You can barely blink without breaking a sweat under our blistering sun, so where do you go to escape the heat in Singapore? Forget about staying huddled around the air-conditioner; bring the kids to one of the city’s fantastic water parks to cool down and have fun. From the elaborate outdoor fountains and sprinklers at Gardens by the Bay, to the rooftop oasis at NEX, these are our top places to go for a splashing good time – totally free of charge!
Palawan Pirate Ship, Sentosa
There was a collective wail of ‘noooooooo!’ across the island when parents heard that Port of Lost Wonder was closing down, but here’s the silver lining, folks: the famous pirate ship water play area lives on as Palawan Pirate Ship, and it’s totally FREE! Head on over to Palawan Beach for the good times, folks.
Palawan Beach, open 10am-6pm; www.sentosa.com.sg
Gardens by the Bay is a firm favourite for awesome free water play! Photography: Lindene Cleary
Far East Organization Children’s Garden, Gardens by the Bay
Kids never fail to make a beeline for this elaborate water play area, nestled amongst the lush greenery of Gardens by the Bay. With classic Disney tunes streaming and fun fountains creating a visual display, this certainly excites the senses. It’s no wonder this is a fave destination on sunny days: there’s a designated area for tots, where fish-shaped fountains send out water in gentle arcs, and plenty of seating for parents to sit back and take in the spectacular view of Marina Bay Sands. Designed for children aged six to 12 years, the main water play area is perhaps the best we’ve seen: with sensors that detect movement to create a corresponding water effect sequence, parents will get as much of a kick playing here as the kids. The towering orchids dump buckets of water below, so watch where you stand!
18 Marina Gardens Drive, Singapore 018953. Open Tuesday-Sunday from 9am-9pm (closed on Mondays); www.gardensbythebay.com.sg
Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden, Singapore Botanic Gardens
Tucked away near the entrance of the Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden, a visit to this fun water play area is hands-down the highlight of the day for kids once you’ve explored the expanse of the Gardens. You’ll find water spouts at low heights for crawling tots to enjoy, but also very little shade – so remember to lather on lots of sunscreen and come armed with a hat. Don’t forget: the water play area is closed on Mondays!
Singapore Botanic Gardens, 481 Bukit Timah Road, Singapore 259769. Open Tuesday-Sunday 8am-7pm (Closed on Mondays); www.sbg.org.sg
Flower-themed fountains at IMM Mall’s splash pad. Photography: Choo Yut Shing.
IMM Water Play Park
Another opportunity to shop and play – reward those kiddos for tagging along to a day at the mall with a super fun session at this outdoor splash pad. Kids will love the spraying flowers, buckets and water cannons; mums will love the non-slip surface for kids to safely let loose.
IMM Shopping Mall, Level 3 Garden Plaza, IMM Shopping Mall, 2 Jurong East Street 21, Singapore 609601. Open daily 10am-10pm; www.capitaland.com.sg
Splash Park at Sembawang Shopping Centre
The Splash Park is a padded open air playground with loads of fountains, water jet tunnels and water pistols for the kids to enjoy. There’s even a fun, sheltered playground for them to hang out at pre or post wet play.
Sembawang Shopping Centre, 604 Sembawang Road, Singapore 758459. Open daily 10am-10pm (wet area is open from 11am-2pm and 5-8pm); www.sembawangsc.com.sg
The water feature for older kids has paddle boats available to rent. Image credit to Vivocity.
VivoCity SkyPark
The impressive rooftop water feature at VivoCity SkyPark spans the size of four Olympic swimming pools (yes, it’s that huge)! The knee-deep water area is ideal for older kids to paddle around in or they can rent a paddle boat for $8 to $10; hold on to little ones! Sunscreen is a must as it can get scorching hot here. So grab those swimmers, sunscreen and towels, and make a day of it – we’d even try leaving dad on duty while we slip off for a sneaky session in the mall…
Vivocity Level 3, 1 HarbourFront Walk, Singapore 098585. Open daily 10am-10pm; www.vivocity.com.sg
Happy Park at Waterway Point
Happy Park is as good a reason as any to visit the far flung reaches of Singapore (i.e. Punggol). Dotted with massive lilies and leaf sculptures, kids will have a blast going back and forth between the wet and dry play areas. Whether they’re splashing about in the wading pool, swinging on the hammocks or burrowing through tunnels, they’re sure to have a blast. Plus, if you pop by after dark, the place sparkles with LED lights, making it that much more magical.
