15 Family-Friendly Events Happening January 2024 In Singapore

As the festive mood from December spills over to January, we are once again spoilt for choice when it comes to celebratory and family-friendly events happening around town. From dazzling light installations and the first ever sky lantern fest to craft making workshops and Lunar New Year happenings like the Chinatown Chinese New Year Street Light-Up, your entire clan from young to old will be thoroughly entertained.

Chinatown Street Light-Up and Festive Fair

Soar into an auspicious dragon year by soaking in the festivities at Chinatown. The annual Street Light-Up will take place this year from 19 January to 9 March from 7pm to 12 midnight (or until 6am on the first day of CNY) along New Bridge Road, Eu Tong Sen Street, South Bridge Road and Upper Cross Street. The official light-up opening ceremony will take place at Kreta Ayer Square on 19 January at 6pm. But it's not just the pretty lights and lanterns of course. The real fun is in shopping for CNY decor, sweets and other treats at the Festive Fair spread across Sago Street, Temple Street, Trengganu Street and Pagoda Street. At Kreta Ayer Square, you can also expect weekend stage performances and a countdown party starting from 10pm on 9 February.

Reopening of Singapore's Central Public Library

After a full-fledged revamp, the Central Public Library is back better and more exciting for kids and adults alike. Themed Singapore: Kaleidoscope, the transformed library boasts new features including Singapore Alcove, which allows visitors to enjoy stories of Singapore told through digital story books, artefacts and interactive elements. And an Immersive Room allows users to create their own stories using Generative Artificial Intelligence. What will wow the kids as well is the Children’s Biodiversity Library by S.E.A. Aquarium, the first marine biodiversity-themed learning space for kids in a local library. Here, you can find a floor-to-ceiling coral installation, marine specimens like shark egg cases and coral skeletons, an outdoor mangrove showcase and gamification kiosks. A line-up of events from tinker workshops to storytelling for kids and a curator's tour is available for sign-up - find out more here. The Central Public Library is located at 100 Victoria Street and is open daily from 10am to 9pm, except on the eve of and on public holidays.

Ride the Beat at Skyline Luge Singapore

If you and your kids enjoy zipping down the tracks at Skyline Luge at Sentosa, you can take the exhilarating experience up a notch with Ride the Beat, a new experience that combines riding and great music. Enjoy a 2.6km joyride along neon-lined tracks while bobbing along to popular tunes - Coldplay is on loop in January and the playlist changes regularly. Ride the beat happens every Friday and Saturday from 7pm to 10pm. Tickets start at $32 per person. More information here.

Light to Night Festival

The highly anticipated Light to Night Festival is back for the eighth time, featuring more than 60 programmes with the theme 'Reimagine'. The popular Art Skins on Monuments continues to be a mainstay - art institutions like the National Gallery Singapore, Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall and more will be illuminated with new light projections by Southeast Asian artists. Plus, you can book tickets for programmes like Dungeons and Dragons: The Art Quest where you get to role-play while learning about art; and Wishful Thinking, which lets you discover textures and sounds in an ASMR video.

Happening from 19 January to 8 February 2024 at various locations in the Civic District. The festival is free for all, with some ticketed events. Find more information here.

ARTBOX Singapore 2024

Get ready for tantalising street food, exhilarating art installations, games and live performances at the returning ARTBOX Singapore 2024. There are over 100 booths with food and beverage offerings from around the world. Plus, you will get to shop for personalised sneakers, apparel and trinkets, flex your vocals at KTV containers and let loose with your loved ones with games and live performances.

Happening 26 to 28 January 2024 and 2 to 4 February 2042, 12 noon to 11pm at Singapore Expo Hall 2. General admission tickets start at $6; bundles are also available via Klook. Each entry ticket entitles you to a KTV experience, a Virtual Reality game play or Nintendo Switch game play, one lucky draw chance and more. Buy here.

Singapore Art Week 2024

Light to Night may be a headliner for Singapore Art Week, but there are many other noteworthy programmes worth checking out with your family. For instance, Artwalk Fest from 19 to 28 January will inject a festive atmosphere into the neighbourhoods of Little India and Katong-Joo Chiat, thanks to interactive installations, live performances, awe-inspiring murals and more. And your children will enjoy running around BeLong's Art Playground at the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre Roof Garden, 1 Straits Boulevard - the fun and colourful playground designed by local artists is an ode to Singapore's unique CNY traditions.

My Tiong Bahru Heritage Tour

Volunteer guides will take you and your family on a walking tour around Singapore's only conserved housing estate. You will get to learn more about pre- and post-war architecture and the romance, food, culture and art associated with this charming neighbourhood. Be prepared to take loads of Instagram-worthy shots at alleyways and of Tiong Bahru's delectable food options. History buffs will also enjoy the visit to Singapore's first communal civilian air raid shelter in a residential estate, which saved and gave lives during the war years in 1941-42.

