A Day at the Changi Jurassic Mile!

The newly opened Changi Jurassic Mile is a 1km long path stretching from East Coast Park all the way to right at the entrance of Changi Terminal 4. As the name implies, the path is filled with statues of dinosaurs, making it feel like you've just walked into the movie Jurassic World.

The entrance to Jurassic Mile at the Changi end.

We visited right before noon, but the sun was still glaringly hot, so we would definitely apply more sunblock in future. There were many people around, particularly young families, but everyone was largely orderly and queued up at each photo op in an organised fashion. There will be some people on bicycles or scooters, so always keep an eye on your kids. I liked how the area was designed to look as if we were really walking into a danger zone in a dinosaur zoo, with warning signs and restricted "doors" everywhere.

This "do not feed" sign cheekily parodies zoos around the world.

Nets and fences have been installed between the path and the dinosaurs to prevent any incidents, which does affect the viewing experience but is not really significant. The "dinosaurs" did look extra realistic and the statues emulated what the dinosaurs would have really looked like. There were also educational signs near every exhibit, showing some information about that dinosaur and where they were discovered.

Velociraptors playing with a jeep

To get there, we drove and parked at carpark 4A which is conveniently positioned right across the road from the Jurassic Mile. Bear in mind that if you are driving, you would need to walk through the mile twice to get back to where you came from. I would recommend against just walking. The end of East Coast where you emerge is pretty far from any MRT station. Meanwhile, the airport terminals seemed closed except to air passengers with a negative COVID-19 test, so we couldn't just take the Skytrain to Jewel/T1 (where the MRT station is). Another option is to bring a bike with you or rent a bike either at East Coast Park or Hub & Spoke (a bicycle shop within the Changi Airport area), which will make your life easier.

All in all, the Jurassic Mile is both an interesting and educational experience particularly for young children. We look forward to seeing more developments by the Changi Group!

Have you visited the Jurassic Mile? Do you have any thoughts? Feel free to drop a comment below for us to read.

An Afternoon at the Jacob Ballas Children's Garden

Last Sunday, our family of four spent an afternoon at the Jacob Ballas Children's Garden to celebrate its 5th birthday. My children love the garden, and the good news is, proceeds from the carnival cum birthday celebration will be used to fund the extension of the garden, to help our kids to better connect with nature through play!

Lots of yummy food, games and entertainment for the kids...

Well, it's certainly an afternoon well spent for us. We look forward to another event, and the new Jacob Ballas Children's Garden Extension! 

Animal & Bird Encounters

Date: Daily
Time: 12nn, 12.30pm, 2pm, 3pm, 3.30pm, 4.30pm, 5pm
Venue: Palawan Beach
Free Admission

Intelligence, agility and responsiveness, a great display from our animal friends.

Fun Times @ Palawan Beach

Date: 28 May – 26 June 2011
Time: 10am - 5pm
Venue: Palawan Beach, Sentosa

Sandy Good Times
Time: 10am – 5pm, every Fri & Sat

You don’t need to be a pro to own a masterpiece. At Sandy Good Times, you will work with professional sand sculptors and learn basic sand sculpting skills.

Boogie with Captain Palawan
Time: 11:30am, 3pm & 5pm, every Tues - Sun

Come and learn the Palawan Boogie dance steps at Palawan Beach with Captain Palawan. You might boogie your way to fantastic prizes!

Interactive Kids Workshops

Date: 28 May – 26 June 2011, daily
Venue: Images of Singapore Forecourt, Imbiah Lookout
Admission $8 per activity
Islander members enjoy 50% off.
FREE* for PLAY pass holders.
*Terms & conditions apply

Get creative with cookies baking, kids’ apron and sock puppet-making workshops!

Storytelling Comes Alive!

Date: 28 May – 26 June 2011, every Wed – Sun
Time: 11.30am, 2.30pm & 5pm
Venue: Images of Singapore Forecourt, Imbiah Lookout
*Free Admission
*Prevailing island admission and car park charges apply.

Experience some ‘Tasty Tales’ this school holidays at award-winning interactive storytelling sessions featuring your favourite stories.

2011 Children's Season

Have you checked out the 2011 Children's Season held at various museums? We have been to quite a number of them so far, and still plan to go to the rest :-)

Organised by the National Heritage Board and Museum Roundtable, 2011 Children’s Season will be held from 14 May to 31 July 2011.

My kids have a ball of a time there; I believe yours will too. My kids learn so much about so many things and have fun at the same time.

If you can, go over during the weekdays, since it can be very crowded during the weekends (depending on where and what time you go). However, many activities for kids are usually planned during the weekends. Most of the activities are free, but we have to pay a small token for the rest. So, do check out the website before you go.

Have fun and see you there!

