11 Things to Do in Singapore During the March School Holidays 2018

It’s the school holidays here on the sunny island of Singapore and there are loads of events lined up throughout the month for visitors and locals alike. Whether it’s basking in the glow of Asia’s biggest light art festival, bouncing around in the largest experiential inflatable playground, checking out Japan’s quintessential cherry blossoms or visiting the latest exhibitions and concerts – there’s something for everyone. We’ve rounded up the top 11 things that you can do with the kids during this March holiday break!

1. Channel your inner troll at Universal Studios Singapore

Draped in a blanket of colours and Trolls-themed decorations, enter the glittery realm of DreamWorks Animation’s Trolls with TrollsTopia at Universal Studios Singapore.

Be mesmerised by the two new, spectacular musical shows – TrollsTopia and Hug Time Trio! Set against a shimmery rainbow-inspired Hollywood Lagoon stage, groove to the beats of Trollstastic soundtrack hits such as Justin Timberlake’s ‘Can’t Stop The Feeling’ with Princess Poppy and the Hug Time Trio.

Those seeking to level up their gaming experience can try two immersive virtual reality (VR) games – Troll Art and Beat Feats, exclusively available at the Hollywood China Arcade. Wear the VR goggles and be transported to the land of Trolls with Poppy and Branch, where you can unleash your creativity and paint your own 3D virtual world. For some adrenaline rush, hop over to its neighbour, Beat Feats, a VR music video game and try to ‘bash the beats’ from the soundtrack of Trolls.

Other highlights include a S$10 face or hand painting of Poppy and Branch at Trollify Yourself, and Glitterpalooza, a glittery confetti wonderland where you can catch exciting prizes flying in the air.

When?
9 Mar-29 Apr 2018
Admission fee is included in regular theme park charges. Additional charges apply for the VR experiences and Trollify Yourself. Check out more details on the website.

2. Be mesmerised by stunning light installations at Asia’s leading light art festival

Our favourite light-art festival is back! i Light Marina Bay has won over many fans throughout the years with its sustainable message and smorgasbord of Insta-worthy backdrops and this year’s event will be no different. The organisers have extended the festival venue beyond Marina Bay to Esplanade Park and introduced four event hubs so it’s set to be bigger and better than ever!

A total of 22 installations from over 14 countries will be showcased, all of which are designed with energy-saving lighting or recycled materials. Let your imagination take flight when you feast your eyes on Dreamscape – an utterly wondrous display of gigantic luminous orchids at Anderson Bridge. For a thought-provoking and beautiful commentary on the amount of waste we generate in our lives, head to Esplanade Bridge and walk through Transistable Plastic. It features rows of illuminated rotating panels made up of PET bottles contributed by the public. The kids will also lap up Milk Bottle Cows, a series of life-sized luminous ‘cows’, made out of some 2,000 plastic milk bottles.

Also read: 5 Things to Do at Asia’s Leading Sustainable Light Art Festival — i Light Marina Bay Singapore 2018

When?
9 Mar-1 Apr 2018
Free admission. Head over to their website for the latest updates!

3. Monkey around at the largest experiential inflatable playground

Boasting a massive imaginative play garden filled with colourful inflatable characters, Art-Zoo promises loads of bouncy fun for both the young and the young at heart!

Come wrestle the otter family, search for the gentle Yeti and take a kaleidoscopic slide down the Magical Rainbow. There are over 10 inflatables to explore so both you and the kids will have the time of your lives bouncing around on every single one!

When?
9 Mar-1 Apr 2018
Ticketing details can be found here.

4. Get a massive dose of family fun and excitement at the Festival of Fun

Held at Clarke Quay, the Singapore Festival of Fun offers three zones of fun – the Nickelodeon Fiesta, Street Fest and Magner’s International Comedy Festival.

