Whoa, did you know that tiny Singapore actually has 300 parks and four nature reserves? Now that you do, get out of your air-conditioned cocoon and make a date with good ol’ Mother Nature.
1. Toa Payoh Town park
https://www.instagram.com/p/BtKvcEiF0a-/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Built in the 1970s, this used to be the venue for wedding and convocation photos. These days, residents living in the area come here for their morning tai chi and foreign workers gather in the open spaces on weekends.
Drop by and take retro photos on the Art Deco-ish bridges and try spotting one of 18 species of dragonflies and damselflies here. Then decide if you want to pop over to Toa Payoh Central or head to Balestier – the park is flanked by both areas.
2. Punggol park
https://www.instagram.com/p/CFJkFoDsPop/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
https://www.instagram.com/p/CM7NbP8n-Ga/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
This huge 16-hectare park is like a centerpiece in the residential area, surrounded on all sides by towering HDB flats and condos alike, and accessible by a number of entry points, depending on where you live. And it was actually developed with a theme, “Family Leisure”.
There are cycling tracks, exercise stations (we spotted quite a few hardcore workout enthusiasts here) and a five-hectare pond. When you get peckish, the dog-friendly Five&2 café within the park serves salted duck soup, laksa, spam fries and crab meat pasta.
3. Punggol Point park
https://www.instagram.com/p/1XEupShUmn/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Not to be confused with Punggol Park, this one lies adjacent to the Punggol Jetty – formerly home to many seafood restaurants – and now boasts a promenade for pedestrians. The highlight: a more-than-3,000 sq ft ship-inspired deck where you can catch a view of Pulau Ubin and even the Straits of Johor.
4. Bukit Batok Nature park
https://www.instagram.com/p/CM6WVxiMYEU/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
https://www.instagram.com/p/CLgYHrAMckv/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Located at Bukit Batok Hill, this was developed on an abandoned quarry site in the 1980s, the reason why you’ll still see a granite quarry here now.
A World War Two memorial plaque lies beneath 120 steps that lead up to a transmission tower. Bird photography fans flock here to look for rare birds like the white-crested laughing thrush.
5. West Coast park
https://www.instagram.com/p/CAml6okgjRX/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
This is so big – think 50 hectares of land – that it’s been billed as the play centre of the west. In the centre of the park is the Adventure Play Area with play zones for young children. There’s also a bicycle and go-kart rental kiosk where you can pick up a family-size go-kart for four.
6. Admiralty park
Take a Spin: 26 Slides, 20‑Hectare Trails, and a Whole Lot of Fun
What makes this park the ultimate playground for kids and the carefree adult in all of us?
Kiddos—also called “kidults”—keep heading to the largest park in the north to unleash their inner child. The secret weapon? A boatload of slides—26 to be exact—more than any other park in Singapore, and probably the world.
Slide‑Tastic Highlights
- 26 slides that’ll have you laughing until the water comes out of your nose.
- Each one bigger than your typical cookie jar—no small slides here.
All‑Inclusive Fun
The playground is built to welcome everyone, kids with and without special needs alike, so everyone can join the slide‑tastic adventure.
Nature Trail Chill‑out
- 20‑hectare natural oasis with a bunch of trails.
- Spot over 100 species—monkeys, birds, even the rare Hedgehog Rattan (yes, a plant).
- Perfect for those who prefer a nature walk over heart‑pounding slides.
Slide, explore, laugh, and maybe even spot a forest critter. Either way, this park has something for everyone.
7. Sembawang Park
https://www.instagram.com/p/CMtifarnrUR/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
This park comes with a beach (one of the last remaining natural ones in Singapore!) and is a popular fishing venue for that reason. Restored pathways once used during the British occupation take you to the Sembawang jetty, the remains of the Seletar Pier and the Beaulieu House restaurant.
8. Pasir Ris park
https://www.instagram.com/p/CNCE2TcgRBK/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
https://www.instagram.com/p/CM9XP5cnG5K/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
There’s quite a lot to do here. First, the three-storey Bird Watching Tower located in the mangrove forest lets you get up close and personal with the avian residents. Or just explore the Mangrove Boardwalk and the six-hectare mangrove forest.
The best thing? Gallop Stable offers pony riding lessons for children aged three and above, and pony and bunny feeding sessions.
This article was first published in Wonderwall.sg.
Events and ListingsParks / Nature reservesnature
