Things to do in Singapore with kids include nature-led attractions, action-packed beach days, and culturally-immersive activities.
Amid Singapore’s jungle of modern skyscrapers are exhilarating theme parks, world-beating museums, and family-friendly dining. Though it’s one of the most modern cities in the world, Singapore also boasts an abundance of lush green spaces in the heart of the city for kids to enjoy.
It’s easy to get around Singapore with kids, too, with the fast and reliable Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system, a bus network, and efficient, state-regulated taxis.
Happy children make happy parents and carers, so delve into the best things to do in Singapore with kids to keep the entire clan entertained on vacation.
Explore the Jewel Changi Airport
Rain Vortex, Jewel Changi Airport
Joined to Changi Airport, the Jewel Changi, a nature-themed entertainment complex, offers an exciting number of eye-popping things to do as a family.
The centerpiece of the Jewel Changi is the breathtaking Rain Vortex, topped by a futuristic glass-domed roof, which leaves travelers young and old open-jawed.
The world’s tallest indoor waterfall, the Rain Vortex is one of Singapore’s most extraordinary modern landmarks, cascading over 131 feet, the equivalent of seven stories..
Canopy Park, Jewel Changi Airport Photo by cattan2011 on Flickr, licensed under CC BY 2.0
There’s plenty of opportunity here to let off steam. At the Canopy Park, kids can explore the Discovery Slides, a wonderfully-immersive play space that combines giant sculptures with slides.
The Canopy Bridge at the top of the Rain Vortex is another highlight. A thrilling walkway with mist emitted at both ends, the bridge is suspended 75 feet above the ground with sections featuring a glass-bottomed floor.
Thrill-seeking kids won’t want to leave the bouncing net as they leap 26 feet above the ground. You could also weave through the largest hedge maze in Singapore and let the kids have a blast at the dazzling Mirror Maze.
The Jewel Changi Airport is also home to a wide selection of restaurants to suit all tastebuds, too. Enjoy exquisite steamed pork dumplings at Din Tai Fung and fresh flavors of gelato at Birds of Paradise.
Enjoy the Beach on Sentosa Island
Siloso Beach, Sentosa Island
If you’re looking for more relaxing things to do in Singapore with kids, venture to Sentosa Island to enjoy family downtime.
Lying off the south coast of Singapore, kids love Sentosa Island for its sultry beaches. Tanjong and Palawan beaches on the island’s east coast are home to an idyllic setting of tilting coconut palms, sugary-white sands, and crystal-clear waters.
Palawan Beach, Sentosa Island
Kids will love the suspension footbridge leading to a small islet on Palawan Beach, known as the southernmost point of Asia and one of the best beaches in Singapore. You can climb the two timber viewing decks for unparalleled views of the South China Sea.
Sentosa Island is also home to some of Singapore’s most rip-roaring family attractions, including Adventure Cove Waterpark and Universal Studios Singapore. Take the kids for a ride on the cable car to get here. There are two lines, Mount Faber and the Sentosa Line.
Immerse the Whole Family at the ArtScience Museum
ArtScience Museum
Singapore is known for its architecture. The ArtScience Museum, part of the Marina Bay Sands complex, has become a symbol of modern-day Singapore for its lotus-flower design by architect Moshe Safdie.
The museum lies at the crossroads of art, science, and culture. While adults might like to view artworks by Andy Warhol, Vincent Van Gough, and Salvador Dali, kids are drawn to the VR Gallery.
Let your young ones strap on a headset and take ownership of a controller as they’re presented with immersive virtual reality experiences.
Helix Bridge
After your visit, stroll across the steel Helix Bridge. Inspired by the structure of DNA, the curved bridge connects the ArtScience Museum with the city’s Youth Olympic Park and Raffles Avenue.
Ride the Singapore Flyer
Singapore Flyer
Take your kids for a ride on the Singapore Flyer, Asia’s largest observation wheel, towering 541 feet above the city.
Swoon over views of Marina Bay, Downtown Singapore, and the South China Sea as you’re carried around the wheel at a leisurely pace. An interactive guide provides commentary on the Singapore landmarks below during the 30-minute rotation.
Discover Gardens by the Bay
Cloud Forest, Gardens by the Bay
The masterful Gardens by the Bay is one of Singapore’s most iconic sights and families will love it.
