Water Play Area at Rainforest KidzWorld, Singapore Zoo

[UPDATE: Rainforest KidzWorld has now been upgraded to a new KidzWorld]

Before I had children of my own, I'd been to the Singapore Zoo at least half a dozen times. I'd keenly scanned the map, explored every inch of the zoo and visited all its inhabitants. But oddly enough, not once did I pay any attention to Rainforest KidzWorld 😝

Fast forward to the present day where I am a mother of 3+ year old exuberant twin girls and someone who is constantly on the lookout for outlets to expend their inexhaustible energy. Rainforest KidzWorld? YES PLEASE!

A few weeks ago, my husband was overseas on a business trip and I had taken it upon myself to make sure the girls were less affected by his absence by keeping them occupied. We had been to Gardens by the Bay, Far East Organization Children's Garden, a few shopping malls, restaurants, two trips to Admiralty park, Palawan beach and finally, the last stop on our mother-daughter fun agenda was the Singapore Zoo.

I happened to take the day off from work on a gloomy Monday and coincidentally, the twins did not have school that very day. Through a corporate pass, I had four complimentary entry tickets to the zoo which was perfect for me, the kids and our domestic helper. Even through rain had been threatening to ruin our day right from sunup, we decided to go through with our plan equipped with raincoats and umbrellas.

We reached the zoo nice and early. I had packed a hearty breakfast for the duo which they finished by a bench beside the otter exhibit. Although they were eager to see the animals, I insisted we put that off for later in the day. I was worried it was going to rain any minute and was anxious to get to Rainforest KidzWorld. My offsprings had never been to that part of the zoo before and I knew they would love it. They have been water babies ever since I can remember and water parks make them go slightly loopy 😝

At the entrance there are clear signs about what is allowed and what isn't. Particularly helpful for first-timers like us. 

These are the wet play area guidelines:

• No food and drinks
• No footwear
• No running
• Appropriate swimwear and swimming diapers are to be worn at all times
• Shower before and after play

As expected, the minute we got the girls changed into their bathing suits and showered, they bolted towards the vast and enticing play area in a flash and were in their own world for the next one and a half hours. Luckily for us there were hardly anyone there and it was almost as if they had the whole place to themselves. And although still cloudy, there was no sign of rain the entire duration. Whoop whoop!  

Like I said, it was the first time I actually noticed the water play area. It is anchored by an animal-themed slide and spray shack flanked by a colourful array of sprayers, climbers, and a variety of zippy water-flushed slides and tubes.

The twins were obsessed with the green slides and must have gone on them at least 25 times. The blue closed one they found intimidating and so they stuck to the obviously safer choice 😁

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The highlight of the wet play area is the jumbo water bucket which rains down on the kids at regular intervals, whether they expect it or not. It may be fun for the older kids but for children aged four or younger, it may be a tad overwhelming.

Around the main animal-themed feature are your typical water play fixtures - sprinklers, sprayers, water guns, jets, water buckets, and rain arches dispersed throughout the expansive area. There are shallow pools of water everywhere (only shin-deep) and my kids had so much fun just sitting/lying in them and splashing to their heart's content.

Since the littles were fully occupied and didn't need much supervising, I was able to take as many pictures as I wanted to 😊 Also, there are plenty of seating areas around where parents or guardians can keep a watch over the kids as they play. There are views overlooking the lovely Mandai lake. Overall, a great location.

My helper also turned into one of the kids! Check her out trying to get twin A 😝 I got sprayed once or twice too (not by her though). I could have sworn there are booby traps waiting for the unsuspecting 😆

There are changing rooms with shower facilities and rest rooms adjacent to the play area. 

There is also a KFC located a stone's throw away for refreshments.

I'd recommend packing bathing suits, towels, an extra set of clothes, swim diapers (if your child needs one), sunblock, mosquito repellant, water bottle and some snacks. And keeping the Singapore weather in mind, raincoats and umbrellas are always a good idea. I had the foresight to pack some pesto cheese sandwiches and strawberry milk which came in handy as the girls were hungry after playing and they polished everything off within minutes.

Around the water play area there are enclosures for farmyard animals like goats, miniature horses, rabbits, guinea pigs and ponies. The girls went ballistic feeding the goats. There are also activities like pony ride, hose carriage ride and carousel rides.

I was so happy I brought my daughters to this part of the zoo. They enjoyed tremendously and they did not want to leave. It was only because I bribed them to go see the animals that they finally relented (a total reverse of the scenario that took place when we first got there that morning 😆). Now I know why this place is such a huge hit with the little ones. I did notice that the wet play area needs maintenance in certain areas but I remember reading that a maintenance is due sometime in the near future (it may be a good idea to check the dates before you head over).

After we wrapped up at KidzWorld, we started to go round the zoo, the Fragile Forest being our first stop. Of all the zoo exhibits, this one is my favourite. The twins were captivated to be up close and personal with the animals.

We then walked through Wild Africa admiring the wild cats, giraffes, zebras, meerkats and rhinos

I just had to show the kids the majestic white tiger so we did that too. While we were at it we took a peek at the pygmy hippos and Malayan tapirs.

And the last exhibit for the day was the elephants of Asia. On the way there we dropped by Australasia to see the kangaroos and the Great Rift Valley of Ethiopia to see the Hamadryas baboons. By the time we were done, it was almost 12:30pm and we had to rush back home in time for the girls lunch followed by afternoon nap.

A good way to spend time at the Singapore zoo as a family is to reach early by around 8:30am and start with viewing the animal exhibits. You could go to Rainforest KidzWorld by 11am, let the kids play for at least an hour, finish lunch and then head over to the River Wonders. Or you could do it in reverse where you first head to the Rainforest KidzWorld, finish up there and then check out the rest of the zoo before heading over to the River Wonders. There are animal shows at designated times at the zoo which are pretty good so you might want to squeeze them into your schedule (if interested).

We had a marvellous time at the zoo and it was so worth taking the day off to show my kids a good time. Everything went as planned and worked in our favour. I'm pretty sure we will be back. The well designed and eye-catching play area offers a safe environment for children to have fun and escape the relentless heat.

If you have little ones and haven't checked out Rainforest KidzWorld then you are really missing out!

Rainforest KidzWorld

Location: Rainforest KidzWorld @ Singapore Zoo

80 Mandai Lake Rd
Singapore 729826

 

Opening: Daily
Hour: 8:30 am - 6:00 pm
Admission: FREE [entry fee to zoo applies]

Cheers,
Megha

Note: This is NOT an invited review or sponsored write-up