What to do in Sentosa with children: beaches, activities, restaurants and hotels for a staycation! We’re always dreaming of jetting off on a quick getaway here at HoneyKids. Don’t have time to pack your kaftan and bathers for a jolly jaunt overseas? There’s a load of family fun to enjoy at Singapore’s own tropical playground, Sentosa Island. Whether you are looking for some high-energy thrills, sand castle building at the beach, a cheeky little staycation, or just something a little bit different from your usual indoor soft play haunt, Sentosa has something fabulous for all ages and budgets. To make things easy peasy for you, we have put together all the best eats, attractions, beaches and hotels to help you plan an amazing day (or two) on the island… HOW TO GET THERE: By car/cab There’s a gantry admission of between $2-$7 (dependant on time of day) for each car/cab entering Sentosa and several parking lots can be found at Sentosa Cove Village Car Park, Beach Car Park, Imbiah Car Park, and Tanjong and Palawan Car Park. By cable car Make your journey to Sentosa an adventure and take in an aerial view of the island as you glide in from Mount Faber or Habourfront Cable Car Stations. Sentosa Boardwalk The best things in life are free: take a scenic stroll across the Boardwalk from VivoCity Shopping Mall’s waterfront promenade. Sentosa Express Guess what colour train will pull onto the platform at VivoCity (Lobby L, level 3) to whisk you over to Sentosa! The ride costs $4 per person (under threes are free) and runs between 7am and midnight. ALL THE ATTRACTIONS: For a mesmerising day out, S.E.A Aquarium never fails to impress! Photography: Selina Altomonte S.E.A Aquarium Home to more than 100,000 fishy friends in every shape, size and colour imaginable, SEA Aquarium will have even the littlest of littlies mesmerised by its the array of marine life. Check out Nemo and Dory and wander through the super cool shark tunnel (which houses over 200 sets of sharp teeth). To finish their under-the-sea adventure, kids should head to the rock pools where they can touch and hold some weird and wonderful creatures. S.E.A. Aquarium, 8 Sentosa Gateway, 098269. Open daily 10am-6pm. Adventure Cove Great fun for all the fam, Adventure Cove (pictured top) takes water play to the next level. Bigger kids (and kidults!) will love the massive slides and water-coasters, while smaller kids (and the less brave amongst us) will be happy bobbing around on the lazy river, racing around the wet maze and jumping the waves in the main pool. Don’t forget to check out the colourful Rainbow Reef where kids can get up close and personal snorkelling with over 20,000 friendly fishy friends! (Kiddos will need to be over 107cm tall to join this one.) Adventure Cove, 8 Sentosa Gateway, 098269. Open daily 10am-6pm. Universal Studios: where your little Minions can meet their fave characters! Universal Studios Singapore Whether your kids are rollercoaster junkies, or prefer a more sedate merry-go-round, Universal Studios Singapore is a one-stop destination for the whole brood to have mega fun. HoneyKids’ Junior Reporters have road tested this theme park many times and it always gets the thumbs up. TIP: Don’t forget to check out our Universal Studios Singapore Survival Guide before you head over to meet a Minion, hang out with Shrek and snap a photo with the Sesame Street gang! Universal Studios Singapore, 8 Sentosa Gateway, Singapore 098269, p. 6577 8888. Open daily 10am-7pm. Skyline Luge and Skyride Chairlift Up for a little bit of family competition? Challenge the kids to a race down the 650m Jungle Trail, or 688m Dragon Trail of Sentosa’s Skyline Luge. Full instructions on how to navigate the carts will be given before you whizz off down the hill (and leave your partner or teen in your dust). Smaller kids can ride with grown-ups and while we know your inner speed demon might make an appearance once you hit the slope, the carts can be steered and controlled at a speed that suits you. After you’ve beaten the kids (Lewis-Hamilton style) down the Luge, hop on the Skyride chairlift to check out the really rather gorgeous skyline of Singapore, before hurtling back down the hill again on the Luge. One time is never enough! Skyline Luge and Skyride Chairlift, 45 Siloso Beach Walk Sentosa, 099003. Open daily 10am-9.30pm. Walk the plank for free at the Palawan Pirate Ship! Palawan Pirate Ship (formerly Port of Lost Wonder) It was a sad day indeed when we heard that Port of Lost Wonder was closing