Explore Singapore: Family and Budget-Friendly Activities
Photo by Taylor Simpson on Unsplash
Singapore has a reputation for being a really great place to take kids, but also an expensive place to take kids.
In our little red dot, there are four zoos, Universal Studios, two big water parks, around 20 museums suitable for children and dozens of pop-up events over the school holidays… but as well as being pricey, after a while, these activities can become exhausting, well, for the adults at least.
The parents on our team have compiled their go-to activities that do not make you exit through the gift shop (which can see an otherwise fun day end in tears) and, crucially, cater to adult necessities like good coffee and cold beer.
East Coast Park
East Coast Park is the first port-of-call for anyone looking to blow out the cobwebs with a smooth ride of up to 12km along the shoreline. Hire bikes from one of the four rental stores along the park, or download the SG Bike app and take one of the many shared bikes for a spin - some of them even have child seats attached. Little ones will absolutely love the four and six berth family carnival-style bikes, which are great for a laugh and ensure you don’t have to worry about losing anyone from your group.
East Coast Park is dotted with fabulous playgrounds, including Marine Cove and the Coastal Playgrove (but be warned the slides shut in the middle of the day because they get too hot); there are also plenty of eateries and a 7-Eleven to stop for a snack, but nothing beats a plate of satay with a fresh coconut, or a cold beer, from the East Coast Lagoon Food Village. Go between meals for a better chance of nabbing a seat.
Sentosa
While a bit further out than East Coast Park depending on where you stay, there’s something grounding about spending a day digging holes in the sand and wading in the ocean on Singapore’s most expensive piece of real estate.
Sentosa’s beaches are usually cleaner than those on the East Coast and are dotted with resort-like coconut palms (with all the coconuts removed for your sunbathing safety). Palawan, Tanjong and Siloso beaches are linked by a free tram (which kids love). They are popular with beach volleyballers, stand up paddle boarders and anyone who is partial to a beach bar serving beachside cocktails. If it’s a bright enough day, you can almost block out the container ships lining the horizon and get a sense that you have magically transported yourself to Bali or Phuket.
Pulau Ubin
If your children ever start asking you about Singapore in the olden days, bundle them in a taxi to Changi Point Ferry Terminal and pay the $3 return bum boat fare to Pulau Ubin, which sits right in the middle of Singapore and Malaysia in the Johor Strait.
The island offers the purest view of the kampong (village) life that was the norm in Singapore before the land was cleared for dense housing and skyscrapers.
Either slather yourselves in insect repellent and hire bikes from one of the huts on arrival, or if you don’t want to commit to that, take one of the walking paths that peel off from the main road.
You’ll find everything from old quarry sites and mangroves to very impressive gardens to explore. Once you’ve worked up an appetite, either stop at one of the seafood restaurants for a coconut and a bite, or head back on the ferry to Changi Village, where the hawker centre and Little Island Brewing Co microbrewery await.
Coney Island
Cycle your way off the mainland to Coney Island, an island park just off Punggol that has been planted in Casuarina Australian pines and feels a world away from the bright green tropical foliage that you usually see in Singapore.
You can hire bikes from Punggol Jetty or Waterway Point and explore the paved coastal cycleways or the more rustic trails on Coney Island. Punggol Jetty has a few dining outlets as well as a 7-Eleven (aka a parent’s best friend), and a fun playground if you have any extra wiggles to get out before heading home.
The Green Corridor
It’s still quite packed over the weekend, but the Green Corridor trail from the Rail Mall to Beauty World is flanked by a green full of frogs and tadpoles and is nicely bookended by two playgrounds - one at the Rail Mall and one at Bukit Timah Nature Reserve (this one is harder to find). The 1km stretch (or 2km once you add the walk to the Bukit Timah playground and visitor centre), is guaranteed to work up an appetite, which is nicely catered to at Al Azar near Beauty World MRT (great for prata) and the long stretch of eateries at the Rail Mall, which include the family-friendly bistro Blooey’s.
Other honourable mentions are a day at Lazarus Island, but with no shelter or shops on the island, you need to be prepared for all weather eventualities, as well as carrying a well-stocked picnic.
The Botanic Gardens is a staple on the tourist and family circuit, for its great selection of food, awesome playgrounds (Jacob Ballas, COMO Adventure Grove and the Learning Forest) and for spotting large monitor lizards.
And if you need to get the family out of the home but you don’t want to commit to an epic adventure, The Pantry and Baker and Cook in Dempsey as well as Wheeler’s Estate in Seletar offer the ideal playground-to-decent-food-and-drinks ratio. Happy kids and happy parents make a happy holiday.
