Singapore may be expensive but there are also so many FREE things that are guaranteed to keep the kids entertained, and cool! Check out 5 of the most popular and FREE attractions to see in Singapore with kids.

Top 5 Free Attractions in Singapore with Kids

Marvel through Gardens By the Bay & Marina Bay Sands

Alongside Marina Bay, you can stroll for hours in Gardens By the Bay where you can walk under the incredible supertrees.

There is a fantastic playground and waterplay area for kids at Far East Organization Children’s Garden open Wednesday to Sundays till 6.30 pm. Pack your swimmers parents – you will get absolutely soaked!

It’s just paid entry is if you want to walk across the skybridge or enter the domes, you can book tickets for those with tour provider Klook Singapore HERE.

NEW!: Currently on display FREE at Gardens by the Bay till the end of May 2024 – a beautiful art display of 62 bronze live-sized animal sculptures called ‘Love the Last March’ which is a real hit with little ones!

There are also free lightshows every evening that are fun to enjoy with the whole family!

• Click HERE to find out more about Spectra at Marina Bay Sands – 15 minutes every evening from 8 pm.
• Click HERE to find out more about Garden Rapsody at Gardens By the Bay – 15 minutes every evening from 7.45 pm and 8.45.

How to get there

Nearest MRT Stations to Gardens by the Bay: Bayfront (Downtown, Circle Line) & Gardens by the Bay (Thomson-East Coast Line)

Visit the Unesco World Heritage Singapore Botanical Gardens

A Unesco World Heritage site – the Singapore Botanical Gardens is one of the must-see FREE attractions to see in Singapore with kids!

This British tropical colonial-style garden was established over 160 years ago. It’s meticulously landscaped making it one of the best botanical gardens to see in the world!

Beautiful historical buildings are dotted throughout the grounds of the gardens to explore.

The Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden is the area of the park dedicated to young children and the largest children’s garden in Asia!

Complete with lots of separate sections to explore, it includes a forest, ponds, an orchard, and a farm, with of course lots of adventure play and a flying fox. Suited for children up to 14 years old.

Although entry to the most of grounds of the Botanical Gardens of Singapore is free – the only paid section is the National Orchid Garden (SGD 15 pp). This section of the garden boasts an impressive collection of 2000 types of orchids.

How to get there

Botanic Gardens MRT (Downtown, Circle Line)

See the world largest indoor waterfall at Jewel in Changi Airport

Labelled as one of the best airports in the world, Changi is not only an airport, It’s a destination in itself!

Jewel at Changi (located in Terminal 2) is a shopping and entertainment precinct and the key attraction is the HSBC Rain Vortex – which is the largest indoor waterfall in the world!

You can see this amazing attraction for FREE as well as the Light and Sound light show that is on every evening from 7.30 pm.

Within Jewel there are also playgrounds, dining options and promotions for children that are posted frequently on the Jewel website.

There are also several paid attractions within Jewel. Canopy Park includes a Mirror Maze, a Hedge Maze, a sky bridge over the waterfall, a bouncing net and more!

You can book attractions at Jewel through Klook Singapore HERE.

Located just outside Changi Airport is also the new bike path that is called Jurassic Mile. This is also a FREE attraction to see in Singapore with kids and features 20 full-size dinosaurs over a mile of the cycle/jogging path that connects Changi to popular East Coast Park.

All you need is to hire a bike – Changi Airport sometimes will have some deals HERE too with Bike Hire company GoCycling.

How to get there

Changi MRT Station or 15 minutes in a Taxi from the city centre of Singapore

Visit the palm lined Sentosa Beaches

Over in Sentosa, one of the most popular FREE attractions to see with kids is to visit its fabulous palm-lined beaches.

Palawan Beach is one of them and it also has a footbridge to cross to tiny Palawan island for some great sea views.

A 7-Eleven is located right on the beach for an ice cream or cold drink, or you can head to many of the popular beach clubs (Paid entry) all along the beaches of Sentosa.

Other popular beaches for families visiting Sentosa include Siloso and Tanjong Beach that are located on either side of the island.

How to get there

Sentosa Express from VivoCity Mall in Singapore to Beach Station

Stroll along Chinatown and Visit the Tooth Relic Temple

One of the largest historical districts of Singapore, visiting Chinatown is a must-see FREE attraction to see. Start by checking out the largest Hawker Centre in Singapore. The Chinatown Complex Hawker Centre is one of the best in Singapore and has over 200 food stalls.