its doors to make way for redevelopment! Happily the tears were quickly turned to smiles when news hit our desks that, for now, the pirate ship is staying anchored exactly where it is and has not only been re-named Palawan Pirate Ship, but is now FREE to visit! Kiddos will have a blast cooling off in the pirate-themed water playground, and they will fire the water canons at you! Palawan Pirate Ship, 54 Palawan Beach Walk, 098233 Palawan Amphitheatre Hang out with some feathered and furry friends over at Palawan Amphitheatre. Kids can feed the Lories and meet exotic birds and various creatures at the daily shows. Admission is free – we LOVE fun, free activities for kids in Singapore! Palawan Amphitheatre, 81F Palawan Beach Walk, Singapore 098524. Shows run daily from 2pm-5.30pm. Butterfly Park and Insect Kingdom If the kids are bugging you for a day out then why not flutter your way over to Butterfly Park and Insect Kingdom over on Imbiah Lookout? With an abundance of cool-looking creepy crawlies, and a whole heap of gorgeous butterflies, kids of all ages will be fascinated by all the bugs, beetles and butterflies on display. Butterfly Park and Insect Kingdom, 51 Imbiah Rd Singapore 099702. Open daily 9.30am-7pm. Always wanted to be in a novel? Well now you can with a visit to the Trick Eye Museum! Trick Eye Museum Scorching sun? Rainy day? The Trick Eye Museum is one of our top picks for fun indoor activities in Singapore for kids. Step into some seriously funny photos courtesy of clever visual trickery. Kids will crack up at the sight of Dad as a world- class ballerina, and the family photo of you all mountain climbing in your shorts and tees will surely be a keeper! Trick Eye Museum, 26 Sentosa Gateway, 098138. Open daily 10am-9pm. Mega Adventure Park Wondering what to do with your tweens and teens in Singapore? If your kids are into high-flying adventure, Mega Adventure Park is where it’s at, and it’s all about the MegaZip: fly like an eagle down a 75 metre high zip line at up to 60km per hour over the jungle canopy of Imbiah Hill! We’ve road tested this one and it’s not for the faint- hearted but boy is it fun. Once your wobbly legs have recovered from the Zip, you can take on the ClimbMax, ParaJump, NorthFace and MegaBounce… if you have nerves of steel! Mega Adventure Park, Imbiah Hill Rd, 098967. Open daily 11am-7pm. GoGreen Segway@Eco Adventure If hurtling down a zip line is really not your bag, then how about trying out a Segway board? For an introductory experience, and for those of you with younger kids (over 105cm in height) we recommend the Segway Fun Ride. Trainers will assist you as you make your way around this circuit full of twists and turns. For bigger kids, (10 years plus) then The Segway Eco Adventure is a fun challenge. You and your crew will get to explore the sights of the island during a scenic ride along the beaches of Sentosa on your Segway PT. Choose from 30 minute and 60 minute rides. GoGreen Segway@Eco Adventure, 50 Beach View, 098604. Open daily 10am- 7.30pm. Ride the waves and catch the surf over at Wave House. Photography: Wave House Sentosa Wavehouse Surf’s up! Pack your rashies and goggles and take the family for a surfing safari at Wavehouse. Choose your wave: the Double Flowrider, suitable for beginners and younger kids, creates a safe, non-curling, endless sheet of water for bodyboarding fun. Want more? The Flowbarrel pumps 100,000 gallons of water per minute to flow as fast as 30mph – and creating surf up to 10m high! Check the site for sessions times so your kiddos can catch the right wave. Wavehouse, 36 Siloso Beach Walk, 099007. Open daily 10.30am-10.30pm. Sentosa Cineblast Rollercoasters are not everyone’s cup of tea, but with this 4D motion- simulated virtual rollercoaster ride, you really will believe you are flying to the top of a mountain, plunging back down into a valley and through white-water rapids. All the fun of a coaster without the fear! Sentosa Cineblast, Imbiah Lookout Sentosa Island. Open daily 10am-9pm (last show at 8.45pm). Fort Siloso If you fancy something with a bit of history and love a child-friendly museum, then look no further than Fort Siloso. Entry is free (which helps if you are still paying the bills after an extravagant CNY!), but why not try out a 90 min guided tour to get the most out of the experience (from $10 for kids age over 7 and from $15 for adults)? You will learn why the Fort was built and find out just what life was like for a soldier from times of old.