10 best kids' activities for school holidays in Singapore for every budget

Parents, brace yourself. School holidays in Singapore are upon us. Instead of getting occupied with school homework and term activities, your energetic and easily bored kids now stay at home. That doesn’t bode well.

Whether it’s because your kids have been working so hard and deserve a treat, or, you just don’t want to be home alone with antsy kids, you should plan some things to do with your kids this school holidays.

Here’re our top picks on things to do in Singapore with kids that cost anywhere between free to over $500.

TOP 10 HOLIDAY ACTIVITIES FOR CHILDREN IN SINGAPORE FOR EVERY BUDGET (DEC 2019)

EXPLORE A UNIQUE PLAYGROUND AT ADMIRALTY PARK (FREE)

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Admiralty Park is the largest park in Singapore where a river runs through (Sungei Cina). Isn’t that poetic? But this won’t be something that will get the kids too excited.

What will get them truly excited is the record number of slides in the Admiralty Park playground — 26 slides in total — designed to take advantage of the hilly ground the park is on.

You have to try the 34-metre long slide, the widest and longest in a public park in Singapore.

If your kid’s competitive, you can go on the Double Barrel Slides with him and see who will emerge the faster from the 23-metre long, 9-metre tall tube slides.

They’re the longest and tallest tube slides in a local public park!

The best part? It is FREE!

Address: 31 Riverside Rd, Admiralty Park, Singapore 739087

KIDS' ACTIVITIES AT NATIONAL ART GALLERY (MOSTLY FREE)

National Art Gallery is known being kid-friendly with many workshops and activities.

Currently, at Gallery Kids, there is a Pattern Maker exhibition where you can create minimalist art using shapes that are inspired by Kim Lim and Rasheed Araeen’s artworks.

There are other kids’ activities and programmes ongoing at the National Art Gallery:

Address: 1 St Andrew’s Rd, Singapore 178957

CHRISTMAS WONDERLAND (FROM $6)

The Christmas Wonderland is an annual affair at Gardens By The Bay.

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There are many attractions such as a Santa’s Workshop, Festive Market and Christmas Tree Cafe.

Your kids will probably love the Blizzard Time where “snow” will fall down from the sky at the luminarie light sculptures daily at 6.30pm, 7.55pm, 8.55pm, 9.55pm and 10.30pm.

If you go between 29 Nov and 13 Dec 2019, you pay $6 to go in if you buy your tickets online.

From 13 to 26 Dec 2019, the price jumps to $8. Entry is complimentary for up to 2 children under 0.9m for each paying adult.

Carnival games and special shows are charged extra.

WE'RE THE FURBALLS DOG CAFE AT BUGIS+ (FROM $9.50 TO $12.50)

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Not into the commitment of a pet but your kids love them?

For a small fee (from $9.50 for students and up to $12.50 for adult entry on weekends), We’re The Furballs Dog Café at Bugis+ lets you pet and play with their dogs for two hours, and you get a free drink as well.

The doggies are super friendly and quite hyper so expect to have them climb into your lap for a cuddle or beg you for food. You can buy doggy treats to bribe the snootier ones to come to you.

Watch out for one corgi who has an insatiable appetite and has been known to step over his buddies just to get to the food in your hand. The cafe only admits children 10 and older.

If you book through Klook, you get a standard drink and a dog treat bag for only $11.90, and can stay for 1.5 hours.

Address: #07-07, Bugis+, 201 Victoria St, Singapore 188067

THE CAT CAFE AT BUGIS STREET ($16)

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Not a dog person? There is The Cat Café nearby in Bugis too so you can hop over to spend some time with kitties after your romp with the canines.

For $15, you can stay there all day with a free drink.

The cats are less exuberant so it can be a more calming experience. Kids from 6 and up are allowed.

 It charges $16 per entry, and the fee includes one free drink.

Address: 241B Victoria St, Singapore 188030

KIDZ AMAZE SAFRA INDOOR PLAYGROUNDS (BETWEEN $8 AND $20)

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Kidz Amaze is a great indoor playground with a labyrinth of slides, tunnels, climbing structures, bridges and ball pits where kids can entertain themselves, while you sit at the side with a watchful eye.

