SingaporeMotherhood | Baby & Toddler
July 2017
Our Tampines Hub: All You Need to Know about Its Massive Rooftop Swimming Complex and Other Family-Friendly Features
Our little roving reporter, Elliott, had heard so much about the new rooftop pool complex at Our Tampines Hub, and couldn’t wait for it to open. So when it finally did so on 19 July, wild horses couldn’t keep him away!
Thankfully, he was not disappointed! The new Tampines Swimming Complex is huge and designed with the whole family in mind. From kids who just want to splash about to mummies who love soaking in a Jacuzzi, or swim enthusiasts looking for a serious workout, you’ll find the pool that’s right for you. Located on the breezy open-air rooftop deck on the 6th floor of Our Tampines Hub, there are no fewer than six different areas to explore. Keep scrolling down to find out about what else Our Tampines Hub has to offer.
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1. Kiddie Water Play Area
At 0.3 metres deep, there’s plenty of water to splash around in at the huge water play area. There are five differently themed play areas. The main feature was, of course, the ever-popular slides. Here, they are wide, deep and spacious. While gentle enough for the little kids to have a blast, bigger kids may find them rather mild.
For littler toddlers who aren’t quite ready for slides, there’s an area created just for them. It’s made up of colourful pods filled with water that they can sit in and control water flowing back down. There are also structures that resemble flower pots − many parents held their babies as they stood inside the pots, playing with the water gently bubbling out.
There’s an area with water and misting spouts set higher. One of them looks like a spinning garden water sprinkler system, except that it’s not on the ground. Yet another area had little bell-shaped pots filled with water hanging overhead. Kids can turn the wheel until the bells start to rock and…of course, spill water on their heads!
Last on the list and Elliott’s absolute favourite area is the one with water guns. He loved being shot at just as much as he enjoyed shooting at other kids. Although that might have something to do with the fact that a very cute girl was behind the gun!
(See also: 20 Water Playgrounds Your Kids Can Have a Splashing Good Time at While Beating The Heat!)
2. Kiddie Wading Pool
The other space for the kids is the kiddie pool. Also just 0.3 metres deep, it’s a great space to start toddlers on learning water confidence. Just like with the water play area, the best part is that it’s in a separate area from the ‘big’ pools. This means no worries that your little tot might wander over to the deeper pools, like at some other public swimming complexes. In fact, the dedicated kids’ areas as a whole make up possibly the largest space of any public pools in Singapore, so there’s lots to keep them busy anyway.
There’s also an open concept shower room just for the kids. Elliott was having so much fun that it was really difficult to convince him to leave. By noon, the sun was high in the sky, and his mum had no choice but to drag him out of the pools and into the shower. So parents, you’ve been warned!
3. Jacuzzi Pool
Slap on the sunscreen, put on a pair of shades and lean back on a slope with bubbles shooting down your back. You’d be forgiven for thinking that you were at a landscaped swimming pool in a fancy hotel. There’s even a wooden deck complete with palm trees and deck chairs where you can get a tan on.
4. Lap Pool
Fun and games aside, it’s not a real swimming complex without a proper lap pool. This is where swimming coaches conduct swimming lessons for both kids and adults. Otherwise, older kids who are confident swimmers and adults can enjoy a casual swim here throughout the day.
(See also: Why Your Child Should Learn Swimming)
5. Competition Pool & 6. Synchronised Swimming/Water Polo Pool
The first is a sheltered Olympic-standard swimming facility with a lifeguard on duty. The main competition pool is open to the public, and many serious swimmers prefer this over the noisier setting outside. The second pool is cordoned off and there is no lifeguard on duty there. It’s generally reserved for official events, training or competitions.
7. Eco-community Garden
Believe it or not, there is plenty more to explore beyond the 6th level swimming complex! One floor down is the very cool Eco-community Garden. Lots of vegetables are planted in neat rows. It’s a fun place to introduce the kids to what lettuces and kailan looks like before they ‘magically’ appear on supermarket shelves. There are also tropical fruit trees like papaya and chiku. Many of the plants and trees are still very young − it should be interesting to see how they grow.
8. Festive Play
Located on Basement One is a free play area with a bouncy castle that Elliott enjoyed tremendously. Festive Play is designed for kids from two to six years of age, or up to 1.2 metres in height. The colourful floor is entirely soft-padded and surrounded by a low fence. This means that it’s quite safe to leave the kids here to have fun, while adults can chill at the rest area. There are tables and chairs there, plus it’s in air-conditioned comfort, a perfect respite after all the sunshine by the pools!
(See also: 23 Funtastic Indoor Playgrounds to Take Your Kids to Rain or Shine (UPDATED)!)
9. Kiddie Rides @ Festive Plaza
Our Tampines Hub is Singapore’s first integrated community hub, and various facilities have opened in stages since November last year. Beyond all the other exciting activities on the other levels, there’s actually quite a lot happening on the 1st floor. For instance, you can rent a push car or trike for the kiddies for an hour at a time. Well, it’s more like borrowing, since it’s free. You just have to leave your NRIC with the reception counter and get it back after the hour’s up.
10. Signature Events @ Festive Plaza
There’s also lots happening every evening from 7pm at the main stage area and it’s all free. Upcoming performances include a magic show by illusionist Kyle Ravin and cool hits from Wan, the dynamic lead vocalist of the Jukeleles. Movie screenings at 8pm nightly are usually family-friendly, such as Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2 and Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief. Footie fans will also love that live matches will be screened here when the English Premier League season returns. Click this link to stay updated on happenings at Our Tampines Hub.
(See also: 23 Nostalgic Movies to Watch with Your Kids)
11. The Hawker Centre
There’s loads more to explore at Our Tampines Hub, so we’ll be back with updates in due time. The new Tampines Regional Library, for instance, is set to open its pages on 5 August. In the meantime, we’ll round off this list with something close to every Singaporean’s heart: the Hawker Centre! Although it can get busy at meal times, it’s huge − there are 800 seats − and pretty airy. You can purchase a stored value card at the entrance, or deposit cash into the cash collection machines at each stall.
Elliott was rather bemused by the ‘auntie’ pushing a drinks cart around, which comes in handy when there’s a long line at the drinks stall. Food-wise, we were spoilt for choice. There are over 40 stalls serving local and international cuisine. Some of them are even social enterprises. Industry veterans include a Halal Hainanese chicken rice stall run by Chef Chiang, previously with ChatterBox at Mandarin Orchard. Oh, and did we mention that it’s open 24 hours a day?
Information:
Tampines Swimming Complex operating hours:
Daily except Tuesdays, 8am − 9.30pm
Admission:
Weekdays: Children $0.80 per entry; Adults $1.50 per entry
Weekends & public holidays: Children $1.00 per entry; Adults $2.00 per entry
The above prices apply to Singaporeans and PRs
Our Tampines Hub operating hours:
Hawker Centre: 24 hours
Most other OTH facilities: 10am − 10pm daily
Website: Our Tampines Hub
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 6340 3636
Address: 1 Tampines Walk, Singapore 528523
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