What is there to do near me this weekend

Are you looking for inspiration for your long weekend (Monday is Deepavali so it’s a public holiday!)? Why not take the kids off to a green park to play or check out a kid-friendly café with a playground! If you need more inspo, here’s our weekly roundup of weekend activities and kids’ events: sign up to see a real dinosaur skeleton for 3 days only; visit the Istana Open House; check out a candlelight concert at S.E.A Aquarium; have a beach day; get tickets for a fun-filled puzzle hunt adventure in the Civic District; visit the light installation and The Gamebox fun at PLQ Plaza; get tickets to kids’ theatre show Hare & Tortoise by SRT and more!

1. Check out a candlelight concert at S.E.A Aquarium

Have you taken the kids to a candlelight concert yet? These concerts take place in venues all over Singapore and bring the magic of a live, multi-sensory musical experience to awe-inspiring locations. Taking place on a Thursday (which is the new Friday) you can discover the music of Joe Hisaishi at S.E.A. Aquarium under the gentle glow of candlelight. This performance will showcase tunes from Hayao Miyazaki’s works such as Spirited Away, My Neighbour Totoro and Kiki’s Delivery Service, and will be played by two violins, one viola and a cello. Kids must be 8 years old or older to attend (accompanied by an adult). Tickets from $62.

2. Celebrate Deepavali

Deepavali celebrations continue this week with Monday, 24 October 2022 – the day of Deepavali itself! Learn all about the important Festival of Lights here. Wondering how to take part in the celebrations? Our guide to Deepavali has all the answers – it’s time to light diyas (tea lights), put on your festive attire, play some Bollywood music and cook up a family-friendly Indian feast that’s best enjoyed with friends to celebrate the victory of light over darkness and good over evil!

3. Sign up to see a real dinosaur skeleton for 3 days only (FREE!)

Between 28 – 30 October 2022, a dinosaur skeleton belonging to a Tyrannosaurus rex (T-Rex) found in 2020 in Montana, USA, will be displayed at the Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall, before it goes to auction in Hong Kong. This will be the first Asian auction of a T-Rex skeleton, whose estimated value is between $21 million and $36 million. The three-day public preview of the T-Rex, named Shen, is free but visitors need to register in advance via this link. The 1,400kg fossilised skeleton will headline Christie’s 20th/21st Century Art Evening Sale at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.

4.Visit the Istana Open House for Deepavali

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5. Check out a light installation & Gamebox at PLQ Plaza

Love arcade games? Check out The Gamebox at PLQ Plaza – a new, neon gamified playspace featuring 10 exciting games across three zones! Shop at Paya Lebar Quarter or sign up as a new Lendlease Plus member to play. Complementing the fun and games is a photogenic light installation @ PLQ Parkside, located right across Sims Ave, and a Game Bazaar where families can discover stalls selling gaming-related items and conducting various workshops. Look out for live performances plus a chance to win 100,000 Lendlease Plus$ too! On Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 21 October to 6 November, catch live musical performances from 7pm by local artists.

6. Get tickets for a fun-filled puzzle hunt in the Civic District!

Treasure hunters and puzzle solvers, this one’s for you! Mongo the Monkey stumbled upon a treasure map while strolling along the Singapore River. He wondered, “Could there be real treasure hidden in this historic area of Singapore?” Join him on his adventure, as he visits the National Monuments in the Civic District in search of the treasure! Get ready to put on your thinking caps to decode the puzzles and discover fascinating facts about these historic buildings and sites along the way. Tickets are sold separately for adults and kids – but hurry, it’s selling out fast!

8. Cool off a public swimming pool with slides

We’ve rounded up the best public swimming pools in Singapore – all at affordable prices – so you can take the kids to cool off when it’s way too hot for any other outdoor play! Some of these pools have waterslides, tsunami pools and lazy rivers for extra fun!

