Port of Lost Wonder at Sentosa: a Dummy Guide

Port of Lost Wonder is a really cool place for parents who does not know what to do with their energetic kids. 

POLW is Pirate themed but not in a scary way.

Here is a simple guide for first time visitors: 

1) "Curio coins" 
Given out together with a "port pass" book when you purchase your tickets. They are paper coins on a piece of hard paper. Keep them.

2) POLW activities
- Check out the different activities for the time you are there
- Choose the ones your kid will like
- Budget the "Curio coins" accordingly
(You will need them to join the activities or to redeem a candy floss)
- Make sure your kid is at the right place for the selected activity

If your kid is old enough, they can do the planning and budgeting themselves. What fun.

 

3) Port Pass
This is a loyalty reward sticker book. With each activity, your kid gets a stamp. You get prizes with stamps collected. I would focus on step 2 unless you really want a prize. Click below for more details.
http://www.polw.com.sg/check-us-out.aspx#/portpass

POLW is a very easy place. You would want to grab a table/seats as soon as you enter. The only air conditioned area is in the port belly restaurant. 

Arrrr matey.....
The bucket tilts when it gets filled up.

Bubble play is one of the activities in POLW. It's a big tub filled with bath foam!

The place is relatively safe with staff watching over the people at play. They have a staff permanently watching over the slides to make sure no one gets hurt. Always good to know that safety is a priority here.

There are open showers available in the female loos. Bring along your toiletries and towels.  

It is a bit more of a hassle for people using public transportation. I would suggest bringing along a stroller or a trolley luggage. It's worth the trip.


Official website:
http://www.polw.com.sg/check-us-out.aspx

Admission

Weekdays: $10/ child*
School Holidays, Weekends & Public Holidays: $15/ child*

Parents will be granted free admission but only one parent allowed in the waterplay area.

*For children aged 12 and under

Located at Palawan Beach (near Beach Car Park).

Opening Hours:

10 am to 6.30pm daily
(Pirate Ship closes at 6:00pm)

Restaurant (Port Belly):

10am - 9pm (Sun – Thurs) *Last order at 8.30pm
10am - 9.30pm ( Fri – Sat) *Last order at 9pm

Retail (Just Wonder):

10am – 6.30pm daily

                   

 

Mid Autumn Festival (Mooncake & Lantern)

Here are facts I found interesting about the mid autumn festival.

1) This is celebrated by Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Taiwanese and Japanese

2) It is similar to Thanksgiving with families getting together

3) There is always a full moon on this day and the roundness of the moon symbolises family unity and harmony

3) The Chinese legend. Here's my summary: There used to be 10 suns in the sky which was killing a lot of things with its heat. A guy shot down 9 of the 10 suns and became a hero. He was awarded an elixir to ascend to heaven and become a God. But he chose to stay with his wife. One day in a struggle for the elixir with a bad person, not wanting it to fall into the wrong hands, the wife took it. She immediately ascended but stopped at the moon as it was the closest to earth (where her husband is). The hero was devastated and so were the people. From then on, they would worship the goddess on the moon on this day.

Here's a few suggestions on things to do with your kid during Mid Autumn Festival (MAF):
1) Gaze at the moon and tell the story

2) Eat a mooncake
Mooncake is a symbol of family reunion. The cake is traditionally cut into pieces that equal the number of people in the family.

3) Walk around with a Mid-Autumn lantern
There is so many designs available these days. Some still go with the traditional candle lit ones. Just be careful if you hand that to a kid.

Historically, there would be a handwritten riddle placed within each lantern which was hung from a tree. Children who could properly answer the question from their selected lantern would receive small prizes.

Isn't culture and its history interesting?

 

 

 

 

Pony Rides at Bukit Timah Saddle Club (BTSC)

A few months shy of 3 years of age, I decided to take the Chickadee for a pony ride at Bukit Timah Saddle Club. I opted for this club as the stables are open to public and there are decent cafes nearby.

BTSC is a proper riding school. When I visited, their stables were clean and there was a buzz around it as how it should be; horses neighing, people in horse riding outfits and staff fussing over the horses.

BTSC caters to the younger amateur group by offering regular pony rides. This is available on weekends from 10.30am to 1pm. The fee is $10 for a ride. 

Look for a crowd of people under a small canopy near the "pony rides" signboard. That's where the queue for the rides is.

With BTSC, safety comes first, they provide little helmets which is a perfect fit for kids. It didn't hurt that it was oh-so-cute as well!

A little step stool was provided for the little ones to mount the pony.

Two staff members were at hand to help the Chickadee on the pony and to make necessary checks before the walk.

