It is unparalleled – not just any random kids’ room/play area attached to a hotel but a full-fledged play area dedicated to our little ones –  an entire play gym complete with an art room, music studio, a baking studio on top of the soft structure play ground for kids, I don’t think there is a play gym/indoor playground in Singapore that has all the different sections (there was one which had a baking studio just like this but has since closed down) . It is common for hotels to enhance their family-friendly areas to attract family travellers (in fact I am a guest to many such hotel establishments in this part of the world as we want the kids to enjoy all the hotel facilities as well) but we have not seen something so out-of-this-world as Buds by Shangri-la.  (I do hope it will be replicated through the Shangri-la hotels around the world!)

The huge space that I mentioned in part 1 of my Shangri-la review spans over 2,150 square metres in total – 850 square metres indoors and another 1,300 square metres outdoors. Buds by Shangri-la officially opened its doors on 26th January  2018 and setting the bar so HIGH that I think no hotel in the world come close to this! Conveniently, this is also located on the first floor of the newly rejuvenated Tower Wing.

The good news is it is COMPLIMENTARY for holiday guests staying in the family floor of the Tower Wing (see review here) and feven if you are not a hotel guest, you are welcome to play at Buds at Shangri-la at a fee (pricing at bottom of the post) .

Buds by Shangri-la : Indoor

The indoor area boasts 3 main areas –  explorer zone , toddler zone and the themed activity rooms.

Even the explorer zone (for children 4 years and up) itself has been 5 themed plays area to begin with.

The Mesh Cave welcome all kids into Buds as it is the first area that my kids caught sight off ( and I lost sight of them the instance we entered.)

Next to the Mesh Cave, is the Waterfall – perfect for the younger ones using cassia seed concept playground. It is actually quite therapeutic seeing the kids scooping and pouring  the cassia seeds as part of their play.  It is also the perfect area to watch over the younger ones while the older ones get “lost” in the Mesh Cave.

In the middle of the play structure, the kids are invited to the Underwater concept, completed with slide. I think it is connected on the second level via the Mesh Cave (adults are not allowed on the second level, but there are staff who will be there to supervise the kids) so the kids can enter through the Mesh Cave and appear at the Underwater area.

small C in cute treasure box

The areas towards the end are Space and Fire Mountain – there are also educational themed wall where kids can learn about the space and planets and obstacle courses.

And mypreciouzkids’ favourite was the Fire Mountain  with  a generous ball pit and shooting guns. However, the balls for the shooting guns (you might wonder where are they) they are all in the ball pit , so the kids had a fun time locating for the balls as well…like a treasure hunt!

We checked out the Toddler Zone (kids below 4) and to me the key attraction was the free vintage kiddy rides. You know how expensive kiddy rides that are found in shopping malls, now your child can take as many rides as they want! The toddler zone even had play swing for babies , piano floor and not forgetting the perennial favourite – ball pit!

As if these were not enough fun, in between the two zones are 2 themed rooms- Muddy and Stage.
Stage, the music studio even has a piano where your child can play a tune or two, drums on the wall, dressing up corner complete with hats, wigs, boa etc and check this out a karaoke console!! You can choose any song and sing your heart away. Unfortunately, at the time of our visit, the microphone seems to be out of service but we had a great time singing and dancing!

For Muddy, the kids can do something that they are barred at home….paint on the wall! As if painting on the wall is not cool enough, the room can be converted into a dark room and watch the UV paint glow !

At other times, you can participate in their timed activities – Story Bud (story telling and art and craft) or Stagebud (singing and dancing) Guests at the deluxe family room or themed family suites also have 1 free activities per registered child during their stay. I managed to registered the older 3 kids for Story Bud, and they enjoyed their session very much!

For both theme activity rooms, it is only out of bounds during timed activities (Story Bud or Stage Bud) are being held. Else, any one are welcome to use the facilities in either rooms.

There is also Bake , a fully equipped cooking classroom where kids and adults can indulged in baking classes for a fee.

Buds by Shangri-la : Outdoor

The outdoor areas below are also exclusive to guests staying in the family floor. We didn’t manage to visit this on day 1 of our staycation as it was pouring so we had to pay the outdoor area of Buds after breakfast. The kids started out with the pirate ship dry playground and before getting wet and wild at the splash pads.

The Buds staffs also organize treasure hunts around the pirate ship playground, and to my surprise, big J and big C were so happy to join in the treasure hunts that they weren’t too interested in the splash pads. The younger boys who didn’t show much interest in the treasure hunts were happy playing at the splash pads while the older kids enjoy their hunt.

Facilities/Amenities  

There is as cafe called Recharge where you can have a cup of coffee for those lucky parents with kids above 4, who can play unsupervised or snack bites for the little ones. However, they do not offer big meals for lunch and dinner, so you can have your meal at The Line which is just a few steps away.

Even the toilet is in its class of its own,complete with kids and adults slippers and a nursing room (located just outside) –  such attention to details!

