Outdoor Fun: September Holidays - where to go & what to do Part 1

Heading out with the kiddo need not be expensive at all. Of course there are workshops and field trips which cost more but there are more affordable alternatives.

So for this September holidays, I thought to share some ideas. Here's Part 1 of a 2-part series. :)

Nature Lovers:
I am a big fan of our gardens here in Singapore. Not only are they beautifully maintained, our gardens are clean and the educational team organises a good variety of activities too. If you and the kiddo love the nature and outdoors, you can head over every morning from 10 - 13 September for their workshops. (Click on links to read the synopsis of the workshops/tours)

September 2013
 ^NEW "Trees Around Us" – A Drama Workshop Series: Our Tree Named Steve 
Suitable for children in K1 – P6 levels
10 Sep 2013, 10:00 am - 11:00 am  
$10.00 per child

 A Trail of Colours
(A Guided Tour)
Suitable for children in K1 – P6 levels
11 Sep 2013 10:00 am - 11:00 am  
$6.00 per child and $6.00 per accompanying adult 

 Sara Goes Gardening
(A Guided Tour) 
Suitable for children in K1 – P6 levels
12 Sep 2013 10:00 am - 11:00 am  

$9.00 per child (includes $3.00 "Sara Goes Gardening" storybook) and $6.00 per accompanying adult

 ^NEW Mid-Autumn Festival Special: Lantern Making & Mooncake Appreciation Workshop
(An Art & Craft Workshop) 
Suitable for children in K1 – P6 levels
13 Sep 2013 10:00 am - 11:30 am  
 $30.00 per child (including all materials)

Most of these workshops are kept to 1 hour and starts at 10am, great for avoiding the peak hour traffic. Since you will be at the gardens, pack a basket for a picnic too. If you are at Jacob Ballas Children's Garden, you can spend the morning after the workshop at the sandpit / playground. But if you are looking at having a picnic, you can only consume food at the garden next to it. The great thing is that you can go "swan-watching" at the pond.

To get a sense of what goes on for such a workshop / tour, you may like to read about a recent tour I attended on Plants and Animals at the Botanical Gardens.

Dumpling also attended a Vanda Ms Joaquim workshop last year which I shared about too

When in the midst of nature, observe and discuss things that you see with your kiddos, I had a great time listening to Dumpling and her friends chat about 'Monkey's Tail'.

Though most of these tours state that it's for K1 kids and above, I have signed Dumpling for tours which are for older children; the management is ok with it but would require for the children to be accompanied by an adult for safety concerns. 

Other activities which you can then 'extend' from home are:
- leaf printing / collage, reading on Lorax (with links to YouTube ebook and clip ~ After 'Trees around Us' tour) 

- reading up on "The Magic School Bus Plants Seeds: A Book About How Living Things Grow"  (After 'A trial of Colours' tour) OR watch the YouTube clip

- growing your own aloe vera plant or brewing a lemongrass drink (After 'Sara Goes Gardening') Here's a link to 4 simple recipes for an aloe vera drink. 

And you can also visit the Chinese Garden (or Chinatown - see below) for Mid-Autumn Festival

Heritage Trial
What about a simple heritage trail which costs almost next to nothing if you are exploring on your own? This would be good for older kids who do not mind walking more.

Chinatown

Image source

See the bustling streets at Chinatown. The last time I was there, I spent at least 2 hours (minus the cold dessert time!) with Dumpling where we saw some exotic snake oil (she was suitably impressed) and we browse through traditional handheld fans and chinese brocade items. You can also talk a quick look at the Sri Mariammam Temple which is free too. 

Alternatively, you can register for a walk too (priced at $15 for children and $26 for an adult, the walk varies from 2.5 to 3 hours, depending on which you register for). As Mid Autumn Festival is nearing, there is lantern making competition too! Click here for more details on when and where to view them (FOC!).

Little India
Dumpling has been to Little India several times and almost always, for food. :p I used to bring her to Tekka Market when I was not working then and it was almost a fun experience just for her to walk around. She especially likes the streets of shops selling pretty trinkets and swaddles of beautiful sari cloth. If your kiddos are older, you can also introduce them to the various spices sold at the stalls.  

Free Walking Tour
Now, in the midst of researching for this post, I chanced upon this website and was extremely surprised that these group of students from NTU offer free tours! They offer walks down the "scenic banks of Singapore River and through the monumental enclaves of Bras Basah Bugis Precinct." This is one tour that I will definitely be checking out. 

With a different mix and match of activities daily, excluding transportation and food, your 4 - 5 days cost you as little as below $100 (for an adult + child). Here's Part 2 of this series!