Things to do In Singapore with your family

If the thought of keeping your children entertained on holiday worries you, fret not! They can leave their tantrums at home because Singapore is an action-packed island - fast-paced and exciting for both the kids and parents. With world-class water parks and Instagrammable architecture, you can easily earn yourself the “cool parent” brownie points.

Singapore definitely makes a great travel destination for families. If you’re still unconvinced, here is a list of things you can do in Singapore with your family.

Flower Dome & Cloud Forest At Gardens By The Bay

Visiting the Flower Dome and the Cloud Forest at the Gardens by the Bay is currently the top priority on most tourists’ itineraries. Both the Flower Dome and the Cloud Forest are cooled conservatories whereas the Gardens by the Bay is the outdoor garden surrounding the conservatories.

Whether you’re an aspiring botanist or just someone who loves flowers, you’re going to enjoy your time here at the conservatories. Kids love this place too, because some of the plants are so big that it feels like a scene from Jurassic Park.

Personally, what I really like about the place is the screencast of an educational video on global warming which is played at the last section of both the conservatories. It is a timely reminder for us to save the planet for the next generation before it becomes too late.

The opening hours of both the Flower Dome and the Cloud Forest are from 9am to 9pm daily.

Try Local Food At Hawker Centres

If you visit Singapore without trying our local food, it’s unfinished business. Singaporeans take their food seriously - they can literally taste the difference if you add an extra drop of soy sauce. Be sure to try out local food at the hawker centres, because that is where the hidden gems are uncovered.

My favourite hawker centre to dine at is Maxwell Food Center, which is located at 1 Kadayanallur Street, Singapore 069184, near Chinatown - where most tourist attractions are at. Prices are affordable and the food is great!

If you don’t mind queuing, make sure you check out Tian Tian Chicken Rice at stall 10 & 11. They serve the best chicken rice in Singapore and have won numerous awards - they even beat Gordon Ramsay in a food challenge back in 2013!

The Maxwell Food Center opens daily from 11am to 8pm (or earlier if the food is sold out).

SEA Aquarium

The SEA Aquarium is currently the largest aquarium in Southeast Asia and it houses as many as 100,000 marine animals. At the centre of the aquarium is a large viewing gallery that gives you the feeling of what’s like being on the ocean floor.

What I really like about the SEA Aquarium is that there were signs and labels at every tank, which helps with the identification of the fish - definitely an educational trip for the kids.

The opening hours of the SEA Aquarium are from 10am to 7pm daily, except Tuesdays. On Tuesdays, they are only open till 6pm. My suggestion is to only visit the aquarium on weekdays because it gets pretty crowded on weekends!

Treetop Walk

Being in touch with nature is probably one of the best ways to unwind on a vacation. It helps you and your family to find peace and rejuvenates your soul - taking your mind off the busy life that you currently lead.

The Treetop Walk is a 250 meters freestanding suspension bridge between the two highest points at the Macritchie Nature Reserve. Though there are many other walking trails within Macritchie, the Treetop Walk is the best one.

The trail (in my opinion) is really well maintained, except when it rains - it gets a little muddy. The suspension bridge, which is the highlight of the Treetop Walk, gives you a panoramic view of the reserve and the reservoir.

This trail is also suitable for kids as the climb to the peak is moderate. There is also a water point at the ranger station (near the suspension bridge) where you can hydrate yourself at. One thing to note though is that you’re likely to encounter some long tailed macaque monkeys who are residents of the reserve.

They can be confrontational and aggressive if you’re holding onto food, plastic bags and even water bottle. Ideally, keep all your belongings in your backpack once you enter the nature reserve!

The Treetop Walk is open daily from 9am to 5pm except Mondays. They are closed on Mondays.

Adventure Cove

If you’re not used to the humidity and heat in Southeast Asia, the Adventure Cove Water Park is a great way to help you beat the heat. Beyond the oscillating tube rides and floating down a lazy river, the highlight at the Adventure Cove is that you’re given the opportunity to interact with marine animals - snorkel with fishes at the artificial reefs and feeding manta rays. Your child will definitely love this one!

Goat Farm

If you’re looking for something wild to do with your kids, skip the Singapore Zoo and check out this hidden gem - Hay Dairies Goat Farm, Singapore’s only goat farm. The farm hosts educational tours for schools in Singapore and they allow you to join in for free (if you visit in less than a group of 10 people).

The last time I was there, the farm was filled with preschoolers! During the tour, you’ll learn about the farm’s history, the goat milking process, how to keep a goat healthy and about the benefits on why drinking goat’s milk is way better than cow’s milk.

Based on what I have learnt during the 30 minutes tour, a goat’s milk is more alkaline (which is better for the human’s body) and it is better for digestion (goat’s milk only requires 1 hour as compared to the 4 hours required by cow’s milk).

The best time to visit is in the morning when the goats are only milked (only once a day) - preferably between 9am and 10.30am. To get to the goat farm, you’ll need to take the Kranji Express Shuttle Bus Service, which is a private bus service, from Kranji MRT (Subway) Station. The farm is open daily from 9am to 4pm except every Tuesday.

These are probably the best things you can do in Singapore that will satisfy your wanderlust while keeping the little ones entertained.