Ways to entertain your young ones at Changi Airport

Taking a holiday with children is meant to be a joyful experience, but parents often dread the actual travel element. Long transit periods just add to the stress, making children fatigued and unhappy. However, at Changi Airport, there are plenty of fun options to keep children entertained. And as they enjoy themselves, parents, too, can take a break.

Rooftop swimming, butterflies fluttering on your skin, and unique Singaporean works of art are just a few of the cool ways to keep kids entertained during a stopover at Changi Airport. The best part of this is, once they have had their fill, your young ones are likely to fall into a deep sleep right after you board your next flight, leaving you to relax during the next leg of your journey.

Interactive art

Children can create their own masterpieces at Changi Airport

Kids love being active and at Changi Airport, you’ll find several interactive displays and artistic activities at all three terminals. Encourage your little budding artist to try his hand at the Wood Block Rubbing Stations at Terminals 1 and 3. This was a popular art form in Singapore in the 1950s and 1960s. Designed by local artist Justin Lee, each print is a unique Singaporean icon. Kids will love creating their own original masterpieces using the provided crayons and paper.

At Terminal 3, kids can marvel at a pygmy wall art piece that features 'cockroaches', which seemingly hide and reappear at will. And in Terminal 1, the young and old alike are sure to be captivated by “Kinetic Rain”, a collection of over 1,200 bronze droplets that ripple seamlessly to create different shapes.

Kids love being active and at Changi Airport, you’ll find several interactive displays and artistic activities at all three terminals.

Hop into the garden

The gardens at Changi will not only keep children entertained, they might also learn a thing or two as they marvel at their beauty

Escape from reality at Changi Airport’s gardens

If your children are nature lovers, there’s no better place for them to be than Changi. While awaiting your next flight, teach your young ones a thing or two about nature. Changi Airport has several beautifully maintained public gardens across all three terminals for the young nature enthusiasts to enjoy.

The Enchanted Garden at Terminal 2 will entrance kids with magical plants that are seemingly alive. Motion sensors trigger sounds and sights while LED lighting forms a pathway that sparkles as you walk. Or get out into the open air in the rooftop Sunflower Garden, where hundreds of cheerful yellow blooms overlook the planes taxiing down the runway.

Over at Terminal 3, children will love getting up close and personal with over 1,000 beautiful butterflies at the tropical Butterfly Garden, complete with a 6-metre waterfall.

Playground heaven

Young kids and toddlers will love the elaborate playgrounds in each of Changi Airport’s terminals. There are slides, climbing frames, puzzles and lots of new friends to play with.

Terminal 3 has the biggest playground with activities for both younger and older kids. Parents won’t miss out either, with a cafe right next to the playground. Adventurous kids will love Singapore's tallest slide – 4-stories or 12m tall. The enclosed slide loops down at a speed of up to six metres per second. Spend S$10 at the airport to be eligible for a ride. For a shorter slide experience, try the slide at Basement 2. It’s only 1.5 stories-tall and is free of charge.

A swim, movie and games

Children and parents can take a refreshing dip in the pool at the Transit Hotel at Terminal 1

Kids and parents alike will enjoy a refreshing swim in the rooftop pool at The Transit Hotel in Terminal 1. Younger kids will also love the view of the runway and aircraft parking bays.

Changi Airport has two family-friendly movie theatres, screening different films, in Terminal 2 and Terminal 3. They include the latest FOX movies and family movies in every genre. The theatres are free of charge and open 24 hours.

Console kids and young-at-heart parents will also love the entertainment deck at Terminal 2. There are free LAN games, Xbox 360 and Kinect, PlayStation 3 and an MTV booth.

With so many activities at Changi Airport to captivate the kids, your biggest problem might be getting them to leave.