Things to do with kids: Rides and games at Prudential Marina Bay Carnival

We swung by Marina Bay to check out the newest and biggest carnival in Singapore and scoped out our fave picks for families...

Christmas in Singapore might have seemed deceptively quiet this year, but loads has been going on. We’ve strolled through Christmas Wonderland at Gardens by the Bay, taken our annual Santa snapshot at Tanglin Mall’s Santa Workshop, done our Christmas shopping at BookFest 2017, and we’ve even jettisoned into space at the interactive flight exhibition Above and Beyond. Now there’s a brand new attraction lighting up Singapore’s city skyline this December – the Prudential Marina Bay Carnival! With more than 40 rides and games spread across two massive event spaces, this is one carnival you need to check out now. Want to scope out the place yourself? No problem, entry is 100% free (although you might need to consider going alone because the prizes will have those little eyes twinkling).

We popped over last week to check out as many of the games and rides as we could and yup, it was fun. We’ll be heading back before the carnival ends on 1 April 2018 for sure. In the meantime, here’s our hot take on the carnival…

Shark-Coaster.-Image-courtesy-of-Prudential-Marina-Bay-Carnival Honeykids Asia Singapore — The Shark Coaster’s fun for everyone. Image courtesy of Prudential Marina Bay Carnival

Hop on stomach-plunging pirate ships or zoom around on roller coasters
There’s a ride for every age at this carnival and boy are we glad for it – there’s a very fine line between adrenaline-pumping and fear-inducing. Luckily, for every adult ride, there’s a scaled-down one for the kiddies, and vice versa. So while the thrill-seeking teens are careening into the clouds and back down again at 100km/h on the Mach 5, you can take a leisurely spin through the air on the Dumbo Ride. And while the tweens are leaning 70° over the deck of Das Fun Schiff (the Pirate Ship), you can experience the high seas on the Rocking Tug. There’s more, of course: three roller coasters of differing difficulty levels, a train ride, bumper cars, and a carousel. Our personal fave? The Star Flyer, a swing ride that rises 35 metres into the air to give you a perfect 360° view of the bayfront – best experienced at night. If there’s one ride to finish off the day with, it’s the Jungle River, because while getting dunked into water at high speed is fun, walking around with your pants riding up is not. (N.B. There is no age limit but select rides have a height limit of 1.2m.)

Catch-A-Fish.-Image-courtesy-of-Prudential-Marina-Bay-Carnival-Honeykids Asia Singapore — Hook yourself a prize at Catch A Fish. Image courtesy of Prudential Marina Bay Carnival

Games with prizes for the picking
We won’t lie, it’s not easy to win the stuffed toy of your (child’s) dreams, but with over one million licensed plush toys from Marvel, Pixar, and Dreamworks to be won, you can’t help but give it go. Aim, throw, roll, shoot your way to victory and yes, that extra fluffy unicorn will belong to you. If you prefer, pit your skills against the football, basketball, darts and bowling booths. Or aim for the sweet prizes like Paw Patrol, Peppa Pig, Star Wars and even South Park stuffies. But for the athletically challenged stiffs (guilty as charged), our top game booths are Hook a Bag (win a prize every time) or Knock Down (involves throwing but you can’t miss!). Our personal fave was the ring toss where they hand you a bucket of rings and it’s just a flurry of plastic flying through the air to try to hook onto the lip of a bottle. Not a surefire win, but very, very fun.

Pulled-Beef-Mantou-by-Hyde-Co.-Image-courtesy-of-Prudential-Marina-Bay-Carnival Honeykids Asia Singapore — You’ll be spoilt for choice by the food offerings including pulled beef mantou by Hyde Co. Image courtesy of Prudential Marina Bay Carnival

Food glorious food
If you find yourself with some grumbly tummies while you’re wandering the grounds, there’s plenty of food stalls lining the perimeter of the space. With more than 20 curated food vendors offering local staples with a twist, carnival food and even gourmet options, there’s no way you’ll go hungry. Food options are available at affordable prices starting from $4 but it’s definitely worth checking out the pulled beef mantou from Hyde & Co. with a side of premium fries from Katoshka topped with cheesy, beefy goodness and a refreshing sip of honey peach lemonade for the kids, and a beer for you (if you fancy it). Dine at one of the outdoor picnic tables while enjoying the stage performances and pop by Coco Glace for a tropical coconut vegan dessert to finish off the meal.

Why not ring in the New Year at the carnival with fireworks and a picnic? Turn up for free or book yourself a spot for just $5.50 for front row seats to see the fireworks happening on 31 December @The Float.

Prudential Marina Bay Carnival
When: 15 December 2017 to 1 April 2018
Time: Daily from 4pm to 11pm, and from 3pm on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.
Cost: Free admission, credits for rides and games can be purchased on-site and online at
www.marinabaycarnival.sg