Supertree Grove





Children's Garden

The Far East Organization Children's Garden is a one-hectare area that caters to kids from 1 to 12 years old. This area is open from 9:00AM to 9:00PM. They are closed every Monday for maintenance.

Garden by the Bay Children's Garden



Toddler Play Zone (for kids aged 1 to 5 years old)

Gardens by the Bay Playground


















Kids get hungry after playing. Grab light snacks at their Children's Garden Cafe.

Children's Garden Cafe



Water Play (for kids aged 6 to 12 years old)

This play area will delight all children who enjoy splashing water. The water play area is linked to sensors that detect movement of children which in turn create sequence of water effects. How cool is that! Bring along your kids'swimwear, there are lockers available.




Gardens by the Bay Water Playground




Rainforest Tree House (for kids aged 6 to 12 years old)

We were unable to see this, unfortunately. I hope you can in your next travel.


Tips:
  • To get here via MRT, take the Circle Line and alight at Bayfront MRT Station (CE1). Take Exit B and follow underground link way. Exit and cross the Meadow Bridge into Gardens by the Bay.
  • Manila and Singapore don't have time differences. However, when we went there this March, the sun was 2 hours late. I was taking pictures at 6:00PM but the sky looked like it was only 4PM. Visit the gardens late in the afternoon and wait for the Supertrees to be lit in nighttime.
  • Bring strollers! One of my biggest mistake was leaving my son's stroller here in Manila. Big booooboooo! The place is really big and the legs of our little man tire easily.



2. Singapore Botanic Gardens

The Singapore Botanic Gardens (SBG) is the most visited botanic gardens in the world. It is so huge, we were only able to visit the National Orchid Garden

Here are the different gardens in SBG:
  • National Orchid Garden; open 8:30AM-7PM daily
  • Jacob Balla's Children's Garden; open 8AM-7PM; closed every Monday except when it falls on designated public holiday
  • Ginger Garden; open 5AM-12MN
  • Healing Garden; open 5AM-7:30PM; closed on Tuesdays except when it falls on a designated public holiday
  • Fragrant Garden; open 5AM-12MN daily
  • Foliage Garden; open 5AM-12MN daily
  • Evolution Garden; open 5AM-12MN daily

While the rest of SBG is free, the National Orchid Garden has a $5 (SGD) admission fee for adults, and it's free for children 12 years and below. Here are some pictures I took in the National Orchid Garden.



Singapore National Orchid Garden, Botanic Garden




I didn't know Hubby was taking a picture of me while taking our son's picture. LOL!


Botanic Garden
The Cool House

Tips:
  • Apply insect repellent lotion to your kids
  • Bring along drinking water (they have a drinking fountain near the restrooms)
  • Wear light clothing



3. Sentosa

Sentosa Merlion

Ah, Sentosa - Asia's favorite playground. It is a pretty wonderful little island full of activities to do. Who says you can't enjoy without spending?

Palawan Beach

Among the three beaches in Sentosa, the Palawan Beach is the most family-friendly. Here are some free activities you can do with your kids at Palawan Beach.


Beach Tram to Palawan Beach
Beach Tram that will take you to Palawan Beach




Animal Encounters

Have close encounters with the animals at the Palawan Amphitheater on these schedules:


  • Bird Feeding
    • 2PM to 2:15PM
  • Meet an Animal Friend
    • 4PM to 4:15PM
  • On the Wild Side 
    • Animal Performances at 5PM to 5:30PM

Kids and kids-at-heart will surely enjoy the animal show. Audiences were encouraged to join the show which made it even more exciting!

Check Sentosa's website for updated schedule.


Sentosa
Schedule of Animal Encounters

Meet the animals at Sentosa
Me and my son had a close encounter with this adorable Siberian husky


sentosa palawan beach
A very entertaining animal show



palawan amphitheatre
One of the audience was courageous enough to carry Lucy, the python.


Palawan Beach Front

Bring your swimwears and sunblock and head on to the beach! Should you get hungry, there's a 7-11 right after you alight the beach tram, across the restroom and locker areas. There's also a pocket playground for the little ones at the beach. But I bet the kids will choose the sands and water over the playground. :)

palawan beach front


palawan beach front
Loving the sun and the sand

Playground


restrooms
Restrooms and locker area


Tips:
  • To get to Palawan Beach, take the Sentosa Express and alight at the Beach Station. Follow the signs leading to the Beach Tram loading and unloading bay
  • At 3PM, the sun can be really hot - as if it was 1PM here in the Philippines! Plan your schedule ahead.




For more information:

Comments

  1. Great post!
    Singapore is really a beautiful country, wish we could take our girls there soon!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Gladys for visiting my site and your comment! I hope you and your girls can see Singapore soon. :)

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  2. Very timely since I'll be going to SG with my preschooler later this year too! Thanks for the tips. I'm sure my daughter would enjoy these places as well. :)

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    Replies
    1. Thanks for dropping by, Nathalie. I hope you and your little princess will have a blast. God bless! :)

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  3. I had a family enroll their child in our school--they came from Singapore. They rave about the parks there and how the floorings of the parks are safe. So that's how it looks like.

    Thanks for the info here. :-)


    Mars M.
    www.montessoriinmars.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Mars. Hubby and I have noticed too how safe their play areas are. I admit, I'm also one of those who rave about their parks and playgrounds. ha ha! I hope we can have more kid-friendly places here in the Philippines :)

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  4. great tips :) hope we can go to SG too!

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  5. Useful info. Must remember this next time we go back to Singapore.
    I'd like to add that an inexpensive double-decker bus ride is a kids-pleaser because we don't have it in the RP and here in Indonesia.
    I'm curious. The sun sets here in Indonesia at around past 6 pm the past few months. It's not like this all year round. It's like that in Singapore, too? How about in the Philippines.

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    Replies
    1. Hi Jerboy! Yeah, the double-decker bus would have been awesome. :D When we were in Singapore, the sun was still shining at 7PM! Here in the Philippines, I have noticed lately that it gets dark around 6-615PM

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  6. Singapore ia really kid-friendly! It's amazing for a small country to have lots of open spaces like parks, and kids can enjoy them for free.

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    1. Indeed! I hope we can do the same thing here in PH :) Thanks for dropping by :)

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  7. Hi Kat, glad you've enjoyed Singapore! The Botanic Gardens is my favourite. We hang out there almost every week. :)

    There are several parks you can visit with your preschooler (should you visit Singapore again) like the West Coast Park where there are playgrounds for different age groups.

    We also have family-friendly malls like Westgate - Singapore's largest outdoor mall playground. It has wonderful play areas (wet and dry) for the kids while parents get to enjoy good shopping and food. :)

    You can check out my review of Westgate Wonderland here: http://homeschoolcrafts.wordpress.com/2014/03/13/westgate-wonderland-singapore-largest-outdoor-mall-playground/

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