Looking for new ways to entertain kids during the school holidays? Use these resources to plan daily adventures for the family—away from malls and enrichment centres.

1. Nature Walks

Singapore’s National Parks Board has a collection of DIY walks for several of its parks and nature reserves, including the Botanic Gardens, the Macritchie Boardwalk, Coney Island, Dairy Farm, Fort Canning, and more. Click here to find out the highlights of each walking trail and the estimated walking or cycling time, as well as to download a detailed itinerary, complete with maps and safety tips.

2. Heritage Trails

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Set up by the National Heritage Board, Roots.sg has a heritage trails section featuring a variety of self-guided tours. You can search for tours by interest areas (e.g. architecture, art, or science/innovation) or location. Each tour outline contains a brief introduction of every stop and links to resources. To view itineraries on your phone, download the Singapore Heritage Trails mobile app. 

3. Quick Tours

If you fancy a quick cultural tour, Visit Singapore has a selection of short walking tour itineraries, covering City Hall, the Singapore River, Joo Chiat/Katong, and Tiong Bahru—perfect for a free afternoon.

4. Neighbourhood Guides

To delve into the history and highlights of Singapore’s heartland neighbourhoods, use the comprehensive guides at Singapore N Beyond, where you can share fun facts about each neighbourhood with the family before exploring the area together. Each neighbourhood guide also includes a list of recommended eateries.

5. Wet Market Highlights

Looking to get experimental in the kitchen with the kids? Local wet markets are surprisingly well stocked in gourmet produce—you can read the local Michelin guide to some of our wet market specialties, and pick a wet market to visit with the family.  

6. Explore SG Like A Tourist

To experience Singapore with the energy and fresh perspective of a tourist, try the self-guided tours created by backpacking hostel The Inn Crowd. Featured tours include city locations such as Little India and Chinatown, as well as greener places of interest such as Pulau Ubin/Changi Village and the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve. Note that this was written for adults, and that some recommended stops may not be child-friendly.

7. Offshore Islands

Did you know that Singapore is not a city of one island, but of 63 islands? Not all of these islands are accessible to the public, but you can find out how to reach some of the islands, such as Lazarus Island and Pulau Semakau, by referring to the helpful guides on TheSmartLocal and Time Out. Or read this personal account of a day spent in Pulau Ubin to view Singapore’s most popular offshore island in a new light.  

8. Treasure Hunts

For an opportunity to discover something new while bonding with the family, read our guide to five treasure hunts that you can embark on, right here in Singapore.

9. Mobile Apps

To download a self-guided tour onto your phone, try mobile apps such as GPSMyCity and LocoMole. These apps have city walk itineraries available for download, along with immersive and interactive experiences built into the apps.

10. Pay-As-You-Wish Guided Tours

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To meet new people while unearthing insights and hidden gems in familiar places, join a guided walking tour. Monster Day Tours and Indie Singapore offer shorter walking tours (two to 3.5 hours) on a weekly basis, while SneakPeek Singapore runs a five-hour walking tour that “brings you on a comprehensive journey to understand the real Singapore beneath its glitzy facade.”