The Nickelodeon Fiesta will draw in the kids like a magnet and they’ll have fabulous fun taking photos with their favourite Nickelodeon characters, participating in a themed treasure hunt and playing carnival games! The Street Fest will bring the excitement up a notch, serving up thrilling acts and death-defying stunts from London Covent Garden’s street performers. Watch Bendy Em contort herself into a tiny glass box, Betty Brawn lift up grown men without breaking a sweat and Rob Roy Collins escape from his straitjacket while hanging upside down. Catch these and other exhilarating performances when you come down for the Festival of Fun!

Also read: Singapore Festival of Fun 2018: Who, What and When

When?
8-18 Mar 2018
Get in on the fun and visit their website for more details!

5. Explore the arts in your neighbourhood

Arts in Your Neighbourhood (AYN) returns for its 10th edition! A programme under the Arts for All initiative by the National Arts Council, the bi-annual festival usually spotlights a particular town and, this year, it’s Ang Mo Kio’s turn to shine.

There are around 50 activities scheduled in various locations across the island and some of these will pay tribute to the chosen town. Be sure to check out Stop and Smell the Ang Mo Dan!, a series of visual installations that draws its inspiration from the history of Ang Mo Kio. In Tell Me an (Ang Mo Kio) Story, you’ll learn about the stories and secrets of the town through the eyes of those who know it best – the residents – in a photo exhibition.

Another must-see is the Nomadic Art Caravan. An open carpark at Ang Mo Kio Central will be transformed into a mini art carnival ground, complete with music, dance, theatre and even larger-than-life heritage game sets. It’s definitely the perfect place to take gorgeous photos, have fun and learn more about history and culture with the kids!

Also read: 5 Instagram Worthy Walls in Singapore that Have More Meaning Than You Think

When?
8-25 Mar 2018
For the full programme, visit their website and follow their FB page to keep up to date!

6. Let your imagination run wild at National Gallery Singapore

Keppel Centre for Art Education has introduced two new interactive exhibits at National Gallery –Wandering in Black and White and Who’s by the River – created by Singaporean artist, Liu Kang, which kids and the young at heart are bound to fall head over heels with.

Whether it is playing ‘hide and seek’ in mini-houses, building imaginary cities and skylines with 3D printed charcoal blocks and hidden torches, or experimenting with sounds using talk tubes, Wandering in Black and White at Art Playscape, a collaboration with Singaporean artist Tang Ling Nah, allows you to unleash your creativity in an imaginary urban cityscape with familiar Singapore architectures including HDB void decks and MRT transits.

Over at City Hall Foyer, Who’s by the River immerses you in a lively kampong scene and allows you to design your own story with your own characters to suit the changing village scenes. The best thing is you get to watch these imaginary characters come alive and interact with one another.

When?
10 Mar 2018 – TBC
Free admission. Visit their website for more information!

7. Dive deep into design at Singapore Design Week

If you’re into design, you won’t want to miss Singapore Design Week (SDW)! A celebration of all things design, the annual event is back with its fifth instalment this year and is jam-packed with activities, programmes and events. Here are some of the must-sees!

Check out the District Design Dialogue in Holland Village and the Urban Design Festival in Tanjong Pagar – the latest additions to the annual event lineup. Design creatives have taken over these two districts to create buzzing mini-festivals. Expect live music, film screenings, creative workshops, interesting pop-ups and an interactive ‘design route’.

What’s unique about the mini-festival at Holland Village is that residents of 10 black-and-white terrace houses at Chip Bee Gardens will be opening up their homes to the public. Stop by the houses after wandering the streets of Holland Village and you’re guaranteed to find something interesting – pop-up shops where you can indulge in some retail therapy, a film screening or even an exhibition on fashion, art or furniture – all of which will take place right in the middle of the residents’ living rooms!

The kids can also join in the fun and sign up for the many creative workshops tailored especially for them. From learning how to code their very own robot-pet to finding out how to make gelato from scratch, there’s bound to be something that will attract the children’s interest.

The mini-fest at Tanjong Pagar is equally interesting. A key highlight is the Urban Design Route. Walk this interactive design trail with the family and discover the various engaging art installations dotted around the neighbourhood. It’s a great way for everyone to learn more and join in the conversation about placemaking and urban design!