9. Get tickets to Hare & Tortoise by SRT

If you love taking the kiddos to the theatre, here’s one to add to your list! The classic tale of the Hare and the Tortoise takes a modern twist in the upcoming Hare & Tortoise theatre show by the Singapore Repertory Theatre! Speedy Harri and steady Tatta are both determined to win the race  – they’re very different but unfortunately, they’re stuck with each other. Can they find common ground? Will Harri and Tatta be able to figure out their differences to complete the race together? Best for kids aged 3 years old and up. Approximately 50 minutes (no intermission).

10. Go on a Treasure Hunt: Try Geocaching! (FREE!)

Geocaching involves finding treasures (called geocaches) hidden by fellow geocachers – you find the clues to where each treasure is hidden using the GPS on your mobile phone. All you’ll need to do is to download the Geocaching app (the basic access is free), look for a geocache near you and start hunting. Once you find the treasure (which is often a small waterproof container containing a piece of paper where those who found it can write their name) you rehide it in the same place and log your find on the app. A fun way to get the kids out into nature and exploring your neighbourhood.

11. Clear your diary for the vOilah! Festival + Jazz at Botanics (FREE!)

vOilah! the annual France Singapore festival, presented by the Embassy of France in Singapore, kicks off with French at Jazz Au Jardin, a jazz event on Saturday 29 October 2022, 5pm – 7pm, at The Shaw Foundation Symphony Stage. Singaporean King of Swing Jeremy Monteiro, the JASSO Ensemble, and the Godfather of Singapore jazz Louis Soliano will perform well-loved jazz classics like Invitation, Have You Met Ms Jones, and Autumn Leaves. We are super excited about a live performance in the Botanics – read our guide to this park before you go! The vOilah! festival comprises photography exhibitions, food markets, sporting events and more!

12. Have a beach day (FREE!)

A long weekend gives us the perfect opportunity to have a beach day. Find a beach near you with our list of all the best beaches in Singapore from East Coast beach to the sandy beaches of Sentosa, Palawan beach and more!

13. Grab tickets to Avatar: The Experience

Book tickets to Avatar: The Experience which opens on 28 October 2022 at Cloud Forest, Gardens by the Bay. The multi-million production will take visitors through ‘interactives and striking content throughout five different zones’ where you’ll get a closer look at the alien world of Pandora, and witness its bioluminescent environments, unique flora and fauna and more. Look out for a life-size animatronic banshee, and get a look at the artistic sculpted representation of the new marine creature, the Ilu, from the upcoming film Avatar: The Way of Water. Tickets from $23 for kids aged 3-12 and from $27 for adults.

14. BELIEVE Taxidermy Art Exhibition (FREE!)

Do you believe in fairies? Want to see one ‘for real’? BELIEVE is an exhibition by Black Crow Taxidermy & Art that explores the intersection of art, science and nature, taking traditional taxidermy (which does have the rep of being a little morbid) and turning it into art. In BELIEVE, Black Crow debuts original works of art like fairies (assembled using ethically sourced insects) to a three-headed dog (using skeletal remains of multiple dogs). We haven’t checked this quirky art exhibition out yet, but according to the artists, it is suitable for the whole family! Entry is free.

More great things to do on the weekend with kids in Singapore!↓

Look forward to Jumptopia: Festive Village

Jumptopia: Festive Village is coming back this year! Our love for bouncy castles can’t be satiated! This year, you’ll experience seven curated zones brimming with inflatable castles, play areas, live performances and even an indoor ‘snow’ play area. Little ones will love Bell’s Gingerbread House where life-sized gingerbread men and candy-coated pretzels await. While the kiddos play, parents can head to the mini Christmas Market for festive shopping and Christmassy treats. Tickets are already on sale from $28.75.

Visit Science Centre (Fire Tornado demo back on!)

A visit to the Science Centre Singapore is all the more appealing now that water play is back on; plus the Fire Tornado exhibit is finally back in action too! Come face to face with one of the most terrifying and spectacular phenomena as you marvel at the fire tornado and its flaming vortex that takes place in a specially built chamber. The column of fire reaches over 600 degrees Celsius and makes quite a spectacle while bringing science to life for kiddos! Read our guide to Science Centre here.

Check out a newly reopened rooftop water park (FREE!)

