The best family-friendly activities in Singapore

As you bike down Changi Airport Connector with the fam, keep an eye out for the city’s largest permanent outdoor display of life-sized dinosaurs. Changi Jurassic Mile is home to over 20 different prehistoric, colossal creatures including the tyrannosaurus rex, velociraptors, and parasaurolophus – the tallest standing at about five-metres high. While you explore the grounds, look out for the baby dinos hatching from their massive eggs, and try to spot all nine species along the one-kilometre cycling and jogging path.

While natural snow is unlikely to fall in tropical Singapore, the city makes up for the lack of sub-zero temperatures with faux snow. Spanning at 3,000 square-metres, the three-storey-high winter wonderland has a 60-metre-long snow slope, an ice gallery, a bumper car arena, and photo-taking memories to capture those magical moments. Keeping the energy high, the centre's latest addition is a Winter Shooting Arena where teens can have an icy paintball shoot-out. Younger children can play in the family-friendly Snow Chamber where there's an Inuit home, a snow playground, and a treehouse adventure playground. There's also a bumper car arena for some high-octane fun.

They say everywhere can be a playground – that's certainly the case for Airzone, the world's first indoor suspended net playground that welcomes both the young ones – and the not too young as well. Occupying the atrium space between different floors in City Square Mall, be prepared to explore the multiple play areas where you can dive in a ball pit, crawl through a maze, climb to the top and try out the slides or just hang out on the suspended nets. 

A huge hit with the kids and kidults since the late 80s, the iconic Nerf brand opens the 18,000-square-feet dedicated Nerf entertainment centre that encourages active learning and team bonding. Get your heart pumping at multiple indoor themed activity zones that test your agility and creativity through active play, teamwork and more. And if all that shooting and dodging flying pellets got you working up an appetite, refuel at the food and beverage areas. There are also retail stalls with exclusive Nerf merchandise for you to expand your arsenal.

Gather the kids for some fun at Jewel Changi Airport’s massive indoor wonderland. Burn your energy by weaving through various mazes, bouncing on nets, sliding down an art sculpture, and admiring the stunning views of the HSBC Rain Vortex and Shiseido Forest Valley from above a glass bridge. Alternatively, take a breather at a misty garden, pose for a selfie with the many animal topiaries, and stop and smell the roses at a floral fantasia. Check out our ultimate guide to Canopy Park here.

This Olympic-sized rink maintains its frosty temperatures all year round, making it the perfect spot for some fun away from the sun. Aspiring figure skaters, ice hockey players and rookies can learn the basics of gliding and turning. There are also adorable ice skating aids in the form of penguins and seals for the extra confidence boost.

There isn’t a moment of stillness at Bounce Singapore, where you can jump off walls and fly through the air. This addition to the trampoline scene has three areas designed for different interests and various levels of difficulty, so young tots, older teens, adults and even fitness enthusiasts are catered for. Got a pre-schooler in the house? Specifically designed for kids aged three to five, KinderGym is equipped with a safe, multi-sensory environment to give them their jumping fix.

Encourage the kids to aim high at this kid-friendly obstacle course. Designed for those between five to nine years old, your mini adrenaline junkies can go ham on 22 crossings including zip-lines, ladders, swings, nets, and tunnels. Parents, don’t sweat – as safety is a priority, briefings are conducted once your kids are strapped in the harness prior to taking on the challenge.

New to the hiking game? Start with the 63-hectare Dairy Farm Nature Park. The main trail is paved, so you don't have to rough it out Bear Grylls-style with the little ones. Make your way to the Wallace Education Centre for hands-on activities and exhibits that tell the story of Dairy Farm’s changing landscapes. Keep a lookout for the striking red and yellow heliconias as well as the monkeys, pangolins, and butterflies along the way. For a chance to spot rare species of dragonflies and the critically endangered birds known as Little Grebe, head towards the scenic Singapore Quarry at the park’s south-western end.

