18 Apr 2016

Things to do in Singapore with Children

We recently travelled to Singapore with the boys. Why Singapore you ask, why not Singapore? I've heard it's such a clean place, and that's a rare reputation for an Asian country. Honestly, the reason why we decided on Singapore was based on a promotion on cheap flights.

We decided to spend a decent amount of time there, not having been there ourselves before, and wanting to really experience the place. Plus travelling with young children we accept we need to add some "contingency days" to any overseas holiday we go on. And one of my best friends lives there now so any excuse to hang out with her is an added bonus.

Leading up to any holiday I like to research what to see, do, experience or eat at the location we will be travelling to. Unsurprisingly I found a lot of things to do with children and families in Singapore. Once again I started a spreadsheet listing all the things I found recommended to do. My list usually exceeds the amount of time available but I like to do this so I can cull this list with my husband, and as I learnt on this trip, with my eldest.

We did do a lot in Singapore but this blog post I list just the things I strongly recommend to do in Singapore with children based on our experience.

Stay at Sentosa Island

Things to do in Singapore with Children

When my husband asked me if I wanted to stay there for a few nights I said no because that would mean we'd move three times during our trip, and with young children, I'm not inclined to change accommodations that frequently. Plus the checkout and in process can take up a whole day of your schedule.

But after visiting Sentosa Island and realising there is so much to do like visit Universal Studios, cool down at a Water Park, check out SEA Aquarium, and dine at the various places to eat, I realised that maybe we should have stayed on the island a few nights. We found ourselves going to the island three times during our trip. A process that isn't too difficult with Singapore's efficient public transport system, but an effort never the less with young children. So I suggest save yourself the effort and avoid the masses of people who also commute to the island everyday and stay on Santosa Island.

Legoland

Things to do in Singapore with Children

My boys loved Legoland. They're boys, ofcourse they would. Legoland is actually in Malaysia but there are private tours companies that can take you to the park from Singapore. The trip to Legoland does require you to bring your passports as you will be going through customers and immigration both on the way there and back. So the commute to Legoland takes about 2 hours and may be longer if there is traffic. 

I strongly suggest Legoland because unlike Universal Studios all the rides are for kids, although parents can ride many of the rides too. Eli took advantage of this and rode almost everything. Unfortunately, Kai was a little too small for a few rides which he protested in screams and tears. The park is a lot quieter than Universal Studios so in many instances we could stay on the rides and go again as there were no queues. We did go on a Tuesday but from what I heard from other people, it's the same deal most days too.

Singapore Zoo

Things to do in Singapore with Children

I enjoyed Singapore Zoo! It's a huge zoo and when you ride the shuttle bus and take a tour of the whole place and see the amazing location the zoo is located on, you can start to see why it's so different from other zoos. Firstly, they have all the major animals all in one place. Secondly, it's such a big zoo, ample room for the animals to roam around so you feel like you're in their habitat. Thirdly there's so many shows and feeding times for all the animals, and in some cases, the feeding is done in an open space amongst the crowd. So animals will start to come and weave through the crowd to get the food from the trainers. To me, this adds to the feeling that the animals were within reach cause we could touch and feed them. There's also a Kids Area where children can play or chill out when you want a bit of a break from all the animals and walking.

Light Shows Around Marina Bay

Things to do in Singapore with Children

For some reprieve from the heat take the kids to watch the various shows that around Marina Bay. There is a light show at Gardens by the Bay. The whole place starts to glow in lights as the sun begins to set, but later in the evening, there is a 15 minute music and light show around the Supretree Grove area that really show cases the gardens.

On the other side of the water is the nightly Marina Bay Sands light show. Head towards the restaurants around One Fullerton and from there you can see uninturrupted views of the Marina Bay Sands Hotel and watch the lights show right by the water. The nightly light show is on at 8pm and 9.30pm and on the weekends another later show at 11pm.  From there you can also check out the famous Merlion statue.


There is so much to see and do in Singapore with families. It's really a matter of whether your children are old enough to do certain things, what your family is into, and whether there is enough time to see everything. 

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Share Buttons

Share this post with friends