Singapore is one of the most family-friendly cities in the world, and it rewards a longer stay than most people give it. The island packs wildlife parks, theme parks, beaches, and one of the world’s great food cultures into a place you can cross by taxi in under an hour.
We lived in Hong Kong, so Singapore was a short flight we took often. I visited for years as a shopping and eating destination before bringing my daughter at age four, and again at six. Five days there with a four-year-old was surprisingly not enough time, because it is an extraordinarily kid-friendly city.
Singapore has also changed a great deal since our early trips. Jurong Bird Park closed permanently in January 2023 and its birds moved to the new Bird Paradise at Mandai, River Safari is now River Wonders, and Sentosa opened the Singapore Oceanarium in 2025. I have updated this guide to things to do in Singapore with kids so every recommendation reflects what is open now, with our own experiences noted where we did them at the original parks.
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The Mandai Wildlife Parks
Four of Singapore’s flagship animal parks sit side by side in the Mandai precinct on the island’s northern edge: the Singapore Zoo, Night Safari, River Wonders, and Bird Paradise. The drive takes about 30 minutes by taxi from Orchard Road hotels, and it is a pretty one. Mandai sells multi-park tickets on its site, so bundle if you plan to visit more than one.
Do not try to conquer two parks in one day with young kids. That was the best advice our hotel concierge gave me, and I wanted to ignore it because the zoo and Night Safari sit right next to each other and the timing almost works. It would have been far too much for my four-year-old. Singapore’s heat and humidity wear small kids out faster than you expect.
Night Safari
The Night Safari is the world’s first nocturnal wildlife park, and it is still the Singapore attraction I recommend first. More than 900 animals live along its tram route and walking trails, and being at a zoo after dark is unlike anything else. You will be surprised by how close you can get to them.
Take the tram first. Trails and tram rides start at 7:00pm, and the roughly 40-minute ride is narrated, so you learn the park’s layout and where to look for each animal without walking in the humidity. When my daughter was four, the tram alone was the whole evening. She went to bed at 8:00pm at home, and calling it a night was completely OK.
If the kids still have stamina, catch the Creatures of the Night presentation and walk into the bat enclosure. Adults should ride the tram and then explore the trails on foot, because the park stays open until midnight and the pre-tour cocktail spots make it a popular date night, too. I share more in my guide to visiting Night Safari Singapore.
Resources:
- Discount Night Safari Tickets
- Private Transfer to the Mandai Wildlife Parks with car seats by request
- Go City Singapore Pass
Singapore Zoo
The Singapore Zoo’s famous open concept means moats and glass instead of cages, with more than 4,200 animals and some, like the orangutans, moving freely overhead. A small kangaroo once crossed the path a few feet in front of my daughter in the Australian section, and she came face to face with an ostrich the same morning. The white tigers, contained by a moat, are my favorite, and the lush rainforest foliage provides welcome shade as you explore.
Arrive at 8:30am when the gates open and the heat is at its lowest, and book Breakfast in the Wild, the buffet we knew as Jungle Breakfast with Wildlife. Zookeepers talk while the orangutans climb down for their own meal nearby; we arrived late once and still managed a photo with an orangutan family. I recommend it highly. Study the day’s schedule before you go, because most animal feedings happen in the afternoon.
The zoo is a conservation center as well. Fair warning: the stuffed animals in the gift shop are quite expensive.
Resources:
- Discount Singapore Zoo Tickets
- Breakfast in the Wild Tickets
- Private Transfer to the Mandai Wildlife Parks with car seats by request
River Wonders
River Wonders, the park we knew as River Safari, is a river-themed zoo and aquarium organized around the world’s great river systems, from the Amazon to the Yangtze. More than 11,000 land and aquatic animals live here across 260 species, including manatees and the giant pandas Kai Kai and Jia Jia, who are in Singapore through 2027. I have heard the Amazon River Quest boat ride is the highlight.
It sits next door to the zoo, and it is the one Mandai park we have not yet done ourselves, so it is first on our list for the next trip. Check Mandai’s site before you go, since sections close for maintenance from time to time.