The PlayDome - Kaleidoscope of Dreams

A National Museum Initiative for Children’s Season 2011, Co-curated with Playeum, The Play Museum

Date: Saturday, 14 May – Sunday, 26 Jun 2011
Venue: National Museum of Singapore

A new creative platform by the museum for children ages 3 and above, The PlayDome invites children to express their unique voices through meaningful and fun play activities based on their visual inspirations and experiences drawn from the galleries and objects found in the museum.

For its inaugural year, The PlayDome is delighted to partner Playeum®, The Play Museum, to create this wonderful child-centred museum experience at Level 3. This exploratory space consists of dedicated zones, where children get to play with props, materials and get really hands-on in creating original art works inspired by the collection in the museum’s Living Galleries and its iconic Dome.

Presenting over 10 original works and installations from artists and creative professionals in Singapore and internationally, The PlayDome combines a mix of active and reflective engagement charged with imagination, making it a memorable museum experience for children and families!

Children's Season: Art Garden @ Singapore Art Museum

Date: 3 June to 30 August 2011
Venue: Singapore Art Museum

The well loved Art Garden returns to the Singapore Art Museum with a selection of artworks chosen for their imagination and interactivity. Say hello to Walter, the curious colossal bunny. Catch the Dancing Solar Flowers installation and discover how light makes the flowers dance. Step into the fantastic blue universe of Paramodelic Graffiti, dress up life sized hand painted dolls in Mummy Dearest, shop at our lively Fruits market and create your own 3D paper fruit and when you need a rest, watch fun animations from all over the world. Don’t miss these works and more -spend a day of play and learning at Art Garden at SAM.

A programme to introduce contemporary art to young visitors in an engaging, supportive and fun family environment, works on display at Art Garden will be complemented by art work labels and activity sheets to facilitate visitor engagement.

Run for Hope

Date: Sunday, 21 November 2010
Time: 7am
Venue: East Coast Park, Angsana Green

Run For Hope (RFH) is an annual charity event organised by the Regent Singapore, Four Seasons Hotel Singapore and the National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS) to raise funds for cancer research.

Don't miss it. Register today!

In addition, an exciting kid's outdoor playground, sponsored by ELC (Early Learning Centre), Forum The Shopping Mall and Julia Gabriel centre for learning, will be open to kids on the day of the run! A minimum donation / playground entry fee of $25 per child will go direct to National Cancer Centre Singapore in aid of cancer research.

Science Centre Singapore

For budding scientists, the world-acclaimed Science Centre Singapore will keep your mind racing with more than 1,000 interactive exhibits depicting the wonder and beauty of science. Blending the sciences with the art, the Kinetic Garden is Asia's first outdoor interactive garden of science. It comprises 35 interactive sculptures, exhibits and displays set within a pleasant garden environment with water features like waterfalls, ponds, fountains and water misters.

Apart from the main exhibition galleries, the Omni-Theatre is also one of the central attractions of the Science Centre Singapore. The five-storey high and 23 metre diameter hemispheric giant screen and sophisticated sound systems promise audiences a thrilling cinematic experience.
The Omni-Theatre also houses an 18-seat Virtual Voyages simulation theatre, in which visitors can visually and physically experience scientific phenomena during a four-minute adventure story.

Opening hours:

Science Centre (10.00 am to 6.00 pm)

Omni-Theatre (10.00 am to 8.00 pm)

Closed on Mon except public holidays and school holidays

Admission: Science Centre - SGD 6 adults, SGD 3 children (3-16 years old), SGD 3.60 senior citizens

Location: 15 Science Centre Road Singapore 609081

Tel (65) 6425 2500

Getting There:

Take the MRT to Jurong East Station (EW24/NS1) then take SBS Transit bus 335.

Creatures Up Close and Personal

Join this guided walk at Pasir Ris Park Mangrove. What exactly is a mudskipper? And who is Fiddler crab or Sesamine crab? Does a dog-faced water snake look more like a dog or a snake? Join the team and discover answers to the questions above and more. And if we’re lucky, we may be able to see some of the seashore animals at the river mouth (depending on the tide conditions).

Date: Every 3rd Saturday of the month
Time: 9am to 10am
Venue: Pasir Ris Park, Pasir Ris Green (Carpark C)
Rates: $4 per person
To register, please contact Wei Teng at 64653305 or email chong_wei_teng@nparks.gov.sg
Registration closes 1 day before the walk.

Garden Kitchen Tour

Excite your senses with the Garden Kitchen Tour. Find out how vegetables are grown before it gets onto your plate! You will also learn about some natural remedies that our grandmothers might have planted in their own backyard. Suitable for children from K1-P6 levels.

Date: Every 1st Saturday of the month
Time: 9am - 10am
Venue: Pasir Ris Park, Pasir Ris Green (Carpark C)
Rates: $4 per person

To register, please contact Wei Teng at 64653305 or email chong_wei_teng@nparks.gov.sg