Biodiversity for kids during the December school holidays

Exciting nature activities specially for kids are lined up for the coming school holidays! For the first time in more than a decade, Ubin Day is back! LOTS of kampung fun especially for kids and the family at Pulau Ubin.

And MORE fun ways to discover and enjoy Singapore's biodiversity! Activities include free nature camps, demo of traditional prawn farming. Learn about our macaques, birds, and other plants and animals. Also free walks at Pasir Ris mangroves, nature hikes near Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, Southern Ridges, Bishan riverplains.


FREE events

30 Nov (Sun): Ubin Day
Walks, cycles, kayaking, stargazing, butterfly watching. Also exhibitions, games. From morning to evening. All over Pulau Ubin. Come experience Ubin's unique charms, laid-back kampung life and home-cooked makan! Ubin Day activities are organised by passionate people who know and love Ubin. Most are free. Many require pre-registration as places are limited. More on the Ubin Day website and facebook page.

22 Nov (Sat): Young Naturalist Passport Camp (Basic) at Sungei Buloh
This one day camp encompasses a series of fun-filled and educational indoor and outdoor learning of the wetlands and nature conservation issues through worksheets, nature walks and hands-on activities. Children will earn a stamp for every completed activity, and a full collection of stamps will earn them a series of cloth badges.

22 Nov (Sat): Waders' Watch Workshop at Sungei Buloh
The migratory bird season has started and the birds are here at Sungei Buloh! Sungei Buloh is an important bird site for these birds. Every year, thousands of these birds visit Sungei Buloh and other parts of Singapore to find food and shelter during winter in the northern parts of the world. Join in this workshop to know how to identify these amazing birds. Also learn how to Birdwatch and how you can help NParks in studying the migratory patterns of these birds in Singapore.


6 Dec (Sat): Prawn and Fish Demo at Sungei Buloh
Free guided introduction to traditional prawn farming. Go on a journey back to the past, where the history of Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve as prawn and fish farms is one not to be ignored. The importance of mangroves as a spawning place and nursery for prawns and other life played an important role in shaping Sungei Buloh today. The traditional method of prawn harvesting will be demonstrated and how the tidal influence play a part in this activity will be brought to life.

6 Dec (Sat): Fun walk along the Southern Ridges
Take your family on a leisurely stroll through the Southern Ridges, a soothing sanctuary of greenery that is steeped in history and home to some of nature's greatest gifts of flora and fauna. Highlights of the free tour include the Henderson Waves, Sembcorp Forest of Giants, Forest Walk and Singing Forest.

6 Dec (Sat) and 13 Dec (Sat) and 20 Dec (Sat) and  27 Dec (Sat): Ecolife by the Riverplains
Ecolife is a free two-hour tour which introduces the park and the biodiversity found in Riverplains through the use of interactive exploration themes and activities. The tour aims to encourage family bonding between parents and child through the process of learning together. Join us as we take you through this tour with worksheets provided and fun hands on activities such as doing up your very own underwater viewing scope.

13 Dec (Sat): A walk with your neighbours - the macaques of Macritchie
The long-tailed macaques are the most conspicuous animals at Macritchie Reservoir Park. Although commonly seen, they are very misunderstood. Few seeing them realise anything about the social world these monkeys live in. They have kin networks, power struggles, friends, foes, and an otherwise complex social network. In many ways, they provide a mirror of our own sociality.

22 Nov (Sat) and 13 Dec (Sat): Nature Hike - Explore Nature Areas near Bukit Timah Nature Reserve
While Bukit Timah Nature reserve takes a break for improvement works, take this opportunity to discover other nature areas such as Dairy Farm Nature Park, Bukit Batok Nature Park and Singapore Quarry. Join us on Saturday mornings for a nature hike to the various nature areas and park connectors to help you familiarise and plan for future walks with family and friends.

20 Dec (Sat): Birdwatching at the Southern Ridges
Join us for this free birdwatching tour at the Southern Ridges, where up to 43 species of birds have been spotted so far. Volunteer guides from STMicroelectronics will take you through the Forest Walk and the Singing Forest in search of these beautiful birds. Do bring along a pair of binoculars or a camera with a zoom function for a better experience.

27 Dec (Sat): Free Pasir Ris Mangrove boardwalk tour with the Naked Hermit Crabs
Specially for kids and families, explore Pasir Ris mangroves with volunteer nature guides from the Naked Hermit Crabs on this FREEguided tour of the boardwalk! During our evening stroll through this interesting but often overlooked mangrove, we are sure to see lots of crazy tree climbing crabs, delightful giant mudskippers and cool monitor lizards.

Other events

23 Nov (Sun): NSS Kids’ Fun with Forest Giants
Join the Plant Group in this walk and share its passion for Singapore’s forest giants. Easily over a hundred years old, the trees at MacRitchie Reservoir boast huge buttress roots, trunks with amazing girths and heights, topped by a canopy that looks like fresh broccoli. For children 4 to 12 years old. $5 per child (member) or $10 per child (non-member). Pre-registration required.

26 Nov (Wed): "Let's Learn about Birds" - talk and walk for kids
Wondering what is the bird behind that beautiful song which you hear? With over 130 species of birds recorded within its grounds, the Singapore Botanic Gardens provides an excellent introduction to Singapore's diverse birdlife. In this slide talk and guided tour, participants will learn to identify common birds in the Gardens through learning the basic morphology of these birds. You will also hear stories about some fun facts of birds' behaviour too! Suitable for children in P3 – P6 levels. $9 per child and $9 per accompanying adult. Pre-registration required.

27 Nov (Thu): Storytime with Sara at Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden
Join us for a fun-filled storytelling session, specially designed for little ones. Children will explore Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden with Sara the Botanicosaurus and her squirrel friends, Fluff-tail and Twitchy. To conclude the programme, children will have the opportunity to get up close and personal with plants that are featured in the story, and even have the chance to rock the Suspension Bridge and play hide-and-seek in the Maze. Suitable for children in N1 – N2 levels. $6 per child and $6 per accompanying adult. Pre-registration required.

29 Nov (Sat): Let’s Discover Plants and Animals - a guided tour for kids
Do you know that the garden is not only a home to plants, but also many fascinating animals, such as, birds, frogs, squirrels, butterflies, dragonflies, ants and earthworms? Be amazed by the many different types of animals you can find in the Singapore Botanic Gardens! Learn fascinating facts about wildlife in the Gardens and pick up tips on respecting them in nature and our environment. You may even have the chance to get up-close-and-personal with an oriental whip snake and a monitor lizard too! Suitable for children in K1 - P6 levels. $6 per child and $6 per accompanying adult.

2 Dec (Tue) and 18 Dec (Thu): Sara goes Carbon Footprinting - a guided tour for kids
Join Sara, the Botanicosaurus, and her new friend, Rana the Frog in this tour and learn about carbon footprints and the many little but important things that all of us can do to make a difference for our home, Planet Earth! Participants will also be introduced to some useful and multi-purpose trees and learn how to reuse and recycle objects from home and nature, and transform them into useful items for decorative or practical purposes! Suitable for children in K1 – P6 levels. $8.50 per child (includes $2.50 “Sara Goes Carbon Footprinting" workbook) and $6 per accompanying adult.

You can also explore on your own! Check out the many DIY Trail Guides on the NParks website. More about our wild places on wildsingapore. A tip to avoid the crowds on school holiday weekends, come early. That's when wildlife is more active anyway. And leave before it gets too hot.

MORE school holiday activities on the wildsingapore happenings blog.