SingaporeMotherhood | Family Fun

April 2019

Long Weekends, School Holidays, & Public Holidays 2020: The Best Kid- & Family-Friendly Things To Do

If you haven’t made plans for 2020 yet, start now. There will be 7 official long weekends from public holidays, and three from scheduled school holidays like Youth Day, Teachers’ Day, and Children’s Day. So parents, this means we potentially have 10 long weekends to enjoy next year, if we take leave when our kids have their scheduled school holidays. Start planning; ideas below!

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School Holidays 2020

Source: MOE website

Scheduled School Holidays 2020

Source: MOE website

Teachers’ Day and Children’s Day were switched to the first Friday of September and October respectively a few years ago, making it easier for all of us to plan our getaways. Next year, in 2020, Youth Day falls on a Sunday. What this means is that our children get another long weekend. You can too!

Youth Day | 5 July (Sunday)

Monday 6 July is a scheduled school holiday. The mid-year break has just ended. Are you and the kids still in a vaycay mood? Why not take one day’s leave and ease into school mode with a relaxing stay in a family-friendly serviced apartment in Singapore?

If you’re planning to shop the Great Singapore Sale (which will be going on during this time), book a stay at YOTEL Singapore. This tech-friendly airline-themed hotel is perfectly located for shop-and-drop missions, and the kids will love interacting with Yoshi and Yolanda, the hotel’s resident robots.

Teachers’ Day | 4 September (Friday)

Thanks to Teachers’ Day, the kids have a 10-day break from school in September. It’s long enough to make a getaway to a nearby destination. How about going up north on a family road trip to Malaysia? If you book early you could even go on a three-country cruise!

Children’s Day | 9 October (Friday)

Our kids make us better people. Agree? So dedicate this entire long weekend for bonding with your young ones. Play games together, take walks, go on a hike, get sweaty at a an indoor family playground, explore a part of Singapore you’ve not been to before, complete a paint project, try an escape room, conquer an obstacle course together… It doesn’t really matter what you choose to do; the important thing is to do it together.

Scheduled Long Weekends in 2020

According to the schedule of public holidays for 2020 released by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) on 8 April 2019, there will be:

• Four holidays falling on a Friday – Good Friday (April 10), Labour day (May 1), Hari Raya Haji (July 31), and Christmas Day (December 25)

• Three holidays on a Sunday (the following Monday will be a public holiday) – Chinese New Year (January 25 to 26), Hari Raya Puasa (May 24), and National Day (August 9)

Image: Ministry of Manpower webpage

We know how it can sometimes be hard to think so far ahead, but when it comes to long weekends, we Singaporeans are nothing if not motivated, right? So here are our quick and easy picks for what to do on 2020’s long weekends and public holidays – with the kids, of course.

New Year’s Day | I January (Wednesday)

Starting the year with play is always a good idea. Get the kids active to let all that energy out. It’ll help when they have to eventually sit down and focus in school. Explore one of these FREE indoor playgrounds or FREE outdoor playgrounds in Singapore or see how far you can trek on the new 36km coast-to-coast trail!

Chinese New Year | 25-26 January (Saturday – Sunday)

Not celebrating CNY at home? How about at sea? One of these family-friendly cruises is bound to float your (and the kids’) boat!

family cruises - genting dream - play

Good Friday | 10 April (Friday)

It’s too soon after the March holidays (and not near enough to the mid-year holidays) to go far. So go near, like a 45-minute ferry ride away. We’re thinking of Bintan, of course, where there are family-friendly resorts galore. Go glamping at Canopi , or live it up in a villa at The Residence Bintan.

Labour Day | 1 May (Friday)

Bring the kids on a unique Singapore staycation to relax and enjoy before the mid-year exams start. Check out the newly-opened Village Hotel at Sentosa, do a board game vay-cay at the Ritz Carlton Millenia’s Monopoly Game Night Staycation, a Night Safari adventure staycation, let the little ones take flight on a trapeze at the Shangri-La Rasa Sentosa, or binge Jewel Changi with a stay at Crowne Plaza Changi Airport, the world’s best airport hotel.

Vesak Day | 7 May (Thursday)

If you can take a day off work and the kids can be out of school on Friday, then this becomes a longer four-day long weekend. Which means… yes, you can actually fly a little further, perhaps to one of these family-friendly Southeast Asia destinations for a dose of kid-friendly culture ?

(See also: Annual Family Passes Worth Buying)

Hari Raya Puasa | 24 May (Sunday)

The exams are probably over by now, and everyone’s gearing up for the June holidays. But first, bring the kids on an all nature, no-device weekend at one of these kelongs around Singapore; what better way to destress and decompress from exam season?

Hari Raya Haji | 31 July (Friday)

A short hop, skip, and jump away, family-friendly Pattaya has a trove of attractions and delights that we never knew about! Three days is just enough to explore and enjoy the area.

things to do in Pattaya - harborland playground

National Day | 9 August (Sunday)

Didn’t manage to ballot for tickets? Never mind. Wear red and white, pack a local makan picnic, and lepak one corner to watch the NDP fireworks (best NDP fireworks views here). Get the kids some sparklers so they can be part of the action too!

Deepavali | 14 November (Saturday)

Do your young ones know about the 11 festivals that we celebrate in multiracial Singapore? Deepavali, which signifies the victory of light over darkness, and good over evil, is one of them. Visit Little India and soak in the festivities, pose with vibrant street art, and feast on some of the best food in Singapore.

(See also: Free Arts & Culture Activities for Families and Kids in Singapore)

Christmas Day | 25 December (Friday)

After all that X’mas feasting, get moving. Join the kids for a family-friendly escape room adventure or teach them some of the traditional kampong games that you used to play. Why not rope in friends and family and make it a massive year-end game-a-thon?

(See also: Family-Friendly Weekend Lunch and Brunch Places in Singapore)

Plan Now for 2020 Long Weekends and School Holidays

It’s never too early to plan for good times, so start now. And hey, if you have other ideas on how we can spend 2020’s long weekends and public holidays, do let us know in the comments below, k?

Header image: Source
Featured image: Ministry of Manpower Facebook page

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Long Weekends, School Holidays, & Public Holidays 2020: The Best Kid- & Family-Friendly Things To Do