Celebrates @ Buds

You can also celebrates your kids’ birthday at Buds by Shangri-la. For party package, please contact them at buds.sls@shangri-la.com or call 6213 4833

Finally, my first attempt at video editing, pardon my amateur attempt, but here goes a video compilation of all the many parts of Buds by Shangri-la as explored by mypreciouzkids as part of our staycation with Shangri-la Hotel Singapore. For those who missed part 1 of the review, you can read it all here

Play time:

Indoor : 9am to 7pm

Outdoor : 9am to 7pm

Prices

• For other Shangri-La Hotel, Apartment, restaurant and/or spa guests, entry is $28 per child (four to 12 years old), $18 for toddler (below four years old) inclusive of one adult.
• For non-hotel guests, entry is $48 for child (four to 12 years old), $28 for toddler (below four years old) inclusive of one adult, for three hours.

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post.  No monetary compensation was received. All opinions are my own

In June, we hosted the joint party celebration for small J and small C at Kidzland and played many many hours at The Forest. You can check out the review of our unforgettable first visit to Kidzland. When we left0, we had not explored all the other areas including the arcade area and knew one day we will be back to explore the other areas.

So finally the term 3 assessments were all over and daddy wanted to give the kids a treat at the arcade. We are big fan of Time Zone and my kids have been going to the arcade many times (its daddy’s way to bond with the kids in the afternoon when its too hot to play outside). So for a change, I told them that we could pay a return visit to Kidzland as they have a huge arcade there too! We should give it a try as we always go to Time Zone.  Though it may not be as accessible as the Time Zone outlets but you will see why I prefer Kidzland arcade over Time Zone at the later part of review.

We decided to give a try to the different sections that we did not get to try before we do the  actual agenda which is the arcade! Do note you have to get a pre-loaded card first at the counter to enjoy all the activities mentioned below.  The pre-loaded card is also use for the arcade areas.

Magic Pen (SGD 5 for 20 minutes)

We did something similar at Mosh! in Sentosa . My younger ones love “colouring” and the very fun part of the Magic Pen is not just colouring and decorating the characters but sending it over to the big screen to see your creation “come to life”. Highly recommended for kids below 6, I think the 20 minutes session is not enough but I told them there are still many other section to explore!

The Beach (SGD 5 for 30 minutes)

This was a sandy play area to mimic the experience of the beach complete with projection of sea creature on to the sand. This is definitely a winner among the kids including my 8 year old. Of course, this doesn’t come close to going to the beach but I truly welcome this section as this is an added variety to the typical play gym. In fact at  around 4 plus pm the area became quite crowded with younger kids, I was glad we manage to try this at an earlier timing.

Do not worry as it is unlike the sand at the real beach where it is difficult to clean, it is relatively easy to clean off with the mat provided at the entrance of the area.

Battle Giant (Current Promo price SGD 5 for 5 minutes)

The first time I ever saw this was at a mall in KL last year. I think these are now common fixtures at outdoor amusement pop up as I saw them on the IG feeds. My kids had never tried this before I was also totally excited to see them in action. Initially, the two boys took the first ride. Small J at 4 years was unable to control the robot and as the robot is pretty big and heavy, it is quite dangerous (not for small J) but to people watching. So we decided that he cannot ride alone and did a tandem with big J. Big C at 6 year old is able to control it well so she is able to ride alone. Do take note, for younger kids below 4/5 , do sit together with the child. I am sure it is also fun for the parents too! Currently it is on promotion at SGD 5 for 5 minutes (which I think it is a steal, I think its priced at SGD 8 at the outdoor amusement pop up)

Arcade (prices from SGD 2 per game)

Finally, the moment the kids all have been waiting for –  arcade time! Most games were at SGD 2 and what I really liked (over Time Zone)is that all the arcade games are more for younger kids below 12 – (Time Zone catered for a bigger range of crowd include teenagers and adults, hence some games are not so suitable for young kids due to shooting and violence).  At KidzlandThere is bowling, driving, fire fighter, basketball, cycling, fishing – all very kids centric without any violence etc. I don’t think there is another arcade in Singapore which is catered solely for kids! The other part that I liked was that the machine issued tickets (in Time Zone, it all done electronically which is good , save the environment etc) but I still prefer the old school method of seeing the tickets dispensed from the machine  – the joy of kids’ faces anticipating the tickets coming out of the machine ( I do hope that the tickets will be some how recycled and reused)

We really had loads of fun, if we didn’t have a dinner appointment, we could have stayed there for hours but the longer we stay means the more damage to daddy’s wallet! In fact, we didn’t cover all the arcade games. After amassing a cool 316 tickets, the kids went over to claim their prizes. Kidzland does offer lots of fun for the younger kids crowd which is somewhat different from the typical playgym however, due to the huge space they have, they do seem lacking in staff  -but if you know your ways around, you wouldn’t be too bothered but for first timer , you may be a bit lost at time due to lack of staff to assist.

Kidzland

The Grandstand

Level  2 Unit #02-14

200 Turf Club Road

Singapore 287994

Tel: 65 67633773

Email: admin@kidzld.com

Free parking (hence no worry if you really spend the entire day there!)

