For someone who used to spend a lot of time at various indoor playgrounds having play dates, mummy dates, coffee dates (with the husband) and birthday parties in the last 4 years, I didn’t think another indoor playground could impress me. After all, it’s either they have a few slides, a huge ball pit, climbing structures so soft that even the kids can’t even get a firm step on while climbing or toys strewn around which often results in everyone fighting over the same toys. With 2 kids + accompanying adults, an outing to the indoor playground can easily cost $80 on entry alone, and this gets worse when no re-entry is allowed. Which means if I wanted to milk my money’s worth, I’d have to stay in throughout until the kids are ready to leave or our play time (which is usually 2 hours long) was up.
Hence when I visited My Little Giant, I was pleasantly surprised to discover a hidden gem of a playground within the nondescript Big Box . Not only did they marry the best of everything I’ve always liked in an indoor playground in their Playpark, they also had a section filled with life-size rides such as excavators (which is great for parents who haven’t got to bringing their kids to visit the popular diggersite like yours truly) and a monopoly-themed train, and a very fun and kids-friendly arcade which was perfect for Liam (now that he’s at the stage where he prefers arcade games to indoor play structures). Most importantly, there’s UNLIMITED playtime to their Playpark with UNLIMITED re-entries! Talk about maximum ROI!
But first, let’s have a preview of part 1 of My Little Giant: The Playpark
My kids were so excited checking out the playpark, running and climbing all over that I could barely keep up, let alone take proper, unshaken photos of them. Half way through I decided to give up the chase and video it on Instagram Stories (@so.nattyb) instead. I was fascinated by the many tunnels, slides, bridges and climbing structures. And what really stood out for me was how ADULT-FRIENDLY these structures were! I didn’t have problems going up and down quickly while following my kids nor did I have to hunch too much while navigating through the tunnels and bridges.
I was impressed by the number of different slides that were available, but one slide in particular stood out for me. It was the steepest and widest slide which led to a huge ball pit. I knew I had to get my adrenaline junkie 4-year-old to go on it and boy did he have so much fun. While I was a little bummed that adults weren’t allowed to go on it, I was very assured to see that there was dedicated staff manning the slide at the top and bottom to ensure a safe and fun experience. Perfect for parents who would like catch your kid sliding down in action on photo/video/boomerang without worrying that they might get pushed by another kid accidentally while getting ready to slide from the top too!
That wasn’t all My Little Giant’s Playpark had to offer. While playing catch with the kids, I climbed to the 3rd level and found myself staring unbelievably at a manual push train with its very own set of tracks! How ingenious! It didn’t matter that they already had a automated train in the outdoor area. I’ve learnt that there can never be too many trains! My train-loving Ollie was utterly excited when he saw it that he ran and climbed into the train, refusing to leave until someone volunteered to push him and his cousin around the track!
Unfortunately, the wheels got “derailed” from the track a few times, and the kiddos & helpers eventually got bored of “troubleshooting” the train (by lifting it back onto the rails) after 2 rounds. They decide to resume playing catch on levels 1 & 2 with some other kids while I took the opportunity to check out Part 2: The Games Area of My Little Giant.
Liam is currently at an “arcade” / games phase and whenever we walk past the brightly lighted arcades at Suntec City Tower 3, Punggol Waterway (B2), Nex (Level 4) or Changi Airport Terminal 3 (B2), he would never fail to ask if we can just go in for a bit to watch other people play.
What I really liked about The Games or Entertainment area of My Little Giant was that ALL of the games were kid-safe. There weren’t any machine guns, or violence or grotesque looking zombies on any of those games. Even their “shooting” games was interestingly executed by squirting water onto a screen instead of bullets.
The skilled games were also very easy to understand and play for my 4-year-old. For those who are wondering, you’d be pleased to know that no indoor playground admission is needed at this portion of My Little Giant! All you need is a game card with credits (which is great because lugging a bag full of tokens is heavy…), tap, and you’re good to start playing!
Games generally cost about $1.80 per game, which is way more affordable than the other arcades we’ve been to, and if you have the VIP card like we did, you get a slight discount of about $1.60 per game.
Besides games which would require some level of focus and motor skills, there were also ride available such as a rocket ride and a carousel plus a kinetic sand section. Don’t worry, you won’t need to insert $1 coins for this one. Like the skilled game machines, just a tap of the card and the rides start. I couldn’t believe the variety and range of activities they had available. No wonder my good friends Amazingly Still and BumbleBee Mum could stay there with their kids from morning to afternoon! It was absolutely funland for the kids!
