Being a parent is hard in so many ways.

Bringing kids out for a meal can be extremely difficult, especially if there is no entertainment to keep them occupied. However, nothing beats having the time to bond with your loved ones over a hearty meal and to see the goofy smiles on your kids’ faces. Kids are fickle creatures and probably have the same attention span as a puppy. That said, having kid-friendly elements such as a playground or a kids menu would help family meals a lot less chaotic.

From cafes with a soft-fall playground to a mini buffet catered to kids and a dedicated reading corner to the little ones, here is our guide to 13 kid-friendly restaurants in Singapore.

BAYSWATER KITCHEN

Situated along Marina at Keppel Bay and boasting a stunning waterfront view, Bayswater Kitchen will definitely be one restaurant both the young and younger will enjoy dining at. Adults can choose from a wide range of seafood options and kids aren’t excluded either—children under 12 years old can choose from their kids’ menu, of which the Fish & Chips (S$14) are highly recommended!

2 Keppel Bay Vista
Singapore 098382
Tel: +65 6776 0777
Tue to Fri: 11.30am – 2.30pm, 6pm – 10pm
Sat: 6pm – 10pm
Sun: 11.30am – 4pm, 6pm – 10pm
Nearest Station: Harbourfront

CAFE MELBA

A restaurant concept that blends the best of Melbourne and Asia, Cafe Melba provides a gourmet yet casual dining experience. A temporary oasis away from the hustle and bustle, Cafe Melba caters plenty of events for both little ones and adults alike and their kid’s set menu includes fruit juice or plain milk as well as a choice of chocolate, strawberry or vanilla ice cream

Block N #01, 90 Goodman Road, 56
Singapore 439053
Tel: +65 6440 6068
Mon to Fri: 10am – 10pm
Sat & Sun: 8.30pm – 10pm
Nearest Station: Mountbatten

CARROTSTICKS & CRAVINGS

Located within Loewen Gardens in the Dempsey area, Carrotsticks & Cravings is an Aussie-inspired cafe with a huge outdoor space where kids can go wild. What’s more, this space entails an entire trampoline where children can have fun after getting their meal from the kid’s menu which comes with loads of nutritious options!

75E Loewen Road
Singapore 248845
Daily: 8am – 3pm
Nearest Station: Farrer Road

DISTRICT 10 BAR & RESTAURANT @ UE SQUARE

Bringing your kids out for a meal at a restaurant is already tough enough, let alone a bar where angsty adults get tipsy. However, District 10 Bar & Restaurant’s outlet at UE Square caters to families regardless of age—with a bouncy castle for the kids, sip on a cocktail without having to worry that your kids cry out of boredom!

81 Clemenceau Avenue
UE Square Shopping Mall #01-15/16/17
Singapore 239917
Tel: +65 6738 4788
Mon to Wed: 11.30am – 11pm
Thu: 11.30am – 12am
Fri: 11.30am – 1am
Sat: 10am – 12am
Sun: 10am – 11pm
Nearest Station: Clarke Quay

EDGE

One of our favourite restaurants when it comes to lavish buffet spreads, Edge’s buffet lineup is always set to impress diners old and new, kids and adults alike. Their huge space now comes with a room dedicated to the little ones with a variety of kid’s offerings, and even a balloon sculptor who goes around crafting masterpieces while your kids are having their meals!

Pan Pacific Singapore, Level 3
7 Raffles Boulevard
Daily: 12pm – 2.30pm, 6pm – 10.30pm
Sunday Brunch: 12pm – 3.30pm
Nearest Station: Esplanade

E-SARN THAI @ GRANDSTAND

Priding themselves on serving authentic North-Eastern Thai cuisine since 1994, E-Sarn Thai @ Grandstand is the perfect venue for you and your little ones to enjoy the intense Thai flavours—of course, their menu comes with several non-spicy, kid-friendly options. The casual dining spot has a play area where the children can have fun at!

200 Turf Club Road #01-13
The Grandstand
Singapore 287994
Tel: +65 6468 4484
Tue to Sun: 11.30am – 2.30pm, 5.30pm – 10pm
(Closed on Mondays)
Nearest Station: Sixth Avenue

FRESH FRUITS LAB

Incorporating fruits into their menu as much as possible and vibrant pastel colours in their decor, this cosy cafe in the West is great for brunch and is a place that kids will surely love. Besides plating their food in an adorable manner, the place even features a bouncy castle out back! Their kid’s menu features items which are mostly priced below S$10.

