SINGAPORE: As the year comes to an end, what better than to get together with friends and loved ones to create memories? There’s plenty to do around town: Let your hair down at the Marina Bay Carnival, capture some snapshots at the Sentosa Pop Up Night – or even head to a fire station.
Here’s a round-up of ideas on how to spend the rest of December.
1. Visit the Police Heritage Centre
At the Police Heritage Centre. (Photo: Jeremy Long)
Did you know that the Singapore Police Force was formed in 1820, making it one of the oldest Government organisations? Families and groups alike can book visits to the Police Heritage Centre, located at the Police Headquarters near Novena MRT Station. It’s not just about history, as visitors will be able to catch a glimpse of how the police force has evolved, and even try their hand at a few activities to see if they are cut out to be a man (or woman) in blue.
The Police Heritage Centre is open every Tuesday to Friday from 10am to 5pm, and every Saturday from 10am to 1pm. Tours are by appointment, and visitors can call 6478 2123 or visit SPF’s website for more information.
2. Check out a fire station
Most fire stations across Singapore are abuzz with activity come Saturday morning as they throw open their doors to the public for a first-hand glimpse of what firefighters and paramedics do on a daily basis – save lives.
Visitors to the Central Fire Station at Hill Street will be taken round by a volunteer from the Civil Defence Auxiliary Unit. Watch out for demonstrations by paramedics, who will explain what it is they do and what they bring along for various emergency situations. Stick around for a demonstration by the firefighters at about 10am, where they will activate the hoses and put out a “fire”.
Aspiring little firefighters can also live their dream of sitting in a fire truck as part of the open house.
A vintage fire truck on display at the Central Defence Heritage Gallery. (Photo: Jeremy Long)
Also, don’t miss the Central Defence Heritage Gallery, where fire trucks of yore are on display.
All SCDF fire stations are open to the public every Saturday from 9am to 11am, except for Banyan, Tuas, Jurong Island, Tuas View and Sentosa fire stations, and West Coast and Brani marine fire stations.
Bookings are not required for groups under 10. Groups of 10 or more people are required to make a booking two weeks in advance. Further information is available on SCDF’s website.
3. Seek out thrills at the Marina Bay Carnival
Open from Dec 15 to Apr 1 at the Promontory@Marina Bay and the Bayfront event area. (Photo: Prudential Marina Bay Carnival)
Fancy being swung around from zero to 96kmh in under eight seconds? Or perhaps you’d like to catch a bird’s-eye view of the Central Business District from a swing 35m off the ground? Then head to the Marina Bay Carnival, at the Promontory and Bayfront event space.
It’s not all about the thrills – kids can also enjoy rides such as the merry-go-round and bumper cars.
Admission to the carnival, which runs until Apr 1, is free. Rides and games cost between S$4 and S$14.
4. Walk a tightrope at Circus! Science Under the Big Top
Find out if you’re cut out to be a circus performer at Circus! Science Under The Big Top. (Photo: Science Centre/Facebook)
If you’ve always wanted to be a circus performer, put your best foot forward on the tightrope at the Science Centre’s exhibition, Circus! Science Under the Big Top. Open to the young and young-at-heart alike, there are 18 interactive exhibits for visitors to learn about the scientific concepts that go into putting a circus together.
Circus! Science Under The Big Top is open until Mar 18, 2018. Tickets start from S$17 for children and S$22 for adults and are available online.
5. Go Into The Wild with VR at the ArtScience Museum
Into The Wild: An Immersive Visual Adventure transforms the ArtScience Museum into a virtual rainforest which visitors can explore using a smartphone device. (Photo: Marina Bay Sands)
Step into the shoes of a wildlife ranger with the help of virtual reality at the Into The Wild installation at the ArtScience Museum. Using a dedicated device, visitors will enter a Southeast Asian rainforest and learn about the dangers faced by its inhabitants – pangolins, tapirs, mousedeers, orangutans and tigers.
The activity will also give visitors the opportunity to plant virtual trees in the museum. Accompanied with a pledge to WWF, a tree will then be planted in a Sumatran rainforest as well.
6. Get snap-happy at Sentosa’s Pop Up Night
An installation by local artist William Lee at Imbiah Lookout. (Photo: Howard Law)
Get your cameras ready for the second iteration of Sentosa’s Pop Up Night – from animated light projections on the Merlion, to the Bright Angel Bicycles at Imbiah Lookout, which light up – but only when you pedal hard enough.
Also, have fun figuring out local artist William Lee’s glow-in-the-dark installations, which double up as optical illusions.
The Merlion Magic Lights show comes on at 7.45pm, 8.15pm, 8.45pm and 9.15pm on weekdays. There will be additional shows at 9.45pm and 10.15pm on weekends, the eve of public holidays, as well as public holidays. Sentosa’s Pop Up Night runs until Jan 1, 2018.
7. Learn to make kid-friendly snacks at Food for Tots
A Food Crafternoon session in progress at Food For Tots. (Photo: Jeannette Lee/The Thought Collective)
Food For Tots, a cafe at the Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden, is home to Food Crafternoons, which aims to teach children to create their own after-school snacks from scratch. Held twice a month, all ingredients and materials are free and each session is open to a maximum of eight kids.
Participants will first get to design their personal chef hats. A facilitator will then introduce the ingredients and make the dish with the kids, step by step.
The next Food Crafternoon session will be held on Dec 23 from 2.30pm to 3.30pm.