The pony pretty much trotted around the corner and back. The route taken was quite scenic with heaps of greenary. (Don't forget the mozzie spray).

I, for one, had such a blast snapping pictures of the Chickadee. 



I'm amazed at how many shots I took in such a brisk walk. 

If your kid is ready to sit on a saddle, I would recommend BTSC for a riding experience.



Address
Bukit Timah Saddle Club
51 Fairways Drive
Singapore 286985
+65 6466 2264

Website
www.btsc.org.sg
http://www.btsc.org.sg/riding/pony-rides/

Pony Rides Hours & Fee
Every Saturday & Sunday, 10.30am – 1.00pm
S$10 per child per ride

EatPlayLove Cafe

EatPlayLove cafe is a restaurant that provides an awesome arts n craft section for kids.

For just $5 an hour (2 hours on weekdays), your kid can fiddle around with a variety of items to create their own artwork.

The cafe will start the kids out with a kind of starter pack that holds a tube of glitter glue and some basic knick knacks.

The arts n craft section takes up a whole side of the cafe.

The white art workstation has cute animal-designed little stools around it. Art tools like scissors, scotch tapes, punchers and glue is placed conveniently of the table to assist the children with their handmade creativity.

There are free scraps and ribbons neatly hung and placed in baskets at the disposal of the little artists.  

They have other swankier DIY items around the cashier counter but these items come with a price. 

Moving on to the items on their menu, EatPlayLove offers set lunches at $9.90 nett and also a kid's menu.

 

 

 

 

The chicken chop was decent. Their fries were actually pretty good

 

 

EatPlayLove makes a true effort to immerse you in the world of art and crafts.

I ended up having a go at some handiwork with the chickadee. Lots of fun.

I would advise parents to call ahead to make sure they are not close for a private function. Parking may also limited, so plan ahead.

Official website
http://www.eatplaylove.com.sg/

Operation Hours: 12pm to 10pm Daily
Closed on Tuesdays
Kitchen closes 3pm to 6pm, except weekends & PH

Address:28 Aliwal Street #01-07 Singapore 199918 Aliwal Arts CenterTelephone:6444 6400

Some pointers given in their website
Nearest public parking available along the streets outside our cafe, and a public carpark lot just opposite the road.
FREE parking after 5pm, on Sundays and Public Holidays!
Nearest mall parking at City Gate (Formerly Keypoint Shopping Centre).

Nearest MRT stations are Bugis or Nicoll Highway MRT stations.
It takes about 5-10 minutes to walk over.

Fire Station Open House

You can actually visit a fire station in Singapore to experience the life of a fireman.

I was skeptical at first. But it turned out to be pretty fun. 

You get a proper tour of the station with an assigned fireman. They will bring you through their systems, explain how the fire fighting vehicles (which you get to climb on-board), demonstration on how they use the fireman's pole and equipments.

Everyone gets a kick out of shooting water from the hose.

It is amazing how evolved the fire trucks and fire fighting machines are.  

 

It is a plus that the firemen love kids. It turned out to be quite a fun and educational day for everyone.

The chickadee received a souvenier before we left. We had a lot of fun putting them together and they are now sitting proudly on a shelf.

Tip: Go in a smaller group (less than 10). That way you can actually receive better attention as each group will have its own fireman as a guide.


SCDF Official Website
http://www.scdf.gov.sg/content/scdf_internet/en/scdf_247/others/visit_our_fire_stations.html

Every Saturday from 9.00 am to 11.00 am is Fire Station Open House

Art with Nature

Tiong Bahru Park Adventure Playground

The Tiong Bahru Park play structure deserves a mention. I have never seen a play structure in a form of a tilting train before. 

This playground is definitely meant for older kids. You really need to be able to balance to walk through the train.

There is also a zipline/flying fox available.

For the younger kids, there is a maze and a simple merry-go-round. However, it would be hard to distract them from the train which obviously is the attraction.

I brought along some sand play toys but honestly, the sand is not meant for such play. 

It is interesting to make a trip there just to take in the sight of this lopsided train. Amazing.

Useful Information
There is a public car park at the corner of the park (near the junction of Lower Delta Road and Tiong Bahru Road). Enter the car park from Tiong Bahru Road going towards Tiong Bahru Plaza.

A kid and a Dog

It was never a hard decision for us to have a dog in our home. We had our dog before the chickadee was born.

I have always had evening walks with our dog and I was adamant that the dog did not feel left out. 

The dog never paid much attention to the kid.

But the relationship that grew between them has been amazing.