28 Clementi Road
Singapore 129754
Tel: +65 6803 7472
(Closed on Mondays)
Tues to Fri: 12pm – 12am
Sat & Sun: 11am – 12am
Nearest Station: Kent Ridge

HUBER’S BISTRO

Occupying the same space where their huge 2-storey butchery is, Huber’s Bistro is one of the best places possible for a fun family outing. After your kids are done with gobbling down fresh meats, take them out back where you’d find a soft-fall playground out at the back that’s shaded and gated.

22 Dempsey Road
Singapore 249679
Tel: +65 6737 1588
Mon to Fri: 9.30am – 8pm
Sat & Sun: 9.30am – 7pm
Nearest Station: Farrer Road

IKEA

A restaurant that needs no introduction, IKEA caters to families wholeheartedly with the use of plastic utensils for kids and a dedicated kid’s menu that’s affordable and hearty at the same time. Delish meatballs, chicken wings and a play area complete with a fun space to play at the showroom area, IKEA leaves little to wonder as to why children are always begging their parents to take them there!

317 Alexandra Road
Singapore 159965
Tel: +65 6786 6868
Sun to Thu: 10am – 10pm
Fri & Sat: 10am – 11pm
Nearest Station: Queenstown

NATIVE KITCHEN

Located within Village Hotel at Sentosa, Native Kitchen is a restaurant that celebrates the best of islander cuisine. As if its close proximity to exciting attractions such as the Palawan Pirate Ship, Universal Studios Singapore, The Merlion and Kidzania doesn’t already make it an ideal spot for family gatherings; the restaurant itself makes dining with your kids a whole lot easier!

Native Kitchen provides interactive menus which have puzzles and mazes for the kids to solve to keep them preoccupied while waiting for their food. What’s more, they also provide children’s utensils so moms and dads can save the hassle!

Native Kitchen
10 Artillery Avenue Sentosa Island
Village Hotel at Sentosa, Lift Lobby
Singapore 099951
Tel: +65 6722 0818
Nearest Station: Harbourfront

OPEN FARM COMMUNITY

If you often bring your child out to dine, then Open Farm Community should be no stranger to you. This restaurant encompasses a farm-to-table concept, and kids will surely love their huge kids’ sandpit with wooden cow playground which is set amidst lush greenery and multiple quirky sculptures.

130E Minden Road
Singapore 248819
Tel: +65 6471 0306
Mon to Thu: 12pm – 4pm, 6pm – 11pm
Fri: 12pm – 4pm, 6pm – 12am
Sat: 11am – 5pm, 6pm – 12am
Sun: 11am – 5pm, 6pm – 11pm
Nearest Station: Farrer Road

QUENTIN’S EURASIAN RESTAURANT

There are few restaurants in Singapore dedicated to serving Eurasian food, let alone one that has a play area for kids so you can bet that Quentin’s The Eurasian Restaurant is a gem. The restaurant has a separate play area for children to let loose at, at this space includes a mini playground, mini ball pond, ride-on toys and even a reading corner.

139 Ceylon Road Level 1 Eurasian Community House
Singapore 429744
Tel: +65 6348 0327
Tue to Fri: 11.30am – 2.30pm
Sat & Sun: 11am – 2pm, 6.30pm – 10.30pm
Nearest Station: Dakota

THE HALIA

Nestled within The Botanic Gardens, The Halia is a great place for a tranquil meal. The restaurant’s all-day menu has plenty of tantalizing European-Asian options for diners to choose from, and children can take their pick from children’s menu, which also comes with connect-the-dot puzzles and mazes that will surely keep the kids occupied.

What’s more, this restaurant is Halal-certified so our Muslim friends can head over and enjoy a meal here with their little ones too!

1 Cluny Road,
Ginger Garden
Singapore Botanic Garden
Singapore 259569 Tel: +65 8444 1148
Mon to Thu: 9am – 9.30pm
Fri: 9am – 10pm
Sat: 10am – 10pm
Sun: 10am – 9.30pm
Nearest Station: Botanic Gardens

What was slated to be an early 2015 opening, quietly shifted to a purportedly late 2015 opening. Now, KidZania Singapore has made an official statement to say that the entertainment centre will only officially launch on 12 April 2016. This was confirmed after they hosted a recruitment drive in August 2015, where a total of 150 jobs were made available to the public.