Operating Hours: 10am – 9pm (Mon – Fri), 9am to 10pm on Saturday and 9am  to 9.30 pm Sunday.

Disclosure: We were given complimentary admission/accesss to the Magic Pen, The Beach and Battle Giant. We paid for our own for the games at the Arcade. No monetary compensation was received. All opinions are my own.

My hubby and I love Saturday nights when we will go bar hopping and enjoy a beer or two and just to chill and relax after a hectic week /to recharge for the coming week ahead, but most places ie bars aren’t the most kids friendly places – high stool, crowded, I’d be lucky if they provide baby chair and we often leave the kids home for our night out.

Now we may no longer have to leave the kids behind on Saturday nights  as we found a gem right in the heart of CBD but away from the hustle and bustle of city on a Saturday night (how ironic!). Those who are working in the CBD will be familiar with FIVE Square as it is one of the more popular and crowded lunch venues on weekdays and  also for after work drinks.

Comes Saturday, this same place takes an entirely different feel and crowd – the family crowd! Yay! Kudos to the people behind FIVE Square for thinking of parents who want to chill and have a drink or not but not leave the young ones at home!

What I found at FIVE Square on Saturday family fun goes way beyond my expectations,

Baby/high chair – checked

Bouncy castle – checked

Ball pit – checked

Good selection of food for kids and adults -checked

Beer – checked

Bar snack – checked

Pool table – checked

Dart board – checked

Air-conditioning comfort – checked!

There are many restaurants in Singapore that will bring out the bouncy castles on weekend to attract the family crowd, but often the bouncy castle is placed in the outdoors. FIVE Square has so much space that they have catered a space indoors for the bouncy castle (on weekdays this space is where the live band will play -excellent use of space!). Given the hot & humid weather, I really do not really like my kids to be jumping outdoors.

So on ALL SATURDAYS, from 11 am to 8 pm, FIVE Square will set up their kids section/ play area complete with bouncing castle, slide with ball pits and motorised vehicles.

For the “bigger” kids’ entertainment, they have this!

Finally, I managed to pry the kids away from the play area to order for dinner. We were given a cosy corner with ample space and high chair, with the view of the play area too!

The food wise, it doesn’t disappoint at all but super friendly on the pockets too! I had ordered my food from cin.qo tapas which serves pizza, pasta, paella and tapas.

It is a no brainer as all my kids are huge pasta fans. There are 2 types- classic pastas at $9.90 which are your typical carbonara, bolognese, lasagna etc and DIY pasta for $7.90 where you can choose your own pasta base, type of pasta and a selection of 1 main and 2 vegetables.

So I ordered bolognese penne for missy C which came with shaved cheese while I DIYed two pastas – aglio olio spaghetti with tiger prawn with broccoli and mushroom (I know its not typical pasta ingredient but I love it that it is a more balanced diets and all the ingredients that small J likes) and I had white wine spaghetti with squid, asparagus and broccoli (I loved my greens).

For the presentation and taste it surely did not justify the price tag. Typically, such portion and presentation will cost me anyway between $15 to $20 plus in an Italian restaurant.

The older boys had a peperoni pizza to share. We ordered several tapas to share  – calamari, truffle fries, pork belly and my favourite – garlic cockles! It is a pity they didn’t have chicken wings as it is a must with our beer.

This garlic cockles is not a regular dish at such establishments, but this is a winner. Cooked just nice ( I hate overcooked cockles ) with tangy mix of garlic and lime and for the extra kick, the sambal belacan! And having it with beer is the best combi ever! I will return to FIVE Square just for their garlic cockles!

For those who are not a big fan of Italian food, you can hop over to Teppei Syokudo for its huge range of donburi and of course their very famous kaisendon minus the queue at their main outlet! Besides Japanese, there is also a Western food stall serving all kinds of grilled meat, Vietnamese food and a Malaysian cuisine stall (which opens on Mon to Fri).

As this is a kids friendly blog, I shall not delve so much into the variety of drinks ie beer and liquor , all I can say the list was 5 pages long  – beer, wines, sake, cocktails, shorts, spirits and 1 page just for whisky selection(for whisky lovers out there!). No worries, you can order fruit juices for the kids and there is your typical drinks stall just like in the foodcourt serving can drinks , kopi and teh.

the bar

After dinner, my kids had round 2 at the play area shortly before the play area  closes at 8pm (the place closes at 12 midnight!), by then there were  only a few families left and we almost that the whole play areas to ourselves. My family are crowd adverse people so we really like FIVE Square for the space and lack of crowd in the CBD on Saturdays.  My husband self entertained himself at the dart board and the pool table. There is really nothing to fault about this place, we all had a good  and pocket friendly dinner, the kids had fun and the adults too! This is also a perfect and comfortable place for large group gathering (with or without kids) due to the ample space.

As this place operates like a food court, you will need to place order of food at the self-ordering kiosks and key in your phone number so when the food is ready for collection, an SMS will be sent out to notify you.

