WOODLANDS WATERFRONT
Admiralty Road West, tel: 1800-4717-300 (NParks Hotline). Open daily, 7am-7pm (lighted hours). www.nparks.gov.sg
The massive 11ha (about the size of nine football fields) coastal park boasts a 1.5km-long waterfront promenade, a large multi-generational playground and one of the longest jetties in Singapore to fish from.
KIDS WILL LOVE… the two-storey playground with slides, swings, mesh rope bridges and cabins, suitable for both young and old. The sprawling lawn beside the playground is great for picnics and kite-flying; sporty kids can work up a sweat on the designated tracks for cyclists, in-line skaters and runners.
ADMISSION Free
FAR EAST ORGANIZATION CHILDREN'S GARDEN
Gardens By The Bay, 18 Marina Gardens Drive, tel: 6420-6848. Open Tue to Sun, 9am-9pm; closed on Mon or the next working day if a public holiday falls on Mon.www.gardensbythebay.com.sg
Located between Cloud Forest and Satay By The Bay, the forest-adventure themed Children's Garden caters to two age groups – one-to-five-year-olds in the Toddler Play Zone and six-to-12-year-olds in the Rainforest Tree Houses and Water Play areas.
KIDS WILL LOVE… the two treehouses standing at 4m and 7.5m tall, with rope and timber bridges, monkey bars, spider nets and stepping stones. Tots will enjoy splashing around in the Fish Fountain, which has interactive water tunnels that shoot water jets. In the Water Play zone, children can frolic with water effects created by motion sensors.
ADMISSION Free
WESTGATE WONDERLAND
3 Gateway Drive, Level 4, tel: 6826-5450. Open daily, 10am-10pm. www.westgate.com.sg
Opened late last year, this is the largest thematic outdoor playground in a mall in Singapore. It has dry and wet areas, as well as play zones for little ones aged five years and below, and older children aged six to 12.
KIDS WILL LOVE… the whimsical garden theme – they can wander among the giant, colourful trees and insects, and tinker with musical flowers that respond to touch to produce melody and light. The centrepiece is a 10m-tall treehouse with slides, rope bridges, climbing walls and spring stepping pads. The water play area will delight kids, with its large, towering watering cans that spray water over them; a musical fountain show takes place after dark.
ADMISSION Free
THE CITY
#03-04A Liang Court, tel: 6250-6507. Open daily, 10am-7pm; unlimited stay during weekdays, two-hour stays on weekends and public holidays. www.thecity.com.sg
Stretch Junior's imagination through interactive role-playing at The City. The 10 learning stations allows children to experience different roles and professions.
KIDS WILL LOVE… transforming themselves into chefs, doctors, teachers, shopkeepers or even their favourite superhero. Each station has tasks for little ones to complete.
ADMISSION $18 for children below two; $22 for children aged two to eight; free for adults. Family value packages are available.
CHILDREN'S SEASON 2014
At various National Heritage Board and Museum Roundtable museums; from 24 May to 29 June 2014. www.museums.com.sg
The popular annual Children's Season is back with exhibitions, hands-on activities and games for little ones – who can look forward to learn-as-you-play programmes at museums like the Malay Heritage Centre, Memories at Old Ford Factory and NUS Museum.
KIDS WILL LOVE… the interactive art installations and traditional childhood games in the exhibition Masak Masak: My Childhood. This year, the festival also launched PLAY@NMS at the National Museum of Singapore to encourage kids aged three to seven to learn about history and heritage through play.
ADMISSION Charges vary; visit the website for more information.
This article was originally published in Simply Her June 2014.