In celebration of November’s Clean and Green month, Nithia Devan checks out these fun-filled and eco-educational activities for families – ideal for showing kids how to respect and conserve the environment.
In a land-scarce country like Singapore, you might imagine interacting with nature in the raw is virtually impossible. But expect to be pleasantly surprised at the number of areas – ranging from unspoiled rainforests and green parks – to how you can escape from the concrete and glass cityscape.
Nature and the environment is the two-pronged focus of November’s Clean and Green month, highlighting the importance of issues such as recycling and protecting the environment, while providing opportunities for communal eco-friendly activities and family bonding. And what better way to start, than to educate children about the beauty and wonder of nature? We’ve researched Singapore’s latest and most impressive nature experiences, so you can start planning your family’s next eco-adventure and encourage your kids to “go green”!
Free talks & walks
Visit www.wildsingapore.com for listings on free educational walks and information on various nature reserves, including the wetlands of Sungei Buloh, plus mangrove swamps and coral reefs. The website also offers a comprehensive listing on children’s activities at many nature escapes in Singapore and beyond.
Join the Sky High Club
For a sky high experience, don’t miss the aerial tree top walk – a 250 metre-long suspension bridge which spans the secondary rainforest from Bukit Peirce to Bukit Kajang – the two highest points of MacRitchie Reservoir. And best of all, it’s free! www.nparks.gov.sg
Singapore’s Secret Garden
The Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden opened just last month and is a unique and interactive nature space at the Singapore Botanic Gardens. Enter at the NUS Bukit Timah Campus and find a natural haven where children up to 12 years of age can discover the wonder of plants and how they support life on earth. This is captured in the theme for the garden – All Life On Earth Depends on Plants. This new addition to the Botanic Gardens features activities such as the Fantastic Forest – an adventure playground where kids learn about the tropical rainforest, navigate a maze garden and are introduced to plants that provide coffee, tea and chocolate. Entry is free and the garden also runs ongoing programmes and activities for schools at on-site learning centres. Just before NUS Bukit Timah Campus, Kheam Hock Road, off Bukit Timah. Tel: 6471 7138/6471 7361, www.sbg.org.sg.
Who’s Jacob Ballas?
The son of poor immigrant Jews, who found their way to Singapore after World War I, Jacob Ballas was the first Asian to head the Stock Exchange of Singapore and Malaysia. His philanthropy is legendary and the Jacob Ballas Estate now continues his good work.
For the more adventurous, have a go at being Tarzan and swing through the trees at Forest Adventure. Built by a leading French designer of tree-top courses, this aerial labyrinth of ladders, bridges, swings, nets, trapezes and slides is suspended amid the rainforest, five metres above the ground, at Bedok Reservoir Park. As safety is of paramount concern, participants must be at least 1.10 metres tall and are fully-equipped with harnesses and safety lines. Qualified instructors provide assistance and you’re encouraged to use the trees for support. By touching and feeling the rainforest around you, you can fully immerse yourself in the surrounding nature to learn more about the rainforest close up.
The kids’ course comprises of one 67-metre zip line and is divided into 16 stages. Children, as young as five years, can enjoy two loops of seven activities, from a central platform. Parents needn’t worry, as each child is connected to a continuous safety line at the start of the course and is not disconnected until they’ve reached the end. Forest Adventure also hosts private events such as corporate get-togethers and kids’ birthday parties – making a change from the usual birthday cake, party games and magic tricks at home! 825 Bedok Reservoir Road. Tel: 8100 7420/21, www.forestadventure.com.sg, Email: info@forestadventure.com.sg. Tickets: Grand Course: Adults $25, 16-18 years $20, kids (from five years of age) $18.
Don’t miss these eco-friendly family fun activities on November 18…
From 9:30am to 6pm, the Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden hosts the Children’s Garden Carnival. Enjoy a day out with the entire family at this fund-raising carnival, featuring a host of child-centric activities and games for the young and young-at-heart. To gain access, purchase carnival coupons from Singapore Botanic Gardens, Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden and the following selected retail locations: Guess Kids, selected Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Outlets, Forum The Shopping Mall (Information Counter), Hard Rock Café, Julia Gabriel Centre for Learning, Kids 21, Les Amis Café and Pat's Schoolhouse.
From 8am to 11am Republic Polytechnic is hosting Singapore’s first-ever ECO-picnic. Discover what you and your family can do to conserve the environment and find out why recycling is so important – and how to go about it. Picnic-goers are encouraged to go green by minimising the use of disposable items and using eco-friendly picnic utensils. The most eco-friendly picnic goers stand a chance of winning prizes worth $500! Admiralty Park (beside Republic Polytechnic, 9 Woodlands Avenue 9. Tel: 31001537, www.rp.sg/ecopicnic
Do you have a Singapore Secret you’d like to share? Send details (700 words) plus images to mjones-white@acpmagazines.com.sg and you could be published in an upcoming issue of The Finder!
Posted on Nov 07