If you are there for Saturday lunch, you can come by as early at 11am as the play area will be setup at 11am and for dinner, you may want to go ard 5ish so that the kids can have their bouncing fun before dinner. The play area will be closed at 8pm though the whole place is opened all the way to midnight.

Did you know that FIVE Square is also the home of Arsenal supporters in Singapore, so for those daddies/mummies who are Arsenal supporters,  they screened all Arsenal matches live there too!

FIVE Square also host events such as baby showers and birthday party on Saturday all thanks to the play area setup. Starting from $25 ++ per pax (Min 40 pax) which includes a 10 course catering food selection. The 3 hours party slot are from 11 to 2pm or 3pm to 6pm . In fact the day that I visited FIVE Square for dinner,  the afternoon children’s party was ending and they are totally booked for this month already. Do write to kelvin@fivebar.sg to arrange for your party. How have I missed on this venue for my party hosting, but alas I am done with my children’s party for this year. You have to visit the place to see for yourself the space that they have – it is a huge 13,000 square feet ! Now you know why there is ample space even to place the bouncy castle indoors!

cheers to a great Saturday!

FIVE Square

1 Pickering St

#01-03 Great Eastern Centre

Singapore 048659

Open from Monday to Saturday 10am to 12 midnight

Website

Facebook

Instagram

Which is also part of the FIVE Bar group which also has outlets Collyer Quay, Changi City Point and Cuppage Terrace but the Saturday family fun only happens at FIVE Square at Great Eastern Centre.

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post.  No monetary compensation was received. All opinions are my own. 

I am not a big fan of having parties at indoor playground however due to the age of the birthday boys , age 2 and 4 respectively, my hands are tied as I cant be too adventurous in choosing the type of activities – the older kids had bowling party, ice skating party, soccer party, karaoke party before, but due to age and physical ability limitation, the best bet will still be in a place where the birthday boys can enjoy and not forgetting their older siblings too who are never too old to enjoy their indoor playground. In fact, big J has been visiting indoor playground for the past 8 years and still looooovvvveeee it!

With the two boys, small J and small C (time for me to update my blog’s profile too! ) turning 2 and 4 respectively (their birthdays are only 4 days apart !) so they will have to share their birthday celebrations for the rest of their lives, though on their actual days we do celebrate again specifically to the birthday boy, I feel bad they always have to share the limelight. They are also the lucky ones as their birthday falls during the June school holidays , so we get to do a birthday celebration overseas too!

Please note that this review is only limited to the party room hosting experience and The Forest indoor playground experience as we didn’t have time to explore the rest of the mega huge Kidzland area as we were hosting a party of the younger boys.  This also means the kids will be able to go for another round some other time!

Many may not have known the latest and biggest play gym/arcade/entertainment centre for kids in Singapore, Kidzland, located next to Pasarbella at the Grandstand as it opened without much fanfare in April 2017.  Grandstand is well-known for another mega huge play gym, now the lucky kids in Singapore has another mega gym to choose from.

Kidzland has been boasting many new elements unseen in typical indoor playground in Singapore. I understand from the manager, Jack that this concept is super popular in Japan and China where it is like a mini theme park complete with arcade and different play zone areas in air-conditioned comfort –  an entertainment centre for the younger ones.

As I hosted my party at Kidzland, I would like to do a review of that for parents for planning for birthday parties at indoor playground.

The party room

What I really liked it was a very good size party hosting room. I really appreciated the availability of many adult’s  bar stools.  Many times at children’s party, the adults need to stand (ie coz not enough or no adult chairs at all) or the really tired one will sit on the kids’ chair, hoping the kid’s chair will withstand the weight.

Jack told me this will be changed regularly according to the theme of the month

There is also a fridge for the party host usage ie for the cakes, or bottled drinks etc.  Most party rooms have little excess space, and this room even has its own fridge for the usage of the party host and guests. I had ordered catering from Pasta Mania and I conveniently chilled the coke in the fridge before the guest arrived so that we have ice cold coke for the adults!

The kids table and chairs  – there were more than 20 chairs for usage, for bigger parties (as the room has space) I am sure the Kidzland will be able to accommodate more chairs and table for their usage. I had a small cosy party hence, it was definitely more than what I need.

As much as I appreciated a colourful wall-papered party room to make the room cheery, I do a need a clean white wall just for my party banner and the backdrop to my diy dessert table so that it doesnt look so cluttered with colourful walls.

I guess one of the biggest disadvantages of this party room, is that it is situated at the end of the whole area, which was some distance away from the reception area (as the place is huge) and also The Forest pla ground. I guess the reason behind this is for exclusivity of the party guests etc but sometimes  it is difficult to look for help from staff or to look for kids! That said, there are staff coming in to check if everything is ok, and if I needed any additional help. You can also hire photographer or party host through Kidzland as well.

If you need an area for your magician/ show/ etc to perform for the kids, you can also rent the Dream Stage area which located next to The Forest.

