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Family outings

Family outings in Singapore

Singapore is a garden city designed for children: free water play gardens, seaside parks, interactive museums and beautiful libraries. The secret is to go out early in the morning or late in the day, and keep air-conditioned museums and malls for the hottest hours and the downpours.

Verified on 30 October 2026

Parks, gardens and playgrounds

The national parks network (NParks) covers the whole island, almost always free, with water play, cycle paths and picnic areas.

Good to know

  • The Singapore Botanic Gardens, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2015, are the only tropical botanic garden on the list; entry is free and the gardens are open from 5 am to midnight. Source
  • The Jacob Ballas Children's Garden, inside the Botanic Gardens, is for children aged 14 and below and their carers: free entry, closed on Mondays (except public holidays). Source
  • The Far East Organization Children's Garden at Gardens by the Bay is free, for children aged 12 and below with an adult, with water play and a zone for ages 1 to 5; it opens Thursday to Sunday and public holidays, and Tuesday to Sunday in school holidays. Source

Addresses

  • Jacob Ballas Children's Garden, Singapore Botanic Gardens

    Park

    Côté Bukit Timah des Botanic Gardens

    Water play, a treehouse and nature trails for under-14s; come at opening time, before the heat.

    Website Source

  • Far East Organization Children's Garden, Gardens by the Bay

    Park

    Marina Bay

    The city's best-known free water garden, at the foot of the Supertrees; bring swimsuit and towel.

    Website Source

  • East Coast Park

    Park

    East Coast Parkway

    The family playground: beach, bike and skate rental, playgrounds, barbecue pits and a seaside hawker centre.

    Website Source

  • Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park

    Park

    Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1

    One of the largest urban parks in central Singapore, with a naturalised river and wildflower banks for picnics, near the IFS.

    Website Source

  • Pasir Ris Park

    Park

    Pasir Ris, est de l'île

    Large seaside park with a beach, a mangrove boardwalk and big playgrounds.

    Website Source

  • West Coast Park

    Park

    West Coast Highway

    The big family park in the west, with one of the island's largest playgrounds.

    Website Source

  • Singapore Zoo et Night Safari, Mandai

    Park

    Mandai Lake Road

    An open zoo set in the forest, alongside the Night Safari, Bird Paradise and River Wonders on the same site; an annual pass pays for itself quickly.

    Website Source

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Museums for children

Singapore's museums are highly interactive, air-conditioned and almost all have a dedicated children's space: perfect for stormy afternoons.

Good to know

  • The Children's Museum Singapore, in a colonial building over a hundred years old on Coleman Street, is designed entirely for children; visits are booked online. A new exhibition opens there on 14 November 2026. Source
  • Science Centre Singapore, in Jurong East, has a KidsSTOP space for younger children, best booked at weekends and in the holidays. Source
  • National Gallery Singapore, the National Museum and the Asian Civilisations Museum, around the Civic District, offer family workshops and trails, and are easy to combine on foot. Source

Addresses

  • Children's Museum Singapore

    Museum

    23-B Coleman Street, Singapore 179807

    The city's children's museum, with hands-on exhibitions and workshops; book a time slot.

    Website Source

  • Science Centre Singapore et KidsSTOP

    Museum

    15 Science Centre Road, Jurong East

    Hands-on science for all ages, with a space dedicated to young children.

    Website Source

  • National Gallery Singapore

    Museum

    1 St Andrew's Road, Civic District

    Southeast Asian art in the former Supreme Court and City Hall, with an art education centre for children.

    Website Source

  • National Museum of Singapore

    Museum

    93 Stamford Road

    The country's oldest museum, to tell children the story of Singapore.

    Website Source

  • Asian Civilisations Museum

    Museum

    1 Empress Place

    Asia's cultures on the Singapore River, to combine with a riverside walk.

    Website Source

Libraries and French books

Public libraries (NLB) are beautiful, air-conditioned places with large children's areas. For French books, the Alliance française media library is the place to go.

Good to know

  • Entry and on-site reading are free in NLB libraries. To borrow, foreigners living in Singapore can join with a pass valid for at least three months (Employment Pass, Dependant's Pass…); membership is fee-paying for most of them. Source
  • The Alliance française media library has over 16,000 books, 700 DVDs and some 20 periodicals for all ages, with storytime, a book club and author meetings; access to Culturethèque, the French cultural network's digital library, comes on top. Source
  • library@harbourfront, in VivoCity mall, has a children's zone with a makerspace for ages 3 to 9 and an immersive storytelling room. Source
  • The renewed children's area of the Central Public Library reopened in January 2024 with a marine biodiversity theme and a room reserved for children's programmes. Source

Addresses

  • Médiathèque de l'Alliance française de Singapour

    Library

    1 Sarkies Road, Singapore 258130

    The city's largest collection of books in French, picture books and children's comics included.

    Website Source

  • library@harbourfront

    Library

    VivoCity, niveau 3, HarbourFront

    A large library with views of the sea and Sentosa, linked to HarbourFront MRT.

    Website Source

  • Central Public Library

    Library

    100 Victoria Street, Singapore 188064

    In the basement of the National Library, in Bugis: an ocean-themed children's area and My Tree House, a green library for kids.

    Website Source

Activities, sport and workshops in French

Between the Alliance française, Accueil Singapour and schools' after-school activities, children can keep a real link with French outside class.

