Holiday fun at 8 nature hot spots for children and your inner kid

SINGAPORE – This March school break, Singapore’s green spaces are being transformed into playgrounds, art studios and wildlife arcades.

At the Singapore Botanic Gardens under the National Parks Board (NParks), children can go bird-spotting, hunt for historic plant specimens or swop their cameras for sketchbooks in nature-drawing sessions.

At Jurong Lake Gardens, families can roll up their sleeves for edible gardening, composting and plant-care workshops that show how to grow herbs and veggies at home, and cut food waste. Would-be adventurers can camp out by the sea or under the stars at East Coast Park, West Coast Park, Pasir Ris Park or Pulau Ubin.

Up north at Mandai Wildlife Reserve, highlights include meeting a rare Grevy’s zebra foal at Singapore Zoo, tucking into the revived Breakfast in the Wild and diving into Exploria, a sprawling new indoor multi-sensory attraction.

Rounding it off is Easter Eggs-travaganza, a precinct-wide celebration with egg hunts, giant art eggs and themed animal enrichment sessions across Mandai’s wildlife parks.

The Straits Times scopes out outings for a memorable mid-term break.

National Parks Board

Fabulous Birds of Singapore (A Biodiversity Workshop)

Young participants, get your binoculars ready for this four-hour Fabulous Birds of Singapore workshop, which turns the Singapore Botanic Gardens into an outdoor aviary.

Primary school-aged children will head out on a guided walk to spot some of Singapore’s most charismatic residents – from tiny sunbirds to doves, raptors, kingfishers and herons – plus visiting migratory species, if they are in town.

Back indoors, kids can examine real nests and feathers up close, while learning how birds help pollinate plants, spread seeds and keep ecosystems in balance.

Info: The session, only for children from Primary 1 to 6, runs on March 17 from 9am to 1pm at the Centre for Education and Outreach. Admission is $72 a person (inclusive of GST)

The Great Plant Hunt

Forget garden-variety flora tours. The National Parks Board’s Great Plant Hunt turns the Singapore Botanic Gardens into a mini field expedition for families.

Starting at Botanical Art Gallery in the lush Gallop Extension, parents and children follow a trail of clues through the Pressing Plant Matters exhibition and its surrounding greenery, learning how botanists have collected and studied plants in Singapore since the 19th century.

Along the way, participants get to uncover fun facts about the 151-year-old Singapore Herbarium, which houses about 800,000 preserved plant specimens.

The Singapore Herbarium is the gardens’ research heart, where dried plant and fungi specimens are carefully pressed, mounted and archived.

Established in 1875 by the gardens’ then superintendent Henry James Murton, it has grown into a key reference centre for botanists working on South-east Asia’s forests, rare species and changing landscapes.

Each specimen in its vaults is like a time-stamped snapshot of a plant.

Researchers, conservationists and artists draw on its collections for field guides, restoration projects and exhibitions, making the herbarium a crucial resource across many disciplines.

The hunt is designed for Primary 1 children and above, with adults able to join as potential teammates. Those who complete the challenge win a limited-edition enamel pin featuring local plants and animals.

Info: Sessions take place on March 16 from 10am. Admission is free

Nature Sketching at Singapore Botanic Gardens

Put your smartphone away, grab a sketchbook and let the Singapore Botanic Gardens be your muse.

Instead of snapping photos, this session teaches participants to slow down with a sketchbook and pencil, and visually record nature.

Veteran volunteer artist Tham Pui San teaches small groups at the Botanic Gardens, showing them how to capture twisting trunks, leafy textures and shifting light with simple lines and shading.

He starts each session with an easy, step-by-step demonstration for beginners and children. Those more experienced with sketching will get tips on composition and observation.

The free, beginner-friendly activity is open to all ages and held on the first Saturday of alternate months in the year. Upcoming sessions are in May, July, September and November.

Info: Participants will need to take along their own drawing materials and register at the Tanglin Visitor Centre Service Desk at least 15 minutes before the class starts. Each session is capped at 20 participants. Go to

str.sg/6TBx

Gardening workshops at Jurong Lake Gardens

You do not need fancy tools to get started at Jurong Lake Gardens – just curiosity and a willingness to roll up your sleeves and dig into the soil.

At the Edible Demonstration Garden, volunteers learn simple ways to grow herbs and vegetables, from preparing soil to harvesting fresh leaves for the kitchen.

And at the Community Compost Corner, they will find out how fruit peels and garden trimmings can be turned into rich compost instead of rubbish.

Those keen to go deeper can join horticulture and propagation sessions at the nursery. Staff will discuss the finer points of potting, pruning and plant growth so they stay healthy and lush over the long term.

Together, the sessions give families and residents confidence to green their homes, cut waste and care for a garden.

Info: Weekly sessions of Edible Gardening At The Kitchen Garden are held on Wednesdays from 4 to 6pm. Edible Gardening At The Edible Demonstration Garden is held on Thursdays from 9 to 11am. Community Composting sessions are held on Saturdays from 9 to 10am. There are also monthly Horticulture Works And Propagation sessions, held every last Monday of the month, from 4 to 5.30pm at Jurong Lake Gardens. For the full schedule of workshops and volunteer opportunities, go to

str.sg/6qNgH

Camping

Camping always feels special because it bundles a range of thrills into a night where everyone shares the same tiny, cosy space.

Zipping up a tent, whispering by torchlight, cooking by an open fire and falling asleep to the sound of ocean waves are core camping memories.

The March break is a good time to book a pitch and spend a night with the family under the stars at East Coast Park or West Coast Park, where designated beachfront zones allow easy access to amenities such as toilets, barbecue pits and playgrounds.

Families can also opt for quieter, more evocative corners at Pasir Ris Park near the mangroves.