Happening on 7 January 2024 at 10am and 4pm. The 2.5-hour tour beginning at Tiong Bahru Community Centre is free; slots are limited. Book you tickets here.

Madagascar the Musical

If you and the kids enjoyed the movie, then you can't miss Madagascar the Musical. Alex the lion and his friends in New York's Central Park Zoo find themselves escaping the urban jungle and making their way to King Julien's Madagascar. Dress comfortably for you will be sure to 'move it, move it' with the hilarious characters and upbeat tracks.

Happening from 18 to 28 January 2024 at the Esplanade Theatre. Tickets range from $48 to $138. Buy here.

Little Singers by the Voices of Singapore Children's Choir

Got a budding musician in your midst? Your child can explore his or her musicality in this unique research-based programme that trains and develops cognitive, musical and kinaesthetic ability in young kids, by honing their sensitivity towards sound, rhythm and other musical elements. Children aged three to four will need to be accompanied by a parent - it is a great opportunity for you to bond through music-making. Children aged five to six can attend the programme independently.

The term runs from 6 January to 9 March 2024, with weekly classes happening every Saturday at a Voices of Singapore studio. The programme fee starts from $153.65 per term. More information here.

Get Crafty! At Gardens by the Bay

Get in the mood for Chinese New Year with these two craft workshops across two weekends at the Flower Dome at Gardens by the Bay. From 6 to 7 January 2024, you will learn to create a wreath adorned with fabric dahlias, dancing lady orchids and other florals - a great showpiece for your home. And from 20 to 21 January, you get to try your hand at Chinese calligraphy on a decorative art card.

Activity fees range from $12 to $15 and includes all materials. You will however need to separately purchase an admission ticket into the Flower Dome. More information here.

Singapore Sky Lantern Festival

You would have seen gorgeous visuals of sky lanterns lighting up the night sky, or even tried your hand at releasing one overseas. Now you can do it right here in Singapore at Sentosa's Palawan Green. Gather your tribe and pen your hopes and wishes for the year and let your lantern infuse you with a hefty dose of positivity for 2024. The sky lanterns used at this event are made of biodegradable oiled rice paper. For safety reasons, the lit lanterns will remain tethered and you will retrieve your lantern after the flame extinguishes.

At the event you can also expect to enjoy live music and a selection of international and local food and drinks. Happening on 17 January 2024 from 3pm to 9pm. General admission costs $50. Buy your ticket here.

Odyssey of Motherhood

A group of final-year students from Ngee Ann Polytechnic have come together to raise awareness of maternal mental wellness through the Odyssey of Motherhood exhibition, featuring artworks created by mums and which take visitors through the complicated landscape of a mother's transformative journey. The family-friendly event will feature interactive activities and even a flea market to be enjoyed.

Happening 5 to 6 January 2024 from 12.30pm to 7pm at the Visual Arts Centre Dhoby Ghaut, 10 Penang Road. Admission is free.

The Rain Forest

If you are hoping to introduce your child to herbs and spices that can be grown in the tropics, this is a great interactive session to attend together. Both you and junior can expect to join staff from the Singapore Botanic Gardens to extract fragrant smells of plants like nutmeg, lemongrass and ginger. Tickets are free but you will need to reserve a spot for both you and your child. Happening on 20 January 2024 from 11am to 12 noon at the Central Public Library. Get your tickets here.

Pineapple Plush Making Workshop

Fancy a cutesy CNY decorative toy at home? Get the kids and try your hand at this unique pineapple plush making class. Even children younger than seven are welcome to join, with supervision of course. You will get to use knitting needles and a knitting machine to turn formless fabric into your very own huggable toy to herald a huat year ahead!

The workshop runs on 27 January 2024, with different time slots available, at the Chinatown Visitor Centre, 2 Banda Street. Tickets are at $60. A minimum of five people is required for the class to take place. More information here.

Pongal Open House 2024

For the uninitiated, Pongal is a yearly festival celebrated by the Tamil community to thank the sun and Mother Nature for a bountiful harvest. Every January, Little India becomes abuzz with festivities to mark this thanksgiving occasion. In 2024, the Pongal Open House at the Indian Heritage Centre will feature its signature Pongal Trails, Kranji Farm tours, craft activities, live performances and more.

The Pongal Open House 2024 happens across two weekends, on 6, 7, 13 and 14 January from 10am to 6pm at 5 Campbell Lane. Admission is free.