We all love our dog and as part of the family, she has been relocated to Singapore with us (you can read more about it here: http://zchicchick.blogspot.sg/2014/07/bringing-our-pet-dog-into-singapore.html)

For those parents sitting on the edge, here are several positive reasons you might not have thought of to bring a pet home for your kids:

(http://www.oprah.com/relationships/10-Reasons-Pets-Are-Good-for-Kids)

• Children who grow up in homes with pets have less risk of developing common allergies and asthma.
• Playing with dogs may help lower blood pressure.
• Kids with pets get outside more—to go for walks, run and play—and enjoy all the associated health benefits.
• Pet owners require fewer doctor's visits.
• Emerging readers often feel more comfortable reading aloud to a pet.
• Nurturing a pet is an acceptable way for boys to "parent play"—to practice being caregivers.
• Feeding and caring for a pet encourages childhood responsibility.
• Children with pets display improved impulse control, social skills and self-esteem.
• Sharing the love and care of a family pet forges an additional common bond among siblings.
• Cuddling a pet reduces stress, loneliness and anxiety.

Bringing our pet dog into Singapore: Quarantine station

Making the decision to relocate your pet with you is easy. Going through the process is hard.

For pet owners migrating to Singapore, please do read through the process carefully. It may take up to 6 months before you can bring your pet in with all the compulsory tests and injections.

The process is quite clear. You can even hire professional pet movers who will advise you each step of the way.

For those who will be going through the same ordeal; all pets that require a quarantine period will be placed at the Sembawang Animal Quarantine Station. 

 

The staff at this station is great. This is evident from the numerous thank you cards pinned all over their bulletin board

 

  

The size of the room is decent. They have two types of rooms; with aircon or a fan. We opted for the fan. It is an empty room which you can leave your pets make shift bed, toys, pillow, snacks. Make sure you leave a water bowl.

The room with the fan comes with a "balcony". Dogs can get a bit of sun from there.

The Sembawang station has several closed up mini fields. Each of these fields are double gated for extra security. Bags are provided for owners to clean up after their pets.

We would bring along our dog's water bowl and snacks. Do make sure you have your mozzie repellent with you.  

The fields are great fun for families and pets. Even if you are unable to visit, the staff will help take your pet out for a run.

There is also a bathroom for you to bathe your dogs. Just make sure you bring the toiletries and towels. A set for yourself as well!

This place is amazingly clean. For a place filled with dogs, I did not get any nasty whiff of unpleasantries. There was no hair flying around. Everyone was polite.

Clearly, they love animals here.

 

 

 

Sembawang Animal Quarantine Station

10 Lorong Chencharu Singapore 769197

For reservation of quarantine space, please contact AVA headquarter
Tel: (65) 63257544 or AVA_Import&Export_Animals@ava.gov.sg

For enquiries of the status of your pets in Sembawang Animal Quarantine Station
Tel: (65) 64822724

 

Important Hours to note:

 

Exercise hours:
Mon - Fri	:	4.00pm - 5.30pm
Sat	:	3.00pm - 5.30pm
Sun and PHs	:	Closed
Visiting hours:
Mon - Fri	:	4.00 pm - 6.00 pm
Sat	:	2.00 pm - 6.00 pm
Sun and PHs	:	Closed

 

 

 

Useful Sites:

Agri-food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore
http://www.ava.gov.sg/AnimalsPetSector/ImportExportTransOfAnimalRelatedPrd/PetsPersonal/

More Details (step-by-step instructions) on Quarantine Station

http://www.ava.gov.sg/AnimalsPetSector/ImportExportTransOfAnimalRelatedPrd/AnimalQuarantine/

Children's Garden Water Play @Gardens by the Bay

Children's Garden impressed me so much that it will be the first place I review for Singapore.

The Children's Garden is just slightly further up from the car park/main entrance. You can't miss it. There are signs everywhere to guide you.

 

This place is divided into several zones to cater to different age group. We have tried the different areas but my favorite is the water play. It is perfect for young kids like the little chickadee.

This water play area has accompanied kid-friendly music eg Lion King etc and the water moves to the rhythm of the music. 

The place is clean and the area is huge. They have attendants who would watch over the area as well.

For parents and other accompanying adults who prefer to remain dry, there are seats near the water play area to lounge in.

Eventhough there is no entrance fee, there is an open concept shower area provided to bathe your kids but you will need to keep pressing the nozzle for the water.   

This place is amazing to visit on a hot day. We went towards evening and caught the most amazing skyview while the sun was setting.

 

 

 

Official website

http://www.gardensbythebay.com.sg/en/the-gardens/attractions/childrens-garden.html

 

Hours:	Tuesday* to Friday 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM Last admission at 6:30 PM Weekends & Public Holidays 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM Last admission at 8:30 PM *Closed on Tuesday if a public holiday falls on the preceding Monday.
Admission:	Free