When it’s too hot or too wet outside, these indoor spaces provide hours of educational play for your little ones.
When it’s too hot or too wet outside, these indoor spaces provide hours of educational play for your little ones.
KIDZLAND
If your eldest kid hankers for a visit to the arcade, while No. 2 wants a day out at the beach, and your tot is in her crawling phase, take all three to Kidzland and they will not be disappointed.
Billed as the largest integrated indoor playground in Singapore, this state-of-theart play area spans a sprawling 14,000 sqft – slightly bigger than an Olympic-size swimming pool. It opened in April this year.
More than just another indoor playground, Kidzland boasts a plethora of play zones and structures that will keep your little ones engaged for hours.
Besides an amusement arcade and a Beach zone with a sand pool, it also has a three-level jungle-themed playground, where your youngest can crawl her way through various obstacles and tunnels – don’t forget to snap an Instagram-worthy shot of your kids at the Rainbow net as well.
There are also educational attractions such as the Magic Pen, where your kids can see their drawings transformed into animated objects – which they can interact with on the screens there.
Kidzland also hosts various activities, such as music lessons, storytelling sessions, and a handicraft class.
HOW MUCH Each play area has a separate charge, with prices starting from $5.
KIDZANIA
There’s no doubt that being a pilot and a firefighter are among the most coveted “jobs” at Kidzania theme park, but don’t overlook the chance to be a photo journalist.
Gently nudge your child in the direction of the Canon Imaging Academy, located opposite KFC. He will be thrilled to be entrusted with a professional camera that Daddy might not even allow him to touch at home.
With a Canon EOS 750D DSLR slung around his neck, your child learns how to change the shutter speed when the subject is moving, as well as the aperture to control depth of field. The trainer will also teach the importance of applying the rule-of-thirds as your child frames and adjusts the key subjects.
Now it’s time to put knowledge into practice. Your child gets to go on an assignment to capture pictures around the theme park under the trainer’s supervision. This 20-minute crash course is designed to inspire kids as young as four years old with photography.
At the end of it, your child will even receive a glossy certificate, declaring him a “certified photographer” by Canon. Can you beat that, Daddy?
HOW MUCH From $25 to $58, depending on age.
T-PLAY
If your preschooler loves travelling on different modes of transport, cruise down to T-Play, an interactive transportation-themed playground located within HomeTeamNS Bukit Batok.
Spanning 4,200 sqft, this indoor play area claims to be Singapore’s first augmented playground. Its structures were made in Sweden before being transported and assembled here.
Your little one will be in for a treat the moment he steps in – everything from its obstacle courses, trampolines, to the slides, tunnels and ball pits were created based on various transportation modes.
There’s also a dedicated toddler zone with ageappropriate facilities, as well as an area where the younger ones can play with huge building blocks and foam toys.
But it’s not just fun, though. The play equipment is designed to engage the child’s brain development, motion coordination and sense of direction, according to a spokesman.
HOW MUCH Prices range from $1 to $20, depending on age, membership and visiting hours.
CLIMB CENTRAL
Chances are, you would have seen the towering walls of Climb Central if you have visited Kallang Wave Mall, which sits in the Singapore Sports Hub.
The 10,764 sqft space is perfect for newbies to try out climbing, as no certification is required to scale more than half of the 46 lanes.
They can climb after a 15-minute safety briefing, thanks to an easy-to-use setup where the belay device is mounted on the ground. Children have to be at least five years old, weigh more than 20kg and stand over 1.1m.
There are more concise introductory programmes for children and adults who are interested to find out more about climbing techniques and safety systems.
HOW MUCH $38 for a family day pass (an adult and child).
SANDY DANDY
So the beach outing has been rained out? Take your little one to Sandy Dandy at Forum The Shopping Mall instead. He’ll still have a great time building sandcastles or rolling around on the powdery sand here.
Opened in April, this new indoor playground is the brainchild of Jennie Tan, a mum with two kids aged five and three.
You’ll find two types of sand here: Kinetic and natural sand. The latter is from the Early Learning Centre brand, and chosen because the producedin UK sand has been washed and smoothed so it won’t be scratchy on delicate skin.
Playing here means you won’t be surprised by what could be underneath the sand, such as animal poo or broken glass, Jennie tells Young Parents. This gives parents, especially those with young kids, peace of mind. You won’t have to worry about the weather, either.
