Fun With Kids: Lanterns at Jurong Lake Gardens and Gardens by the Bay, Bala At The Urban Farm

SINGAPORE – Make family time all the more special with these ideas and activities.

Lights by the Lake at Jurong Lake Gardens

With the recent reopening of Chinese Garden and Japanese Garden, Lights by the Lake is back with its third and largest annual edition in celebration of the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Beyond Lakeside Garden, you can also find illuminated installations at the two rejuvenated gardens. In all, the three lush spaces make up Jurong Lake Gardens.

Regale your kids with Chinese legends such as Nezha And The Dragon King, the inspiration behind one of the six lantern displays at Lakeside Garden.

As you cross the White Rainbow Bridge into the Chinese Garden, be greeted by installations of a dragon and a phoenix. There are five other lantern sets here, including one that is fashioned after Chinese orchestra instruments.

Meanwhile, at the Japanese Garden, there are three origami-styled animal lanterns and a series of flower arches.

The lanterns are lit from 6.30 to 10pm daily until Sept 22. Admission is free. Find out more at

lightsbythelake.nparks.gov.sg

Gardens by the Bay’s Mid-Autumn Festival

The iconic pelican and dragon playgrounds from the 1980s have popped up at Gardens by the Bay. But, no, your kids will not be able to climb onto them.

These are among the nine lantern installations at the attraction’s free Mid-Autumn Festival event, which runs until Sept 22.

They are displayed at its outdoor locations – including Supertree Grove, The Meadow and Golden Garden – and lit from 6 to 10pm daily.

Fans of local illustrator Lee Kow Fong, better known as Ah Guo, can spot his signature characters Kiddo, Xiao P and MoMo adorning the sets.

Over at Dragonfly Lake, check out a floating lantern set designed by Ah Guo. Titled Celebrations, it features traditional snacks such as piggy mooncake biscuits.

On Mid-Autumn Festival, which falls on Sept 17, collect free lanterns featuring Kiddo and friends from 6pm at Cannonball Room near Supertree Grove. Ah Guo will hold an autograph session from 7 to 7.45pm there.

Go to

gardensbythebay.com.sg/midautumn

for details.

Bala At The Urban Farm picture book

A farm at an HDB carpark’s top deck? Bala is surprised to find one.

As Farmer Lim shows him around, the boy learns about how vegetables are grown there. In return, he shares a useful idea with Lim.

Written in English and Tamil, Bala At The Urban Farm is author Junaitha Gaffoor’s first picture book. She has been volunteering at farmer Nicholas Goh’s rooftop farm in Tampines, which inspired the story.

“The rooftop is generally not a popular parking spot for cars due to the lack of sun cover. That itself is exciting from a resource point – the sun, heat and unused space get best used with a farm,” says Junaitha, who teaches part-time at the Singapore Institute of Technology.

She worked with illustrator Chandrima Chatterjee to show how tiered planters and drip irrigation are used and let young readers experience an urban farm vicariously through the book.

She also wants to encourage kids to contribute ideas, just like Bala, adding: “They are never too young.”

To buy a copy at $14.90, e-mail

urbanfarmbala@gmail.com

and follow @urbanfarmbala on Instagram for updates.