Waterway Point, 83 Punggol Central, Singapore 828761. Open daily 10:30am-8pm; www.waterwaypoint.com
The shallow wading area at Marina Barrage is perfect for tiny tots. Photography: Choo Yut Shing.
Marina Barrage Water Playground
For some more gentle fun in the water, head to this purpose-built dam with a huge wading area that kids can’t get enough of. The water is very shallow (perfect for tiny tots) and you don’t have to worry about getting soaked by a water cannon here; but there are plenty of water jets that fearless kids will have fun running through. Don’t forget to look up and admire the kites being flown from the nearby Green Roof!
8 Marina Gardens Drive, Singapore 018951. Open daily 9am-9pm; www.pub.gov.sg/marinabarrage
The 3 House at Changi City Point
The 3 House is located on the second level of Changi City Point. The wet area includes fountains, mini-pools and swings, while the dry area has a treetop obstacle trail for older kids to cross and climb. There’s even a landscaped rooftop garden, equipped with interactive art installations just above the play area for the kids to explore while they dry off. Suitable for little ones below 12.
Changi City Point, 5 Changi Business Park Central 1, Singapore 486038. Open daily 10am-10pm; www.changicitypoint.com.sg
Tampines Mall has a cracking play area for kids.
Tampines 1
This wildlife-themed rooftop water playground has plenty of slides, pools and fountains for the kids to splash about in. Little ones will be enthralled by the animal-shaped topiaries and the arctic-themed play areas that come complete with polar bear and seal slides. Another reason to love it: there’s a shaded area to escape the heat for a bit.
Tampines 1, 10 Tampines Central 1, Singapore 529536. Open Mon 4-8pm, Tue-Fri 12-8pm, Sat/Sun, School & Public Holidays 10am-8pm (except on Mondays); www.tampines1.com.sg
Splash-n-Surf at Singapore Sports Hub
If you haven’t discovered the Splash-n-Surf at the Singapore Sports Hub you’re seriously missing out! Complete with a water play area, kids pool, lazy river and even a half-pipe, it’s great for kids aged three to 12. You’ll find plenty of sprinklers, slides and water pistols along with a pint-sized merry-go-round swing ride. Kids who fancy a trip down the lazy river can rent a tube for $2, while thrill-seekers can try their hand at surfing on the half-pipe Stingray, but you will have to be at least 1.2m tall!
Splash-n-Surf, 1B Stadium Walk, Singapore 397690. Open daily 8am-10pm; www.sportshub.com.sg/communities
Kids can conquer the Ninja Trail at Compass One.
Ninja Trail at Compass One Shopping Mall
Compass One has a special Ninja Trail for little warriors aged two to 12 to work their way through 17 different play features, including a path laid out with jets, a climbing net, spray tunnels and spring animals. There’s even a swing set – but it can get slippery so make sure your little ones hold on tight!
Compass One Shopping Mall, 1 Sengkang Square, Singapore 545078. Open daily 10am-7pm; www.compassone.sg
KidzPlay at NEX Skygarden
KidzPlay at NEX (located atop the mall) is a wet and dry play area for kids five to 12. Hot day in the city? Cool down with water cannons, spray tunnels and water buckets for kids to get wet and wild with. Too wet? Hop on over to the dry playground, equipped with fun slides and bridges.
NEX Shopping Mall, Level 4R, 23 Serangoon Central, Singapore 556083.
Open weekdays 1pm-8pm; weekends, public Holidays and school holidays 11am-8pm; www.nex.com.sg
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