Good to know

  • The Alliance française runs Franco classes for French-speaking children from age 5, two hours a week Monday to Saturday, to keep up with the French system; a placement test is required. Source
  • During the November and December holidays, its themed camps (secret agents, dragons, circus) welcome ages 3 to 10 in the mornings, Monday to Friday, mainly in French. Source
  • Accueil Singapour's children's group organises family outings, workshops and a family picnic at East Coast on the first Sunday of each month. Source
  • For swimming, ActiveSG public pools are spread across every neighbourhood, some with feature pools; book them through the ActiveSG app. Source

Addresses

  • Alliance française de Singapour

    Activity

    1 Sarkies Road, Newton

    French classes for bilingual children, holiday camps, French films and shows.

    Website Source

  • Accueil Singapour, pôle enfant

    Activity

    Outings, visits and workshops in French with other families, plus coffee mornings for parents and parents-to-be.

    Website Source

  • Piscines publiques ActiveSG

    Activity

    The public network of pools and sports halls, with feature pools in some complexes.

    Website Source

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Through the year

It is hot all year; life follows the monsoons and the festivals of the Chinese, Malay, Indian and Christian communities, all celebrated in the streets.

Good to know

  • Two monsoons shape the year: the Northeast Monsoon from December to early March and the Southwest Monsoon from June to September, separated by inter-monsoon periods with frequent afternoon thunderstorms. Always keep an umbrella in the pushchair. Source
  • Chinese New Year (January or February) lights up Chinatown, followed by the Chingay Parade, a big multicultural procession; the Mid-Autumn Festival brings lanterns to Chinatown and Gardens by the Bay. Source
  • Deepavali, the festival of lights, illuminates Little India in the autumn; Hari Raya Puasa, the end of Ramadan, livens up Geylang Serai; on 9 August, National Day is celebrated with a parade and fireworks. Source
  • Local schools and the IFS do not share the same calendar: check Singapore public holidays to plan childcare and outings. Source

Addresses

  • Chinatown

    Activity

    Chinatown, Outram

    Chinese New Year lights and markets, then Mid-Autumn lanterns.

    Website Source

  • Gardens by the Bay à la mi-automne

    Activity

    Marina Bay

    Giant lanterns, mooncakes and cultural activities; an evening outing children love.

    Website Source

  • Little India pendant Deepavali

    Activity

    Serangoon Road, Little India

    Light arches, garlands and bazaars; come early evening on a weekday to avoid the crowds.

    Website Source

  • Chingay Parade

    Activity

    The country's biggest multicultural parade, around Chinese New Year.

    Website Source

  • National Day Parade

    Activity

    9 August: parade, aerial displays and fireworks over Marina Bay; rehearsals in the preceding weeks can also be seen from the waterfront.

    Website Source

Go further

Getaways under two hours

A wild island ten minutes away by boat, an Indonesian beach an hour away by ferry, Malaysia across the bridge: a change of scene without flying. For Indonesia and Malaysia, bring passports.

Good to know

  • Pulau Ubin is reached by bumboat from Changi Point Ferry Terminal in about ten minutes; boats leave on demand, 6 am to 7 pm, once there are 12 passengers. Bikes can be rented on the island. Source
  • The ferry to Bintan Resorts leaves from Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal and takes about 1 hour 10 minutes; Bintan is one hour behind Singapore. Source
  • Sentosa, linked by road, monorail or on foot from VivoCity, offers beaches, attractions and walks without leaving the main island behind. Source

Addresses

  • Pulau Ubin

    Park

    Départ : Changi Point Ferry Terminal, 51 Lorong Bekukong

    Old-time Singapore: cycling on dirt tracks, stilt villages and the Chek Jawa wetlands.

    Website Source

  • Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve

    Park

    Kranji, nord-ouest de l'île

    Mangroves and boardwalks, Singapore's first ASEAN Heritage Park, where you spot monitor lizards and migratory birds.

    Website Source

  • Coney Island Park

    Park

    Punggol

    A rustic park with boardwalks, cycle paths and wild beaches, ideal for cycling with children.

    Website Source

  • Sentosa

    Park

    Accès depuis HarbourFront (VivoCity)

    Siloso, Palawan and Tanjong beaches, attractions and trails; quieter on weekdays.

    Website Source

  • Bintan, Indonésie

    Ferry depuis le Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal

    Beaches and resorts about an hour away by ferry, the classic family weekend escape.

    Website Source

  • Legoland Malaysia

    Activity

    Iskandar Puteri, Johor (Malaisie)

    Theme park, water park and LEGO hotel just across the border; avoid rush hours at the checkpoints.

    Website Source

Go further

A place has closed, something has changed? Tell us: the mums of Singapore will thank you.

Sources for this page

The public pages these landmarks come from. The official website always prevails.

  1. 1 NParks, Singapore Botanic Gardens
  2. 2 Gardens by the Bay, Far East Organization Children's Garden
  3. 3 Alliance française de Singapour, médiathèque
  4. 4 National Library Board, types d'adhésion
  5. 5 Children's Museum Singapore
  6. 6 Meteorological Service Singapore, climat
  7. 7 NParks, visiter Pulau Ubin
  8. 8 Accueil Singapour, pôle enfant

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