The Forest

A good-size 3 level jungle themed play gym area for kids from 2 to 12, complete with soft gun, slides, climbing structure and one very interesting and very instagram worthy area – Rainbow Net!

rock climbing wall

mini carousel

And the structure that piqued my interest the most, Rainbow Net has to be the most instagram- worthy feature of this play gym and unseen in any other play gym currently. It was very interesting as I had a hard time looking for the opening to enter the structure. Once in, the kids can bounce, climb, lounged and have other kids head popping down from the upper net.

All the other unexplored areas

As I was busy hosting the party, I didn’t have time to bring the kids to explore around the other play area (even till today, I can hear my kids asking to be brought back to Kidzland) Just a quick photo and video preview of the unexplored areas!

– Block and Sand

– Magic Pen

Reminds me of Mosh! at Sentosa where you doodle on the electronic screen and it gets displayed on the big screen.

-The Beach
Projection and sand play

– DIY corner

– The Arcade

For older kids and those who has been going to Timezone, this is like Timezone where you get to collect winning tickets in exchange for rewards. There are also many claw vending machines to try your luck too!

The place is so massive I had to do a video tour of it just to show there is so much to do

I honestly think that any kid can stay from the start of the opening hours till the end as there is simply so much to do and play and I am lost as to where to begin with! There are also many adults reliving their childhood at the arcade machines like this shooting arcade game! This is one play gym in Singapore where I believe the adults themselves will not get bored too !

Entry to The Forest

• Children (3 yrs old & above) –SGD 22.00 Peak, SGD 20.00 Non-Peak, Unlimited Play Time
• Toddlers (1 yr old & above – 3 yrs old) –SGD 18.00 Peak, SGD 16.00 Non-peak, Unlimited Play Time
• Babies (Below 1 year old) –Free, Unlimited Play Time.
• Adults (18 yrs old & above) –For toddlers and children: Free for first adult/guardian, S$5 per subsequent adult(s)/guardians ; For baby: S$5 per adult/guardian.
• Construction Theme Park: $4 per play
• Claw Machine (Big): $3 per game
• Claw Machine (Small): $2 per game
• Other Game Machines: $2 per game
• Carousel: $5 per ride
• Magic Pen: $5 for 15 minutes, $2 for printing
• Hunters Alliance: $5 for 100 bullets
• The Beach: $5 for 30 minutes
• Battle King: $ 6/ 5min
• The Boat : $6 / 3min

Party package

Kidzland

The Grandstand

Level  2 Unit #02-14

200 Turf Club Road

Singapore 287994

Tel: 65 67633773

Email: admin@kidzld.com

Free parking (hence no worry if you really spend the entire day there!)

Operating Hours: 10am – 9pm (Mon – Fri), 9am to 10pm on Saturday and 9am  to 9.30 pm Sunday.

we will be back and I have allocated a day for it after spending close to 4 hours at the party and The Forest

Thank you Kidzland for the very cosy and comfortable party room to host small J and small C’s paw patrol party and at the end, every one was to reluctant to leave even though its almost 8pm! Just leave your party hosting in the good hands of Jack and his team!

Disclosure: We were given 3 hours complimentary park room usage. I paid for the entry for the The Forest playground for all 10 kids to the party at a special rate.  No monetary compensation was received. All opinions are my own. 

Besides the usual parties with friends and family and at the child care, I also hope the birthday child to do something they fancy on their birthday, something unforgettable maybe , something they will enjoy doing and hopefully remember their 5^th, 6^th etc birthday.

Typically, I will bring them to do play gym as I don’t indulge them much except on their birthdays. I usually do not reject their request if they want to visit the playgym on their birthday. It is the easiest and hassle free way to spend their birthday. Last year, big C requested to do art and craft for her 5^th birthday, so I brought her to a drop off session at an art school.

For her 6^th birthday, I wanted it to be a first time experience and an unforgettable experience. She is into swimming and water activities lately so when I was planning for her birthday party, the newly opened Singapore Wake Park(“SWP”) came into my radar. As the minimum age for wakeboarding/ water skiing is 6 year old, I thought it will be perfect. However, after much thought of the profile of the kids at the party,I decided against it. I had younger kids in the party and my younger boys and I do not know if big C will be afraid and bailed out ……especially if it’s at her birthday party. So I did an ice skating party for her and her friends and it was especially apt as she wanted Frozen theme and all ELSA! So that was the celebration the weekend before her actual day.

On her actual day, the weather held up and it was a beautiful day!

As her actual day falls on the weekday, I typically celebrate her birthday at the child care in the afternoon before bringing the birthday kidfor a fun afternoon /evening. She didn’t have much idea where she wanted to celebrate her actual birthday so I nudged the idea of the wakeboarding at the Singapore Wake Park. She has actually seen the place before and shown great interest in trying. I showed her some video of kids attempting to wakeboarding so ensure she is really ok with the falling into water etc (no worries,the life vest floats non swimmers very well). She told me she is all for it but I still have my reservations even up to the point when she was all suited up. Her only request, she wanted me to do it before her!

Doing our maiden wakeboard attempt on a weekday especially Monday was the best decision ever. During our slot there was no one except us. On weekends, there is more crowd, hence at every session there maybe 5 or more beginners so you have to wait for your turn.

