SingaporeMotherhood | Family Fun
June 2016
Splash @ Kidz Amaze (SAFRA Punggol): Singapore’s First Indoor Water Playground
After seeing how much fun Elliott had at our last water park outing to Splash-N-Surf, I’ve been wanting to bring him out for more water play but the blazing heat has not been kind lately.
Hence when Elliott’s godfather, Bryan, told us about an indoor water playground that was opening near his estate, we immediately picked up the phone and arranged a play date with our favourite daddy-daughter duo, Nick and Millie. There was an opening promo on 26 April offering free admission, but we decided to head down on a weekday instead to avoid the crowd.
[banner][/banner]
Undersea Adventures
Named Splash @ Kidz Amaze, the 24,000 sq ft indoor water playground – a first-of-its-kind in Singapore – soars across three storeys in the new waterfront SAFRA Punggol. Perhaps the best part is that it’s indoors, so you can go rain or shine, and play for hours without fear of sun burn.
Its Enchanted Deep Sea theme takes on a life of its own as you step into the space, with ‘floating’ marine life hanging off the ceiling. Aqua blue walls and wide window panels stretch across the interior, allowing plenty of natural light through, helping you to forget that you’re actually indoors.
Equipped with lots of fun and interactive water play features suitable for kids of all ages, the playground is carved into two sections – a multi-level play structure for the older kids and a spacious wading pool for toddlers.
The main play structure sits in the centre of the dome, complete with eight play decks, five slides and a themed splash pad.
Slip and Slide
Elliott’s recently discovered the joy of sliding (see Elliott’s adventures at eXplorerkid E!hub) , so no prizes for guessing where the little munchkin ran straight to.
There’s a pair of short little slides for toddlers, a wide mid-length slide that can fit a few kids at once, and for the daredevils above 120cm, two winding tunnel slides that extend all the way to the top. Lifeguards are stationed at the summit to direct traffic and guide the kids along.
We started at the baby slide to help him get a hang of things before proceeding to the green communal slide. One thing we noticed was that while the landing of the slides were padded, the paddings were extremely slippery, especially for toddlers’ tiny feet.
The water level at the landing was also a little too deep and may be dangerous for smaller kids if unassisted. Bryan had to accompany Elliott the whole time to make sure he didn’t fall and hurt himself, which I guess on the brighter side of things, made for quality godpa-godson bonding time.
The communal slide also came with a not-so-pleasant surprise – a giant water bucket overhead that tips over and dunks those sitting atop the slide. I felt it was a little excessive; there was too much water and it fell too hard without any warning.
Both Elliott and Millie got caught by surprise, especially Millie, who normally loves playing with water but ended up being too intimidated to continue playing at the main play area.
Splash and Shoot
Once the kids were done exploring the play structure, we proceeded to the shaded wading pool specially reserved for younger kids and toddlers. You can easily spot the entrance where a giant octopus is perched above.
There are plenty of colourful fountains with water spouting in all directions, as well as several water guns in the shape of sea animals. Kids can rotate them to point the jets of water in any direction – perfect for a friendly splash-off between the young ’uns.
While the water level is much shallower here, I was surprised that the water came up to my knees, and torso-level for Elliott who is considered a giant for a 17-month-old. The floors are tiled, making it slippery and dangerous for toddlers to roam around unassisted. Elliott slipped a couple of times and ended up being too nervous to move around on his own; Bryan had to hold his hand the entire time.
All in all, we had a great time despite the various shortcomings and safety concerns. Splash @ Kidz Amaze is a great place for kids of all ages to have hours of family fun and a splashing good time, not to mention a godsend for the heat-averse like Elliot and I.
The water temperature is constantly regulated, which is also a bonus, as are the clean and big changing areas. I would recommend the main play area for children eight years and above, while the wading pool for children who are at least five years old with close supervision.
Our connoisseur, Elliott’s rating:
Meh. He did have fun but was afraid to walk on his own because he kept slipping.
Need-to-know:
- Play hours during weekends are separated into 4-hour blocks, with a maximum of 400 pax each session. Early registration on the day itself is advised.
- The water playground is closed for maintenance every third Monday of the month.
- Electronic lockers are located in the changing rooms and are chargeable at $4 (medium) and $6 (large) per locker. Coins and notes are accepted, but do prepare the exact amount as no change will be given.
- Kids must wear swimming attire and regular diapers are not permitted – only swimming diapers. Accompanying adults may wear dri-fit tops and shorts.
- Splash does not provide towels and swimming attire. Do remember to pack those before visiting.
- No food and drinks are currently being sold within Kidz Amaze.
Information:
Opening hours:
Off-peak – Mon – Thu, 10am – 8pm
Peak – Fri – Sun, public holidays, gazetted school holidays, 10am – 9pm
Admission rates:
Children (18 months to 13 years) – Off-peak, $16 (unlimited play); Peak, $20 (4 hours)
SAFRA Members – Off-peak, $12 (unlimited play); Peak, $15 (4 hours)
Kidz Amaze Members – Off-peak, $8 (unlimited play); Peak, $10 (4 hours)
Each accompanying adult – Non-members, $5; Members, $2
Family packages are available. More details here.
Website: www.safra.sg
Address: SAFRA Punggol, 9 Sentul Cres, Singapore 828654
All content from this article, including images, cannot be reproduced without credits or written permission from SingaporeMotherhood.
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Telegram for the latest article and promotion updates.