From the hundreds of exotic plant species in the Flower Dome and the Cloud Forest to the OCBC Skyway aerial walkway and Supertree Observatory, there’s plenty to keep children and adults busy for several hours.
Supertree Grove, Gardens by the Bay
A climax is the imposing Supertree Grove. It consists of 18 whimsical, towering “trees”—some connected by the 420-foot-long OCBC Skyway—that light up in a dazzling light show twice daily. The trees are man-made but lush with vertical gardens.
The Supertree Observatory offers spectacular views of Gardens by the Bay and the glinting ships that fill the bay around Singapore.
Check Gardens by the Bay’s program of activities, too. Regular events include themed crafting and planting workshops.
Read: Three Days in Singapore
Visit Merlion Park
Merlion Park Photo by ペウゲオト on Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
There are six Merlion statues—mythical monuments featuring a fish’s body and lion’s head—in Singapore.
The iconic Merlion symbol represents Singapore’s beginnings as a fishing village, known as Temasek, and the city’s original name, Singapura, meaning “lion city” in Sanskrit.
Take the kids to Merlion Park, the location of the largest mermaid-lion statue. The 70-ton statue spouts water from its mouth into Marina Bay. One of the best places to visit in Southeast Asia, this serene waterfront spot near the mouth of the Singapore River is nestled among the Central Business District’s gleaming skyscrapers.
Esplanade
Following a walk around Merlion Park, wander across Jubilee Bridge to the vibrant Esplanade, a modern theater complex designed to resemble durian fruit.
You could also take your kids on a Merlion hunt around Singapore to find all six statues. There’s a smaller statue behind the original in Merlion Park, and another at Tourism Court near Grange Road.
There’s one at Faber Point on the summit of Mount Faber and two more Merlion statues in the center of the island in Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park.
Tour Singapore Botanic Gardens
Singapore Botanic Gardens
Make your way to the UNESCO-listed Singapore Botanic Gardens for a fun day out for the kids.
This glorious green space is home to an emerald rainforest, a ginger garden, an orchard garden, and an ethnobotany section, which looks at the relationship between culture, people, and plants.
Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden, Singapore Botanic Gardens
The showpiece for kids is the Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden, Asia’s first garden dedicated to children. The enthralling space aims to nurture a love of nature among younger travelers. There’s adventure play, a farm, a forest with treehouses, a suspension bridge, ponds, and streams.
Dine at Lau Pa Sat Hawker Center
Lau Pa Sat Hawker Center
If you want to explore Singaporean cuisine, then head for some of the island’s hawker centers.
These buzzing food markets feature stalls of sizzling local cuisine. Dishes range from the more adventurous chili crab, served with a generous dollop of rice, to tastebud-tickling chicken satay.
Lau Pa Sat Hawker Center
Join locals at Lau Pa Sat, also known as Telok Ayer Market, on Raffles Quay in downtown Singapore. Housed in a beautiful Victorian-era cast-iron building, Lau Pa Sat is a Singapore institution and one of the best places to soak up local culture.
Gather around a central table and share plates of umami-packed chicken and rice, barbecued shrimp, and sizzling noodles—plus ice-cold beers for the adults.
Soak Up Lively Chinatown
Buddha Tooth Relic Temple
One of Singapore’s liveliest districts, Chinatown is not to be missed for its energetic markets and captivating streetscapes.
This boisterous neighborhood also offers the peaceful sanctuaries of Sri Mariamman Temple, the city’s oldest Hindu temple, and the majestic Buddha Tooth Relic Temple.
Dragonfruit
On Smith Street, pink dragonfruit and fleshy durian are among the fruits piled high in the front of shophouses.
Cool down with slices of fresh watermelon and mango as you admire Chinatown’s evocative street murals depicting scenes of Singapore’s cultural heritage.
Yip Yew Chong is a prominent Singapore street artist whose work can be found around Chinatown, including a three-story coffee shop mural on Temple Street.
Trinkets in Chinatown
Wander beneath the garland of red lanterns on Pagoda Street, where you could let your brood spend their vacation allowance on chopsticks, wooden chess sets, and colorful candy.
