Friday, October 10, 2008

What a find at Bukit Timah Nature Reserve!

Somebody once asked me how did I first started coming across so many playgrounds in Singapore and I was sharing with them that it was all so easy because my family and I love the great outdoors and we are always looking for the next place to hike and explore. National Parks Board has done a great job, most parks have playgrounds and guess what we found at Bukit Timah Nature Reserve???

Rather, I should say guess what we found at Hindhede Nature Park? Park your vehicle at Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and walk towards the Visitor Center. The boardwalk to this Hindhede Nature Park is on the left of the visitor center as you walk towards it.


The gem at this place is the ingenious incorporation of two long slides into the slopes of the area. See below:





This slope with a rope attached adds to the variety of ways that one can get up to the top. You can see that there's a slide going down from the left, admist tropical plants of all sorts!


This is the other slide that is to the right of the steps, and mind you, this is only half way down the slide. So exciting, I wonder why we are the only group of people there at 5pm on a Saturday???



This playground is not just about the two slides but there are even more climbing features at the top of the hill. This rikety bridge above leads to more rickety bridge below, which leads to the slide.



As mentioned, there's more to this playground, you can find ropes to climb as featured above. There are also balance beam, trampoline and more climbing equipments.


Walk another few metres and you can find this flying fox or T swing. Sit or stand on the T bar and swing yourself across. Enjoy the movement through space.

Another few metres away, there's the must have of all playgrounds: swings.

I really love the ruggedness of this playground. It's so close to nature. It has all the touch, sight, smell and sound that our city children hardly had the chance to experience and much as I want to keep this place secluded for myself and my family, I really wish more children would have a chance to enjoy it. So if you are reading this, spread the news of this lovely place and I hope the next time I'm there, it would be a little busier!

Monday, October 6, 2008

Playgrounds in shopping Malls



Recently, I am seeing more playgrounds in shopping malls and am excited about them. Here's a run down of the shopping complexes that I know of that have a FOC playground in their compound:

Outdoors -
1) IMM (3rd floor, there's also a water featured play area as in photo below)

2) Hougang Mall (5th floor, featured above)


3) Bishan Junction 8

4) Suntec City (exit from door beside Toys R Us)

5) VIVO City (2nd floor, large, crowded on weekends, water features also available)

Indoors -
1) Paragon (small, beside escalator leading to Toys R Us)

2) United Square (a really small one outside Colds Storage)



Look forward to my reviews on each and every of these play grounds!