Monday, February 20, 2017

Cooling off in Sunny Singapore

Sometimes parents lament that they have no time or money for this and that. No time because much of the time were spent on after-school enrichments? Or no money because all the fun stuff costs an arm or a leg? Seriously in Singapore, we are actually spoilt for choices when it comes to having FREE outdoor fun and with Singapore being rather hot most of the time, it is no wonder our usual haunts often includes bodies of water too! 

The Beaches 

Singapore is surrounded by sea, so it is easy for us to get to the beaches for some sandcastle-building or Frisbee-throwing. And the best part of all, is that it is FREE! Be it East Coast Park, or even Sentosa (you have to walk across the link way for free entry), there are public toilets for washing up after a day of fun in the sun, sand and a dip in the sea! All you need to pack along, would probably be some snacks or drinks for a picnic and an extra set of clothes! 

(Go take a break and watch the vessels from the breakwaters)
(A great place for get-togethers with friends!)
(Leave the kids to invent their own play)
Public Swimming Pools

Some of the public swimming pools these days, boasts fun water slides and while they may not have as many slides as compared to your commercial water parks, they are definitely cheaper or easier to access for residents staying nearby. Although not exactly free but I am sure you are aware of ActiveSG right? Each Singaporean (including kiddos) are entitled to $100 credit which you can use to pay for entrance to the pools and that means we have got $600 for our whole family! It will be years before we finish spending all our credits at our favorite Ang Mo Kio Swimming Complex (even without the fanciful slides)! You can check out the list of all the public pools here.

(A dip in the pool is always refreshing for us)
(There is no need for fancy slides when we have one another!)
Parks

And then there are parks all over Singapore! So what do you do in the parks? We often bring the kiddos to Bishan – Ang Mo Kio Park for them to run about and do some scooting. Sometimes we will go down the stream and canal to check out the wildlife living in there. Oh, and do you know that there is also a water playground that is in operation from Thur – Sun (8am to 11am and 4pm to 8pm). An inclusive playground at the River Plains section also meant even kiddos in mobility aides will be able to participate in all the fun together with the rest of the kiddos.

(If you are game enough, let the kiddos explore the man-made stream running through the park)
(And this would be further downstream where the river flows, where you can find lots of fishes and other wildlife)
(Those who prefer cleaner sources of water, check out the water playground but do note the operating hours!)
These are some of the usual activities for our family, and ideas for what you can do with the kiddos on your weekends or off days, depending on your energy level. Playing outside brings many chances to Experience More Together. Stepping out of the familiar gets your child excited – and you don't even have to go very far! Check out this Friso article about the 1,2, 3s of outdoor activities

Even though my kiddos will NOT complain if I simply leave them at home to their own devices (both literally and figuratively), I choose to spend my time outdoors WITH them whenever possible. I would want them to remember me as a fun-loving dad who is always there, and not one who merely provides for the family. So where will you be bringing your brood to this weekend? 

Note: This blog post is in collaboration with Friso. Kids learn from experiences whether big or small, good or bad. That’s why Friso provides the right nutrition for your child to be strong inside to take on challenges. For more information on Friso, follow them on their Website, Facebook or Instagram.

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