In this popular hawker centre you can try all sorts of Unique hawker dishes as well as some of the Classic hawker dishes.

On the basement of this complex there is also one of the largest wet markets in Singapore. Here you you can see a traditional working market with lots of live animals like seafood and frogs too!

Venture outside and take a walk along the lined streets of souvenir shops. Look up to see the colourful shophouses that still retain a lot of charm as some date back as far as the the 1840s.

Located also in the heart of Chinatown is the beautiful golden interiors of the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple. A must see FREE attractions to see in Singapore with kids to learn more about the culture of Buddhism and a popular place of worship.

Proper attire is required to enter the temple (covered shoulders and legs) and coverings are provided upon entry as needed.

How to get there

Chinatown MRT (Downtown, North East line)

Looking for Discounted tickets to popular attractions in Singapore?

Planning to head to other attractions in Singapore like Universal Studios Singapore or the S.E.A. Aquarium? Choose in advance the key paid attractions you want to visit, read reviews to see if an attraction is suitable for your family and shop around for discounted entries!

Entry tickets can sometimes be purchased on discounted rates on a site like Klook in Singapore. If you are wanting to visit several attractions, a Klook Multi Attraction Pass is worth it to save some money rather than buying individual tickets.

Best Family – Friendly Accommodation in Singapore

Singapore

Shangri-La Singapore – Click HERE to Check Prices

Holiday Inn Express Clarke Quay – Click HERE to Check Prices

Ibis Singapore on Bencoolen – Click HERE to Check Prices

Sentosa Island

Village Hotel Sentosa – Click HERE to Check Prices

Shangri – La Rasa Sentosa – Click HERE to Check Prices

Hard Rock Hotel Sentosa – Click HERE to Check Prices

Want to Read More?

I hope you enjoyed this post on The Top 5 Free Attractions to Visit in Singapore with Kids. You can read more of my Singapore post in my posts here!

11 Unique Hawker Dishes to Try In Singapore

11 Best Known Hawker Dishes you have to try in Singapore

Village Hotel Sentosa Review

9 Tips on How to Save Money when Travelling to Singapore with kids

Located in the heart of the fun island of Sentosa in Singapore, Universal Studios is a must-see attraction when visiting Sentosa for anyone with kids! But with toddlers? All your questions will be answered in this post about visiting Universal Studios with toddlers and young children.

_{This post contains affiliate links. If you click through and make a booking, I make a small commission. This is at absolutely NO additional cost to you and helps me keep the site running!}

Universal Studios Singapore

Universal Studios Singapore is an attraction that you DO NOT want to miss if travelling to Singapore! Filled with loads of areas to explore, rides, shows and of course plenty of places to shop and eat. There are things to do here that the whole family will enjoy, no matter what age!

Must Do Experiences at Universal Studios Singapore

• The little ones will love having adventures in the Sesame Street Spaghetti Chase and meeting their favourites characters from Sesame Street!
• The Jungle Rapids ride will have you thinking that you are right in Jurassic Park escaping a flood surrounded by dinosaurs!
• Stroll around the park and rub shoulders with all your favourites like the Transformers and the Minions at the Character Meet and Greet for each themed zone of the park.
• Check the times and don’t miss the Live Stunt Show based on the movie by the same name WaterWorld. Incredible stunts and the stage will blow our mind (spoiler…get ready for a plane to crash land!) and the performers are amazing. Get ready to get really soaked if you sit in the ‘Splash Zone’. One that the whole family will enjoy!
• The grown ups will LOVE the 3 thrilling rollercoasters of the park: Battlestar Galactica Human & Cylon and Revenge of the Mummy.

Getting to Universal Studios Singapore

Universal Studios Singapore is located within the Resorts World Sentosa Complex, on Sentosa Island. Here, as well as Universal Studios, you can find a numbers of attractions such as the S.E.A Aquarium, Adventure Cove Waterpark as well as hotels, restaurants and a Casino.

To reach Universal Studios from mainland Singapore, you can easily hop on the Sentosa Express from HarbourFront MRT (Metro station at VivoCity Shopping Centre) and alight at Resort World Station, that is just outside the Resorts World complex.

