Singapore With Kids – We Found The Best Things to do and Came up With This Ultimate List
Finding things to do in Singapore with kids that adults can enjoy also is no problem!
Singapore is an amazing and modern family destination that all members of the family can enjoy. It is so much more than just a stop-over destination en-route to somewhere else.
Here are some great things to do in Singapore with kids!
Explore The Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden
The Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden located in the Singapore Botanic Gardens is hands down, one of the best places we visited in Singapore. There are heaps of interactive activities such as a hedge maze, zip-line, obstacle course, playground, plant potting and sensory garden, water play area and more.
I wrote a separate post on the Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden that includes a YouTube video to give you an idea of what to expect!
We had a really great morning here and to top it off, the public toilets are incredibly clean with little kiddy sized toilets and sinks!
Surprisingly, you don’t have to pay a cent to visit the Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden. This is one of the best free things to do in Singapore with kids!
Relax at The East Coast Park and Beach
Singapore’s East Coast Park is one of those great places the locals know about but isn’t really marketed as a tourist attraction. It’s a lovely 15 km stretch of beaches and park area that’s also free to visit.
Whilst the beach is no French Polynesia or Cook Islands, it’s still nice with plenty of sand for the kids. The grassy area that follows the coastline has a great walking path and an awesome playground and restaurant area.
Enjoy The World-Class Attractions at Gardens by The Bay
I’ll start by saying that you need to visit Gardens by the Bay twice. The first time in the daylight, so you can visit the two spectacular domes, wander around the supertrees and gardens, and let the kids play at the water-park.
Then you need to come back at night and visit Supertree Grove. At both 7:45pm and 8:45pm daily, the Supertree Grove lights up with sounds and music. Even though lots of people come to see this, there is still lots of room to move about and sit down. It’s worth keeping the kids up past their bedtime for!
It’s free to visit Gardens by the Bay and even the kids water play area is free, but there is a fee to enter the two domes which are totally worth it. Get your tickets on Viator here.
If you want to walk on the OCBC skyway there is a cost as well. We didn’t do the OCBC skyway but thoroughly enjoyed walking around at ground level.
Out of all the things to do in Singapore with kids … don’t miss this one!
Ride The Singapore Flyer
The Singapore Flyer is a giant Ferris wheel in the heart of Singapore. The whole circuit takes around 30 minutes and you will sit at 165m at the highest point. You get great views of the Colonial District, CBD and Marina Bay, and the South China Sea full of giant ships.
Each glass cubicle has seats in the middle and touch screens to learn more about the city. The kids really loved it!
Grab tickets for a deal including lunch and a Singapore flyer ticket here.
Day Trip Over to Pulau Ubin Island
This a great day out!
Pulau Ubin is a rustic island that can be reached by a short (ten minutes) and cheap bumboat ride across the ocean from Changi Point Ferry Terminal.
When you arrive, you can either grab one of the waiting taxi’s or hire a pushbike. There are lots of options available for the kids, from kid seats on the adult bikes, to tandem bikes, to kiddy sized bikes.
Cycling to Chek Jawa Wetlands and walking out onto the two wooden boardwalks was a highlight for us. One weaves through the mangroves, and the other out over the ocean where at low tide, there is marine life to view underfoot.
Expect to see monkeys, lizards, birds, and all sorts of wildlife that you would likely see in wetland areas. Also, don’t believe anything you read that says its a ‘flat’ ride to the wetlands. It’s not!
The bumboat road across to the island is only a few dollars and the boats leave where there are 12 passengers. We didn’t have to wait longer than a few minutes each time and once you are there, bike hire is under $20 for the whole day.
Check out my blog post on a day trip to Pulau Ubin, it includes a short YouTube clip to give you an idea of what to expect. Out of all the things to do in Singapore with kids, this one feels like its off the beaten path.
Stroll Around Little India and Kampong Glam
The Little India and Kampong Glam area of Singapore are just really atmospheric and quite enjoyable to explore on foot! We stayed in Little India in a nice little hotel directly across from a shopping centre and the Farrer Park MRT station.
There are plenty of food options, plenty of clothes shopping, beautiful mosques, really cute little shopfronts and epic street art.
We had a great time on our last day hitting up the Tekka Centre to buy some great priced Indian style dresses. The kids scored their own little outfits, and we strolled around the fascinating wet market at ground level.