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Bird Paradise (and Our Jurong Bird Park Memories)
Jurong Bird Park, which appeared in earlier versions of this guide, closed permanently in January 2023 after more than 50 years. Its flock moved to Bird Paradise, a 17-hectare park at Mandai that opened in May 2023 with more than 3,500 birds across 400 species. Eight large walk-through aviaries recreate habitats from African rainforest to Southeast Asian paddy fields, penguins live at Penguin Cove, and the Wings of the World presentation carries on the spirit of the old park’s beloved High Flyers show.
Our own bird park memories were made at Jurong, and they are the reason I still put a bird park on Singapore itineraries. We booked a private buggy tour, and my daughter fed Victoria crowned pigeons out of her (very clean) hands, offered small bananas to a cassowary, and finished with the black and white swans. Our guide packed more bird knowledge into 90 minutes than I could have taught her in a year. She also ate my entire bowl of spicy laksa at the park’s hawker-style cafe, which felt like a milestone of its own.
The lesson transfers directly to Bird Paradise: book a feeding session or special experience if you can, because getting that close to the birds is what small kids remember. Check Mandai’s site for the day’s feeding and presentation times when you plan your visit.
Resources:
- Bird Paradise official site for tickets, feeding sessions, and show times
Universal Studios Singapore
Universal Studios Singapore on Sentosa Island wraps seven themed zones around a lagoon, and the lineup overlaps less with the U.S. parks than you might expect. Battlestar Galactica’s dueling coasters exist only here, Far Far Away and its Shrek attractions play perfectly to younger kids, and Illumination’s Minion Land, which opened in 2025, is the newest zone. Because we live near Universal Studios Hollywood, we always chose the wildlife parks first on Singapore trips, but for theme park families this is an easy full day.
Buy dated tickets in advance, and consider the Express add-on during school holidays, when lines for the popular rides run long. Character appearances are scattered throughout the day, so grab a show schedule on the way in.
Resources:
- Discount Admission + Express Pass Combo (top pick)
- Discount Universal Studios Singapore Tickets
- Express Pass (you need an admission ticket, too)
- Discount VIP Tour
More Sentosa Island Fun: Beaches, the Oceanarium, and Ziplines
Sentosa is Singapore’s play island, about 15 minutes from Marina Bay by car, and you could fill two days here without repeating yourself. Beyond Universal Studios, the family draws are the beaches, the new oceanarium, and a cluster of attractions built for older kids who want a thrill.
Singapore Oceanarium and Adventure Cove Waterpark
The S.E.A. Aquarium we visited was transformed into the Singapore Oceanarium in July 2025, three times larger than before, with 22 zones that run from prehistoric seas to the deep ocean. Dolphin Island, the old swim-with-dolphins attraction, closed in 2025 as part of that expansion. Next door, Adventure Cove Waterpark keeps its waterslides and wave pool, and it is the easy afternoon when everyone is too hot to sightsee.
Siloso Beach and Fort Siloso
Siloso is the liveliest of Sentosa’s beaches, with calm swimmable water, soft sand, kayak rentals, restaurants, and pick-up volleyball. When my daughter was four we spent a night at Shangri-La Rasa Sentosa on this beach, and she loved it so much she refused to sightsee afterward. I saw almost nothing else of Sentosa Island on that stay, and I did not regret it, because unstructured beach time is the right counterweight to a packed Singapore itinerary.
Nearby, the Fort Siloso Skywalk is a free 11-story treetop walk leading to Singapore’s only preserved WWII coastal fort. It is an easy add-on when the kids need a break from the sand.
Mega Adventure Park and iFly Singapore
For older kids and teens, the MegaZip zipline runs 450 meters from the top of Imbiah Hill over the jungle down to Siloso Beach, and Mega Adventure Park adds an aerial ropes course beside it. iFly Singapore, near Siloso Beach Station, is indoor skydiving in a wind tunnel with a view toward the sea. Flyers can be as young as seven, gear and instruction are included, and it costs far less than jumping out of a plane.
Resources:
- Sentosa Fun Pass (bundles many of the island’s smaller attractions)
Marina Bay With Kids
Marina Bay is Singapore’s showpiece, and it is genuinely good with children. Plan an afternoon that rolls into the evening, because the area is at its best after dark.
