Among other things Singapore’s Changi Airport promotes itself as family friendly.
Well just how family friendly is it when you are stuck in transit with kids?
On our recent holiday to Penang with our child we transit through Changi Airport Singapore when we fly from Perth with Singapore Airlines.
We arrive into Terminal 2 in Singapore’s Changi Airport at 11:55am. We have 1 hour and 25 minutes to kill until our next flight departs from the same terminal.
Last year I wrote a Pinterest post of Family Friendly Airports, Changi was one that popped up with a cool looking Family Zone, Entertainment Deck and Playground.
So I am on the hunt to discover this area.
First up Lewis grabs a hand luggage trolley. He loves pushing our hand luggage bags around the terminal. I spend the entire time stressing he will crash into someone 😮 .
Singapore is known for its orchids and beautiful gardens and even the airport does not disappoint.
We stop to take pictures at the lovely indoor Orchid Garden and Koi Fish Pond. Lewis delights in strutting poses in front of the multicoloured floral displays, on the wooden bridges, and against the ornate metal railing.
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- Changi Airport
We move along trying to locate the family zone; I can’t find any signage pointing the way.
As we continue to walk through Changi Airport we come across free industrial looking baby strollers – what a great idea!!!
Complimentary Stroller
Still on the hunt for the elusive family zone and we find a fun interactive stencil/tracing activity. There is loads of paper and crayons with plenty of different stencils to create your own stunning pictures. Thers is lots of room for everyone around the very long wooden table.
We end up spending quite some time here. Before we know it we have used up our free time and it is time to find the gate.
So we walk down the pier, use the travelators and see cool little groups of frog statues playing musical instruments. Parents have their kids lined up to have their picture taken with them.
Then its time for a quick pee stop before boarding. One of the cubicles has a baby seat hanging off the wall, so you don’t have to juggle baby whilst in the loo – another great idea if transiting with a baby.
We pass through security and into the holding area. I wonder off to fill Lewis’s water bottle at the drinking fountain, I look out through the glass and see a small playground – oh well 🙁 .
It is not the one I had seen on the Airports website but a smaller one.
The main family zone and activity area – well – we never find it, even on the return flights. However we did find so many other fun things to amuse Lewis, not to mention the baby items (that we no longer need), we easily occupied our transit time with a child to help burn off his energy before the next flight.
PS. According to the maps on the Changi Airport website the family zone was upstairs in Terminal 2 (just not where we looked).
Have you been in transit at a great family friendly airport?
I always find heaps of great things to do at this airport, and there is always more to discover. Makes any stopovers bearable, which is great! Thanks for joining in my #wednesdaywanderlust travel link party this week 🙂
Yes Malinda there is often more than just shopping to do at the airport when you are in transit.
Last time we were in Singapore we flew out at 2 a.m. in the morning. Nowhere is child or even adult friendly at that time of day. It looked like a great airport but the area near the boarding gate had hardly any seats which was a problem when everyone was so tired.
Been there Lyn, there is nothing worse than hanging around at that hour of the morning waiting for a flight with no chairs, especially when you are waiting to enter the holding area that is filled with chairs yet no people.
Oh I can’t wait to check out this airport ourselves next year. I noticed a swimming pool in the terminal when I was there pre-kids. That sounds like a winner with my water loving ones if we have to stay in the airport for any extended period.
Oh wow a swimming pool. I didn’t know about that Danielle.
Great idea to have stuff for kids to do at airports. Otherwise they can be very boring places indeed.
There is only so much window shopping you can do isn’t there Jess?
I’m off to Changi in a few weeks so will definitely have to check out the family offerings. The best airport I found for kids, little girls at least, is in Taipei where there is a hello Kitty boarding lounge.
Oh how cute Aleney, girls would love that.
I’m off to Changi in a few weeks so will definitely have to check out the family offerings. The best airport I found for kids, little girls at least, is in Taipei where there is a hello Kitty boarding gate
One of the fun things we’ve done while in transit at Changi is the Dr Fish pedicure – where you stick your feet in tanks full of Gararufa fish and they nibble the dead skin off your feet. It’s a little bit gross and a whole lot hilarious all at the same time! Changi transit also has a movie theatre and swimming pool.
I love the Dr Fish pedicures Fairlie. The first time I had one was in Bali – the sensation was amazing.
I’ve been to Changi Airport but that was prekids so I didn’t look out for the family zone. I know I definitely will now! Such a shame you never got there but how awesome is it that you found so many other wonderful things for entertainment.
This is what I love about travel Grace, you can be in search of one thing but discover so many other great things to do and see.
Thanks for posting this. We’re actually heading to Singapore in a couple of months so I’m glad my little ones will be catered for. Speaking of airports – it’s worth checking out the one in Fiji’s Savusavu. Nothing but a tin roof and a chalkboard – my six year old was shocked!
It is amazing Dilvin how airports go from one extreme to another. I remember flying into Harare where there was a tin shed to process everyone through customs and 3 jumbo planes from major airlines had just landed. Then you go to KLIA or Singapore where it is just so lush.
Travelling with kids can be a bit of a challenge sometimes, so it’s always refreshing to find places which are child friendly. Changi airport looks pretty cool for kids! 🙂
It is one of the best airports we have found for kids Lyndall.