KidZania promises an “interactive learning and entertainment experience for kids in a kid-sized city, through over 80 role-play activities”. Now, this makes waiting worth the while.

Mark your calendars for April, because it is going to be a ton of fun and games here for your little ones. KidZania will be education through play!

The official date of opening is still unclear but you can be sure that April 2016 will be when your kids can start having fun.

Besides just being an indoor theme park, kids can experience role-play activities, earn a salary in the form of kidZos (official currency), pay for goods and services and even manage a bank card. Remember how we used to have Problem-based Learning (PBL) in school? This is pretty similar, and it will make learning a fun-filled experience for them.

KidZania Singapore is going to be located at Palawan Beach Sentosa, and is easily accessible by car or the Sentosa Express. Spanning over 81000 square feet, equivalent to 6 Olympic-sized swimming pools, it will also house a full-size fuselage of a Boeing 737.

This Mexican brand has seen successes in 16 locations worldwide, and Singapore will be its latest venture. Its recent stint in Bangkok has also seen many Singaporean families having a ball of a time with their kids, and we are most excited for its arrival in Singapore!

KidZania
Sun to Thu: 10am – 5pm
Fri, Sat, Eve of PH, PH and School Holidays: 10am – 8pm

Admission prices:
Infant (under 2 years old): Free
Toddler (2-3 years old): S$25 (walk-in), S$23.75 (online)
Kid (4-17 years old): S$58 (walk-in), S$55.10 (online)
Adult (18-59 years old): S$35 (walk-in), S$33.25 (online)
Senior (60 years old+): S$25 (walk-in), S$23.75 (online)

Images from Kidzania Singapore.

These days, the simplest way to engage a child is to pass him an electronic device. However, that is not the healthiest way – both physically and emotionally. Bonding with your child does not necessarily mean playing games or watching a movie together on an electronic device. Try ditching those devices for one day and spend some quality time with your little one!

Children just love to play. They are active learners who learn through play. Not sure where to bring them to? Here are 12 Kids Friendly Activities in Singapore! These places not only enhance parent-child bonding, but create fun experiences for the little darlings as well!

1. BUKIT TIMAH SADDLE CLUB

What better way than to have fun while exercising? Horse-riding develops balance and improves coordination as well as motor function. For 45 minutes a week, your child gets to learn the basics of horse-riding from a trained instructor. The best part is that lessons are conducted in groups of 4-5 people, which means that you can learn with your child!

51 Fairways Drive
Tel: +65 6466 2264
Tue to Sun: 7am – 11am & 3.30pm – 7pm
Nearest Station: Botanic Gardens

2. THE CITY

An interactive learning playground that is bound to keep your child (and you!) engaged the whole while! Children can explore different locations such as cafe, supermarket, police station and many more. They have the opportunity to role-play various professions – policeman, doctor, supermarket cashier, just to name a few! On top of that, they get to drive on mini streets and play dress-up! Run wild with your child within The City!

#03-04A Liang Court
177 River Valley Road
Tel: +65 6250 6507
Daily: 10am – 7pm
Nearest Station: Clarke Quay

3. THE LITTLE THINGS

Children learn best when they are interested. There is hardly a child, or anyone in general, who is not interested in food, right? Step into The Little Things where children have to complete tasks such as meal-planning and food preparation in a real kitchen. During the lessons, children will be introduced to basic safety rules in the kitchen. Now, now, look who’s gonna be a little kitchen helper at home soon!

215H Upper Thomson Rd
Tel: +65 6456 3140
Wed to Fri: 12pm – 7pm & 10am – 7pm
Sat & Sun: 10am – 7pm
Nearest Station: Marymount

4. THE SLIDE @ CHANGI AIRPORT TERMINAL 3

Standing at 12 metres high (equivalent to 4 storeys tall), Singapore Changi Airport has the tallest slide in Singapore. Simply spend $10 in a single receipt to redeem one ride at the 12-metre slide located at Terminal 3, Arrival Hall (Level 1). Do note that participants have to be at least 1.3 metres tall. Children aged 7 and above are allowed to ride the slide.

