The first time we took our children to the Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden, it was closed. It happened to be a Monday and we didn't realize that the garden was closed on that particular day of the week (uncharacteristically, I hadn't deemed it important to check before visiting 😒). Since then, it had always been on my mind to take them there again but it never happened.
For the uninitiated, Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden located in the Singapore Botanic Gardens is the first garden in Asia dedicated to children. Its theme of ‘Life on Earth Depends on Plants’ aims to educate and instill a love for nature in children. The garden is a complete nature-learning environment, where children can delve deeper into the ecology of plants and our environment through discovery and experiential learning.
Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden was already huge but it was upgraded not too long ago with an extension which has made it even bigger and better. It is a hugely popular outdoor attraction for families with young children in Singapore.
A few months ago, we were finally able to schedule a visit to the garden and the girls were looking forward to it. It was a scorching hot Saturday morning but we bravely ventured out. It has been a while since we visited the Singapore Botanic Gardens so we walked through parts of it before making our way to the Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden.
I had tried for several weeks to secure a lunch reservation at The Halia or Bee's Knees as a refreshment pitstop after a visit to the garden but all my attempts were in vain. Instead, we ended up having a relaxed brunch at Little Spot (formerly known as Food for Tots), a family-friendly café located by the entrance of Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden.
The 40-seater eco-conscious café features an upcycled colander light installation, themed recycling bins and a potted herb wall – all to instill a love for nature in its visitors. Diners have a selection of popular breakfast/brunch items like a full western breakfast, avocado toast, granola yoghurt bowl, pancakes, croissants, buddha bowls, fish & chips, burgers, pasta as well as hot and cold beverages.