Gardens by the Bay
The Supertrees are the postcard, and the outdoor gardens beneath them are free to wander. The two ticketed conservatories are worth it: the Flower Dome holds the Guinness World Record as the world’s largest glass greenhouse, and the Cloud Forest wraps a walkway around one of the world’s tallest indoor waterfalls. Walk the OCBC Skyway strung between two of the 18 Supertrees, then stay for Garden Rhapsody, the free light and music show in the grove at 7:45pm and 8:45pm nightly.
Resources:
Marina Bay Sands SkyPark and ArtScience Museum
The SkyPark Observation Deck on Level 56 of Marina Bay Sands is open to the public, with panoramic views across the skyline and the bay. The famous rooftop infinity pool one level up is for hotel guests only, a distinction worth explaining to hopeful swimmers in advance.
In front of the towers, the lotus-shaped ArtScience Museum ties science and art together across 21 galleries of largely interactive exhibits. It rains so much in Singapore that the building funnels rainwater from its roof into a cylindrical indoor waterfall, then reuses it in the museum’s washrooms.
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Singapore Flyer
Asia’s largest observation wheel stands 165 meters over Marina Bay, taller than the London Eye, and one climate-controlled rotation on the Singapore Flyer takes about 30 minutes. On a clear day you can pick out parts of Malaysia and Indonesia. Bring the camera, and do not worry about wiggly toddlers, because the capsules are large enough to walk around in.
The Spectra Light and Water Show
Spectra is the free light and water show on the Marina Bay Sands waterfront: 15 minutes of choreographed fountains and lasers at 8:00pm and 9:00pm nightly, with a 10:00pm show added on Fridays and Saturdays. Watch from the Event Plaza outside the Marina Bay Sands mall or anywhere along the bayfront promenade. Several hotels face the show as well; Mandarin Oriental, Singapore, The Ritz-Carlton Millenia, The Fullerton, and The Fullerton Bay all have rooms with front-row views.
Culture, Gardens, and Rainy-Day Museums
Ethnic Neighborhoods: Little India, Chinatown, Kampong Glam, and Katong/Joo Chiat
Singapore’s Chinese, Malay, and Indian communities each shaped the city while keeping their own festivals, temples, and tables, and the historic neighborhoods are where you feel it. In Little India, you’ll find an abundance of fantastic food and one of Singapore’s oldest Hindu temples. Chinatown holds the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and traditional medicine shops alongside cool restaurants and bars.
Kampong Glam is home to the golden Sultan Mosque and Haji Lane, a colorful, narrow, artsy street that is one of the most Instagrammable spots in Singapore. And Joo Chiat, the most famous street in the Peranakan neighborhood of Katong, is where you go to eat. (Peranakans are native-born people of mixed local and foreign ancestry; in Singapore, this refers to Straits-born Chinese whose culture and language are Malay influenced.)
Resources:
- Sundown in Singapore: Little India Tour (private tour)
- From the Chinese Straits to Joo Chiat: Peranakan Singapore (private tour)
Singapore Botanic Gardens
The Singapore Botanic Gardens is a UNESCO World Heritage site: 82 hectares of lawns, orchid displays, and remnant rainforest, free to enter and open from 5:00am to midnight. The ticketed National Orchid Garden inside is the part I would not skip, and the Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden gives kids treehouses and trails of their own. The heat makes it slow going, and it is still worthwhile.
Before moving back to San Diego, we had spent so much time in Singapore that I tried to replicate a Singaporean garden at home. Despite much care, I learned the hard way that the climate does not travel, so enjoy the lush greenery and orchid arches while you are there.
Resources:
- Big Bus Tours Singapore (hop off at the Botanic Gardens)
National Gallery Singapore
Housed in the former Supreme Court and City Hall buildings downtown, the National Gallery holds the world’s largest public collection of modern Southeast Asian art. Start with Siapa Nama Kamu?, the long-term Singapore exhibition that was refreshed and expanded in 2025; it traces the country’s identity through more than 300 works. This is the itinerary stop for the day the equatorial weather wins, and you could easily lose an afternoon in the rest of the galleries.
