Fun new indoor play options, a fantastic staycation deal, cool wooden toys and more highlight new mama and kid-friendly stuff in Singapore
We’re back with the latest fab finds in What’s New, Mama! If it’s a new business, product or service for kids and mamas in Singapore, we want to tell you about it! October is looking spooktacular: this month there are two new super fun indoor play options (including a pop-up that’s only on ’til 27 October!); a hotel right on Orchard is offering a fab family staycation package (with exclusive perks for Sassy Mama readers!); we tell you about some fun new toys and apps for kids, and much more!
Swipe through our gallery for all things new this month!
Lead image: The Dessert Museum Pop-Up at Plaza Singapura
Need a change of scenery but don’t want to deal with the hassle of flights? Head to Orchard Rendezvous Hotel, Singapore right on Orchard Road for their new 2Day/1Night Family Weekend Staycation Package! We’ve raved before about their kid-friendly Family Rooms, which are available in multiple configurations and feature a bunk bed for kids, stuffed animal plushies and other special kids’ amenities like a colouring book and activity pack. They’ll even lend you free board games, children’s books and video game consoles during your stay!
Fams can kick back at the outdoor swimming pool (inflatable floats and beach balls are available, natch), and even learn about Singapore’s floral heritage at the hotel’s mini-orchid garden. Of course, the Singapore Botanic Gardens are just a short stroll away, along with all the shopping and dining on Orchard (not to mention the Orchard Christmas lights coming in November!).
Sassy Mama readers can get exclusive early 12pm check-in AND late 4pm checkout! Be sure to quote promo code ORHxSassyMama.
Priced at just $280++, the Family Weekend Staycation Package includes accommodation in a Family Room along with complimentary breakfast for 4! The promotion is only valid for Friday or Saturday stays; see below for full Ts and Cs, but be sure to book by 11 November 2019 by email at [email protected]!
Orchard Rendezvous Hotel, Singapore, 1 Tanglin Road, Singapore 247905, www.rendezvoushotels.com.sg/Orchard, @StayRendezvous
Terms and Conditions:
-Promotion is only valid for Friday or Saturday stays
-Booking period: 11 October – 11 November 2019
-Stay period: 11 October – 30 March 2020
-Blackout dates: 10-13 February 2020; 2-5 March 2020
-Email [email protected] to book, and quote ORHxSassyMama for exclusive perk.
Whether you want to ensure your kiddos have safe, eco-friendly toys that inspire hours of creative play, or you’re looking for the perfect new baby gift or birthday present, you’ll definitely want to check out new toy brand Wooden Joy! Founded by Singapore mama Eva, Wooden Joy toys are made of 100% solid wood, which is totally durable and safe even for babies to gum on. Wooden toys are wonderful for open-ended, imaginative play; Wooden Joy makes everything from an adorable Baby Rattle Set for newborns to a Happy Bakehouse Set that’s a huge hit with preschoolers!
Wooden Joy, www.wooden-joy.com, @woodenjoy.sg
On the heels of the successful STEM app OOKS: What’s that Rumbling, a suite of 5 fun, free OOKS apps and a brand new animated series have just arrived with a new range of personalised digital and real-life play experiences for kiddos.
Recognised for its educational benefits (not to mention its child-safe eco-system!), the OOKS digital playground promotes storytelling and creativity through zany, customisable characters that appeal to kids of all ages. Big kids will adore the Create Your Own Book app, while little ones can express their creativity with “virtual glitter and sparkle paint” and save their digital artwork with Coloring OOKS. And OOKS Toys Box features 6 different games to develop literacy, numeracy and observational skills. We mamas love that the app is both FREE and doesn’t have any third party in-app advertising!
Combining sugar and selfies, the famous Dessert Museum pop-up has just arrived from the Philippines and opens today at Plaza Singapura as part of their Pretty Sweet 45 celebration. Immersive and interactive, the Dessert Museum features five mouth-watering rooms decked out with larger-than-life quirky dessert goodness, including a sprinkle slide into a sea of donuts, a wall of treats, a candy cane see-saw, and gummy bear trampolines.
The Dessert Museum is sure to be a hit with kiddos (and entry is free for children under 3!); in addition you’ll find ancillary activities like a dessert carnival with games and workshops, along with Plaza Sing’s exciting Pretty Sweet 45 giveaway.
The Dessert Museum pop-up is on from 4 – 27 October 2019, open daily from 10am on Level 1 of Plaza Singapura. NB: There’s a minimum spend of $45 in a single receipt to get a pair of entry tickets.
Plaza Singapura, 68 Orchard Road, Singapore 238839
Our kiddos always love playing at The Artground (and we love how easy it is on the wallet!). Their brand new exhibit, The Curious Sky, launches TODAY and will run through 22 March 2020.
Created by local artist Ng Fongyee, The Curious Sky encourages children to consider all the magic in the sky, using technology to spark their curiosity and stoke their imagination. From fluffy clouds to electric lightning bolts and a thunder tunnel, it’s a hands-on exploration unlike anything else you’ve seen before!
The Curious Sky runs from 4 October 2019 to 22 March 2020. Artground admission is FREE but donations are encouraged; additional activities and workshops available at $10-$20.
Read more: That Mama: Artground Artist Gracie Chai
After publishing both a YA novel and a children’s picture book exploring empathy and children’s different abilities, local author Eva Wong Nava is back with Mina’s Magic Malong, an absolutely wonderful new children’s book co-authored with June Ho and illustrated by Novita Elisa.
Mina’s Magic Malong considers the close relationship between a 6-year-old girl, Ella, and her beloved helper, Mina, who is preparing to leave Singapore to return home to her own family in the Philippines. The book articulates Ella’s emotions and deep sadness in simple, relatable language that will appeal to small children, while also reminding Ella that Mina has a family of her own whom she misses very much. While we’ve found it impossible to get through the book without crying, the book’s whimsical focus on Mina’s magical malong (a Filipino cloth similar to a sarong) and its ability to bind Ella and Mina together no matter the distance is absolutely heartwarming.
This book is a must-read for any family preparing to say goodbye to a helper, but it’s also just a beautiful celebration of the unique bonds that can form between helpers and children.
Find Mina’s Magic Malong at various children’s bookstores along with Kinokuniya, Times and Huggs-Epigram Coffee Bookstore
Read more: 4 Ways Kids Can Show Gratitude and Kindness Toward Their Helper
We are all in on the honey trend – it’s a fabulous natural sweetener and is packed with antioxidant goodness to boost the immune system and ward off colds (hello, preschool!). But all honeys are not created equal – a lot of the stuff you might buy off the shelf at the supermarket contains preservatives or even sugar-derived additives (yuck!).
Enter The Rare Honey Company: all their products are certified 100% pure and raw and are sourced from pristine wilderness areas, primarily in Western Australia, farm from human activity, pesticides or pollution. The result is honey unmatched in its distinctive flavour, delicious taste and powerful healing qualities. There are currently three product ranges: The Daily Dose (suitable for everyday enjoyment in cooking or beverages), The High Potency (highest levels of antioxidants and active enzyme strength for maximum health benefits), and The Reserve Range (a medical-grade honey and a new Manuka Honey coming later this year).
Find The Rare Honey Company online and by appointment at TRHC Honey Bar, 315 Outram Road, #10-01 Tan Boon Liat Building, Singapore 179074