The best cheap things to do in Singapore with kids

Bring the whole family to gawk at the natural wonders housed in the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum. Among them: a dinosaur fossil, a sperm whale skeleton, the only specimen of the largest species of turtle ever recorded, and an Asian Brown Flycatcher specimen collected by the famed British naturalist Alfred Wallace himself. The compact gallery has fifteen thematic zones, displaying specimens of plants, fungi, mammals, dinosaurs and more. When you're done with that, bring the kids to gardens surrounding the museums to discover plants native to mangroves, swamps and dryland forests. 

Price: From $9

While the grown-ups will appreciate the history of Fort Canning Park, the kids will love the playground situated at the base of this garden on a hill. Jubilee Park, on the western slopes of Fort Canning, has tons of recreational spaces for kids to romp around in. Here, they can swing on the sanded playground, balance on a series of logs, walk on netted structures and tear down slides that are built into the slopes. The best part? It's totally free. 

Price: Free 

Take the kids for a unique day out at Hay Dairies, where about 800 goats live like bleating royalty. Walk-in for a free and easy tour of the farm, where you and your family will get to see the ins and outs of operating a farm. Watch the goats get milked (from 9 to 11am), explore the farm on your own, and purchase some Alfafa Hay ($5) to feed the goats yourself. And why not try some Hay Dairies' goat milk too? Your kids might just love it with their morning cereal. 

Price: Free

Price: Free  

Yes, SuperPark is back under new management, and with newly expanded Kids’ Gym for younguns. Everyone – young and young-at-heart – is welcome to bounce, prance and run around SuperPark, an all-in-one indoor activity park from Finland. The 40,000 square foot play space at Suntec City features over 20 exciting adrenaline-pumping games including a tube slide, indoor flying fox, and trampoline zone. Game experiences such as iWall, SuperClimb, and a kid-friendly Ninja Track will keep the little ones busy – and sweaty. It even has a skate and scoot section for your pre-teen Tony Hawks to show off their skills.

Price From $19.90

Jewel Changi Airport’s wonderland makes a great indoor playground for both kids and kidults. Burn your energy by going down all four Discovery Slides, play among the clouds of Foggy Bowls, and waltz through the colourful Petal Garden. Mark the magical moment with a family photo by the various animal topiaries like orangutans, crocodiles, elephants, peacocks and chameleons at the whimsical indoor jungle of Topiary Walk. For an added fee, you can also weave through various mazes, bounce on nets, and admire the stunning views of the HSBC Rain Vortex and Shiseido Forest Valley from above a glass bridge.

Price From $4.50 (Singaporeans and Permanent Residents), $5 (standard)

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 museum'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.

Price From $12

An institute built for the cultivation of everything scientific (yeah, science!), this kid-friendly institution features regular exhibitions that promote the physical, life, applied, technology, and industry sciences. The centre also lays claim to Singapore’s only domed cinema, the Omni-Theatre, which is equipped with state-of-the-art IMAX technology. It also has a 40-centimetre mega-telescope which gives little astronomers a closer view of the starry skies at the Science Centre Observatory (temporarily closed).

Price From $8, $14 (Omni-Theatre)

An edutainment centre specifically for kids, this interactive space features various areas for them to run wild and dirty their hands. Galleries are divided into themed zones with exhibits that encourage kids to get creative, learn about Mother Nature, nurture their curiosity and open their minds to the wonders of the world. And as you'd probably guess by now, gravity's a big part of it. Enter The Big Dream Climber. This fantastical two-storey-high wall features elements plucked from the mind of the Mad Hatter: hanging doors, flying fish, giant gears and huge leaves. And if they manage to scale the wall, they'll arrive at the Music Zone, where they can go nuts on drums and organs, constructed from PVC pipes.

Price From $20

After showing the kids around the other exhibits at National Gallery Singapore, let them continue exploring their creativity at the Keppel Centre for Art Education. The concept here is simple: to stimulate children’s curiosity and imagination through – what else – art. The centre is divided into several zones, including a museum and workshop. But the highlight is the newly-refreshed Art Playscape and Ink Studio where kids can learn about gestures, movement and spontaneity through the playful kinetic zones.

Price Free (Singaporeans and Permanent Residents), from $15 (standard)

Live out your ultimate Wipeout dream at Singapore's very first floating aqua park. Both kids and kidults can climb, slide, leap and bounce at the massive inflatable playground and obstacle course – think a giant bouncy castle in the sea, just off Sentosa's Palawan Beach. To maximise the fun for everyone, the water park is split into four zones with varying difficulty levels – Level 1 is specially designed for kids aged five to eight (every one child has to be accompanied by one adult), and Levels 2, 3 and 4 are for those aged nine and above.

Price From $13

Splish, splash, splosh with the little ones at this indoor water wonderland. The water playground stretches out to 23,000 square feet, with five slides and eight play decks that are all interconnected by climbing structures. Big buckets of water topple at random over a few areas, so expect most children to cluster around that splash pad to get dunked. For those with tots aged 18 to 36 months, head over to a separate wading area where water jets gently spray streams at you. Prices start at $8 for junior members on weekdays – kids below 2 months old get to enter for free.

Price From $8 (members), $14 (guests)

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.

Price From $12

For some fun under the sun, children can run riot to their heart’s content at this open-air playground by the sea. Located along Siloso Beach Walk, Nestopia has a total of 17 play sections fitted out with challenging obstacle courses complete with three giant nests that suspend 7.5-metres off the ground. Climb your way up for spectacle views of the South China Sea before sliding down one of its two slides with your tot.

Price From $10