There’s also the Bugis Arts Sprawl x SDW 2018 at Bras Basah where you can explore the vibrant and bustling arts and heritage district through the lens of design. There’ll be a variety of activities and programmes ranging from street graffiti, performances, art markets, interactive installations and many more. Be sure not to miss Singaplural 2018 as well! A mainstay of SDW, it features the best of design from the local and international scene.

When?

District Design Dialogue in Holland Village
10-18 Mar 2018
For more details, click here.

Urban Design Festival in Tanjong Pagar
14-18 Mar 2018
Visit their website to find out more!

Bras Basah. Bugis Arts Sprawl
16-17 Mar 2018
For the full line-up, click here.

Singaplural 2018
5-18 Mar 2018
Click here for more details.

8. Experience the beautiful sakura season right here in Singapore

Can’t make it to Japan? Don’t fret – we’ll bring Japan to you. This March, catch Japan’s iconic sakura flowers right here in Singapore as Gardens by the Bay brings back its popular cherry blossoms floral display.

Visitors can stroll through the Flower Dome and delight in the sakura displays, which are set against an anime-inspired backdrop. And if you’re a fan of anime, head for the Supertree Grove, which will be transformed into an Anime Garden. Meet celebrity cosplayers, sing along in anisong (anime song) concerts and be there to watch the little ones go wild when they spot the Pikachu parade! To complete your hanami experience, visit the Sakura Japan Fair for some delicious food and retail gems from the Land of the Rising Sun.

When?

Sakura Matsuri
16 Mar-8 Apr 2018

Anime Garden
17-18 Mar 2018

Sakura Japan Fair
30 Mar-8 Apr 2018
For more info, click here.

9. Scare yourself silly when you embark on Haw Par Villa’s twilight tour

If you thought visiting Haw Par Villa during the day was scary enough, then walking through the park’s 10 courts of hell at night will surely be an experience like no other. Sign up for Haw Par Villa’s deliciously spooky tour, JOURNEYS TO HELL: Death and the Afterlife, and you’ll get a sneak peek of its upcoming ‘Hell’s Museum’, roam around the infamous courts of hell after dark and learn how some locals communicate with those from the great beyond.

When?
Every Friday night (excluding public holidays).
More details can be found here.

10. Take a walk in the city and ponder over public artworks

Spend enough time walking around the city and you would have noticed a number of sculptures or artworks dotting the landscape. What are they and why were they made? Find out when you register for one of the free guided Public Art Walking Tours! Choose from any of the three trails on offer – Art in the Civic District: The Must-see Public Art Downtown, Made in Singapore: Public Art by Singapore Artists and Form, Shape, Colour & Line: Abstraction in Public Art and learn the story behind the sculptures.

Led by the lovely people from ACT 3 International, the tours will be entertaining as well as informative. It’ll make a great morning walk for the entire family – just make sure you dig into a hearty breakfast beforehand!

When?
25 Mar 2018
Register here. For more info, visit their website.

11. Explore the cultural heritage of Vietnam

As part of its Asian Culture & Music series this month, the Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM) will be shining a spotlight on the rich cultural heritage of Vietnam. Experience up close the rare art form of Vietnamese water puppetry performance, be captivated by the melodious strains of the Dan Da, a traditional Vietnamese lithophone, or pick up unique local crafting skills from an experienced Vietnamese crafter.

If that’s not enough, you can also check out the March instalment of its Saturdays@ACM programme, Pho-nomenal Vietnam. Watch interesting folk stories come to life, marvel at the beautiful traditional cultural performances and try your hand at making a masterpiece inspired by the artefacts in the ACM collection.

When?

Asian Culture Music Series – Vietnam
30-31 Mar 2018

Saturdays@ACM: Pho-nomenal Vietnam
31 Mar 2018
For the latest updates, click here!

And there you have it – 11 things to do in Singapore this March holiday week! Need more inspiration? Why not check out 20 Fun Outing Ideas in Singapore Under SGD 20 and 17 Exciting FREE Things to Do in Singapore That You Never Knew About too? Enjoy!