Surrounded by the lush greens of Gardens by the Bay, this outdoor playground has one mission in mind: to get everybody drenched. There are water tunnels, stepping springs and various jets your pint-sized terrors – or your mischievous side – can use to hose everyone else down. Even toddlers can get in on the aquatic action, with a safe play zone you’ll feel comfortable letting them roam around in.

Marina Barrage attracts couples and families all year round thanks to its breathtaking 360-degree view of the bay area. Pack a picnic basket and a kite for some family fun. Don't have one? Browse through the cavalcade of colourful creations at the shop on the grounds. Then, help your kid unleash his or her kite into the air and let it sail in the bay's gusty winds.

Saddle up – horse riding isn’t just for trust fund babies or polo players. Learning to ride at Gallop Stables starts from as little as $65 (per 30-minute session). The little ones can enjoy a 20-minute pony ride ($45) which is suitable for three years and up. Alternatively, opt to go on a supervised riding for an hour ($85) on the Fairways Green Track or Fairways Sand Ring.

Even though Singapore’s farming industry is way past its heyday, Hay Dairies still sticks around with a small herd of mixed goats, churning out fresh goat milk daily. Drop by in the morning to catch the goats being milked, then bring a few bottles home at the end of the day. It's also a great opportunity for the young ones to meet, erm, other kids.

One of the world’s first ‘open concept’ zoos – residents live in landscaped enclosures instead of traditional cages – this 28-hectare attraction is home to more than 4,000 animals, including the world’s largest colony of orangutans, the exotic white tiger and the Hamadryas baboons. There are plenty of animal shows that will have the kids grinning from ear to ear, but go beyond at Rainforest Kidzworld where kids are introduced to the world of zookeeping including feeding, handling and interacting with farm animals.

It's impossible to spend less than a day at Resorts World Sentosa. Make a beeline for the kid-friendly rides at Universal Studios Singapore and meet the adorable characters from Madagascar, Shrek and Sesame Street. For a splashing good time with the family, pack your swimwear and head over to Adventure Cove Waterpark (temporarily closed). Otherwise, see the fishes swim at S.E.A Aquarium. Then strike a pose for some wacky family portraits at Trick Eye Museum and Madame Tussauds.

Be blown away, or in this case, up, by this wind tunnel which gives the thrilling sensation of skydiving without having to jump out of a plane. Under the watchful eye of iFly's team of pros, kids can have a ball pretending to be Superman.

The stunning lotus-shaped building is an iconic landmark in the Singapore skyline and also a place where art, science, culture and technology come together. Take your kids on an artistic adventure at the musuem's permanent exhibition, Future World – Where Art Meets Science. Together with digital art installations by teamLab, a trip here will light up your kids’ creative bulb where they can watch their 2D crayon creation transform into animations, create thrones out of colour-changing blocks, and go down an interactive slide.

If your mini-me happens to be a bookworm, then this makes the perfect wonderland – or woods. This children's bookstore offers a feast of pictorial treasures, including works by award-winning French cartoonist Jean-Jacques Sempé – known simply as Sempé – plus quirky graphic novels, the popular 1980s Malaysian series Lat, pop-up versions of The Little Prince, and of course, classic children’s books like Goodnight Moon and Where the Wild Things Are. Keep your eyes peeled for the next reading where your little bookworm will sure enjoy.

Established in 1852, the Gardens are a tranquil respite from the city buzz. Highlights include the National Orchid Garden with the world’s largest collection of orchids. There is also a swan lake where families can feed the black Australian swans, and picnic while enjoying an outdoor concert at Symphony Lake. Let the kids run riot at Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden where they can enjoy an exciting and interactive learning experience. Along with the theme 'All Life on Earth Depends on Plants,' the young ones will discover the wonders of life sciences and develop an appreciation for nature and the environment.

While the grown-ups will appreciate the history of this modest-sized mound in the heart of the business district, the kids… well, they don’t need any excuse to tumble around in a park as verdant as this, do they? As they explore the many nooks and crannies of Fort Canning Park and its many colonial-era relics, learn more about the paramount roles it played in the defence of the island and even before the British arrived, when it served as the residence of Malay royalty.