Before I go into the session proper, I had a quite chat with Viviane who is in charge of marketing for SWP. If you recalled there was previously a similar water ski area at ECP previously but the infrastructure was only suitable for adults. The newly revamped SWP features  a full size cable and a System 2.0 for beginners. Thanks to the System 2.0 for beginners , now kids as young as 6 can get a try at knee board or wake board. For adults and older kids  (above 10), they can try the full-sized cable once they have mastered and feel confident at the System 2.0.

The System 2.0 caters for only one person at a time hence creating a safe learning environment where the instructor focuses only on one rider each time.The speed of this cable is adjustable, which makes learning how to stand on a wakeboard easier, and it also means gentle falls.

As for the attire, rash guard and one piece neoprene swimsuit for the kids will be just perfect. After signing the indemnity form at The Wake Shop and obtaining the wrist tag, we changed into our swimming gear and collected our life vests and helmet. There is a changing and shower facility and a cafe too!

ain’t this too cute?

all ready for her first attempt!

We started with a short briefing of what the beginner session entails. One question I had for the longest time, what happens if the kid falls in the middle of the lagoon? Rest ensured for non swimmer kids, there will be a instructors who will be “floating” around the cable area (which is an enclosed lagoon) to guide the kids when they fall into the water. Kids get to ride both ways while the adults are only allowed 1 way. The adult will need to swim to the white boardwalk (with the wakeboard) and return to the deck for another try.  In fact, big C didn’t have to pull herself to the white boardwalk and walk back to the deck at all. So she gets to  kneeboard both ways. Sometimes ,she will just hang on to the cable and be pulled back to the deck! Boy, did she enjoyed being pulled in the water!

For beginners and first timers, kids are able to try out kneeboarding first  This is much easier than wakeboarding. The only criteria is to hold the arm straight and never let go. As the instructors also ensured that the speed of the cable is not too fast for the kids as well because it’s the System 2.0 where the speed is controllable by the instructor.

For adult beginners like me, nope, we don’t get to do kneeboarding at all, we go straight to wakeboarding. I did an excellent first attempt, however , the subsequent attempts were  failures. I shall only show you the video of my best attempt! As promised, I did had the first try to prove to big C it was not scary at all!

Then it was big C turn, her maiden attempt at kneeboarding. She managed to hold on for a long time before falling into the water.

kneeboarding

all smiles and raring to go again!

she fell countless time but never gave up!

pushing herself up!

After many tries at kneeboarding, she was convinced to try wakeboarding. However, she couldn’t hold the squatting position too long and failed many times. I was proud that she didn’t give up and kept trying even at the expense of dunking into water. Besides indulging in a new sport, this sport also is one of the best way to test the level of perseverance and endurance. Big C is as tough or tougher than my other boys! 

loving the lagoon and the sports!

trying to cable speed

I lost count the number of times we tried during our 1 hour session. There was no one else except us, mother and daughter because its a weekday. The guys at SWP even sang big C a birthday song! Awwwww….sweet…she really was beaming that day!

From an adult beginner, it was no child’s play. It really wasn’t easy to hold onto the initial squat position and subsequently to a waterski position and “pose”. I think I only had 2 to 3 good tries but I really wanted to try more times and maybe try at the full-sized cable too. I think I was swimming (to the white boardwalk) more than wakeboarding.

looking like a pro? far from it 🙁

Despite it all, I myself had a very memorable first time experience with my girl on her birthday. It was a perfect family bonding experience too!

This was undoubtedly most memorable and unforgettable way to spend her birthday – her maiden attempt at kneeboarding and wakeboarding. You will be seeing us more at SWP , maybe during the school holidays. I shall bring big J for his maiden attempt and for myself, I want to challenge myself for the longer System 2.0 , but I don’t really like the crowd and having to wait for my turn. I prefer a “private session” like what I had today. So a word of advise, do go on a weekday! Like what Viviane told me , you get 120% of the attention from the instructor!

For the school holidays and recognizing that this  watersport is new in Singapore and a perfect family bonding experience, SWP will be doing a March school holidays promotion from 11 – 31st March for families in mind. See promotion in this link

If you are not travelling and wish to expend your kids (above 6) endless energy and you want to try a new activity, I just found you the answer. You are most welcome!

Singapore Wake Park

1206A ECP, Singapore 449891

Mon to Fri – 10am to 10pm

Sat and Sun 9am to 10pm

By Bus: Buses 401 (operates only on Saturdays and Sundays) and 197 from Bedok Interchange. Alight when you see Laguna Park condominium and walk through the underpass.

By Car/Taxi: Via ECP highway, exit 7A (landmark: Jumbo Seafood)

Car Park: Park at E1 (paid entry)  -that’s the place where all the seafood restaurants are located!

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post.  No monetary compensation was received. All opinions are my own.

It has been almost 4 years since Legoland Malaysia opened its door to the many fortunate kids/adults (those who grew up playing LEGO) in this part of the world. From then on, they have added their themed hotel in 2013 and Water Park in 2014 so that there is always something new for the returning guests and for the new guests, there is so much to do and play that 1 day visit is hardly enough. 