Swing by Maxwell Food Center to fill up on tea-soaked boiled eggs, gyoza dumplings, and nasi padang, a local dish of steamed rice, vegetables, and different meats flavored with spices and coconut milk. Save space for delicious scoops at Madame Ooze ice cream parlor afterward.
Hop on a Scenic Singapore River Cruise
Singapore River
One of the best things to do in Singapore with kids is to join a bumboat cruise to glide along the Singapore River from Clarke Quay.
The meandering river, snaking through Singapore, was once the center of much of the city’s trade. Pass the Raffles Landing Site—noticing the white marble statue honoring Sir Stamford Raffles, the founder of modern Singapore—as you sail to Marina Bay Sands.
Singapore River
Dusk is one of the best times to join a bumboat tour, when the riverbank glows with the lights of bustling bars, restaurants, and shophouses.
Relax at the Marina Bay Sands
Marina Bay Sands
Singapore’s mammoth, triple-tower skyscraper sits in Marina Bay, connected at the top by a futuristic, three-acre SkyPark, best known for its spine-tingling infinity pool.
The Moshe Safdie-designed Marina Bay Sands—“MBS” to locals—has an attraction for everyone.
SkyPark Observation Deck, Marina Bay Sands
Whizz up to the 57th-floor SkyPark Observation Deck for astonishing views of one of the best skylines in the world.
Back at ground level, you could also enjoy a leisurely ride on the canal at The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands on a wooden sampan boat, a typical vessel used on waterways in Southeast Asia.
This family-friendly attraction sees visitors circle the Rain Oculus, a water installation that collects rainfall that fills the canal.
Afterward, catch the bewitching daily Spectra show. The 15-minute show takes place every day, featuring dancing fountains, visual projections, lasers, and an orchestral soundtrack.
Shop on Orchard Road
Orchard Road
Add Orchard Road to your Singapore itinerary for teens who like to shop. Taking its name from the fruit orchards that once swept through this Singapore strip, Orchard Road is home to hundreds of glossy, high-end boutiques.
Shop at the legendary Tangs, Singapore’s equivalent of Bloomingdales, which has welcomed visitors to its Orchard Road department store since 1958.
Head for Design Orchard for homegrown Singapore brands. Ngee Ann City is an immaculate shopping mall where kids are charmed by ActionCity for kitsch Pop Art toys. For exquisite chocolate candy, stop by Janice Wong.
Read: What to Buy in Singapore
Take a Trip to Little India
Little India
A visit to Little India is one of the best things to do in Singapore with kids to introduce them to one of the city’s most dynamic neighborhoods.
Singapore’s Indian community fizzes with the bustle of flower vendors, old-style restaurants, street food stalls, mosques and temples.
Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple
Marvel at the intricate detail of Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple. Built in 1881, it’s one of Singapore’s oldest Hindu temples. Wander by the pastel shop fronts of Serangoon Road and connecting streets.
Little India
Browse the dangling floral garlands, earthy spices, and silver and gold jewelry on Dunlop Street and Upper Dickson Road. Delve into Little India Arcade’s treasure trove of trinkets, Indian candy, saris, and scarves on Campbell Lane.
Little India has an artistic side, too. Look out for more enthralling street murals, including a painting depicting a traditional Indian dancer on Dunlop Street.
Before leaving Little India, savor traditional cuisine at The Banana Leaf Apolo, where the fish head curry is a signature dish. There’s plenty more to enjoy for the less adventurous.
Embark on a Thrilling Nocturnal Safari
Night Safari Photo by Shiny Things on Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 2.0
Take your family on a Night Safari, a nocturnal zoo in north Singapore. Ride on a tram-car through the 86-acre park to see Malayan tigers, Asian elephants, and Burmese Gaur, a burly animal similar to a bison.
Spy Nile hippos, Malayan flying foxes, wild African lion, and black bears as you make your way around this extraordinary twilight park.
There are around 100 species and thousands of nocturnal animals to see, with walking trails, animal talks, and up-close experiences at the Explorer Outpost.
Read: Singapore Vs. Hong Kong: Which Should You Visit?
Singapore
Singapore is a feast for the senses and one of the world’s most compelling cities. Discover Celebrity’s range of cruises to Singapore and plan your Asian adventure.
