Kidzland at The Grandstand is one of Singapore’s largest indoor playground that houses distinct play areas and its own games arcade, making it a one-stop entertainment centre for the whole family.

When she was five, Little E had raved about Kidzland after an excursion with her pre-school. Two years later, Little E still raved about the place after her visit, and with the whole family in tow this time, we all got what the hype was about.

The highlight at #kidzlandsg is The Forest, a three-level jungle-theme play structure complete with a huge ball pit. But that's not all. It also houses other distinct play areas like The Beach, a blocks and crafts area, as well as an arcade centre with a variety of games - basically enough activities all under one roof to keep your children entertained for an entire day.

To break it down, here are six reasons why we love Kidzland (and why you and your kids will too!)

1) The Forest and its huge ball pit

The Forest is a three-level jungle-theme play structure that comes equipped with tunnels, slides, spinning platforms, swinging logs, balancing beams, nets, swings and a trampoline. A few rounds in it and your kiddo is guaranteed to zonk out at bedtime from all the energy spent.

The Forest also comes with a large ball pit that has a rotating swing, spinning bowl, climbing wall, tiny slide and ball-shooting section.

Little E, six, and Big E, eight, loved the rotating swing, where you pull to make it go round and round, then hop onto the ball seats to rotate along.

Sadly, Little E said the rainbow net, a part-hammock part-trampoline net-like structure at The Forest in no longer there. But regardless, judging by where most of the crowd hung out, its obvious The Forest is still the most popular feature at Kidzland.

2) Good variety of arcade games, and a pretty carousel

If Di-di or Mei-mei wants to play at The Forest but Gor-gor or Jie-jie find a playground too kiddish for them, not to worry. Older kids can entertain themselves at the arcade centre which has a good variety of games and claw machines where they can try their luck winning super cute plushies.

The arcade games cost $2-5 - mostly around $2 - for a game with many that allow you to win tickets to redeem for prizes. You pay for the games using a stored value card which you can purchase and top up with credit at the admissions counter.

The good thing about the arcade is that it’s brightly lit and there is no loud music pumping in the background, making the area feel very wholesome and welcoming for families.

There's a pretty carousel at the arcade too which cost $5 a ride and can be paid with with your stored value card.

3) You can play with sand, blocks and draw too

Another play area popular with small children like pre-schoolers [we also spotted a few older kids here too] is The Beach, an indoor sandpit that lets kiddos engage in sand play with shovels and buckets. The area is not huge but given that most of the crowd was at The Forest, everyone could still play comfortably here.

At its Block & Sand and Magic Pen area, children can build blocks, play with magic sand, and draw on a touch-screen table, then see their creation appear and move around on a multimedia screen. Craft work is also available for purchase. This area is comparatively quieter compared to The Forest and The Beach but there were still a number trying their hands on the items here.

4) Unlimited re-entries in a day

Since it’s opening in 2017, Kidzland had made some changes to its pricing. While it used to charge for separate play areas, it now includes its play areas – The Forest, The Beach, Block & Sand and Magic Pen – all under one entrance fee.

Most indoor playgrounds charge by sessions or you pay more to play the whole day, but you won't need to deliberate on which package to take at Kidzland as it charges just one entrance fee and you get to play there the whole day. You get unlimited re-entries as well which means you can head out for lunch at The Grandstand and come back in to play again!

Admission rates are at $20 for weekdays and $23 for weekends for kids of 1-3 years old, and $26 for weekdays and $29 for weekends for children above three. One accompanying adult enters for free, and a subsequent adult pays $5.

5) The little extra touches like free coffee

There are many indoor playgrounds in Singapore with creative play structures for kids to expend their energy, so does Kidzland. But its effort to give a little something extra to customers makes the place rather special, like its ceiling painted with stars and moons, and adorned with trees, bees and butterflies to give the venue a whimsical feel.

Adults who accompany their bubs are not forgotten. Kidzland has a waiting area with chairs and tables where parents and kids can enjoy free hot drinks like coffee, Teh Tarik, tea and milo from its Nescafe machine. It sells bottled water at $2 for a large one-litre bottle and $1 for the smaller 250-ml bottle. They’re not your supermarket prices but we've seen some indoor playgrounds sell bottled water at double those prices.

While we were there, Kidzland’s bear mascot appeared on stage for a sing-and-dance. Older kids are unlikely to appreciate this, but the pre-schoolers that went on stage and their parents that video-ed them in action all seem pretty happy. To top things off, mascot bear handed out sheets of stickers to the participating kids - that put smiles on all the kiddos faces.

You wouldn’t go to an indoor playground just for these frills, but its these little extra touches at Kidzland that makes the place welcoming for kids and adults.

Bonus tips for your trip

- If you hate jostling with crowds or are concerned that your little one might accidentally get elbowed by rowdy kids, consider visiting during the morning hours. We were there on a public holiday, and the crowd was much thinner in the morning compared to the post-lunch afternoon crowd. The place is highly suitable for kids of all ages from pre-schoolers to tweens, though those in the higher age range might gravitate towards the arcade games.

- Socks are required at Kidzland, so bring your own or buy them at the admission counter. We’d highly recommend using grip or anti-slip socks though, as the flooring at some ramp areas were a little slippery.

- The closest parking to Kidzland is at The Grandstand's north car park, which is really not very obvious if you’re driving in from its main entrance on Turf Club Road. The Grandstand has a huge outdoor car park known as the main car park, which is on your left when you drive though The Grandstand’s arch entrance. Keep going straight with the main car park on your left, and when you’re past the exit of the main car park, you’ll see a small sign directing you to the north car park. Continue on the narrow road and you’ll see the north car park on your right. By the way, parking is free. Woohoo!

Find Kidzland at 200 Turb Club Road, #02-14 The Grandstand, or contact them at +65 6763 3773. Operation hours are from 10am till 9pm on weekdays and from 930am till 930pm on weekends and public holidays.

Disclaimer: We were guests of a birthday party at the venue, and my opinions and reviews here are strictly my and my family’s own.

©Vivian Teo. All content and photos are copyrighted to Vivian Teo unless otherwise specified.