There are three Kidz Amaze outlets to choose from: Toa Payoh, Punggol and Jurong.

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If your child is a toddler or preschooler who may be tentative in large spaces or averse to boisterous kids, the Kidz Amaze in Toa Payoh is less intimidating.

Plus, it has a Toddler Zone for those under three so your tot won’t get trampled by an older child (ouch).

Jurong’s Kidz Amaze will wow adventurous little ones with its sheer height – five storeys of mazes to explore.

Splash @ Kidz Amaze, the Punggol indoor playground, is a wet one with 8 play decks, 5 slides and a themed splash pad.

While it’s a great place to get wet and wild in any weather, do keep in mind that it gets chilly especially at night!

The best thing is, after an outing like this, the kids usually get so exhausted, they will have a really good nap when they get home.

It costs $14 for the Kidz Amaze playgrounds at Toa Payoh and Jurong and $16 for Splash @ Kidz Amaze Punggol for off-peak hours.

For peak periods, it costs $18 for Kidz Amaze Toa Payoh and Jurong, and $20 for Splash @ Kidz Amaze Punggol. Do note that adults also require an entrance fee of $2 each.

See full prices at SAFRA’s website.

Addresses of Kidz Amaze outlets:

• Kidz Amaze Safra Toa Payoh (293 Lor 6 Toa Payoh, Singapore 319387)
• Kidz Amaze Safra Jurong (333 Boon Lay Way, Singapore 649848)
• Splash @ Kidz Amaze Safra Punggol (9 Sentul Crescent, Level 3, Singapore 828654)

CLIMB AN AR WALL AT LET 'EM PLAY (FROM $18 PER HOUR)

Augmented Reality Bouldering is now a thing. Who knew?!

You strap on bouldering shoes, choose an augmented reality game which is projected on the boulder wall and then you hang onto the boulders on the wall, either hitting bats or touching guiding lights to music.

Children who are members pay $18 for 1 hour to play on the Just AR Wall and non-member kids pay $28.

For the same duration, adults pay $22 with a membership and $32 without.

Aside from this AR wall, Let ’em Play is an “edutainment hub” that also has its own indoor playground where you can walk on hanging pipes, spider nets and tyre travers. You can even climb a 2-storey tree.

KIDZANIA ($58.90 FOR KIDS, $33.25 FOR ADULTS)

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KidZania is a kid-sized city in Sentosa complete with buildings, streets, and its own economy and money – KidZos – where pint-size people get to “work” in adult jobs.

There are over 60 jobs available in this indoor theme park.

Some of the more exciting ones are chef, pilot, surgeon, dentist, firefighter, policeman, tv host, radio presenter, video editor, tour guide, ice-cream maker, and (our personal favourite) CSI investigator and sleep master.

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Earn your own KidZos which you can save in the KidZania bank that gives you interest.

Oh, and the money’s an international currency. What you save here can be used in KidZanias in other countries.

Other realistic touches include a full-wing fuselage of a Boeing 737, the first for a KidZania anywhere in the world, and the chance to get a driver’s license to drive around the city.

There’s even a petrol station for you to fill up your tank, manned by fellow kids “hired” to do the job.

It costs $58.90 per child and $35.25 for every accompanying adult.

Address: 31 Beach View, #01-01/02 Palawan Kidz City, Singapore 098008

LEARN CODING AT SATURDAY KIDS ($590-$660)

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A little coding may come in handy for your child in today’s digital age. Saturday Kids is where coding is introduced to kids from age seven.

Programming, electronics, digital art and design thinking are some of the courses available. The workshops are so fun that you might want to sign up yourself! They offer programmes like “Make with micro:bit & Python” where your kid canlearn Python programming skills use microbits to make gadgets (11 to 14-year-olds).

Addresses of Saturday Kids outlets:

• 1 Jalan Anak Bukit, Bukit Timah Plaza #02-41, 588996
• 1 Marine Parade Central #08-03 Parkway Centre, 449408
• 301 Upper Thomson Road #02-15 Singapore 574408
• 10 Square 181 Orchard Road #10-01 Singapore 238896

This article was first published in MoneySmart .