Bukit Timah Nature Reserve
Real rainforest hiking sits less than eight miles from the city center in this 400-acre reserve. Four marked routes range from easy strolls to a genuine workout, there is a dedicated mountain biking trail, and all of them run through gorgeous tropical flora. Go early and carry more water than you think you need, because the humidity is at full strength under the canopy.
Eat Your Way Through Singapore
Eating is widely considered Singapore’s second national pastime after shopping, and it is the reason I kept coming back before my daughter was born. You could dine exclusively at Michelin-starred restaurants (there are plenty), but the hawker centres are the heart of it: outstanding Hainanese chicken rice, chili crab, and laksa at Maxwell Food Centre and its siblings for just a few Singapore dollars a plate.
Singapore is where my daughter developed a love of nasi goreng and laksa, dishes that were not common at home in Southern California. Hawker centres are easy with picky kids, too, because plain rice and fresh fruit are everywhere while the adults eat well. If your waistband and budget allow a hotel Sunday brunch, make that your main meal. My full list of what to order is in my guide to must-eat Singaporean food, and the fruit stalls are an education of their own; here is which exotic Asian fruits to try.
Resources:
- Hawker Centre Hopping: Singapore Food Tour (private tour, top pick)
- Night Food Tour: Eclectic Cuisine Scene (private tour)
- List of Singapore Food Tours on Viator
Shop Orchard Road
Orchard Road was once lined with plantations; today Singapore’s shopping street is anchored by the ION Orchard mega mall with its luxury brands and food hall. Tang’s, the local department store trading here since 1932, is where I browse Asian homewares, local and international designers, and a massive beauty hall. We have also lost entire hours to the gigantic Kinokuniya bookstore in Ngee Ann City, my daughter in comics and anime, me in cookbooks.
A few practical notes: the area is relatively stroller-friendly, but some malls connect underground, lifts can be hard to find, and you cannot always cross busy Orchard Road at street level, so look for the underpasses. For serious shopping, go without the kids. A reputable hotel here will arrange babysitting.
Where to Stay in Singapore With Kids
Even before my daughter was born, our two hotels of choice in Singapore were the Four Seasons Hotel Singapore and the Regent a few minutes’ walk away (now the Conrad Singapore Orchard). The Four Seasons prides itself on being a family-friendly, full-service luxury hotel steps from Orchard Road, and it remains my first recommendation for a Singapore base. I have a new appreciation for it after staying with my daughter.
Where else we point families, by neighborhood:
- Marina Bay: Mandarin Oriental, Singapore and The Ritz-Carlton Millenia next door, both with rooms facing the Spectra show
- Orchard Road: the Shangri-La, whose pool and buffet make it a perennial family favorite (my husband’s boss chose it for exactly that reason)
- Sentosa Island: Capella Singapore for luxury, or Shangri-La Rasa Sentosa right on Siloso Beach
The historic Raffles Hotel, where the Singapore Sling was invented, deserves a mention of its own. I love this hotel, but I would stay there without kids; the public areas get crowded and touristy, and in that way it reminds me of the Hotel del Coronado. I book Singapore hotels for clients with VIP benefits attached, and my guide to the best hotels in Singapore explains which property fits which kind of trip and how to book.
Getting Around Singapore With Kids
Taxis are plentiful and inexpensive despite Singapore’s costly reputation, and locals take them for even short hops in the heat. Download Grab, Singapore’s version of Uber, before you land. One legal quirk matters for families: taxis are exempt from Singapore’s child car seat requirement, but private-hire cars booked through apps are not, so bring a seat, request one, or use the hotel cars. You will need a car or taxi to reach the Mandai wildlife parks and other spots beyond the center.
Changi Airport
Changi consistently ranks among the world’s best airports, and with kids it earns it. Every terminal has a family zone with nursing rooms, proper changing tables, and padded play areas, and the terminals connect to Jewel, the glass dome whose 40-meter Rain Vortex is the world’s tallest indoor waterfall, with a light show nightly.
What I appreciate most is the speed. In more arrivals than I can count, I have breezed through customs and baggage claim, and departing, I once went from curbside through immigration in 15 minutes without any elite-line help. Carry-on bags are screened at each gate rather than in one central line, which spares you the giant queue with tired kids. There is nothing worse than lugging baggage and a fussy kid or two, and this airport is designed around avoiding exactly that.
