Snails, balloons, insects, climbing fun: 4 new activities for the March holidays

SINGAPORE – The March school holidays are here and, yes, it is only a week long. But that is still plenty of time to prise the kids away from their screens and point them towards something worth getting excited about.

With my two daughters aged seven and 13 in tow, I check out four recently opened family-friendly spots, from a surprisingly charming snail farm to a neon-soaked, dopamine-fuelled sensory playground.

WholeSnail

What: An hour-long tour of Singapore’s first indoor snail farm that includes lessons on their life cycle, hands-on activities and close encounters with the creatures.
Where: Food Concept @ Pandan, 09-02, 239 Pandan Loop
When: Fridays and Saturdays, timings vary. Check the available slots at str.sg/xyfq
Admission: $25 a person, go to str.sg/xyfq

Fun factor: In a tropical country like Singapore, you see a lot of snails on the ground, especially after it rains, and this tour gives us a better understanding of these soft-bodied shelled animals.

The ones farmed at WholeSnail are European Garden snails, a high-protein food source.

We start off the tour, conducted by WholeSnail founder and home-grown entrepreneur Stephanie Kudus, with a lesson on snails. We learn that they can have up to 25,000 teeth and lay up to 300 eggs in a single clutch.

We then tour the farm and see the snails in different stages of life, even the cute little hatchlings.

At the height of breeding season, the farm’s over 2,000 sq ft dedicated breeding room can hold more than 15,000 snails.

My daughters’ favourite parts are the hands-on activities where we use spoons to carefully harvest their eggs from soil, gently touch the snails and have them crawl on our hands.

We also get to paint empty snail shells and make works of art to take home as a souvenir.

Hot tip: The tours are by appointment only and walk-ins are not available.

Each tour requires a minimum of two guests and can accommodate up to 20. Note that parking outside WholeSnail is limited, but there is roadside parking near the building. Otherwise, take bus No. 285 from Clementi Interchange and alight at the bus stop near Pandan Light Industries Park, Block T.

Dopamine Land

What: A multisensory interactive museum with nine colourful rooms with activities designed to make visitors feel good.
Where: Level 2 @ Weave, 02-204 and 205, 26 Sentosa Gateway
When: 11am to 9pm daily except for Tuesdays
Admission: From $12 a visitor, go to str.sg/ozhi3

Fun factor: This is one attraction that lives up to its name – my daughters have so much fun that they do not want to leave.

Many of the themed rooms feature action-packed play – pillow fights in Cushion Clash, a “tornado” of balloons at Neon Nebula, a sunset-themed ball pit at Sunset Lagoon and a dance-off at Chromadance.

But I also like that there is balance. They get to wind down and engage their other senses in rooms like the kaleidoscopic Cosmic Oasis and an alien-like environment in Cave Of Tactility.

The Scribblescape room is an artist’s dream. The whole room is a white canvas and my daughters get to draw on the walls, furniture and even the floor. These are definitely things they are not allowed to do at home.

With its bright and neon palette, Dopamine Land is guaranteed to give you plenty of pretty snaps and videos for Instagram and TikTok.

Hot tip: This place attracts as many adults as it does children, so supervise your kids closely, especially in high-energy activities, to avoid accidents.

Give yourself about 50 minutes to experience all the activities, although guests are welcome to stay longer.

If you purchase the VIP tickets (from $31), you can also get to experience a virtual-reality ride that simulates activities such as a roller-coaster ride.

Insects: Microsculptures Magnified

What: An exhibition on insects curated by ArtScience Museum in collaboration with the American Museum of Natural History that features high-magnification, macro photography by award-winning British photographer Levon Biss. It also features insights into the rich diversity of insect life in Singapore.
Where: ArtScience Museum, 6 Bayfront Avenue
When: Until May 10, 10am to 7pm (Sundays to Thursdays), 10am to 9pm (Fridays and Saturdays)
Admission: From $6 for Singapore residents’ concession tickets (students, seniors aged 60 and above, children aged two to 12, persons with disabilities and full-time national servicemen)

Fun factor: Think insects are just unpleasant creepy-crawlies? This exhibition might just change your mind.

Thanks to the wonders of macro-photography, kids can see up close the stunning colours and complex details on various types of insects.

There are 37 blown-up, 2m-tall portraits of specimens from the collection at Oxford University Museum of Natural History. The brightly coloured insects include the Amazonian purple warrior scarab, jewel longhorn beetle and pleasing fungus beetle.

The exhibition also showcases Singapore’s rich insect diversity, and highlights how local scientists from Nanyang Technological University, A*STAR, Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum and Singapore Geographic are making discoveries that shape global understanding and inspire new applications in science and technology.

Look out for the Campylomma singapura, a new species of plant bug discovered here and named after Singapore.

Hot tip: After you are done with this exhibition, head over to the free ArtScience Laboratory, the museum’s kid-friendly learning centre, just a short walk away. Critters & CareBots, a new “technology-meets-nature” programme, has some fun hands-on activities for children.

My kids get to wear lab coats and examine insect specimens up close with magnifying glasses, read books about the creatures and learn about how cyborg insects have been used in disaster rescue missions.

Their favourite part is getting hands-on with an AI-powered toy pet whose behaviour depends on how you interact with it. When you say nice things to it, it will coo and respond positively, for example.

Bulim Park

Where: Near Jurong West Street 22
When: Open 24 hours
Admission: Free

Fun factor: The Bulim Precinct within the Jurong Innovation District in Jurong West may be better known as an advanced manufacturing hub, but it also houses a cool outdoor playground.

The crown jewel is a three-storey structure with climbing nets, rope bridges and a slide. The younger ones will want to stick to the lower levels, but older children will get a thrill out of climbing up and playing at the highest level.

For children who are not into climbing, there are nature-based play areas with elevated mounds, rides, slides and balancing features. Walk along the park and there are pockets of sand-play areas.

There are wide paths, so take along your bicycles, skateboards and skate scooters.

Like all good parks, there is also a fairly large washroom to wash up at after the kids get dirty playing in the sand.

Hot tip: If you are using public transport, take the train to Boon Lay station, then board bus 181 from the bus interchange and alight at the bus stop near Block 276B Jurong West Avenue 3. The park is about a five-minute walk away.

If you are driving, there is a multi-storey carpark at Block 276, which also has a coffee shop and grocery stores in case the kids get the munchies.