Singapore Kids Attraction: Jacob Garden Singapore

Jacob Garden Mini Waterfall

A children garden in Singapore.. a unique and interactive fun place where kids can discover how plants provide for their daily needs..that's how NParks describe Jacob Ballas Children Garden.. intrigued.. I decided to give Jacob Park  a visit with my children last Thursday. "Where are going Mommy?" Asked my older son and I answered simply "to a playground my dear". Happy with my answer, my kids hopped into the taxi excitedly. 

My Kids at Jacob Garden's entrance

Jacob Ballas Garden is situated at Bukit Timah and is open daily except on Mondays (unless its a PH) 8.00 am - 7.00 pm (last admission 6.30pm). From the website, I saw that there is a mini waterfall, 2 playgrounds (one of which is a treehouse) and a water play area.. Mommy is very confident that the kids will find Jacob Garden very interesting. Mommy was only half correct..

There are a few reasons why you mostly see expats or tourists here:

The treehouse playground at Jacob Children Garden

1) If your local kid is like my adverse-to-sand-in-my-toes son, he'd probably prefer the HDB playgrounds with the rubbermat ground.

The other playground at Jacob Ballas Children Garden

2) The design of the playground is too simple, not enough slides, no bridges, climbing areas and what nots, plus if one is taken by someone, you have to wait your turn. 

3) The waterplay area is just some fountains spraying water in the air, some shopping centres have water play areas that put Jacob Ballas Garden's water play area to shame. 

The Photosynthesis Activity Area where most of it are broken

4) The interactive photosynthesis activity area is spoiled and my kids didn't get to fully visualize what was supposed to be conveyed. 

That being said, the park is a nice place to stroll in though it can get pretty hot in Singapore's weather. I managed to show the kids some banana trees, calabash tree and even a fig tree! (I didn't know a fig tree can grow in Singapore)

The beautiful tree canopy, the trees are more than 100 years old if my memory serves me correctly

The Floating Platform where you can see water plants up close, there are even  few papyrus  plants (ambitious yes)

Taking cover from the heat at the kids size traditional huts :

I would have liked the stream near the mini waterfall to have some other colorful fishes other than the black catfish  and the water plants exhibits near the floating platform to have more variety and prominently labelled so that common people like me who know nuts about plants can answer more specifically when my kids ask "what's that?" rather than just answer generally "that's a water plant"

Look kids; banana tress! But why are the bananas green Mommy? That was my 4 year old question.

Look Kids another fruit tree! What fruit is it Mommy? Ermm.. let's find the sign.. ooohh Calabash! Never seen one before.

I didn't get to explore the spice garden as my kids kept asking for the playground with no sand. So, it's straight out from the children's garden, call for a cab (save this no +6565521111, you will need to call for cab since not many cab drive pass Jacob Ballas Garden's entrance) and straight to the nearest indoor playground  at Turf City (read about it here.)

Oh look a fig tree! Mommy was super excited and wondered whether she can pick and eat the fruit just like in Churchill Island. 

Sadly, this fig tree still is a young one it seems and the fruits doesn't look ripe