Singapore Travel Tips for Families
Visit in the Driest Season
Singapore sits nearly on the equator, so it is hot, humid, and ready to rain year-round. June through August tends to bring the least rain, though you should expect showers even then. The real rule is about pacing rather than season: the humidity tires kids out prematurely, so plan one big outing a day, build in pool time, and do not pack the itinerary the way you would in a temperate city.
What to Pack
Stick with natural fibers like linen and light cotton. Tunics work especially well because they protect skin from the harsh equatorial sun while keeping you cool. Bug spray and sunscreen are mandatory no matter the month, and reapply both constantly at the wildlife parks and gardens. Bring a hat and a UV umbrella that doubles for the inevitable downpour. We also like the handheld fans that mist water. Singaporean heat is no joke.
Phones and Wi-Fi
Many hotels once lent guests a “handy,” a complimentary smartphone with a local SIM waiting in the room. That program has ended, so plan on an eSIM ordered before you fly or your carrier’s international plan. Wi-Fi is fast and widespread, including at the airport.
Know the Rules
Singapore is famously clean and safe partly because its rules have teeth. Bringing chewing gum into the country, forgetting to flush a public toilet, and feeding pigeons can all result in fines, and the pigeon fines now run well into the thousands of dollars. None of this touches a normal family vacation beyond making good dinner-table conversation.
Sightseeing Passes
Three bundles cover most of this guide. Mandai sells multi-park tickets for its wildlife parks, the Sentosa Fun Pass wraps the island’s smaller attractions into one ticket, and Go City’s Singapore passes come in All-Inclusive and Explorer versions that bundle many big-name attractions. Run the math against your actual list before buying any of them.
Resources:
- Sentosa Fun Pass
- Go City Singapore Pass (includes the Mandai wildlife parks)
FAQs About Visiting Singapore With Kids
Is Jurong Bird Park still open?
No. Jurong Bird Park closed permanently on January 3, 2023, after more than 50 years. Its birds moved to Bird Paradise, a larger park that opened in May 2023 at Mandai, next to the Singapore Zoo, Night Safari, and River Wonders.
How many days do you need in Singapore with kids?
Book more time than the island’s small size suggests. Five days with my then four-year-old was not enough for the wildlife parks, Sentosa, and downtown at a child’s pace in that heat. A week lets you add beach days and a proper food crawl without rushing.
When is the best time to visit Singapore?
The weather is hot, humid, and rainy all year, so there is no bad season, only better pacing. June through August is usually the driest stretch. Whatever the month, plan indoor or water breaks during the afternoon heat.
Do kids need car seats in Singapore taxis?
Taxis are exempt from Singapore’s child restraint law, though the back seat is the safer place for a child under 1.35 meters. Private-hire cars booked through apps like Grab are not exempt, so a young child needs a proper seat in them; request one when booking or bring your own.
Singapore rewards families who give it real time. If you have a question about things to do in Singapore with kids, or want help choosing the right hotel for your trip, just ask.
Photo credits: Singapore Flyer and Maxwell Food Centre photos courtesy of the Singapore Tourism Board.
Wow! What a great tips! I can’t wait to take my kids there.
It’s totally worth it. I also forgot to mention the airport is crazy kid-friendly! Huge play gym, stores, butterfly gardens… I never even made it to the airline lounge last time.
I sure could have used this last year! We didn’t book a long enough stay. Though we did get to the Raffles, and had a Singapore Sling – without kids of course…
Ha. I took my daughter. We sat in the courtyard bar area near the shops! It’s sort of a ritual I have when visiting Singapore even though the hotel is off the beaten path from where I normally go!
Yes, we definitely did the touristy thing. Next time I’d like to see the rest. Raffles was pretty though. My mom took the kids to the gift shop while my husband and I went to Long Bar!
what cool things to do! i want to go! 🙂
My family would love everything on this list. I’m surprised to see so many outdoor and adventure activities for families.
Oh my! Who knew there were so many things to do with kids in Singapore?! I have wanted to go there ever since I bombed a second interview with Singapore Airlines years ago. I wanted it too bad. Someday I will go, though!
Wow – Singapore looks awesome!
So many wonderful things to do, that night safari looks amazing!