The best family staycations are the ones that make both parents and kids feel super special - that’s why we were super excited to try out Shangri-La’s new playcation camp!
Staycations or playcations, us parents love them all. But when it comes to giving the whole family a good mixture of awesome activities together, (as well as plenty of me-time) that’s where an action-packed playcation comes up trumps. So of course, we were super excited when Shangri-La Singapore launched their Family Playcation Wellness Camp. This is a family staycation that comes with a holiday camp for kids (hurrah!)
So, what’s in a playcation?
This staycation package promises a mix of fun, self care, and expert led learning activities for children. These fun activities are conducted in a one and a half day camp. The camps are designed to pique kids creativity, improve social and interpersonal skills, as well as develop their problem-solving abilities. So, while bub is away at camp, mums and dads can make the most of some much-needed alone time (spa date, anyone?).
It doesn’t get much better than that, we say. So we rounded up our little ones and headed to Shangri-La Singapore to try out this brand new playcation camp. Here’s what went down on this action-packed family escape!
Review: Shangri-La Singapore’s Family Playcation Wellness Camp
Check-in: Welcome to our room!
As part of the Family Playcation Wellness Camp package, we were given the keys to Shangri-La’s Garden Wing Deluxe Family Terrace room. It comes with a king-sized bed for parents and a sofa bed for the kids. This room type also offers direct access to the hotel’s gardens, which was great because it meant we could bring our girls for walks in the gardens anytime we wanted! For us parents (and where utmost convenience is concerned!) this was probably our favourite feature of the room.
Check out the adorable Teepee beds!
As for the girls’ favourite, it was definitely the adorable little teepee tent which was set up just in front of their beds. Needless to say, the girls spent most of their time playing there day or night! The room was also decorated for our youngest daughter’s birthday, which you can opt in for at $65 nett. This package comes with balloons, a birthday banner, and your choice of birthday cake (Chocolate Truffle Cake, Strawberry Shortcake, Cheesecake, or Durian).
The itinerary: Here’s what we got up to during our stay
Day one
Upon check-in, the kids were given an SL50 Kids’ Welcome Goodie Bag and an itinerary of awesome activities that the hotel had planned for our staycation. After exploring our amazing room, we dropped our eldest girl off at buds by Shangri-La (the hotel’s iconic play space) for the first activity of the stay: Peranakan tile colouring. The workshop started with a video introduction by Alvin Yapp (founder of Peranakan museum, The Intan) while each child was given a pre-designed white tile. As our eldest girl absolutely loves colouring, she took this task super seriously!
After all that crafting, it was time for a swim! The playcation package comes with two complimentary sessions at Splash, Shangri-La’s all-new water playground. Our water babies had such a fun time there – in fact, they almost didn’t want to leave!
Day two
The kids’ camp started early on our second day, with two sessions that lasted from after breakfast time till 4pm. As part of the itinerary, our eldest learned all about creative writing and storytelling, before ending the day with an art jamming session. Lunch was also provided for her during the day, which she was thrilled about since it meant she could spend more time with her new friends!
With our eldest well and truly occupied, we had plenty of time on our hands, so we took our youngest on a long and leisurely walk around the hotel’s lovely landscaped gardens. We also had the opportunity to kick back in the private cabana which was provided together with the room! They say that time flies when you’re having fun, and our eldest was soon done with camp activities, so we ended the day with another session at Splash.
Day three
On our final day of the playcation, the girls were super excited as we’d told them we’d be visiting buds. They were looking forward to it so much that they were urging us to finish our breakfast faster! They simply couldn’t wait to head to the hotel’s interactive indoor playground to run amok amidst the different zones and play areas.
buds by Shangri-La is divided into two zones: the Explorer Zone for kids aged five and above; and the Toddler Zone for those aged four and below. Our eldest immediately darted off to the Mesh Cave in the Explorer Zone with the friends she met at the camp; while we accompanied our youngest to the Toddler Zone for some soft play.
After so much excitement, the kids were close to puffed out, but there was still one final activity from the camp: a mystery hunt created by The Alpha Mind. The kids were told by the camp facilitator that Shangri-La needed their help, and each were engaged as the hotel’s Junior Secret Agents.
Our eldest was excited and nervous at the same time, as she and her friends were given a mission to find a missing relic which belonged to one of the hotel’s VIP guests. They had to speak to hotel staff, find clues, and solve puzzles. It took the Agents an hour to find the missing relic (thanks to all the help from the lovely hotel staff!) and by then, it was time to say goodbye and head home…
The Verdict
We loved Shangri-La’s playcation camp because it was an action-packed staycation where everyone had something fun to do! The playcation camp was planned seamlessly so that parents are able to spend quality time with their children, as well as spending precious time together or even alone for a few hours each day. We also especially loved the fun learning activities that our eldest experienced at the camp. She came home with so much knowledge, ranging from new vocabulary to fun facts about the hotel!
The playcation deets
Where: Shangri-La Singapore, 22 Orange Grove Rd, Singapore 258350.
The package: Family Playcation Wellness Camp
The dates: 14 January till 30 June 2022 (Fridays and Saturdays only)
The price tag: $1,436++
What you get:
- A 3D2N stay at the Garden Wing Deluxe Family Terrace room
- Daily breakfast for two adults + one child
- One and a half-day camp Family Playcation Wellness Camp for one child (supplementary charge of $188 nett for participation of an additional child)
- One limited edition SL50 Kids Welcome Goodie Bag, which comes with special STABILO x Shangri-La kids activity colouring book, STABILO markers, buds lanyard and stickers, and cookies.
- One complimentary session at buds by Shangri-La
- Two complimentary sessions at Splash
- $50 dining credit per night
- One complimentary parking space per stay with unlimited entry
Suitable for:
Family with children aged five to ten
Want to experience this fab staycay for yourself? Find out more about Shangri-La’s Family Playcation Wellness Camp on their website, and get ready for your next staycay!
This post is in partnership with Shangri-La
