Our family tried out the 2D1N overnight camp at Changi Airport! What’s the camping experience like? Do the kids get any sleep? Here’s what’s in store including activities like rock climbing, family games and the option to learn how to fly a plane!
The June school holidays are right around the corner, and if you have made your way through our list of 101 kids activities I’m sure you’re scratching your head to find ways to entertain your kids! If you’re up for a new family bonding experience, why not pack your bags to spend the night camping at Jewel Changi Airport as part of their ‘A Night at the Airport’ programme? Not only will you get to camp indoors in air conditioning and have a beautiful view of the iconic Jewel waterfall, but you will also get to bond with your kids over exciting activities for the whole family!
‘A Night at the Airport’ Camping Experience
The main thing you’re probably wondering is what the sleeping arrangements are like! So before we talk about the fun activities you’ll experience, let’s skip to the camping part.
After a fun day of family bonding activities, you’ll get to turn in for the night in a spacious tent that fits up to three people. The tents are set up at 8:30pm and arranged right next to each other (no sound barriers when you’re camping!), so just be prepared to be awake until everyone else settles down to sleep as well!
Each tent comes with a 5cm mattress pad, so make sure you bring along pillows and sleeping bags or blankets. We didn’t have sleeping bags, so we brought huge fluffy blankets and pillows. The lights and digital games in Changi Experience Studio will only be turned off at 11pm, so kids (and grown-ups) can enjoy the games until bedtime. If you have young kids who need early bedtimes you may not get much sleep before everyone settles down and the lights go out! We especially enjoyed being able to see the view of the Jewel waterfall from our tents.
To clean up for the night, there are two shower cubicles in the men’s and women’s restrooms, and each family gets a 30-minute time slot to shower. So, be sure to plan your time accordingly.
‘A Night at the Airport’ Activities
Create a cardboard Changi Airport of the future!
Okay now let’s start at the beginning! The 2D1N ‘A Night at the Airport’ programme actually begins at 10am with an art & craft activity where kids will get to unleash their creativity to create a cardboard airport of the future. Get ready to get your hands messy with paint, pom poms, glue, felt and more to create your miniature airport, complete with a passenger terminal, airplane and control tower. You’ll have plenty of supplies available for you to create this cardboard airport that you can fold up and take with you wherever you go.
Explore Jewel & Changi Airport in a Family Quest
After a two-hour lunch break, you’ll get to run around Jewel, Changi Airport and Changi Experience Studio to find answers for a fun family quest experience.
This family quest would definitely be more fun for kids 8 and up, since they’ll be able to keep their eyes peeled for answers as you make your way through the mall.
Parents can get nostalgic as you play life-sized versions of childhood games like hopscotch, a matching card game and an airport-themed version of Snakes & Ladders!
We unleashed our competitive spirit and had fun bonding with the kids over these simple childhood games.
Play all three games to collect three stamps and get a chance to choose a number from the cute Tikam Tikam board to redeem a small gift from the winner’s basket. Our five-year-old won a Hero Spinner, and she had a blast playing with this new childhood toy.
Burn off energy at Changi Airport’s Climb@T3
We ended the day with a good rock climbing workout! Our five-year-old had the chance to rock climb for the first time ever at Climb@T3, which has nine climbing lanes and an auto belayer. Each family gets a specific one-hour time slot to rock climb, so you don’t have to worry about it being too crowded.
Read More: Best Rock Climbing in Singapore for Kids
Have fun at the Changi Experience Studio
And of course, you’ll also get access to all of the digital games and activities at the Changi Experience Studio as this is where you’ll be spending the night camping! Whether it’s immersing yourself in the magical butterfly garden or racing on the spin cycling bikes, there’s plenty of fun for the whole family.
BONUS Activity: Learn How to Fly a Plane!
While this is not included in the 2D1N camping experience, all campers get a 30% discount to try your hand at flying a plane! The usual price including admission to the Changi Experience Studio is $49.80 for adults and $46.80 for children, seniors, and students.
My husband enjoyed getting behind the steering wheel and soaring over Singapore in this real-life flight simulator that’s used to train pilots!
Note: Participants must be at least 110cm and 7 years old.
Is Food included in the ‘A Night at the Airport’ experience?
Food is not included in the ‘A Night at the Airport’ experience. There are lots of different restaurants in Jewel to choose from. For budget-friendly restaurants at Jewel, head down to B2 where you can choose from a variety of cuisines at the Food Court. If you’re up for a fancier meal, indulge in a spread of seafood at Burger & Lobster (Level 5), take a culinary trip to France at PAUL Bakery & Restaurant at B1 (you’ve got to try their delicious desserts!) or satisfy your craving for Taiwanese food at Fong Sheng Hao (B2).
‘A Night at the Airport’ Family Camping: Was it Worth It?
Overall, this overnight sleepover experience at Changi offered engaging activities for a good family bonding time. While the camp is open to kids aged 5 and up, we found that the activities would be more suited for older kids aged 7 and up. The best parts about this experience for me were definitely rock climbing and the unbeatable ‘camping’ view of the Jewel waterfall. If you’re pressed for family activities, this experience will definitely be worth it, since all of the activities are specially designed for quality family bonding time!
Tips for your trip
- It gets pretty cold at night since the space is fully air-conditioned. We packed extra blankets, jackets and long-sleeved shirts for the kids to sleep comfortably at night.
- While the 5-cm mattress provides some cushion, you can bring your own sleeping bags for extra comfort! We know friends who have done the sleepover didn’t get much sleep partly because they weren’t used to the tent padding and didn’t have all the home comforts like our familiar pillows and bolsters, and also because their kids were too excited and kept chatting in their tents till midnight!
- Bring a water bottle for everyone so you can stay hydrated throughout your stay. There are water coolers outside the bathrooms near the Changi Experience Studio.
- Bring an extra bag to carry your shower amenities to the bathroom during your allotted time slot. There are only two hooks in the shower cubicle and no table or shelf to place your belongings.
- Pack extra flip flops or comfortable slippers for your convenience when you need to take your shower.
‘A Night at the Airport’: a 2D1N overnight camp
When: 2 – 24 June 2023, 9:30am – 8am (the next day)
Where: Changi Experience Studio, 21 Airport Boulevard, Level 4, Singapore 819666
How much: $85 (adult) & $95 (child – 5 years old and up). Click here to book tickets.
What’s included: additional package inclusions worth $360:
- ‘Journey Through Time’ Family Quest
- Exclusive ‘Build an Airport of the Future’ craft workshop
- Climb@T3 [1 unguided climb & play per child] – worth $19
- Indoor camping sleepover at Changi Experience Studio (air mattress & tent provided)
- Entry to Changi Experience Studio – worth $19.80 per adult and $14.80 per child
- Free parking (1 parking coupon per group)
This camp is recommended for families with children between 7 to 13 years old.
Changi Experience Studio, 21 Airport Boulevard, Singapore 819666, www.changiairport.com
If your kids loved spending time at this camp and you want to come back again – check out the Canopy Park ticket promotions here.