You can read more on this on my other post coming soon about Getting Around in Sentosa.

Entry Tickets to Universal Studios Singapore

Entry Tickets for Kids at Universal Studios can be purchased directly at the gates, or for ease you can also purchase them online from Klook. You can also buy here online the Express Pass in Advance to save time and skipping the queues on the rides!

Purchase tickets online with Klook HERE

Adult tickets are charged at prices starting from $82 SGD for Adults and $61 SGD for Children Aged 4 to 12 years old.

FAQ: Is a toddler free for Entry at Universal Studios Singapore?

We travelled when our toddler was just under 3 and his entry was FREE. So despite not being able to go on many rides because of the minimum height requirement, as a toddler he still got to do quite a bit at the park and his entry did not cost us anything!

Zones of the Park

The park made up of 7 different ‘zones’ that are each themed differently:

When you enter the park at the big Universal Studios dome, you go straight into HOLLYWOOD. If you then continue walking anticlockwise you will get to NEW YORK (Sesame Street Characters), onto SCI-FI CITY (Transformers), then moving onto ANCIENT EGYPT (The Mummy), to the LOST WORLD (Jurassic Park themed) and finally into FAR FAR AWAY (Shrek). Each zone has also its own themed walkway, souvenir shops and eateries.

And stay tuned.. there is one more epic theme coming to Universal Studios in Singapore! Minions Land, is due to open at the park in 2024. At the time of our visit (late 2023) a section of the park was closed off, it was the former Madagascar Zone, and that is where Minions Land is due to open.

You can view the full park map HERE.

Universal Studios Singapore for toddlers and young children

Height requirements

There is a variety of rides and shows that the whole family can enjoy at Universal Studios Singapore, but as a general note most of the rides have a minimum height requirement of 92 cm. The bigger rides and rollercoasters usually have a minimum height requirement of 122-125 cm.

Note that for all the rides, children under 122 cm need to be with an accompanying adult. For some rides, hand held infants are also not allowed for safety reasons.

At the time of our trip our toddler (almost 3 yrs) was around 90-92 cm and could only go on a handful of rides. These listed below are the popular ones for small kids with relevant height restrictions, plus noted some favourites:

FAQ: What rides can toddlers go on at Universal Studios Singapore?

• Sesame Street Spaghetti Chase (New York Zone) – Min 92 cm but we were allowed on. This one moves quite slow compared to most other rides but was still great fun for the little ones seeing their favourite Sesame Street Characters ***Highly Recommend***
• Lights, Camera, Action! (New York Zone) – No min height
• Accellerator Ride (Sci-Fi City Zone) – No min height
• Treasure Hunters (Ancient Egypt Zone) – No min height. This ride was heaps of fun. The kids can pretend to drive a jeep into the desert uncovering hidden treasures! ***Highly Recommend***
• Dino-Soarin’ (The Lost World Zone) – No min height
• Shrek 4D Adventure (Far Far Away Zone) – No min height

So if you are visiting with a toddler below the min 92 cm height you will likely be doing some of the same rides over and over. There are although other things to do, such as the Character Meet and Greet that happen all day at the park and lots of exploring.

Popular Rides for Young Kids

For older kids higher than the min 92 cm, my older child (5 yrs) was around 110cm, he was able to go on these:

• Transformers the Ride – the Ultimate 3D Battle (Sci-Fi City Zone) – Min 102 cm. Walk through a Sci-Fi lab and be submersed in a 3D experience with the Transformers escaping from the evil guys ***Highly Recommend***
• Jurassic Park Rapids Adventure (The Lost World Zone) – Min 107 cm ***Highly Recommend***
• Canopy Flyer (The Lost World Zone) – Min 92 cm. Rollercoaster.
• Puss in Boots (Far Far Away Zone) – Min 100 cm. Rollercoaster. ***Highly Recommend***
• Enchanted Airways (Far Far Away Zone) – Min 92 cm. Rollercoaster.

Handy Tips for Visiting Universal Studios Singapore with toddlers

Get there early – plan to spend a full day there

The park is usually open from 10am to 6pm, but on some days it open a bit later at 11am. Check the website for the most up to date information.

