Singapore - Fun with the kids

We are constantly on the lookout for fun things to do with the kids on weekends. They spend a lot of time at school, watching tv, playing on the iPad - all indoor activities. So for outdoor fun, which is usually free (yeah!), we head to various parks.
Recently we checked out Hindhede Park in the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve. It was fun to watch people feeding the fish, and we even saw a big lizard swimming in the water. One of these days we will conquer one of the longer trails. We've also been on the Southern Ridges, where we walked on bridges atop the trees (and I was robbed by a monkey) and marveled at the Henderson Waves. I like the Botanic Gardens and the Jacob Ballas Children's Garden. The Gardens by the Bay is also free (if you don't enter either of the domes). Plenty of space for the children to run wild. Update - there has been a water feature addition (great for the kids).

Hindhede Park - view of old quarry

Then there are the paid attractions. Recently, we made a trip to the zoo with Girl's school. It is done really well, and the shows were very entertaining. We especially liked the new polar bear exhibit, and the water play feature was fantastic! Boy has been to the Night Safari, but we are waiting for an excuse to take Girl (3yo) - not sure that she is ready to appreciate it just yet. On our plans is the River Safari, but we might wait for the boat ride to be ready.

Polar bear at the zoo Frozen Tundra exhibit

Speaking of boat rides, I have taken the kids on the River Cruise but recently a friend let us in on the water taxi secret (the website doesn't have the rate) - same ride for only $3! Update - you need to have an EZ-link card for this deal now. Okay, $6 for round trip, but you could always just use another form of transportation on the return. There is no video, and you might wait a little while the ticket seller summons the boat, but on a cool day, it is excellent.

The water taxi stops at many of SG's riverside attractions

For Boy's birthday in May, we went to Adventure Cove, where he wanted to spend all day in the wave pool. Girl was fascinated by the lazy river, where we could see fish in adjacent tanks (or tunnels!) from time to time. Go early to reserve one of the cabanas - there are the fancy paid ones and the plain free ones good enough for taking a rest from the sun. Update - all the cabanas seem to have been converted to paid ones, but the upside is some are available for online booking in advance. Also part of Resorts World Sentosa is Universal Studios. Girl was tall enough for the Transformers ride (very cool), but was terrified by it (I had her take off her 3D glasses). Be ready for lines though - we never did get on the Jurassic Park Rapids ride.

Adventure Cove wave pool

Moving on indoors (and still paying), the SEA Aquarium is another Sentosa attraction and is fascinating. Kids and adults alike sit in front of the largest tank and just marvel at the sea life. We then round back to Gardens by the Bay - the domes (are they indoor or out, really?). The waterfall in the Cloud dome is nice, but I really like the Flower Dome. They do different themes throughout the year - we've seen the tulips and the mid-autumn displays. There's a cafe (expensive), and the escape from the SG heat is almost worth the entrance fee.

Gardens by the Bay Flower Dome Tulipmania

Near the Gardens is the Art Science Museum. It is really pretty, with a nice water feature. We've seen the Lego exhibit (very cool, and Boy is a Lego fan), the Mummy exhibit (a little creepy for the kids, and Mom, but the 3D movie and the activity kits were nice), and the NatGeo photo exhibit (really nice). More adventures to come!