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.
A White-collared Kingfisher.
PHOTO: NATIONAL PARKS BOARD
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.
A Yellow-vented Bulbul.
PHOTO: NATIONAL PARKS BOARD
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)
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.
The National Parks Board’s Great Plant Hunt turns the Singapore Botanic Gardens into a mini-field expedition for families.
PHOTO: NATIONAL PARKS BOARD
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.
Parents and children follow a trail of clues through the Pressing Plant Matters exhibition.
PHOTO: NATIONAL PARKS BOARD
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 Great Plant Hunt is a chance to learn how botanists have studied plants in Singapore since the 19th century.
PHOTO: NATIONAL PARKS BOARD
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
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.
PHOTO: THAM PUI SAN
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.
Learn how to capture twisting trunks, leafy textures and shifting light with simple lines and shading.
PHOTO: THAM PUI SAN
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/kLon
