Far East Organisation Children's Garden at Gardens by the Bay

We're always on the look out for playgrounds when we are out and about. Not being mall-going people, you'll more often than not find us roaming outdoor parks and spaces, with playgrounds being a welcome sight for both parent and child. Fun for the young ones and a bit of respite for the adults!

Well, we've found the mother of all playgrounds. It's got wet water play areas and dry forest adventure areas. It's got a toddler play area for 1-to-5s and tree houses and an adventure trail for 6-to-12s. It's surrounded by plants and greenery. It's huge. And the best part: ADMISSION IS FREE!

We've talking about the hotly anticipated Far East Organization Children's Garden at Gardens by the Bay, which opens its doors to the public today, 21 January 2014. If you, like us, have lamented the lack of a children's play area at Gardens by the Bay over the past year, I can safely say that all will be forgiven when you visit this space. Covering a space of 1-hectare (!!!) and located between the Cloud Forest dome and Satay by the Bay, the Children's Garden is a play haven where 1 to 12-year-olds (and over!) can have fun and enjoy interactive play in a lush garden setting. 

We attended the launch of the Children's Garden, and quite frankly, it wasn't just the kids who couldn't wait to play. I found myself wishing that I was a child again and dressed in less stuffy clothes so that I could get in on the action as well! Here's a quick introduction to the different areas:

A. Toddler Play (1 to 5-year-olds)

Catering to the littlest ones is Toddler Play. Through the gates, walk straight past the lockers for the Water Play area and you'll find it. It's conveniently next to the cafe so parents can grab a drink or a bite while watching their kids have fun. I'm not sure what they serve since it wasn't open when we visited but I've got my fingers crossed for good (or at least decent) coffee! The play area features a balancing beam, play spring seats, sway bridge, seesaw, a climbing structure with a slide, a toddler swing, a toddler hammock, stepping springs, flower table and seats, megaphone and a caterpillar topiary trellis. Plenty to keep the little tikes occupied! 

B. Fish Fountain (2 to 5-year-olds)

The water play area for toddlers, this is next to the main water play area and features 17 fish sculptures of varying sizes. Shooting water out of their mouths, naturally. This is much tamer than the main water play area, and for that reason, great for the little ones, especially those who might feel intimidated by the water everywhere in the main water play area. I think it'd also be a good for those who want to play with water but just who don't like getting drenched or getting their head wet. I think you can pretty much escape that here!  

C. Water Play (6 to 12-year-olds)

Surely the pièce de résistance of the Children's Garden, the Water Play area is the first thing you'll spot upon entering the gates, and my, is it impressive. When it gets going, it's really water fun everywhere! I liked the garden-themed elements that were used, from the reed-like water splines that sprayed water around while spinning 360, and the orchid-shaped splash buckets. Another special feature of this Water Play area and a first surely: the water jets here are synchronised to music! So even if you're not playing inside, it is actually still rather entertaining to watch.

D. Adventure Trail (6 to 12-year-olds)

This, together with the Treehouses, was my kids' favourite. The Adventure Trail is a green ridge that runs alone half the perimeter of the Children's Garden. It mimics the natural landform, with dips and humps, and is interspersed with play structures for jumping, crossing and climbing. So much fun really, with balancing beams, slides, a spider net, monkey bars, a swinging bridge, hill climbing ropes, a revolving disc and more. Definitely sized for the older ones but 2 year-old Meips didn't care and gamely tried everything her 5 year-old brother did.

E. The Treehouses (6 to 12-year-olds)

Set within a thicket of rainforest trees are two treehouses, each a combination of web-like metallic frames with rope baskets suspended from platforms. Not traditional tree houses but those in the style of the supertrees here! With rope bridges and climbing structures, it was spider-Meips' favourite spot! She was a bit tiny for some of the structures and needed help to be hauled out of some of the baskets, but it didn't stop her. Noey on the other hand also had a lot of fun with the slides. 

In short, the kids loved the Children's Garden, and I loved the Children's Garden. The kids loved the play elements, naturally. But I liked how this wasn't just a playground or a water play area, but effort had been made to weave the play elements together into a garden. So there are topiary arches used along the Adventure Trail to create shade for the children, and different species of the Ficus trees planted close the the Treehouses to form a thick curtain of trailing aerial roots for children to duck under, and flowering plants planted in certain sections to create a natural habitat for butterflies. As a parent who loves to bring her children out to play in parks, this effort to bring nature closer to the children is something I appreciated.

In fact, one of the highlights of our visit for nature-loving Noey was discovering a huge beetle in the sand. We initially thought it was dead, but when we realised it wasn't, we rescued it and set it on a rock nearby to wander home. Such opportunities, I treasure.

The Far East Organization Children's Garden really blew us away. We can't wait to visit again, though I'm a little worried about how crowded it might be once word gets out. Still, don't wait too long to visit. It really is a gem of a place.

Far Eastern Organization Children's Garden
Gardens by the Bay, between Cloud Forest and Satay by the Bay
Free Admission
Opening Hours: 9am - 9pm
Closed for maintenance every Monday (or next working day if Monday is a PH)