If you would like a little more insight while you are strolling around, check out this Little India Walking Tour.
Explore Fort Canning Park and Battlebox
Battlebox is an underground British WWII bunker, and apparently a rabbit warren of rooms and tunnels. Guided tours are available to take you through but it was closed on the day we visited unfortunately.
Fort Canning Park is basically a park on a hill covered in lush plantlife. It makes a great retreat from the humidity of Singapore. The bunkers mentioned above are located inside the hill.
This is a great thing to do in Singapore with kids to surround yourself in greenery and enjoy nature!
There is a green grassy area for the kids to run around on, steps to wear them out, and some historical buildings to check out as well as a spice garden and museum.
Visiting the park is free but there is a cost to tour the underground bunker.
Enjoy The Greenery at Macritchie Reservoir
Macritchie Reservoir is another great place to escape the humidity of Singapore. It seems to be the place locals head to exercise, with hiking tracks, exercise equipment, canoe hire, and bike trails.
You can stroll around the reservoir and hire a canoe, or you could aim for the Tree Top Walk. This walk is a popular hike which will see you traversing a 250m long suspesion bridge 25 metres up in the air. I desperately wanted to do this but my kids went on a hiking strike for this trip!
It’s free to visit Macritchie Reservoir but a fee is payable to rent a canoe if you wish to do so. Kids under 7 years of age aren’t allowed on the canoes.
This is one of those great things to do in Singapore with kids if you have a bit more time up your sleeve like we did.
Go Wild at Resorts World Sentosa Island
Sentosa Islands is basically an all ages playground that will burn a hole in your wallet pretty quickly.
Is it worth it?
Yes. If your family loves theme-park type attractions then the ‘Island of Fun’ would absolutely be for you!
There are a LOT of attractions packed onto this small island including Universal Studios Singapore, SEA Aquarium, Wave House, Adventure Cove Waterpark, Kidzania, Skyline Luge and more.
We only spent one day here so we hit up the SEA Aquarium in the morning and one of the beaches in the afternoon.
Have Breakfast at The Singapore Zoo
For a unique experience in Singapore, book in for breakfast with orangutans at the Singapore Zoo. Families can enjoy a jungle breakfast buffet in the company of a family of orangutans!
After breakfast, explore the world class ”open concept” zoo, home to over 2,400 specimens and 300 species. The Singapore Zoo has attained a strong reputation internationally for its conservation initiatives and breeding programs.
Spend Up Big Along the Famous Shopping District, Orchard Road
We strolled along the famous shopping district, Orchard Road although I admit, the only thing we bought was a well-deserved ice-cream. We didn’t have room in our luggage!
It’s worth checking out if you’re in the mood for 2.5km of malls and department stores, but you might have to duck into an ice-cream store or two as the kids probably won’t be thrilled with all the shops.
Visit the Jurong Bird Park
Jurong Bird Park opened in 1971 and is Asia’s largest bird park, featuring 20.2 hectares of haven for around 3,500 birds across 400 different species.
The park features large immersive walk-in aviaries as well as other exhibits including Penguin Coast and Pelican Cove.
Book your private Jurong Bird Park Tour here!
Credit – Derrick See
Looking for more awesome family holiday destinations?
For more information on visiting Singapore with kids, head on over to our Singapore page. Had on back to the home page for inspiration on destinations worldwide.
Got FOMO? Sign up to our monthly newsletter so you don’t miss out on the good stuff… like competitions, great deals, and the latest inspiration on family holidays and activities.
Resources for your family getaway to Singapore
Getting to Singapore
All international flights land in the wonderful Changi Airport, which is a destination in its own right! Get a great deal on flights on Trip.com.
Where to stay in Singapore
The Tai Hoe Hotel is great for those on a budget and is conveniently located next to a shopping centre and MRT station. The downside is that the rooms are really small. The staff are really friendly and go out of their way to welcome kids.
Those wanting to splurge should head to the Raffles Singapore. Not much beats their legendary hospitality.
Getting around Singapore
Getting around is easy due to Singapore’s efficient and wallet-friendly public transport. Just download the MoovIt App for your phone, which tells you how to get places.
If you prefer Taxis, the Grab app is a top choice here. The app gives you the price beforehand, so there are no surprises.