For something wilder, hop on a bumboat to Pulau Ubin and camp at rustic Jelutong or Mamam Beach to relive Singapore’s good old kampung days.

While tents, torches and insect repellent are essential, the sea breeze and dramatic sunrise are worth the effort.

Info: A valid permit is required to camp at the four designated campsite locations: East Coast Park, West Coast Park, Pasir Ris Park and Pulau Ubin. Permits are free, but charges apply for barbecue pits. For details, go to

go.gov.sg/camping-in-parks

and

go.gov.sg/nparks-barbecuing

Mandai Wildlife Reserve

Grevy’s zebras and foal at Singapore Zoo

Grevy’s zebras are having a moment at the Singapore Zoo, and they are in no hurry to leave.

Visitors may spot these striking black-and-white residents – the largest and most threatened of all zebra species – at Wild Africa, the zoo’s immersive zone showcasing African savannah animals including lions, cheetahs, giraffes, zebras, white rhinos and African painted dogs.

The Grevy’s three-month-old zebra foal and her mother are in the exhibit till 2.30pm daily, while the other zebras are in the exhibit throughout the day.

Visitors can catch them working through enrichment set-ups that tap their keen senses and encourage natural foraging, from sniffing out treats to investigating novel objects.

Billed as a “stripe of good fortune”, the foal is a living symbol of fresh starts, balance and harmony – and a gentle reminder of why conserving her endangered species is of the utmost urgency.

Info: Standard admission to the Singapore Zoo is $49 for adults and $34 for children aged three to 12. Singapore residents pay $39.20 (adults) and $27.20 (children). To book, go to

mandai.com

Breakfast in the Wild at Ah Meng Restaurant (Terrace)

The Singapore Zoo’s Breakfast in the Wild is a novel way to start the day: a hearty breakfast and wildlife encounter that encourages sustainable living.

It is also the modern iteration of the zoo’s signature “Breakfast with Ah Meng” series, which was launched in 1982.

In the past, visitors sat down to a buffet meal and joined Ah Meng, the zoo’s star Sumatran orang utan, nearby for photos and interaction. This not only turned Ah Meng into a global star of both tourism and conservation, but also gave tourists the opportunity for a close encounter with orang utans that raised awareness of the primates’ endangered status.

After a two-year hiatus during the Covid-19 pandemic, the dining format was relaunched as Breakfast in the Wild in October 2022.

Today, at Ah Meng Restaurant (Terrace), guests tuck into a planet-friendly buffet spread of local and international fare, all prepared with sustainably sourced palm oil. Drinks from conservation-focused Indonesian brand Owa Coffee will be served, while beef has been left off the menu due to its heavy environmental footprint.

Midway through, “animal ambassadors” such as orang utans, African penguins and a Bengal eagle owl will appear with their keepers, who will tell stories about the creatures’ behaviour, habitats and how the zoo cares for them. Until April, the zoo’s falabellas (miniature horses) will also appear at Breakfast in the Wild on weekends and public holidays. 

There will be plenty of photo opportunities and chances to get up close to the animals without feeding or disturbing them.

Info: Admission is $47 for adults and $37 for children aged six to 12 years. Bundles with Singapore Zoo tickets are available at $76.80 for adults and $56.80 for children. To book, go to

str.sg/93ff

Easter Eggs-travaganza at Mandai Wildlife Reserve

Easter at Mandai is going big in 2026 – think giant eggs, digital quests and penguins enjoying festive treats.

From March 14 to April 12, the “Easter Eggs-travaganza” takes over the precinct with a mix of real-world and digital egg hunts, including the Ranger Buddies Eggs-citing Stamp Rally at Curiosity Cove and Singapore Zoo’s KidzWorld, plus Easter Eggs-ploration trails at Bird Paradise and Mandai Wildlife West.

Visitors who complete the challenges earn a spin at the Hot Egg Balloon Gachapon, with prizes such as overnight stays at Colugo Camp and Mandai Rainforest Treehouse at Mandai Rainforest Resort by Banyan Tree.

Also new in 2026 are Easter-themed animal enrichment sessions, where guests watch Gentoo penguins, scarlet macaws and Papuan hornbills tackle specially designed snacks and toys.

Bird Paradise will also have 100 larger-than-life egg installations showcasing artwork by local social enterprise The Animal Project.

In a final sweetener, children enjoy free entry to Bird Paradise with every full-paying adult from March 14 to April 12 for tickets bought between March 9 and April 12, with $10 worth of retail and food and beverage vouchers as part of the promotion.

Info: Activities are free. Singapore residents enjoy discounted admission to Bird Paradise and Singapore Zoo at $39.20 for adults and $27.20 for children and students. Admission to Curiosity Cove starts at $43.20 for one adult and one child. To book, go to

str.sg/M892

Exploria at the Mandai Wildlife Reserve

Exploria is a 10,000 sq m immersive indoor attraction that turns science and nature into a full-on adventure, blending interactive tech, dramatic environments and wildlife stories across five themed worlds.

In the Micro Worlds zone, visitors meet magnified worms, ants, bees, slime mould and microscopic plankton.

Realm of the Giants sends one back to the age of dinosaurs with towering sculptures that are built to scale, with a 360-degree 4D show.

Infinite Wonderland takes visitors from rainforest canopy to coral reef, while World of Darkness lets them feel their way through caves, tunnels and the ocean floor lit up by bioluminescence.

The Bitdeer AI Extreme Frontiers zone throws visitors into simulated deserts, Arctic chill, high-altitude winds and a busy urban environment, paired with footage of animals surviving these extremes.

Info: Standard admission is $38 for adults and $28 for children and students. Singapore residents pay $34.20 for adults and $25.20 for children and students. To book, go to

str.sg/MHQs