The Slide @ T3
Singapore Changi Airport
Airport Boulevard
Tel: +65 6595 6868
Daily: 12pm – 10.30pm
Nearest Station: Changi Airport

5. ROAD SAFETY COMMUNITY PARK

Here at the Road Safety Park, children have the opportunity to explore the mini traffic environment equipped with zebra crossing, reading road signs, mini overhead bridge, traffic lights and so on. They get to role play as a driver, cyclist or pedestrian. They are bound to be engaged as they explore the park while learning the precautions they have to take when they are on the road as well as the importance of following traffic rules.

Road Safety Community Park
910 East Coast Park Way
Road Safety Park
Tel: +65 6440 5254
Daily: 24hrs
Nearest Station: Tanah Merah

6. MARINA BARRAGE

What better way than to enjoy the comfortable breeze in an open field? Fly a kite and have a potluck session with your family and friends in the afternoon or evening! Bond over homemade finger food (which you can engage your little ones in!) and hearty laughter and chats. As if that’s not enough, you’ll be spoilt with the beautiful scenery of Marina Bay!

8 Marina Gardens Drive
Tel: +65 6514 5959
Daily: 9am – 9pm
Nearest Station: Bayfront

7. HOKEY POKEY

Who could resist an indoor playground with different equipment to explore and varied levels of challenges to overcome? Hokey Pokey is a fun and educational place for children as young as 6 months old to practice and develop their motor skills while playing in a safe environment.

Hokey Pokey
33 Sengkang West Ave
#B1-28/29, The Seletar Mall, Singapore 797653
Mon to Fri: 11am – 9pm
Sat & Sun: 10am – 9pm
Nearest Station: Fernvale

8. HAY DAIRIES

Bring your little munchkin to the Goat Farm to view the goats and the milking session! It’s a fun process especially when you see the goats lining up in a straight line to get to the milking station. You can also purchase goat milk here. Goat milk is suitable for people who are lactose intolerant or allergic to cow milk. Why not give it a try?

No. 3 Lim Chu Kang
Agrotech Park Lane 4
Tel: +65 6792 0931
Mon, Wed to Sun: 9am – 4pm
Nearest Station: Kranji

9. BOLLYWOOD VEGGIES

Allow your child to step out of the buzzing city life and enter a countryside in Kranji to see a different side of Singapore. Take a relaxing stroll in the ten-acre farm, enjoy the greenery, and head to Poison Ivy Bistro for a meal with your family after. Do note that dinner is not available though, as the farm closes at 6.30pm.

100 Neo Tiew Road
Tel: +65 6898 5001
Wed to Fri: 9am – 6.30pm
Sat, Sun & PH: 8a, – 6.30pm
Nearest Station: Kranji

10. KIDZANIA

KidZania promises an “interactive learning and entertainment experience for kids in a kid-sized city, through over 80 role-play activities”.

Besides just being an indoor theme park, kids can experience role-play activities, earn a salary in the form of kidZos (official currency), pay for goods and services and even manage a bank card. Remember how we used to have Problem-based Learning (PBL) in school? This is pretty similar, and it will make learning a fun-filled experience for them.

KidZania
Sun to Thu: 10am – 5pm
Fri, Sat, Eve of PH, PH and School Holidays: 10am – 8pm

Admission prices:
Infant (under 2 years old): Free
Toddler (2-3 years old): S$25 (walk-in), S$23.75 (online)
Kid (4-17 years old): S$58 (walk-in), S$55.10 (online)
Adult (18-59 years old): S$35 (walk-in), S$33.25 (online)
Senior (60 years old+): S$25 (walk-in), S$23.75 (online)

11. SINGKIDS

The bright and colourful soft play equipment and toys will definitely be loved by both adults and children! Children can run around freely in this safe (and not to mention, clean!) environment and explore all the exciting equipment that they don’t get to use often. The playground looks so enticing that parents will be so tempted to join in the fun! And that is exactly what the whole idea of this post is about – play with your children!

Singapore Changi Airport
Airport Boulevard
Terminal 3, #B2-14/15/16/26
Tel: +65 6832 8002
Daily: 11am – 11pm
Nearest Station: Changi Airport

12. SINGAPORE BOTANIC GARDENS

Enjoy a family picnic at the Botanic Gardens while enjoying nature’s wonders! Prior to the picnic, a good suggestion would be to prepare the food at home and remember to involve everyone – adults and little ones! It’s gonna be a fun process and the picnic will be even more enjoyable and meaningful.

