East Coast Park has been vamped up recently with the launch of Playground @ Big Splash. But it's not all
food and outdoor sports that attract families from all over Singapore to the 300,00 sq foot recreation
centre.
On a tour around the premises recently, AsiaOne found that the facilities catered to couples with young
children and toddlers as well, making this a hangout for yuppy families who want their kids to be
entertained while they are chilling at the hip restaurants and cafes that pepper the compound.
Here are the entertainment-cum-educational facilities that kids will enjoy:
LilliPutt - Singapore's first themed indoor mini golf course
It's a miniature golf-course, minus the heat and grime of the outdoors. Located on the third storey of the
block with International Seafood's signature "lobster", this theme park offers 18 mini golf holes, modelled
after famous Singapore landmarks.
Your kids can sink a putt at one hole, and be rewarded with seeing a model MRT train make its way from one
'station' to the next, or get the Merlion to light up at another hole.
No training is required. And in case you need to know - the staff even help parents baby-sit their young
ones through a game if they need to run an errand elsewhere, but only if there is enough hands on deck.
Tel: 6348 9606
Website: www.lilliputt.com
Frisk 'n' Romp - Kids Playclub
Again, another option for parents to engage their children meaningfully while they attend to adult errands.
When we were there, the spacious 7,000 sq ft indoor play sanctuary for kids was already running at full capacity,
even though we saw more of the play area than children. The supervisors ensure that only 40 children are within the play areas at any time so this ensures lots of space and sufficient attention for the children.
For a fee, children get to run amok at the super-sized Play Maze, which is essentially a big playground with tunnels, slides and lots of space, just for kids. And from next week, parents can also enrol their children in enrichment courses that include music and dance, story-telling sessions, facilitated games, puppetry and even yoga. Playgroups for these classes are limited to six kids to one teacher at a time.
Tel: 6345 5236
Website: www.frisknromp.com
Picture of main entrance to Playground @ Big Splash
Chiltern House A childcare centre is the last thing you would expect to see at a recreational facility by the sea, but Chiltern House
at Playground @ Big Splash provides full childcare serices from pre-nursery to Kindergarten Two. According
to Justin Tan, Director of Seafood International Market & Restaurant which oversees operations at
Playground, parents enjoy bringing their young tots to this childcare centre as it sits close by to the sea,
and offers an environment different from the cityscape that Singaporeans are used to.
Tel: 6356 2830
Inline Skating
It is the East Coast Park, and outdoor activities are necessary by definition.
Inline skating is offered by Urban Inline. Certified instructors ensure that the sport is taught safely and
professionally.
Tel: 6444 5655
Website: www.urbaninline.com.sg
Kangoo Jumps
Putting a spring in your step could be this sports gear shop's motto.
If running is your thing, you may like to jazz up your routine with Kangoo Jumps. This relatively new sport
in Singapore requires you to strap oversized elastic bands to your feet, so you can actually bounce up and
down like a kangaroo.
Novel factor is at a high, since you don't often see people bouncing down the jogging path at East Coast Park.