My first maiden visit with the kids was in 2014 and I only managed to cover the Legoland Theme park and hotel, and totally ignoring the water park as it was just a 2d1n stay but  it was one of my best theme park trips ever – a total wholesome LEGO experience from the hotel to the park. I promised the kids that we will return for another trip to cover the Water Park. 

And before we can tick our own personal check list that we have conquered the Water Park, Legoland is launching  a brand new 4D indoor ride which totally changes the way we view typical indoor ride (which I will go into details in a bit) in November. This ride will be housed in a brand new section of the Park called NINJAGO™ World. This is the largest additional investment since the opening of the Park in 2012. Estimated at more than RM 40 million, the latest attraction promises to be a real game-changer to theme parks around the world. 

Imagine this…with just hand motions, kids and adults experiencing the NINJAGO™ The Ride will be able to throw lightning bolts, move shockwaves, send ice soaring and emit fire balls through the use of cutting-edge technology.

Based on the popular LEGO® series NINJAGO™, which is brought to life by The LEGO® Group through a line of construction toys and a TV series on Cartoon Network, guests will enjoy interactive elements and this new ride where guests harness the power of four elements and use teamwork to battle the Great Devourer. 

The NINJAGO series tells the story of four young ninja heroes – Kai, Jay, Cole and Zane – who train under the watchful eye of Master Wu to master an ancient martial art – Spinjitzu. Guests play as Ninja warriors in training under the guidance of NINJAGO™ character Master Wu to vanquish a legion of enemies from snake tribes, ghosts and skeletons to the Great Devourer. NINJAGO™ The Ride enables guests to demonstrate their ninja skills without the use of a hand held device and instead, they simply use their hand gestures. Guests  collect points for their training and battle efforts throughout the ride and scores are displayed when their quest is completed. 4D effects such as heat, smoke and wind are also incorporated throughout the adventure, giving guests the ultimate interactive experience.

Guests less than 48”/122cm tall must ride with an adult. Due to the high intensity of the ride, we recommend the ride is best suited for guests age 4 and older. For now, there is the NINJAGO™ Live Show: The Realm of Shadows where guests will enter the world of NINJAGO™ and join the courageous Ninjas – Kai, Nya and friends – on a mission to protect Bandit, a YinYang Dragon who will one day fully grow into a powerful Light Dragon. The evil Clouse and his Shadow Minions want to steal it and plunge Ninjago into the Realm of Shadows.

My family is all set to pay another visit to Legoland for its Water Park which we missed out and be Ninja warriors at the all new NINJAGO™ The Ride!

I have organised many children birthday parties since my eldest’s 1st birthday party in 2010 with many themes  and many different venues but oddly, I have always skipped play gym as an option. The most common venue for me  is the condo’s function room purely out of convenience and cost. Especially for full month celebrations, it is easy to run up and down if its my own’s condo function room. Besides that,  the closest I did to a play gym birthday party was a full fledged restaurant in East Coast Park which has a play gym for its diners (which has since closed down). But that said, I have been to many birthday parties held at play gyms and knew how much fun the birthday kid and his friends will have and the host do not have to think too hard how to kids the kids entertained.

The mother of all play gym birthday parties would be Fidgets at the Grandstand with many party rooms and a huge play area. I do not fancy big parties as I feel awful for not being able to host and talk to each party guests. And I am very paranoid for losing my younger kids in the huge maze and structure when I do not have sight of them especially when I need to host and couldn’t pay full attention on my kids.

Normally, I keep my parties very small for my own sanity, 15 to 20 kids the max so that we can have a cosy and intimate party.  On the record, this is the first time ever in my party hosting and planning years, I am doing a joint birthday bash for my youngest 2 boys whose birthdays are 4 days apart and my first at a playgym.

Its normally a very busy first half of the year for me as all kids birthdays are all in the beginning of half of the year starting from Feb, then April and now finally June. Every 2 months in the first half of the year, there is a party I need to plan. I like to be able to plan and DIY (as much as I can but nowadays I tend to be lazy as I can get cheap customised party decor from Taobao) the kids party and give my kids a small , cosy and yet memorable party with their siblings and their friends.

So as I have 2 birthday boys aged 1 and 3,  I need a venue which is not- too-big play area which are suitable for them and also their friends up to ages 10 (ie not too kiddish). After my extensive research for a playgym venue , I found a pretty new centrally located play gym Fun N Laughter at City Square Mall. I personally has not patronise the gym before , but my kids had with their daddy before and told me its was fun. Ok, truth to be told all play gyms are fun , big or small. The kids all do have a great time, its only the parents who are the ones distinguishing a good one from a not so good one I guess.