Allow to spend a full day there as there is so much to see. With kids you will need to take lots of snack/drinks/ice cream breaks if it’s a hot day, and most days are.

If you only have half a day to visit the park – I would opt to go in the afternoon from 2pm onwards. We went mid week and a lot of the bigger crowds had left by mid afternoon and the morning was a lot busier as the crowds entered when the park just opened.

Go midweek and outside holidays if you can

The park gets very busy – we went on a weekday and still some rides had some very long lines of 1+ hours wait. If you can, visit midweek and outside of popular holidays!

There is also the option to pay extra for an Express Pass to skip the queue once per ride (Universal Express Pass starting at SG50 pp) or as many time as you like (Universal Express Pass Unlimited starting at SG80 pp). Note the cost in additional to the Entry ticket.

Purchase tickets online with Klook HERE

I can see that it would be totally worth it to purchase the Express Pass if you are visiting during busy periods like a weekend or school holidays, as waiting in the long lines in the heat with young kids is defenitely not fun!

Leave the most popular rides for early afternoon or just before closing time

We noticed that as we got in as the park opened, the most popular rides had long queues almost immediately, some with waits of 45 min to over 1 hour.

But in the afternoon at around 2pm a lot of the queues had gone and we managed to do quite a few rides. That was the same at around 5 – 5.30 pm just before closing time, a lot of people had left already and we could go on several rides one after the other with no queue.

The other tip for parents is to make use of the Single Rider lanes if you are tag teaming to watch the kids. These lines are usually shorter and there was no queues on these towards the end of the day!

Bring a pram

There is lots of walking and it’s hot, so the little ones get tired very easily! Prams can also be hired from Universal Studios Singapore at the entry.

Venture outside the park if you need to stock up on drinks or snacks

Universal Studios has heaps of places to stop and refuel for drinks or snacks but it is very expensive! Get a pass out and venture just outside the park to the 7/Eleven around the corner to stock up on cold drinks and Ice cream for a third of the price of what you would find inside the park.

Where to Eat and Stay when visiting Universal Studios Singapore

Eating in Universal Studios Singapore

There are several eateries withing the park as well as several snack and food stands to grab drinks. Some popular eateries include Goldilocks, KT’s Grill & Loui NY Pizza Parlor for some classics like pizza, burgers & fried chicken and Shrek themed waffles.

But note that, for the convenience and experience of eating inside Universal Studios Singapore, you will be paying a premium for it!

If you want to venture outside the park for a lunch for some more choice on what to eat, you can also get U/V light passouts (yes very cool…as we thought!) and check out the eateries just outside the park within Resorts World Sentosa.

The popular ones are Malaysian Food Street, which has a lot of different Hawker street style classic dishes (around 10-12 SGD per meal). For a fancier feed, also across from Universal Studios, check out Gourmet Park, for some seriously gourmet food trucks.

Around the corner there is also a 7-Eleven convenience store, if you need to stock up on cold drinks and ice creams to cool off with prices from $1-2 SGD, a fraction of what the same would cost inside the park.

Best family hotels near Universal Studios Singapore

Shangri-La Rasa Sentosa

The ultimate family resort in Sentosa is the well knows Shangri-La Rasa Sentosa. Located at Siloso beach facing the sea, the resort is complete with it’s own water play area with slides and water sprays, as well as a state of the art Kids Club. This family resort is perfect for families travelling with young children.

Check prices and availability for Shangri-La Rasa Sentosa

Village Hotel Sentosa

This recently opened hotel is a stunning complex with over 600 rooms, most of them interconnecting so perfect for families. The Pool deck on level 3 is the highlight of the resort with 4 themed pools, including it’s own lazy river and many shallow kid-friendly pools! You can read my full review of Village Hotel Sentosa HERE

Check prices and availability for Village Hotel Sentosa

Sofitel Singapore Sentosa

This large, expansive complex is located on the south of the island, in the cliff above the trendy Tanjong Beach. For families there are a variety of accommodation options that include rooms as well as villas. The Kids club and glamping options for the rooms are particular popular at this luxurious resort!

Check prices and availability for Sofitel Singapore Sentosa

Want to read more about Singapore?

I hope you enjoyed this Guide on Visiting Universal Studios Singapore with toddlers!

More articles are coming soon about Singapore with Travel Tips and of course The best of Singapore’s Food!