Jacob Ballas Children Garden

Jacob Ballas – Asia’s First Children Garden

I had never heard or been to Jacob Ballas Garden until last month.  Although it is part of the Singapore Botanic Gardens, it is less well-known.  Either it is a well kept secret or it is not well advertised.   I would say the later is more likely as my little son had told me that he had come here during his school field excursion.   In any case, if you are same as me not knowing the place, you will be glad that now you will know this place much better and hopefully to visit this lovely garden after this review. 

We went there in the morning after taking our breakfast at Mr. Prata and the Garden is just situated on another street parallel to the restaurant.   Initially we thought it could be located beside or inside Singapore Botanical Gardens but the friendly receptionist gave us a brochure with map to guide us to the Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden.   I guess most people don’t know the park because it is situated in an University campus.  You need to get through NUS Bukit Timah Campus’ carpark gantry before you could see it on the right hand side.   Maybe Singapore Botanical Garden should put a poster somewhere in there to advertise more about this interesting Garden.

Don’t be fooled or hindered by the word “Children’s Garden”. Although Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden is the first garden built specially for children in Asia, adults can entered and they will enjoy as much as the kids.   It is dedicated to all children of Singapore and visitors and it is designed to provide unique discovery and learning experiences in a garden setting.

It is also a nature lover’s paradise where your kids and you can  learn about flora and fauna.  This Children’s Garden has an educational purpose to cultivate an appreciation for plants, nature and the environment among the young through play and exploration.

It provide a fun place for nature education by creating as a unique and interactive fun place where children and even adults can discover how plants provide their daily needs. It also gives children a first introduction to the life sciences.

My kids love the Tree House the most and I guess that applies to most children.    I love tree house myself and it is always linked to many childhood fantasies. 

The tree house is big enough for many children to climb up at any single point of time and your children could explore the many paths up and down the tree house.  The tree house is easily the main attraction of this park for most children.   

Another attraction for children is the wet water playground.   Bring another set of clothes to change if you are intending to allow your children to play in there.  It is usually crowded with many fun-seeking children, especially a very tempting attraction during a very hot day.

As the brochure said, “Experiences in the Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden will stimulate a sense of wonder for the plant world and provide happy memories for our child visitors”.

You might also want to visit

As the following places of interest are nearby, you may want to combined your trip with any of the followings:

    Snacks and mealtime at the Mr. Prata
    Botanical Garden

Main Attractions in the Garden

   Children playground – Wet and Dry Playground
    Beautiful Pond
    Waterfall
    Learning via explorations. Hands-On Experiments
    Tree House

Opening Hours

8.00am – 7.00pm (last admission at 6.30pm)
The Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden is closed on Mondays (except when it falls on a designated public holiday)

Admission Fees

FREE!   All children have to be accompanied by an adult.

Location

Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden
481 Bukit Timah Road S(259769)

See Map

Toilet

Clean public toilets In the premises.

Getting There

By Car or Taxi

• From Dunearn Road – At the Dunearn-Kheam Hock Road junction, turn right to enter NUS Bukit Timah Campus. Turn right into Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden after car park gantry.
• From Bukit Timah Road – At the Bukit Timah-Kheam Hock Road junction, turn left to enter NUS Bukit Timah Campus. Turn right into Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden after car park gantry.

Parking is available at Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden and NUS Bukit Timah Campus.

By Bus
SBS Bus No. 48, 66, 151, 153, 154, 156, 170, 186 and SMRT Bus No. 67, 171. Alight along Bukit Timah Road, NUS Bukit Timah Campus bus stop.

Contacts

Visitor Services
Singapore Botanic Gardens
1 Cluny Road, Singapore 259569
Telephone: 6465 0196
Fax: 6473 7983
Email: NPARKS_SBG_Visitor_Services@NPARKS.GOV.SG

Official Website

Singapore Botanic Garden