Based on what I gather from the internet, some special features ONLY found at Fun N Laughter are a huge snack and ladder floor game, projection room, a Tayo bus ride-on. The rest will be a  typical play gym with ball pits, air blasters, slides. Frankly, as a parent I get overwhelmed with big gyms where sometimes  I had a hard time locating my kids in the play structure. So sometimes a reasonably sized play structure is all that I asked for especially for my younger ones like the 3 year old. He can actually play and climb and slide unsupervised but I won’t do that if the play structure its too huge or too tall ( I had a lost kid once at Kids Amaze Toa Payoh when I left small J to play on his own and  I didn’t have sight because the structure was too huge and massive)

And its probably one of the few play gyms who has a toy shop at the front for some last minutes gift shopping or for me, I actually bought my cake topper from them the night before the party. They stock a great selections of Tayo and Pororo toys. I was in a hunt for Pororo toys  to be used as the cake topper as small J is in love with the penguin (wanted to incorporate it into the cake some how) and besides the toy store at Pororo Park, I think Fun n Laughter is the only other brick and mortar shop which carries Pororo toys.

I got the pororo toy plane from Fun N Laughter the day before my party! how convenient

There are some pictures of the play gym when I arrived at opening hours before the weekend crowd and my party guests arrive.  They even have a diaper changing facilities within the gym so that guests do not need to walk out the mall’s baby room.

The entrance of the gym

Pororo and Tayo toys

other baby related products that is on retail

the play area

the super popular motorised Tayo ride on

This room has a projector whereby there are interactive games. The room also has toys for toddlers and babies,  I wish they could stock it up with toys for the babies and toddler

They were so kind let me come in the night before for 1 hour plus to setup the room so that I have pretty much done most of the decor before the actual day itself. It took a whole load of stress out of me.

They only have 1 party room which can catered to 15 to 25 kids.

They have kids tables and chairs good enough for 25 kids

they allowed for any outside caterer (warmers allowed too) which I got from Neo Garden, the spread was placed over the shelves top . just nice without taking up unnecessary space in the room

When I was setting up my decor, the only problem I had was that the wall paper around the room was too loud for my party theme. If you have a underwater theme, this is perfect but I had an aviation theme birthday party and already purchased a banner. So what I did was to overlap a huge white background before hanging my birthday banner. Alternatively, you can easily have huge customised party backdrop of 120mx 120m/150m to cover the existing underwater backdrop.

my diy dessert table setup with decor and goodies from Taobao and Oriental Trading (US)

All set for my boys’ combined bash, and at the end of the party, every kid including the 1 year old boy had so much fun, coming back to the point , to all kids all play gyms are fun irregardless of size! Of course, I have some basic requirements which are easily met – slides, ball pits, air blasters! Sharing from pictures from the parties:

the baby spend more of the time at the ball pit and the “projector” room where there are some toys for him

giant snack and ladder when the kids get tired of the climbing and sliding

I must say Fun N Laughter has one of the most reasonably priced party packages and its centrally located (trust me,  I have done my research and comparison while searching for the perfect venue for my cosy and intimate party). It is not the size of Fidgets or Polliwogs but sometimes I get very overwhelmed when the venue has many party rooms to accommodate many parties and quantity of kids from the different parties and also the walk in guests especially on weekends, so Fun N Laughter is just the perfect size for me.

And I have forgotten to add that this is probably the only play gym which allows for a 2.5 hours exclusive usage of the party rooms. Typically its only a 2 hours usage, which i feel its rather rush and hush, so an additional half hour really makes a difference. We never felt hurried to leave the party room as most of kids “refuse” to leave the play gym. I actually stayed beyond 2.5 hours as I believe there were no party after my slot. My kids were very entertained and had such a good time with their friends and celebrated their birthday in the presence of closed friends and family, what else can I ask for! Having the party at a play gym is save me a lot of unnecessary hassle and the kids are wildly entertained without a need of a party host or entertainer! This shall not be the last time I am hosting at a play gym after my relatively stress free experience hosting at the gym.

Here are the admission rates for entry

and party packages rates

FUN N LAUGHTER (CITY SQUARE MALL)

Address: City Square Mall #B2-32, 180 Kitchener Road, Singapore 208539

Opening Hours: 10.30am to 9.30pm daily

Telephone no : 65099766

Websites: Facebook Page

Thanks to the kind folks at Fun N Laughter, they will be giving 2 winners of 1 pair of passes each applicable for non peak and peak periods too!

1. Liked mypreciouzkids.com on Facebook

2. Followed mypreciouzkids on Instagram and regram the Fun N Laughter’s photo using hashtag  #mypreciouzkidsgiveaway

3. Followed mypreciouzkids on Twitter (no worries if you don’t have Twitter account)

4. Liked Fun N Laughter on Facebook

5. Liked, shared and tag 5 friends who are new to mypreciouzkids or interested  to visit Fun N Laughter or are planning a birthday party by using this Facebook post. Pls comment “Done, Twitter: ?? , IG:??” on the same post for my easy tracking. Do set your post to PUBLIC so that I can verify your entry. Entries that are not shared publicly on your timeline will be disqualified. Giveaway ends 10th July 2016 (Sunday) 2359.

Disclosure: I was sponsored a classic kids party package for 15 kids. No monetary compensation was received, and all opinions are my own. I paid for the additional kids and also for the super cute Pororo cake topper/toy.