Being the party planner mama that I am, I was thrilled to spot a very decent party space within the games /entertainment area, complete with a fridge and lots of seating and standing space for your guests! Complete with ample and affordable parking at Big Box, being located just across the Jurong East train station, me thinks this will make an awesome venue for birthday parties especially if your guests range from toddlers to bigger kids!
So back to all the things we enjoyed at My Little Giant, part 3 – the Outdoor Area was another highlight for us!
Liam and Ollie were so fascinated by the train (which costs about $2 or $4 per ride using your games card, I can’t remember) that they went on it twice consecutively. Ollie decided at the end of his 2nd round that he wanted to go on the train for a 3rd round while Liam decided to hop onto one of the 2 excavators that were available, for the first time!
With some guidance from the staff and co-ordination on his part, Liam managed to scoop balls into the container rather successfully. And when he was done, he ran into the indoor playground again for another few rounds of play with his cousins while mama here did a much-needed grocery buying at Big Box with the support of the husband who was happy to just station himself in front of the entrance to watch over the kids (& a phone to play his candy crush).
We spent a good 3 and half hours at My Little Giant before us adults decided to call it a day out of sheer exhaustion and hunger pangs. The kids left My Little Giant in such a happy mood, I was blessed to witness zero meltdowns before their early bedtime. Why pay for My Little Giant when there’s a Westgate Wonderland for free just across the road you might ask? Well, we do go to Westgate Wonderland whenever we’re around that area too, but in some ways, I like that My Little Giant is…
- weather proof and sheltered, which means it doesn’t matter if it’s raining, hazy or the weather is too hot from 12-3pm
- reasonably priced for unlimited play time and re-entries
- well maintained
- adult-friendly enough to follow our little ones (like Ollie’s age) around
- crowd-controlled to an extent that there are gatekeepers and staff all around the areas to ensure that kids don’t get too carried away and accidentally bump or run into other kids
- “contained” to a certain extend so that it’s easier to watch over the kids even if you’re catching up on social media or whatsapp
- you don’t have to pay for Playpark admission fees if all your kid(s) want is a go at some of the skilled games or to take a ride or two
Plus, if you’ve another adult with you, you can always get help in monitoring the kids while you go on a grocery shopping run at Big Box. They’ve got quite a good variety in seasoning sauces and good offers at the seafood section too. I managed to shop for some herbs and spices for my soups and bottles of Thai Seafood Dipping sauce the last time I was there too!
With the school holidays still in full swing, now will be a good time to check out My Little Giant and arrange play dates there! Considering that a Full Day Playpark Entry for both my 2 year old and 4 year old on a weekend will cost me $40 inclusive free entry for 2 accompanying adults, I’d say this is a steal! You can even start and end your day at one of the many dining options available at JEM or Westgate. Oh how I wished I stayed in the West now.
Interested to read more details and other mama’s perspective on My Little Giant? Check out BumbleBee Mum’s and Amazingly Still’s reviews.
GIVEAWAY ALERT (10 Dec to 16 Dec 2016)
‘Tis the season of merry making and gifting, I have 3 sets of 2 Playpark entries + 2 Rides from My Little Giant to giveaway to 3 readers! All you have to do to enter the giveaway is to complete the options in the widget below. The more you enter, the higher your chances. Best of luck! Contest runs from 10 Dec to 16 Dec 2016.
My Little Giant
Big Box Level 1
1 Venture Avenue
Singapore 608521
🕚 Monday to Friday: 11am to 10pm
🕙 Saturday and Sunday: 10am to 10pm
💌 ask@mylittlegiant.sg
For more information, visit their Facebook page.
Disclaimer: We were invited to an afternoon of fun at My Little Giant for the purpose of this media review and received complimentary entry to the Playpark, along with games card for each child. All opinions, comments documented on this post are entirely my own.
Jazry Chan
jazry.shop@gmail.com
I like the unlimited play. Cfm cfm cfm ROI!!!
Hahah yah super ROI!
Let’s go again another day! But come earlier next time okay.. Unlimited playtime should go from morning! :p
Yes let’s go again! And also go over to Westgate or JEM for a meal in between 🙂
Unlimited playtime and re-enteries! Wow! Spent almost a whole day at the playpark at 10mile Junction and thought that was worth the $$. This will be way better.
Woooo!! This was lots of fun! Even I didn’t feel bored throughout the entire play time! 🙂
unlimited play and that excavator has keagan’s name on it!!
yah!!! i love unlimited play cause can go in and out as much as you want! don’t have to think “aiyah waste money!”