13 Places To Visit During The School Holiday

Stumped for ideas on where to bring your kid during the school holidays?

Visit these 13 places for a fun-filled and meaningful time.

1. Parks

Ang Mo Kio-Bishan Park | Photo: TNAP

Our little garden city has so many hidden treasures in the form of her beautifully maintained parks. The National Parks Board (NParks) has done an amazing job in ensuring the upkeep and cleanliness of many of our public parks, and also offer a range of free guided tours and workshops for visitors to enjoy.

Where to go:

Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden
Gallop Extension
Labrador Park
Changi Beach Park
Hort Park
Punggol Waterway
Gardens By The Bay Children’s Garden

➡️ Related Read: Children’s Parks to Visit in Singapore

2. Nature Trails

MacRitchie Reservoir The New Age Parents MacRitchie Reservoir | Photo: TNAP

Get away from the urban jungle and get in touch with nature. Here are 10 nature trails in this island to check out with your family.

3. Cafe

eat play love cafe counter Eat Pray Love Cafe | Photo: The Loving Mum

You’d be surprised how many kid-friendly cafes are springing up all over our island. Alfresco or indoor, with options for art and craft, cycling or playing masak masak – the choice is yours. The holidays are a great opportunity to visit different neighborhoods and eat good food!

Where to go:

Wheeler’s Yard
Cups N Canvas
Second Storey
Eat, play, love Cafe
Togather Cafe

4. Water Playgrounds at the Malls

water play at NEX Shopping Mall NEX Playground | Photo: TNAP

Nowadays, these playgrounds in shopping malls are gaining popularity, each one filled with the squeals and shrieks of many happy children (and stressed out mamas!). These are great for keeping cool in the hot weather, and as a respite for the kids from mummy’s shopping.

Where to go:

Westgate
Changi City Point
Tampines 1
JEM
Northpoint Shopping Centre
NEX

➡️ Related Read: Top 5 Outdoor Learning Places for Children

5. Old-School Vintage Playgrounds

heritage playground dove and pyramid dakota crescent

In virtually any residential area in Singapore, there is bound to be a playground within walking distance. Take your kids further afield this holiday, and check out these playgrounds of yesteryear, preserved for their cultural heritage as icons of a younger Singapore.

Where to go:

Majestic dragon playgrounds
Pelican, tortoise & rabbit playground (no longer around)
Dove playground
Watermelon, mangosteen & pineapple playgrounds
Dinosaurs playground

6. Library

My Tree House Central Library

Treehouse library

My Tree House Library @ Central Public Library, 100 Victoria Street, Singapore 188064 | Photo: Mama wear papa shirt

School’s out for a month, but that doesn’t mean that reading comes to a standstill. Encourage your children to enjoy their daily dose of good books and audiobooks with a trip to your neighbourhood library at least once during the one month. Or spend a few hours at these libraries, which are guaranteed to charm the little ones.

➡️ Related Read: Child-friendly Libraries in Singapore

Where to go:

Early Literacy Library (basement of Jurong Regional Library)
My Tree House (National Library)
Library @ Orchard

7. Beach

white sandy beach at palawan beach sentosa

A day at the beach is definitely on the cards for any summer holiday! No matter that Singapore is summer all year long. Holidays are the perfect excuse for extended picnics on the grass, sandcastle building by the shoreline, searching for shells and interesting debris, and chasing balls and Frisbees across the lawn. And look out for the little surprises in store at some of these lesser-known beaches.

Where to go:

East Coast Park Beach
Changi Beach
Sembawang Beach
Punggol Beach
Sentosa Tanjong Beach
Palawan and Siloso Beach

8. Farms

Hay Dairies Pte Ltd (Goat Farm) 3 Lim Chu Kang Lane 4, Singapore 718859 | Photo: TNAP

Let your children enjoy the company of some animal friends on a farm – something they would not have the opportunity to do on a regular school day.

Where to go:

➡️ Related Read: Animal Farms to Visit in Singapore

8. Fire Stations

Fire Station Open House | Photo: Lim Chin Leng

Did you know that the fire stations have an Open House every Saturday morning, from 9am to 11am? Well, now you do. Just walk in (no appointment needed) and learn more about the Singapore Civil Defence Force, their mission, the roles and functions of fire stations, and what life in a fire station is like.

Where to go:

Clementi Fire Station
Bukit Batok Fire Station
Central Fire Station
Tampines Fire Station
Ang Mo Kio Fire Station

10. Singapore Science Centre

A place where your kids can learn, explore and have fun all at one go! One day is certainly not enough because there are simply so many things to do there.

First, there is the KidsStop!, Singapore’s first and only children’s Science Centre, catering to kids between the ages of 18 months and 8 years. Opened to the public on 6 June 2014, the centre includes 17 themed zones such as Flight and Space, Built Environment and The Human Body, which promise to hook your child’s interest and engage him in meaningful discovery.

KidsStop at Science Centre

The learning continues at Omni-Theatre, a world-class state-of-the-art audio and visual technology, with a huge NanoSeam (seamless) Dome Screen that spans five storeys high. The Only IMAX Dome Theatre in Singapore, catch educational documentaries for your kids.

IMAX Omni-Theatre Experience

We may not have winter in December but there is Snow City! Let your child experience the cold and snow this holiday at Snow City. Snow-tube down a three-storey high and 60-metre long slope! It’s quite a drop, so be prepared to get a little wet. Also check out The Cliff, the first of its kind vertigo climbing wall in Singapore.

Snow Tube Fun at Snow City

Need to cool off from the heat? Take your child to the newly re-opened Water Works.

Waterworks Science Centre

Waterworks at Singapore Science Centre

11. Sentosa

This is the Neverland. The Dreamland. The Wonderland. The land without rules, strangers or stereotypes. Fun is never far in this State!

Sentosa Wings of Time Shahbaz mystical pre-historic bird Sentosa Wings of Time | Photo: TNAP

Where to go:

Luge ride at Sentosa | Photo: TNAP

12. Children’s Homes and Charity Organisations

Give your children the opportunity to lend a helping hand to those who are less fortunate. And what better place to start than with helping them to reach out to fellow children in need? Here are some homes that you may pay a visit, and/or volunteer on this holiday.

Where to go: