Best Indoor Playground - HappyWiz

For those who are living in the East, lucky you, I just might have found the best indoor playground to date. First of all, HappyWiz is huge. It easily has the tallest indoor playground slide in Singapore - I tried it myself, it is very thrilling even for the adults. It has the typical pretend play kitchens, hinoki pit and ball pit.

What stood out apart from their very tall slide was a cow which you could milk and feed. I truly have never seen anything like that in any other indoor playgrounds. It was pretty intriguing for the children, I think they might have spent a good half-an-hour just milking it dry. Lol. 

For other play sections, HappyWiz does it better that their competitors. There was also a car repair area with costumes and a trampoline area which is linked to a screen, so you could see yourself hopping up and there. In the ball pit, there was a basketball hoop and a giant float which you could climb on to shoot. As the area was huge, their structure hid many slides, obstacle areas and even a mini flying fox. Some of the obstacle areas even lit up! You probably can even play a legit game of hide and seek!

The whole place was very vibrant and well-lit. Not a priority but every photo came out awesome! :P As a parent, I am quite torn between playing and taking the chance to take a breather. I ended up climbing the structure and sliding down most of their slides. Like most places, they also offer the birthday packages and they have proper space to host. Off the top of my head, I can only think of 2 places/locations which can do that. 

Their only disadvantage is that they are in a rather new mall - imall. It is not the most convenient. But we did a bit of exploration and found it was still worth to be a destination place because imall have an interesting food selection which you probably won't find elsewhere. Either which, you could just cross over to Marine Parade, Katong Streets or iKatong to find something yummy to fill the tummy. 

Like the children, I absolutely adore this. I just hope that they have a little more outlets so that groupbuys will be launched. :D Would suggest going for a 3 hours package because trust me 3 is not enough :D

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Happywiz: https://www.klook.com/en-SG/activity/199036-happywiz-indoor-playground-in-singapore-marine-parade

** Use the discount code "BABYNFAMKLOOK" when you book through Klook for a 5%  Discount. Applicable to All Klook Activities with min. spend of SGD50. Discount capped at SGD15.

Starting the year at Pororo Park

It has been a while since we last visited Pororo Park (read the post here) and it is such a refreshing change. This is the safest indoor playground in Singapore and is extremely suitable for your toddlers. Our 6YO was borderline growing out of it. We got the 2 hours slot, but the shows and play areas could barely keep him busy. 

Our younger toddler on the other hand was having a great time, wanting to go for everything at least twice. Since our last visit, they have introduced new rides - Harry's Tractor Ride, Bubble Party at Tong Tong's Theatre, the bouncy area at Crong's Backyard.

For parents, this place is great because it has a nursing room within. Also, the kids here are around the same age group so there is barely any rough play. The kids will also entertain themselves - befriending and playing with the other kids.  Parents can take a breather and just rest as the kids play. Not going to deny it, but I kinda enjoy this. 

From a price perspective, it doesn't deviate too much from the established indoor playgrounds. However, if you are a family with kids that have a wide age gap, this may not be the best place to entertain your older kids. The train is definitely still a highlight but now that other indoor playgrounds are having their own, it is no longer something exclusive to Pororo Park. Nonetheless, still a great place to kickstart every child's indoor playground journey. *Winks*

Christmas at Kiztopia

This year, we spent Christmas at Kiztopia because they had such a great deal. We have been to Kiztopia (Marina Square) before and I can safely say this is probably the biggest indoor playground in Singapore. This is one place I always tend to lose the kids. Somehow they will hop on to the indoor slides and I can't seem to find them anywhere. 

I am most impressed by them not just by their sheer size but also by the effort to keep maintaining the space. The area still looks new and relevant. There are new games such as the "floor is lava" and similar sort of game. It is not just fun for the kids, but also for the adults. Even I look forward to a day out there.

Ideally, a 3-hours slot should let you enjoy every single area, but by 2 hours in, we were all exhausted. This place has very kids' dream under the sun - unlimited train rides, exciting slides, hinoki pits, ball pits, trampolines, foot-to-floor-rides, extensive pretend-plays and even floor is lava games. Because we were there during the holiday seasons, we ended up managing to redeem $10 off some of their merchandise. We ended up going home with a passport holder and wallet each for the kids. Super lovely!

F&B-wise, each ticket also allow parents to purchase cheap coffee from Kith. Very thoughtful gesture, but we already had our coffee fix. The ice fruit popsicles were also very reasonable priced such that we always get to schedule a treat during our session. Our overall damage was around S$80 for 4 pax with 4 merchandise. :D Super pleased with how the day was given how much fun it was. 

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Kiztopia (Super worth it when you are buying passes) : https://www.klook.com/en-SG/activity/31617-kiztopia-ticket-singapore/

** Use the discount code "BABYNFAMKLOOK" when you book through Klook for a 5%  Discount. Applicable to All Klook Activities with min. spend of SGD50. Discount capped at SGD15.

Wan To Play Tropical Drift

We have been to quite a number of Wan to Play outlets and given how great some of them had been, the Tropical Drift was quite a bit of a disappointment. Tropical Drift was supposed to be the latest edition. But when we were there, some of the games were damaged. And a good deal of the facilities were suffering from wear and tear. 

The more unique experiences here were the "X-Ray" station, the jail, the floor is lava (damaged at the time we were there) and also mechanic experience. There were also some stations (bumper cars, racing etc.) that you needed to pay extra for. To be frank, I think those should have been provided complimentary, otherwise this outlet was nothing special. 

The ceiling for this outlet was also a little on the low side. All the parents had to do a gorilla crawl to chase after their kids and I saw a kid ran, bumped her head and flown to the ground. The slides were also pretty normal. Grouses aside, the kids had lotsa fun as usual. They enjoyed the usual role-play, fish-catching and grocery run. Trampoline was not really is their element that day.

By 1 hour mark, they were pretty much done.  This outlet didn't have a retail portion so remember to bring your own socks! We made a special trip there, but there were nothing much worth exploring within the mall. There is a lot more to see/eat at Causeway Mall. But I doubt we are going there again in the near future. 

Wan to Play: i2Katong

At this rate, you guys might really think I am out to review every Wan to Play indoor playground. To be fair, they are the only indoor playground which we have invested in a package, simply because they have so many outlets. :D This used to be their crown jewel, because it has really high ceilings the slide was the most impressive. By the time we made our visit, the place is pretty worn out. It didn't help that the aircon was barely working, so we were all sweaty and pretty much ready to be out after an hour. 

It has the typical mix of a trampoline section, hinoki beads, kitchen pretend-play. My kids spent the most time at the kitchen pretend-play because it had one of the most and realistic stuff, compared to other indoor playground. There was also additional bonus fun in rolling off round objects down the super high slide. 

Very limited photos this time round, because most of them were videos of the kids (and the adults) sliding down. Even though it is worn, the slide is still pretty exciting. Wan to Play seems to build steeper slides than their peers, because I always have the most fun down theirs. This outlet also have the most attractive retail. Usually, I am not attracted by any items on sale, but a few caught my eye here and the price is pretty reasonable. 

Fun Fact, we actually forgot our socks and went to another place to buy them. We could have actually just bought it at their outlets cos the quality was great and the price comparable. Since the other place we bought from gave the kids free gift, we kinda got ourselves a steal. :P Overall, this outlet isn't too bad and have great potential, just needs a good revamp!

Wan 2 Play - Kinex

Since we have a Wan 2 Play membership, it has become our goal to visit every outlet. We went to one of their newer space at Kinex. It was of a space themed and the first outlet we extended our play time by another half an hour. Despite not being touted as one of their flagship stores, this outlet was pretty deserving of the title. 

Generally, most indoor playgrounds (and theirs) follow a specific formula with some additional wow factor. Maybe because this one had a larger area, there was a lot more to play. Apart from the usual ball pits and slides, this one even came with a tiny arcade area. The kids could go on free rides and played some of the games you would normally find in an arcade. 

The internal structures were a little more complicated as not every area was fully linked. You may slide into different arenas. Among the places we have been to, their trampoline was the most fun, maybe because they had a space laden with sponges for the kids to jump in and bury themselves within. This place has everything we know- hinoki pits, cooking pretend play area, mini scooters, magnetic tiles - very comprehensive. 

To complete the whole "space look", there were even led lights embedded in their ceiling. The light changes to give a different space mood. As there was no natural light and use of led lights, the place was a little darker. But surprisingly, the photos turn out to be pretty decent. One of my favourite indoor playground. Would strongly recommend this to any parents who are looking for a place to bring their children out!

Review: Smigy Playground (United Square)

By now, we have went to so many indoor playgrounds, I am starting to know what the format is like. This time round, we went to Smigy. Smigy has a few outlets in Singapore, but because they were not as conveniently located for us, we never really got about to going to any of their playgrounds, let alone buying their packages. (If you live near their outlets, the package would be more worth it.)

We finally made our way to one (United Square) which will soon be moving to a a new space. Personally, I felt it was very similar to Wan To Play (You can read our reviews here). Smigy generally had a bigger compound and some of the activities - such as the sticky wall, bouncy areas, tire slides were pretty unique. It was a little worn, but given that they will be reburnishing soon, this is not much of a concern.  

We bought the 2 hours package, but by the 1.5 hours mark, the kids were utterly drained and fussing to leave. To be quite frank, my kids didn't play every station. My #2 was either "driving" around in the car or sliding into a pit. She was so thrilled, she was hopping around so fast. There were a few times I totally lost sight of her. Thank god this place has been fully kids-proof.

My #1 stayed in the Hinoki pit most of the time. And I noticed that was basically where all the older boys spent their time. This was one of my most chill day out with 2 kids because there were quite a lot of seating areas around (compared to Wan to Play). Definitely won't mind coming back another around to visit the new indoor playground if the family is within the vicinity. 

** Use the discount code "BABYNFAMKLOOK" when you book through Klook for a 5% Discount. Applicable to All Klook Activities with min. spend of SGD50. Discount capped at SGD15.

Pasir Ris Mall - Wan To Play

We are not entirely unfamiliar with Wan To Play indoor playgrounds. Guess what, we committed to a pass. For those who were not with them from the start, they used to have a cheaper rate for weekdays, but guess what they scraped it. So if you were playing on a weekday, it is so not worth it! We ended up signing up for a pass because after doing some maths, it seems to be more worth it. 

And it was a great choice because they are great businessman. Apart from giving the kids a goodie bag to bring back (which pleased them greatly), we were allowed to bring an additional adult. So my mother got to experience her first indoor playground, which she concluded was great fun! 

The children spent only an hour, but it was jam-packed. It has the usual delights - kinetic sand, ball pits and slides, dress-up as well as masak masak stations. One of the main difference was that this playground at Pasir Ris Mall had the inflatable giant bubble. The giant husband and I had a go bumping each other in it. It was surprisingly fun as we bounced around and struggled to get up. We only saw one, but it would have been great if there were 2. 

For those who are not familiar with indoor playgrounds, most of the slides etc. can support the weight of adults. My mother had a go and it was quite a heart-warming sight to the children show their grandmother "how to play". Now that the kids were older, I managed to get a bit of me-time to myself exerting eye power, after going one round at every play thing. 

Although this is a familiar model, the children had tons of fun and with the package, you can also book parties at a much discounted price. Because of the packages, we have decided to make Wan to Play as our default indoor playground since they have quite a few outlets which we foresee ourselves to go in the future. 

Hope this review works! After our experience here, I am starting to understand why parents would buy a annual pass/ bulk entrances of an indoor playground!

Artground - Finally made it there

Finally, we made it to the orginal artground at the Goodman Arts Centre. Actually the kiddo has been there with the school and the pictures looked super amazing. We were actually pretty excited. Like most indoor playgrounds, you had to bring your own socks. But unlike other places, the area would be re-curated after a period of time. 

Personally, I am not a huge fan of the current theme - M.A.P.. But the kids seem to have an absolute blast. There were different areas that provided them various sensory experience. Admission into The Artground’s Arts Space is free, with a refundable deposit of $15 per group booking when you book online. There is a bit of hassle to set up an account, but given that it is free, it is worth the hassle. Haha. Each session was around an hour which might be a little short. 

The Artground also sometimes host special art programmes. This time round, it was the Beam Show at the WhiteBox. No photos because it was disruptive to take them, but it was really engaging and  enjoyable. Even though a part of the show was in the dark, neither of the kids freaked out and was fixated throughout. 

Overall it was a fun day out but there is nothing much other than the Arground there that was suitable for the toddlers. We travelled out after to have a meal :) This artground is a bit further for us, so it is unlikely we will go frequently. But I am pretty impress with their curated programmes and may actually sign up for the Holland's one :)

KidsSTOP - Mess-ive Science Party

Back at KidsStop yet again because this party seems too fun to be missed. My friend brought her kids there and told me it was really well suited for my kids, so I decided to take plunge. Quite honestly, my first impression was that the tickets didn't come cheap...because I was so used to my discounted price LOL!

Having been there, I have to say it was definitely worth every penny because it had activities that the kids probably won't be able to try at a normal indoor playground. This included - bubble play, hunting for uv candles, spin art...just to name a few. We even snag a door gift. 

Apart from that, some of the labs were open and it was an eye-opener to see how big the place actually was and how much facilities it had. The children also enjoyed their first magic show. It was not just the kids, it was obvious that the husband and I had fun too. It has been a while since I indulged in such child-like party activities and it did bring back joyful memories. 

Each slot was 3 hours. The kids pretty much spent the first 2 hours enjoying the new activities and the last hour holding their father's hand showing him their personal favourites in the usual hangouts. Overall, the event was very well organised and there was barely any queue at any stations etc. Don't get me wrong, the place was packed but they did manage to disburse the crowd well. 

For lunch, we decided to try the Stellar Kitchen Bar which had stellar reviews. (No pun intended). The food and drinks were really good. We know it is good when our picky eater ate 2 slices of their pizza. Apart from that, the price was also reasonable. Initially, we wanted to eat at the nearest mall instead because the food at attractions are usually quite meh. But this was really good and is way more convenient. :)

Great family day out and totally worth making a trip to the west!

New indoor playground - Yooland

This feels so Aunty, but now I groupbuy quite a bit of the kids' needs. Well, mainly because it is cheaper. So apparently, even tickets to indoor playgrounds can be groupbuy now. LOL! Yooland recently opened in Westgate and my friendly neighborhood gb host was coordinating orders. They were selling at $28 for 2 hours and could be used even for weekends/ public holidays. It was quite affordable. 

Personally, I don't really know if they could survive because a much cheaper and wholesome option - KidsSTOP (you can read more about my reviews here) was just across 2 roads and there is a free playground within the shopping mall. But it definitely provided the kids with an alternative option and it sure looked fun and very clean (maybe because it was new). Let's just enjoy while it is there. 

Yooland's theme is futuristic and there were a lot of strobe lights elements incorporated in its play area. It does make the photos look a lot better. The area is quite big and incorporate some of the usual elements which the kids love such as kitchen pretend-play, hinoki sand pit (one of the more interactive ones) and dress up areas. Some of the more special items include the bouncing inflatables, lighted lego, giant hamster wheel and mobile vehicles. 

It was a lot of fun for the kids and the adults. Half of our time was spent during the peak and another half was during the lull period. I have to admit during the peak, I nearly went deaf at the hinoki pit. I don't think the kids fully split their time to the different stations. During the peak, they just went to whichever areas which was less crowded. 

Overall, the kids had a lot of good fun. They didn't entirely fully rotate through every station during the 2 hours slots. Guess that means...round 2? Haha. And yes, I took a lot of nice photos :)

KidsSTOP - Most reasonable indoor playground in the west

We went to KidsSTOP yet again. This is really one of our most frequent hangouts simply because of its affordability. The last time we went was nearly a year back (you can read our review here), this was the first time the #2 is going there with her brother. Saving hack: If your parents are senior citizens, they can bring a toddler that is less than 18months FOC!

Coming to this place with 2 kids honestly was havoc, I might have over-estimated myself. How I envisioned the whole experience was both my kids wanting to play at the same station...But most of the time they were at separate stations which were not within eye-distance. In the end, I spent most of my time with the younger child because my older kid was more sensible and could understand instructions better. Note to self, children have independent thoughts too...haha.

Something that was new for us was The Little Ant Kingdom. To be quite frank, I am not sure what was the exhibition occupying that space previously. But with this, the whole indoor playground experience is complete. My older kid spent quite a lot of time in this area...because new equals more fun! There was a nice slide, climbing structure, ball pit and lego building area. 

The toddlers expected me to join them in most of their activities. Even though this place was spacious, some of the corners could be quite tight and prove to be a test on my flexibility. If it is your kid's first time here, you could probably need more than 1 session for the kids to "properly play out" all stations to their heart content. My kids have came here a few times with their respective schools/ caretakers so they pretty much have their own favourites. 

If you are Singaporean, you must be careful when booking your slots because Singaporeans enjoy a huge discount! I almost failed to select the right category and had a shock at the price. We will definitely be back soon...for its biggest birthday party because the activities seem interesting and is something that is not usually offered by other indoor playground. :)

Pororo - Revamped

The last time we've been to Pororo was in 2011 (you can read about our review here). I always felt Pororo was the best indoor playground for the young toddlers given that every corner has protective sponge all over and the train is such a highlight for my kid. It has since been revamped and we were quite keen to check it out since the younger kid hasn't been here!

The key changes was that the old carousel was replaced with 2 sponge-looking carousels, which adults can no longer join the ride. (Not as fun if you ask me). The kids supermarket was replaced with an expansion and fancier cafe. Because the cafe sells food and drinks at a very reasonable price, no complaints from me. Haha. There was a new spinning cup station which pleased the children very much!

The indoor gym area was changed quite drastically. It was definitely a refresh in terms of outlook but I found the play areas pretty mainstream. Their old play area had more interesting areas that couldn't be found in other indoor playgrounds like the human spinner. Generally, the kids couldn't be held down as long in one area. We even had time to watch the shows/ take photos. Either that, I have learnt to better maximise my time. 

Also, they had lowered the age for free entry from 1 YO to 9 months. The train was still a highlight for my #1 but my #2 was crippled with separation anxiety and she is almost 1.5 years old. She preferred watching from afar. She was quite happy to spend most of her time at the ball pit and other pits and was quite reluctant to venture/ try new play areas. She is definitely not here to maximise our money worth, LOL. 

The kids found new love with the Hinoki Pit. I don't remember it being much of a fun the previous time. But they enjoyed loading the pails and pouring the beads over each other, digging holes and placing pails on their head. We spent a great deal of time there. I concluded that kids and their definition of fun is so different. Overall they still had a lot of fun.

Don't really think I will be coming back another time unless I have another kid. Maybe it is just me, but I prefer indoor playgrounds that I can have a bit of fun too. I can't even fit in any of their rides and some of the tiny spaces. It seems like the expectations is just for me to leave the kids to run wild...but what I am really looking for is quality bonding through fun and games. 

The Better Polliwogs

To be honest, I feel this Polliwogs outlet at Clark Quay is so under-rated when it is so much better. By better, I mean cleaner, less crowded and the view there is awesome. You had a clear view of the quay which explains my multiple selfies LOL and egging for my kid to play at that area so that I can enjoy it. I cycled with him a good 15 minutes till my legs were pretty sore. 

In the future, there will even a cat cafe to be open. Exciting! Like many indoor playgrounds, it functions the same with a requirement for socks. There are beverages and popsicles to be sold there. I think we came a lot more prepared this time round, so we brought our own drinks. Ended up getting a popsicle too cos all these cycling really made us sweat buckets. 

After going to a few indoor playgrounds, I have sort of realised that my kid enjoys the session more if I am playing along with him. So...I tried out quite a bit with him. Some of the rides were pretty thrilling so we would slide down together. (Strongly encourage this for bonding.) At times I would pretend to be scared to bring out the empathetic side in him. He would encourage me and cheer me on. 

We went on a weekday so there wasn't much of a crowd, I managed to video quite a lot of our happy moments for memories. Weekdays are pretty value for money if you want to have a space to yourself. If your child doesn't have any other siblings, and you are hopping for opportunities for your child to interact with other kids, you might want to consider weekends instead. :)

It was a lot of fun and I do see myself bringing the 2 kiddos together in future. :)

Unknown Indoor Playground - Bouncy Paradise

New indoor playground we found...but this one is not always open and is a little inconveniently located. The playground that I am talking about is Bouncy Paradise. Unlike most indoor playgrounds we know, this one is only opened on public holidays and weekends. Each session is 2 hours. 

Personally, I felt this was more suitable for the older kids because the structures were pretty high. A lot of fun for the adults for sure, cos this might be built for us. For my kid (who is not even 3), he was a bit afraid to climb some of the structures. There were those which he successfully climbed up but I had to "haversacked" him down. 

For parents who are very particular about hygiene, this one doesn't strike out to me as particularly clean. There is air-con but after a few bounce here and there you will be sweating buckets. The good news is that the drinks within the vicinity are quite reasonably priced. It is $19 per pax. Baby (below 13 months) went in free, but she basically people watch and pretended to bounce at uncrowded areas. (We only brought here there because we didn't want her to feel left much).

Not in photos was the flying fox. I was quite surprised my boy actually did it twice. I was a little afraid that he might slip off. Guess, I should have trusted him more. If you are a teenager, I would highly recommend you to go with your friends. Haha. The younger me would be sure to have a ball of a time in this!

We went to Polliwogs @ Vivo!

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Wan to Play @ West Coast Plaza

I might really be secretly using my children to enjoy all the indoor playgrounds around Singapore. A new one - Candy Land popped out in West Coast Plaza and we decided to give it a go too. At first glance, I thought it was pretty small and girly. Didn't really expect my boy to enjoy it, let alone myself. 

Boy, I was wrong. I had so much fun on their slide. It was the best slide I have ever been in all the indoor playground so far. It was fast and furious. I squealed in joy. In fact, we only stayed at the ballpit and climbing structure the whole hour. My kid was not interested in the dress-up area. 

Like most indoor playground, I found the structures pretty narrow or maybe cos I am fat, so it was like a full workout when my kid made me follow him him away. Tip: Find the child a friend and you will be free. Fortunately, halfway some other older kids "adopted" him and the 3 of them had so much fun together. It was also great cos these older kids looked out for him and taught him to climb the more difficult structures. I could finally take a break. 

In case you are wondering, this inflatable bunny looking thing was from the playground as well. My kid was so obsessed with it, he brought it everywhere. Thank god, he didn't insist on bringing it home. It blocked the narrow entrances and there were times I had to "rescue" it. Gawd, save me. 

The price is quite reasonable and I do see a lot of parents throwing their children there while they go grab their groceries. After an hour, my kid was utterly exhausted. I do see ourselves going there for another round because he didn't even try out the other "stations". The area also sell quite a bit of toys/ props. Personally, I find the colour scheme/ sales items more catered to girls. 

But I guess when it comes to slides and having fun, there is no gender differentiation. There was a party that day so there was a "free magic show". But my kid was utterly uninterested, LOL! I had lotsa fun...which is kinda of important right cos if you wanna take my money, you better make sure I am having fun too :P

Mattel Playhouse: For train lovers

Recently, our little one got a Thomas toy set from his uncle (very interesting toy so I have linked it here) which was very fun even for the adults. That sparked our interest in Thomas because oh well he isn't a toy from our time, LOL! My son is super obsessed with trains and would take every train ride in the malls (if any). So when he heard that Thomas was coming to town - Mattel Playhouse, we thought we should pay it a visit. 

Just to set expectations, so that parents won't be disappointed, read on!

1. Go during weekdays (non-peak). There is a slight discount (not much) but because it is the same price across adult and child, every dollar saved matters. Also there will be less people so your kid can get the maximum amount of playtime (no queues)! And you can get good photos too!
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2. Each playtime slot is 1.5 hours. And my kid was 40 mins late to his. Admittedly, I was a bit stressed because I was afraid he won't get to enjoy all the stations. But the truth is, he only wanted specific stations and would stick to them. By the time he warmed up and wanted to play the 4th station, time's up!


3. The place is rather small and seemingly underwhelming. To be honest, I had a "is this all" moment, but my kid felt otherwise. He was quite occupied by the trains (took it 5 times) and spent the remaining time on the exercise and arcade stations.





4. You need to bring your own socks but some of the stations (which my son didn't go on anyway). Personally, I really wanted him to race on the Hot Wheels tracks cos it was so insta-worthy but he said no and I had to respect his choice. 


5. No food and Thomas merchandise on sale. Was more bummed about the latter because I was starting to grow some real love for this train after being on it 3 times myself. 


6.  The tickets is quite pricey. 3 of us works up to be near $70 (Quoted "SUPERM10" for 10% discount), but since we (including the adults) took the train rides so many times. It is kinda of worth it because a train ride at the mall would cost us $6 per pax.

Special Mention: I have to say the staff there are extremely kids-oriented from all the indoor playgrounds we have been to. They made an exception to my boy upon knowing he was late to let him have 5 mins extra time on the ball pit slide so that he could leave having fun and with a smile. The lady at the exercise machine station was also very encouraging and engaged my son thoroughly during his play there. Even though at times he was playing the machines "his way", she would just gently tell him with a smile what would be the proper way. 

Mini Indoor Playground at Hillion Mall: Kinderbabyz

Being a parent now basically indirectly means we are always on the lookout for places we can "dump" the kids. Haha, kidding. Sometimes, the husband and I need a breather. So we do like indoor play areas. Because the area is curated (which means it is safe for the child) and there is usually a variety of activities for them to try out. 

So Kinderbabyz at Hillion Mall has a Hinoki Pit. Since we were around the vicinity, we decided to bring the little one there. Beside Kinderbabyz, I noticed there was a nail palour which I was super tempted to get my nails done while the kid played (I am sure many Mums must feel the same way too.)

Kinderbabyz isn't huge but big enough to keep my son occupied. I like that it charges in 30 mins block at a very affordable rate of $7 (there are some discounts if you go for a longer stretch). The hinoki pit is filled with lots of treasures such as balls, rings, macaroons, bowls etc. I passed my son a shovel and he basically started sitting at a corner digging/ accumulating the hinoki wood. In fact, he did that most of the time. It probably fascinated him because this was something we didn't have at home.

It is more of an open-play imagination concept. The older kids would use the hinoki wood as sand. Some of the girls were more interested in the cooking station, digging out various food items from the pit. I introduced my son to the ring and soon he was ringing me LOL. 

Apart from the pit, there are also some merchandise which you can shop there. Some of the toys were really interesting, but we didn't get anything on the spot because they have an online store which makes purchasing easier (don't really like carrying items now the the tummy is getting bigger).

Separately, Kinderbabyz offers party services which you can rent their pits/ order goodie bags etc. I have to admit that caught my eye because we are planning some events for #1 and #2 birthdays (Hit us up if you are in the party line and want to collaborate). Oh, before I forget, do remember to pack a pair of socks for your little one. Tip: I always put a pair in his going out bag for surprise visits to indoor play areas. *winks*

The Joy of Toys (Indoor Playground)

A fellow Mum actually recommended me to this place - Joy of Toys. Initially, I thought it was some new indoor place. Well turns out, I am quite the fool because this little indoor playland has been opened for quite a while. 

Basically, Joy of Toys is a land filled with a plethora of toys. I am not even kidding - there are wooden toys, doll house, pretend play, musical toys etc. To get the best bang for my bucks, we went on a weekday ($24 unlimited playtime with re-entry plus free entrance for 2 adults). But to be honest, eventually we stayed for around slightly more than 2 hours max. because that's how long a child's attention is and the adults haha wanted to explore other things to. 

After taking a look at the different play spaces, we decided on the main play space. It was recommended for school going kids (and he obviously isn't one) but I felt he would enjoy the toys there more. There are small parts but he is at a stage he doesn't put things in his mouth and throughout our time there, we gave him constant supervision. 

Kids being kids, my son was overjoyed when he was released into the room. He went straight for the nearest toy and for a good 15 minutes, he was just watching and doing the ball roll again and again. First amused then thoughtful with a serious look as though he was figuring out the whole mechanics. I don't know about other parents but sometimes I really like bringing him to different places because it "unleashes" some part of their brain and he comes home either with a wider vocab and more varied physical action. 

His favourite was probably the trucks and was toying with a intricately built city. Interesting, we also have these toys at home just that they are of a less impressive size. He used to play with them but after coming home from Joy of Toys he appeared to have a new love for them, which is great because I hate seeing toys sitting by the side collecting dust. 

I made effort to bring my son to the doll's section to expose to him this genre of toys. We do have quite a bit of plushies at home. However, we don't have dolls at all at home (very male dominated extended family haha). I guess we are not entirely into "gender-neutral" parenting so we only get him boyish toys or toys that are usually associated with masculinity. 

Initially, he was quite curious but after a while he seem to not really enjoy "playing Mummy" to the dolls and was seen flinging them on the floor. Guess, we won't be buying dolls for him for a while. LOL.

He did however, enjoyed "pretend play" and I did too, this was like one of my favourite as a kid. The amount of "food" and "cooking equipment" was massive. There was a lot to play. Seeing how much fun he had, we actually invested in an Ikea duktig kitchen, much to the horror of my parents. LOL! I showed them a photo and they thought I bought a new kitchen for ourselves. 

I would think Joy of Toys is an awesome place to find out the likes and dislikes of your kids because even if you have all the money in the world, you probably want to junk up your house with all the toys. And from the experience, we actually made a better investment in his future toys. 

If your kids are older, this is an excellent place to dump the kids and take a break/ go shopping. Caught a few fathers napping at the sofas and I took a page from them as well. Ultimately, indoor playgrounds are always a nice place to learn and play with the little one. To be honest, nowadays the kid's toys are so different and fun as compared to our time. The husband was so engaged toying around too LOL!