The SEA Games will not merely be about watching the athletes competing, but about remaining actively engaged and entertained as well.

And the 28th SEA Games carnival at the Singapore Sports Hub will have a wide selection of interesting activities for spectators.

The carnival opens today and will run till June 16. Admission and activities are free. It will run from 10am to 9pm daily except for June 5 and June 16, when it will end at 5pm instead, due to the opening and closing ceremonies.

Some highlights include 300-degree table tennis, where a round table surrounding a player is used instead of a conventional rectangular one.

Another activity, the gravity-defying Walk on Water, will be a key feature, where participants run across a shallow 0.5m pool but risk sinking into it if they remain stationary.

Those eyeing a more relaxing time can also take part in other fringe activities such as painting a tote bag or torch.

Families with young children are welcome too. They will be treated to colourful inflatables such as a 10m-tall giant slide and an inflatable rock-climbing facility at the junior zone.

Participants can earn a stamp upon completion of each activity and can redeem a free memento after collecting five stamps.

Lee Huei Chern, head of community engagement and merchandising, Singapore South-east Asian Games Organising Committee (Singsoc) said: "With the Games happening during the June holidays, we wanted to make a holiday where you can not only have fun but also be inspired by the fighting spirit of the athletes."

Located around the carnival are 30 art installations such as the Circle Of Inspiration by interior design consultant Erwin Lao.

It features acrylic sheets with hand-drawn portraits of sports pioneers such as Dr Tan Eng Liang, who is Singapore's chef de mission.