Home to some incredible family focused museums, there's no shortage of educational days out for kids in Singapore. From the MINT Museum of Toys, an incredible treasure trove of vintage toys, to the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, home to some of the best natural history exhibitions in Asia, there's something available to keep every little one entertained. For an artistic and interactive learning experience, head to the ArtScience Museum in the stunning Marina Bay area, or for a quaint and historic day out, Singapore Philatelic Museum - close to heritage site Fort Canning Park - is a great bet. Even the National Museum of Singapore has incredibly clever curation which makes learning about Singapore's past a fun-filled experience.
Singapore Philatelic Museum
Housed in a spectacular colonial era building, the Singapore Philatelic Museum (in photo) is home to a charming collection of postage stamps and memorabilia, teaching kids about the postal history of Singapore by using a well-preserved collection of characterful vintage stamps. The museum houses a changing array of travelling exhibitions too, recent displays have included The Little Prince: Behind the Story, where the colourful life of renowned author Antoine de Saint-Exupéry is illuminated through stamps, personal letters, illustrations and books, bringing the well-loved story into focus in a charming way. The permanent Heritage Room is also worth a visit, which tells the story of Singapore's colourful cultural heritage in a unique philatelic way.
MINT Museum of Toys
Head to this incredible building at 26 Seah Street, in the historic Bras Basah neighbourhood, to explore a charming collection of vintage toys and collectibles. The building itself has won awards for its contemporary architecture, seamlessly updating the heritage area with a complimentary 21st century style. Take the lift up to level five to begin your tour, and take in the charming pieces which make up the Outerspace section - from 1950s Japanese robot toys to vintage Star Wars action figures. Next, visit the Characters section - where antique collectables of beloved characters like Batman, Tintin and Astroboy are displayed. From there on, you'll be treated to the Childhood Favourites area, where Mickey Mouse and Betty Boop toys are housed, and the Collectables level, where everything from 1960s Beatles memorabilia to toys celebrating Queen Elizabeth II's coronation are on display. Both kids and adults will be enthralled by this charming museum.
Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum
Even seeing this contemporary Natural History Museum from the outside is an experience you won't want to miss - inspired by nature, it combines a rock-like outer structure with a landscape deck overflowing with tropical plants. Built to house spectacular tropical pieces from the historic Raffles Collection, the institution is still involved with research into biodiversity and is regularly updated with new discoveries. The highlights of the museum include the Slice of the Changi Tree, a rare species of tree that is believed to be locally extinct, and the Dinosaurs exhibit, with three diplodocid sauropod fossils on display - they were discovered in the last decade in the tiny town of Ten Sleep, in the United States.
ArtScience Museum
One of the best museums for children in Singapore, the ArtScience Museum is housed in a spectacular lotus-shaped piece of architecture designed by Moshe Safdie as part of the Marina Bay Sands complex. The museum contains a series of incredible interactive exhibitions which seamlessly blend art and science. Your kids will be sure to have a unique educational experience here, particularly at the permanent exhibition space, the ArtScience Gallery. Part of this gallery is ‘Future World: Where Art Meets Science' - a must visit, it's the world's first permanent digital art gallery, where 16 interactive installations allow kids and adults to immerse themselves in art. Sketch Aquarium, one of the installations here, populates a digital aquarium with the creativity of its visitors, as everyone is invited to draw their own sea creature and then watch it swim and interact with other digital fish.
National Museum of Singapore
The oldest museum in Singapore, this beautiful colonial-era space is kept updated with contemporary exhibitions and technology, creating an educational and impressive exhibition space. Focusing on stories about Singapore, don't miss taking a look around their permanent exhibitions. The Singapore History Gallery charts the narrative of Singapore's history, using a mixture of historic and contemporary art, ancient and modern objects, sound recordings and compelling written descriptions - which together tell a unique and fascinating story of how today's Singapore came to be.