Bishan park is usually quiet and breezy on weekday mornings. Even on the weekend mornings, the vast amount of land allows for plenty of room between people. Children can enjoy a good run, practising their balance going up and down the slopes, running around the trees and in and out between the shrubs. There are also plenty of curbs and low walls for them to walk on and jump from, all with supervision.
I like the "giraffe" patterned pathway, as my daughter calls it. It provides for plenty of games. Children will love jumping or hopping (on one leg) from tile to tile or you may want to challenge them to jump from red tile to red tile. Siblings and friends may enjoy a jumping race along the stretch. If you bring along a chalk, you may can even label the tiles with numbers, alphabets or words, and have a jumping and literacy lesson outdoor! (Stamping away the chalk marks makes a great coordination activity!)
As you entered from the carpark along Ang Mo Kio Ave 1, you'll come across a bicycle rental kiosk; follow along the path and you'll come to this playground.
I like any playgrounds that have swings, you'll come to realise. Swings are great, all playgrounds should have swings if I have my way! Children need movements to develop a sense of equilibrium and balance, a sense of where their body is in space (technically called sense of "vestibular"). Swings provide for a great way to experience different intensity of movements.
You can swing your child the usual back and forth way, you can swing him or her sideways or rotate it (not so much on this one). This swing at Bishan Park is a bucket swing and is nice and safe for children below three years old. If you go before 10am, the trees provide a nice shade over the swings. If you look carefully at the picture above this, there are also two swings for older children who are better able at balancing themselves.
Well, that's all for Part One of Bishan Park. I hope you have enjoyed reading thus far. I have certainly enjoyed myself, sharing these thoughts.
1 comment:
Nice post and interesting subject matter which parents of young playground kids like me would find useful. I think an empty and quiet playground can be a Godsend for parents of kids who may not want to jostle and squeeze with the rest.
My son certainly likes to jump, run, slide and swing along, but he hates rowdy kids especially those who don't wait their turn. I haven't brought him to Bishan yet... maybe it's time I do? However, we have been to many of the other public playgrounds before like West Coast Park, East Coast McDonald's, Labrador Park, and of course the spanking new Jacob Ballas Children's Garden.
My recollection of Bishan Park has always been of me jogging there in the past since I lived relatively nearby at Yio Chu Kang. In those halcyon pre-kiddo days, I used to run there at night.
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