The huge sand pit is the star attraction, but your child will also enjoy the trampoline and playing corner that is stocked with learning toys from brands such as Leapfrog and Fisher-Price.
Spanning four shop units at the mall, Sandy Dandy also includes a cafe, where you can have a cuppa while keeping watch over your kid. This indoor playground is for children ages 10 and below.
HOW MUCH From $10 to $25, depending on child’s age and weekday/weekend. Free for two accompanying adults.
CULINARYON
Now your preschooler can play with food and learn to cook at the same time. Known for its fun, party-like atmosphere, Culinaryon has masterclass sessions for kids from the age of four.
Junior need not be intimidated by the setup and process. Here, he is allowed to throw flour in the executive chef’s face and dance to lively music as he kneads the dough.
A sous chef, an event master and a photographer round up the friendly team. Check out its website for the next class for kids.
HOW MUCH For $88, your child gets to make three dishes in about three hours.
EARLY LITERACY CENTRE
Located next to The Little Skool-House at Downtown East and operated by the preschool chain. This cosy little centre has six interactive zones for kids up to eight years old, including a reading area with over 1,000 books in English and Chinese.
There’s a stage where little ones can dramatise their story adventures, and a space where they can express their creativity with artwork using recycled materials, such as milk tins, bottle caps and egg cartons. The centre holds regular programmes for kids, too.
HOW MUCH $29.96 per child and one accompanying adult for two hours.
THE ARTGROUND
Who says babies are too young to experience the arts? From soothing and engaging performances for tiny tots to open spaces for preschoolers to run around and explore, this new children’s arts centre offers an array of multisensory experiences for kids aged 12 and below.
Located at Goodman Arts Centre in Tanjong Katong, The Artground: A Curious Place To Be has four interactive arts play spaces and a roster of programmes year-round.
The 5,382 sqft space – a bit larger than five four-room HDB flats – was developed by The Ground Co in collaboration with the National Arts Council. Here’s what you can do there:
THE GROUND FLOOR
Once you reach the doors of The Artground, take off your shoes and sanitise your hands. This space is free to the public and will feature installations that are refreshed thrice a year. The large area encourages kids aged two to 12 to run free and explore all the elements of the various interactive art installations around them.
THE BABY STAGE
This raised platform is fitted with walkways and slopes with a slight incline, and higher points of the slopes are surrounded by bean bags. The stage is a safe space for crawlers and encourages them to toddle, as well. This area is sure to captivate your little one with its dangling art installations and colourful interactive art on the walls – it’s one place where your tot can touch everything.
THE WHITEBOX
Billed as the heart and soul of The Artground, this cosy theatre will host various child-friendly performances.
THE GOOD GARDEN
Besides indoor fun, kids can explore nature in this whimsical outdoor space, where they can take part in gardening workshops.
Current exhibitions include Down The Rabbit Hole, an interactive visual art show by mixed-media artist Poh Ya See. Encouraging its young visitors aged 12 and under, to crawl under or climb over its various elements to explore the hidden world of underground animals, it will run till Oct 29. This part of the exhibition is free.
The Artground also includes thoughtful facilities such as a baby-care room, stroller parking space, and a prayer room. It can accommodate visitors on wheelchairs and those with special needs.
HOW MUCH Admission is free. Other drop-in programmes cost $10 per parent-child pair.
CLIP 'N CLIMB
Instead of dull grey walls that you might find at other climbing centres, Clip ’n Climb is awash in bright colours and pumping music. Billed as an indoor climbing theme park, the centre is located in the HomeTeamNS clubhouse within the newly opened Our Tampines Hub.
HomeTeamNS brought in the indoor climbing concept from New Zealand, where Clip ’n Climb founders started the first centre 10 years ago. There are now over 100 branches worldwide.
Climbers must undergo a short safety briefing before they can get started. The walls are equipped with an automatic belay system, which eliminates the need for a human belayer.
Once you’ve reached the top of the wall or wish to give up, just hold on to the rope and it takes you down gently and slowly.
You have 19 routes with various difficulty levels to choose from. There is no minimum age for climbers; they just need to weigh between 10kg and 150kg.
If you’re not joining your kids, make yourself comfortable in the waiting area, which has sofa benches – and free Wi-Fi.
HOW MUCH $18 for members, $22 for People’s Association or Safra members, or $25 for guests.
