Here are the 8 best kid-friendly routes to explore on two-wheels with your family on your next cycling trip!
Our little red dot may be a concrete jungle but scattered around this small island are green spaces with flourishing flora and fauna, providing a breath of fresh air from the usual skyscraper buildings. You can enjoy a leisurely stroll at these parks or you can pick up a two-wheel to explore the scenic nature scapes.
If you opt to go cycling with your kids, here are some of the best spots that are child-friendly and provide a pretty view to make your weekend!
1. West Coast Park
Source: National Parks Board
Start: West Coast Park
Known more for its sprawling play space rather than it’s cycling track, West Coast Park is quite a hidden gem. Though you won’t come across flower fields cycling through the park, the foliage, sea-breeze and crowd-less space will allow you to have a tranquil cycling experience. Additionally, the tracks here are flat, so you don’t have to fret about your little tots having difficulties in maneuvering their wheels.
Don’t worry if you don’t own a bicycle (or if you don’t want to lug your two-wheels all the way to the park), you can rent a bicycle instead! And if all that pedaling has made your stomach rumble, there’s a McDonald’s where you can refuel or you can prepare a picnic beforehand to enjoy with the view of the sunset at the park.
2. East Coast Park
Source: National Parks Board
Start: East Coast Park
East Coast Park is a well-loved spot for indulging in a variety of sporting activities, including cycling. In addition to cyclists, runner and skaters also hit the tracks, making it a busy hub but the seaside views make the route worth it. Though you might want to plan your cycling trip earlier in the day and iterate safety rules to your kids before setting off.
To try your hand at fancy maneuvers, you can hit the Cyclist Park. With gentle slopes, flat areas and obstacles like undulating tracks, the park, which has two circuits – the Learner and the Advanced Circuit – allows both beginners and experienced cyclists to hone their techniques.
The park has several bicycle rental shops offering children’s bikes, family bikes and normal bikes, among others, so you won’t have to miss out on a two-wheel trip around the park. Also located within the massive East Coast Park is a massive playground. Reward your little ones with a trip to the Marine Cove Playground, where the climbing structures, slides and swings are sure to excite them. You can then complete your trip with a meal-break at one of the many restaurants on the premise.
3. Eastern Coastal Loop
Source: National Parks Board
Start: East Coast Park
Stretching from East Coast Park to Pasir Ris Town Park, the Eastern Coastal Loop provides an adventurous cycling route. At about 18 km distance, the route might seem like quite a hurdle to undertake with little kids.
Instead of attempting the whole stretch at one-go, make pit-stops along the way to catch your breath as well as to enjoy the flora and fauna. Your cycling trip will bring you pass jetties providing scenic views, open grasslands, wetlands, and rainforest. Of course, you don’t just have to stop for the pretty views, you can also stop for refreshments at places like the East Coast Lagoon Food Village and Bedok Food Centre.
An alternate route from the East Coast Park will take you to the city center, bringing you pass Gardens by the Bay, Marina Barrage and the Singapore Flyer.
4. Rower’s Bay Park
Source: National Parks Board
Start: Rower’s Bay Park
Part of the first phase of the Round Island Route, a 150 km Park Connector Network set to connect all the parks in Singapore, Rower’s Bay Park is not just an ideal spot to catch the sunrise and sunset, but it also has some great amenities.
In addition to a boardwalk that brings you closer to the water, a lookout pavilion, swales and a wetland, the park also boasts shelters with solar-powered USB charging points, a toilet, a self-help bicycle repair station, and F&B vending machines.
If you haven’t had enough exploring, you can continue on your journey to Seletar Aerospace Park and to The Oval where you’ll find two small aviation-themed playgrounds. Situated amidst colonial houses that have been refurbished into F&B establishments, you won’t have to venture far when your little ones start feeling the pangs of hunger after a day of play.
5. Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park
Source: National Parks Board
Start: Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park
With its lush greenery, easy-to-navigate path, nature spots, and playgrounds, the vast Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park makes for an ideal cycling route to explore with the kids. The naturalized river that meanders through the park is probably the first thing that comes to mind when you think of the Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park. Next has to be its three playgrounds – a water play area, an adventure playground and an inclusive playground.
The park has much more to offer though, such as the Butterfly Habitat, featuring a variety of butterfly-attracting plants; the Recycle Hill, the foundation of which is made from concrete slabs salvaged from the old Kallang canal; the Cleansing Biotope, a series of specially engineered wetland cells that offers the effective treatment of river and pond water while maintaining a natural-looking environment, and; the Forest Walk, a 300 m stretch of trees.
6. Punggol Waterway Park
Source: First Stop Singapore
Start: Punggol Promenade
Consisting of four themed areas of picturesque landscapes, the Punggol Waterway Park makes for a fab spot to explore on two wheels. Even if you have to travel from the other end of Singapore. Don’t let the thought of lugging your bike all the way out there hinder your nature escapade. You can rent bicycles at Bikes @ Waterway at SAFRA Punggol; it’s a short 5-min walk from the park.
The water playground at the park is closed due to the current pandemic. Instead, you can enjoy scenic views of the waterways as well as the flourishing flora and fauna.
7. Bedok Reservoir Park
Source: National Parks Board
Start: Bedok Reservoir Park
The Bedok Reservoir Park, which was once a sand quarry, is a popular destination amongst sports enthusiasts. The tranquil atmosphere of the park makes it an ideal location to go for a run, ride, skate, or even a stroll. You will also find people engaging in water sports.
The park’s 4.3 km bicycle track goes around the reservoir and is a mixture of flat pavement and pebbly paths, which might make the trail more fun. But if your little tykes do end up getting bored, you can dismount for a short break and take a trip to the floating deck, which offers a picturesque view of the reservoir. There’s also a small sand playground located near the car park that will put them in a cheery mood again, or you can sit down and admire the scenery.
8. Pasir Ris Park
Source: National Parks Board
Start: Pasir Ris Park
Pasir Ris Park is right up there with both East Coast and West Coast Parks. Its playground is one of the largest in Singapore, featuring impressive climbing structures, sensory play elements, rope bridges, swings, as well as inclusive play equipment, among others.
If you choose Pasir Ris Park for your next conquest in your family’s cycling journey, whether attracted by the massive playground or the beach setting, you can rest assured as the park’s 7 km cycling track is well-maintained, relatively flat and easy to navigate.
If you feel up for an adventure in the wild, head to the mangrove boardwalk, which meanders through the small mangrove forest. You will be able to get up-close with the residents like fireflies, crabs, mudskippers, and birds. Snakes have also been occasionally spotted dozing in the trees.
Please be advised that some park connectors may be temporarily closed for upgrading works as well as certain areas in the park, so do check with National Parks Board while planning your trip beforehand.