The free rooftop water playground at Tampines 1 mall has finally reopened! Kids will love splashing around the animal-themed play space that has a few little slides, sprinklers and water fountains. There’s also a dry play area with a slide and a wash area to get cleaned up afterwards. See more pics of this water playground here. This new water park is free to enter. Read all about Singapore’s free water play areas here.

Have fun at a Dino-themed Water Playground (FREE!)

Dinosaur fans, not only is there a new Dino-Quest exhibit at Suntec with animatronic dinosaurs, interactive dinosaur exhibits and plenty of hands-on activities but there’s also a new dinosaur-themed water playground at Causeway Point that’s completely free! The Dino-themed Water Playground just opened this week – if you’re excited to see what’s in store watch our video here. There’s a Toddler Dino Zone, Adventure Volcano and Crater Zone. Kids will have a blast zooming down the two long slides, running through the dinosaur ribcage with water jets and watching the volcano erupt (with water!). In the evenings, the Dino-themed Wet Playground comes alive with neon lights!  Entry is free and no pre-booking is required.

Read More: 16 Places Where Kids Can See Dinosaurs in Singapore

Visit The Arena @ Keat Hong (FREE!)

The newly opened free Choa Chu Kang outdoor playground, also known as The Arena @ Keat Hong, is making waves with its three amazing playgrounds for kids of all ages. From a stunning treehouse-like tower and massive slides that loop multiple times before reaching the bottom, to pirate ship play equipment and swings, there is something fun for children of all ages in each of the three playgrounds. Read all about this playground and 20 other free spots to take the kids to play, here!

Check out food-themed play space at The Artground (FREE!)

The Artground has a new playspace with a foodie theme! Part indoor playground, part arts and interactive theatre space, The Artground offers heaps of movement and dance workshops along with arts and craft activities. The new play installation, Masak Masak, features a food-themed play area with food-related installations to play with. From climbing huge bowls of cendol to jumping on an egg tart trampoline, and making prata and kopi at their own ‘hawker stalls’, there are so many fun things for little kids (best for toddlers up to 6 years old). Check out our Instagram Reel for all the highlights! Free to enter the playspace but special programmes are ticketed.

Head to the Singapore Zoo for water play!

Did you hear? Singapore Zoo’s Wet Play Area at KidzWorld has reopened after two years of restrictions! Hands down one of our kids’ favourite spots in Singapore this water play area is the best thing after a morning spent seeing all the animals in the zoo. Don’t forget to book a slot to feed some of the animals from giraffes to rhinos and elephants, plus see the educational animal shows while you are there! Read our full guide to Singapore Zoo here.

Have fun at Jurong Lake Gardens (FREE!)

Treat the kids to a play at Jurong lake Gardens’ playground Forest Ramble. The water play is open and the main playground is lots of fun, with structures to climb on and a long slide too. There are 13 different adventure play areas to explore at Forest Ramble, with mini trampolines, rope obstacle courses and other equipment that is nature-inspired based on the actions and motions of the animals that inhabit the freshwater swamp. More info on the Jurong Lake Gardens here.

Take the kids on a street art hunt (FREE!)

Looking to get the kids out walking? Make it fun by spotting street art along the way! Check out our most comprehensive list of recommended street art murals sorted by neighbourhood here. Head out with a fully charged phone (for all those cute pics) plus a paper and pencil for the kids so they can search out “treasures” that you can challenge them to find.

Ride the playground “train” at Tiong Bahru (FREE!)

Looking for outdoor playgrounds where the kids can let off some steam? The playground in Tiong Bahru makes for a fun kids activity and when the kids have had enough of the choo choo train, you can head to the Wet Market to gorge on pau at Tiong Bahru Pau (or grab a croissant at Tiong Bahru Bakery). We wrote a whole guide to Tiong Bahru neighbourhood here or check out this article for a list of other amazing outdoor playgrounds that are all FREE!

WATCH: 12 Best Playgrounds in SG

Looking for more inspiration for Things to Do in Singapore with Kids? Read this!

All event information is supplied by third parties. Check with the venue before you make weekend plans!

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