1 Cluny Road
Tel: +65 6471 7138 / +65 6471 7361
Daily: 5am – 12midnight
Nearest Station: Orchard/Boatnic Gardens

About the writer:
YSL is an early childhood educator with an avid passion for the little ones and has many years of experience in this field since her scholarship days. Ever ready to reach her hand out to her students and babies in her family, she is always researching on the best childcare tips and trends.

From baby to toddler, our baby turning one is a bittersweet moment for us. And like most parents, we want to celebrate his birthday as best way we know how, by throwing a birthday party.

When Brad asked me to share about my experience on ladyironchef, I agreed immediately because I hope this post on How to Plan a Baby’s First Birthday Party will give you some ideas when you are celebrating your child’s first birthday.

I do not consider myself experienced when it comes to party planning, much less a first year birthday party. Russell is my first born by the way. As a host, I did a few things right and a couple of things wrong. Here are some lessons learnt, and things I wished somebody told me before.

THINGS I DID RIGHT

There were many suggestions, like BBQ in a chalet, Lunch in a Club, House Party…  but I was very sure I wanted a distinctively kids party because he has the rest of his life to throw stripper parties. He is one, he will party like he is one.

THE VENUE

I want the kids to have fun but not have their fun jumping on my bed. I decided to hold it in a children indoor playground where they can go crazy in. My little guests are mostly toddlers. I read up and visited a few places before deciding on Kiddyfun because they specifically target the younger kids.

• The play area is well padded so the toddlers can run around with little supervision.
• The play is not too huge that you’d lose all your guests.
• The party area is comfortable and cozy, with actual sofas instead of stools, so the adults can lounge around and chit chat.

Party packages prices and offerings are comparable to other indoor gyms like Petite Park, Fidgets and Hokey Pokey. I recommend that you shortlist a few places, then make a trip down to look at their party areas before deciding. We brought Russell to test the play systems in KiddyFun first and he had so much fun that we were confident on our pick.

SPLURGE ON THE CAKE

When people look back on birthdays, they will refer to the cake to check when it was. “Oh, he was one, so that was 2013.” I did a lot of research on the cake and I’m really satisfied with it. I requested for 3 figurines; a baby boy that matches what he wore on the day, a dragon because he was born in the year of a dragon and a lion because he’s a Leo. It is very hard to make a cute fondant dessert masculine ok? But this cake is age appropriate yet manly. And it was beautifully crafted. Perfect.

TIME

The party lasted for 2.5 hours. Initially I thought it was too short, but anything longer and the kids will grow cranky while the adults grow restless. Some friends throw parties that last the whole day and people are free to turn up at different times. I prefer to put everyone together.

THINGS THAT COULD BE IMPROVED

There are a few things I wish I could have done better and it really boils down to proper delegation.

GUESTBOOK

I wanted guests to leave messages for Russell, I even wanted people to leave video messages. However, I was too busy to do this. Delegate this to someone sociable and persuasive.

PHOTOS

To my horror, nobody took pictures of the guests and I was running around all the time that any pictures I took were shoddy. This is one of those things I took for granted. Now it looks like I have thrown a #foreveralone birthday party. Have someone be in charge of taking photos of every guest, preferably someone who knows the guests well and can take a decent picture. I think this is basic party etiquette too.

INTRODUCTIONS

Do proper introductions and trust your guests to mingle by themselves. I was trying to make conversations with everyone that I cannot make conversations with everyone.

VIDEOS

Remember to record a video of the birthday song! The facial expressions on my boy’s face were priceless. Appoint two people to record the birthday song and put their lives on it. Remember to have one more person to take a video of the singing guests too, cover all angles!

Bottom line is, you cannot do everything by yourself and you’d find that people are happy to help. Delegate the right tasks to the correct people so you can relax, sit back and enjoy the party.

Despite the mistakes, we had a wonderful time. Really happy to see my friends and family, happy to see the kids playing and having fun, happy to see Russell’s huge smile and the twinkle in his eyes when everyone started singing his birthday song… and the embarrassment when he realised they were singing to him.

Words by Priscilla Nu