It was the weekend and I thought let’s get the kids to detox from the iPads, iPhones and Ios. I was thinking where can I bring them? The place has to be fun enough to get their attention away from the smart phones and devices. The goal is to allow us to create quality family time or interactive time with the kids, a lot of us don’t spend time as a family even when we go out, most are on the phone. I’m guilty of that I have to admit.

So I’d decided let’s head to the park! I heard from a friend that there are some cool activities which are great for families at Sembawang park. The park has several activities that will entertain the kids and what’s best — its all free.

Here’s what we did over the weekend.

1 – Playing in the Beach

I believe this is the only beach in the northern side of Singapore. Your kids can play with the sand and build sand castles or if you want, the whole family can head into the water for a swim. I don’t really recommend that though, the water doesn’t look that clean or maybe is my OCD nature. My boy managed to get himself all wet and had so much fun doing that!

2 – Catching Fishes

When we were there, many people were busy catching fishes. Most were using fishing poles to catch fishes. They are along the beach strip, so when you walk, do be careful and lookout for the fishing lines. If you bring a small net or crab catching equipment, you could try your hand at catching small fishes along the beach. My boy caught a baby cat fish. There are flower crabs that you could take home if you are lucky.

I still remember playing in those sand playgrounds when I was young and digging up the sand. Most of the playgrounds in Singapore today does not have sand in them anymore. This is mainly due to hygiene factors, as sand playgrounds tend to have kids or animals like dogs and cats pee and poo in them. Therefore, if you are looking for a place whereby your kids get to enjoy sand and not those kinetic sand that you buy at Toys R Us, this is the place to be. There is a huge playground for sand play and the sand is also fine sand grains. The place looks nice and clean in my opinion when I was there.

4 – BBQ Pits

If you want an impromptu BBQ, there are pits around that you can utilize. Just go to AXS and book the pits and you are good to go. There are also two gas bbq pits that doesn’t require charcoal, just book and turn on the gas and you can start BBQing. How convenient is that! For us, we decided to have a simple picnic around the surrounding area. It was nice and breezy.

Amazingly, the kids didn’t have any withdrawal syndrome. They loves the outdoor activities that Sembawang park and beach had to offer. My boy even managed to catch a small crab and cat fish to bring home as a pet. This is much more fun than having them face the tablets and smart phone screens, just to watch youtube or playing senseless games.

It’s about time we look at giving our kids some good old fashion police and thief or hide and seek. 🙂