Looking for somewhere to chill with the family this weekend? Welcome to your new favourite neighbourhood hang: Serangoon!
Ready for your next adventure with the kiddies? Round up the troops, hop on a bus or MRT and head over to this hidden gem in north-east Singapore: Serangoon. And, while you’re at it, you can head further inland by paying a visit to neighbouring Hougang or even Punggol. It’s the perfect place to chill with the kids with its greener-than-green neighbourhood parks, cool cafés and restaurants, a gigantic shopping mall filled with ALL the things, and delish local cuisine. Ready for a day of fun? Here’s what to do in Serangoon and Hougang with kids in tow:
Breakfast
We love our strong coffees and in Serangoon, your best bet for a good latte is Sun Ray Cafe. Although it only opens at 9.30 (not so early for us mums!), it’s got a great kid-friendly breakfast selection that includes a decent eggs Benedict (their version comes with Belgian waffles and crispy bacon… yessss). It’s also a pet-friendly cafe, so if you want to bring your doggies along, they’re more than welcome! You can even order them their own doggie-tummy-friendly meal!
Sun Ray Cafe, 79 Brighton Crescent, Singapore 559218
Get out and play
We’re all about getting our kids out and about in the great outdoors – if there’s a playground nearby, you’ll find us there! After your delish brekkie at Sun Ray, walk over to Parry Road Playground on 22 Parry Road (it should take you around 10 minutes with a pram) for a quick sliding sesh. We’ re also big fans of the Tavistock Park Playground on Tavistock Avenue for the greenery and cool climbing structures!
Sun too hot? Head over to ArtSpeaks Studio for an art class. It welcomes kids as young as three years old and even has adult art-jamming sessions. It’s never too early to start getting your artsy side on, we say! But if that isn’t enough action for your little bundle of adrenaline, My Little Climbing Room at Jalan Pelikat is a good option. It’s perfect for little kids who want to give wall climbing a go but aren’t ready for the big kid climbing gyms. It’s definitely child-friendly: fitted with kid-sized harnesses and 4m high climbing walls, rope swings and balancing toys, it’s great for your budding acro-buddy. Don’t forget to book ahead!
ArtSpeaks Studio, 87-A Serangoon Garden Way, Serangoon Garden Estate; My Little Climbing Room, 183 Jalan Pelikat #B1-101, [email protected], Singapore 537643
Do some shopping
Although NEX Shopping Mall can seem quite intimidating, it’s really a one-stop-shop for anything and everything kid-related. Our top tip? If you’ve got a super wee one, head over to the Isetan’s Children Department. It’s got a great changing room that nobody really uses, so you can skip the queues at the other nursing rooms (it can get quite crowded at NEX!). We also love H&M on Level 1 for its extensive Children’s section and great deals.
Grab some lunch
We love ourselves some local food, and the best place to find it is back in Serangoon Gardens. Our kids love the roti prata at Sri Sun Express and the Hainanese chicken rice at Pow Sing Restaurant. Craving for Thai flavours? Soi Thai has a delish minced meat omelette and a decent pad Thai that kids of all ages will enjoy. The best part? They don’t have a service charge or GST. If the kids are being good, Oblong across myVillage has a great selection of sweet treats and waffles – yum!
Soi Thai, 58 Serangoon Garden Way, Singapore 555954; Pow Sing Restaurant, 63 & 65 Serangoon Garden Way, Singapore 555961; Sri Sun Express, 56 Serangoon Garden Way, Singapore 555952; Oblong, 10 Maju Avenue.
If you don’t feel like leaving NEX, it has perennial kids’ fave Din Tai Fung (can you say xiao long bao?) and Idaten Udon at the B1 level. Try not to get distracted by Andersen’s Ice Cream, which is also on the same floor!
Enjoy the afternoon sun
If lunch has you feeling groggy but the kids are still up for more fun (because when are they not?), head over to Level 4 at NEX for some FREE water play. It opens at 1pm, so post lunch is always your best bet. Unfortunately, due to the whole COVID-19 situation, it’s currently closed – *sad face*. If you’ve forgotten the kids’ wet play gear, not to worry, there’s a place to play sans water too! Still at the Serangoon Gardens area? MyVillage’s rooftop offers a cool view of Serangoon’s surrounds. Plus, there’s a little patch of green for the kids to play on too!
Treat yo’ self
Nothing beats an awesome foot massage (kids optional for this one) and we’re big fans of the uber-strong masseuse uncles at Chen Kang Wellness (it has branches at NEX and Serangoon Gardens). If you’re at the Serangoon Gardens branch, the nearby Plonk on Maju Ave serves up awesome tapas and affordable drinks. You’re welcome.
